Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were something of an oddity for a comedy team: they actually LIKED each other. Some others (vaudeville’s Smith & Dale; burlesque-originated Abbott & Costello; nightclub-originated Martin & Lewis)were famous for their behind-the-scenes quarrels, rivalries and/or tensions.
But not Laurel & Hardy. They enjoyed each other’s company and not only made movies but were highly successful stage performers, when they appeared anywhere early in their careers — and even at the very end (in a tour of England).
Click on the You Tube except from the colorized version of their wonderful film Way Out West below and you’ll see an amazing moment captured on film. You’ll see the joy these two comedians had when working together and understand why they were also such beloved stage performers. We won’t give it away, but it isn’t a verbal comedy routine.
This is NOT “nostalgia.” This is part of America’s comedy heritage, and also a learning tool for young people who are interested in comedy. If you haven’t seen Laurel & Hardy before, check this one out and then start watching their movies (HINT: Do NOT watch the inferior 1940s movies until you watched all of their Hal Roach output).
There are some excellent books on their remarkable career here. DVDs are here.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.