At 7:00 p.m this Saturday evening, the Historic Bal Theatre, 14808 East 14th Street in San Leandro presents a tribute to favorite laughmakers Mr. Arthur Stanley Jefferson, A.K.A. "Stan Laurel" and "Stanley" Mr. Oliver Norvell Hardy, A.K.A. "Babe" and "Ollie".
The hilarious comedies of Laurel & Hardy, once the toast of every capital and a box office hit in the farthest corners of the globe, have receded somewhat in the age of 4500 cable TV channels - and that's too bad. This is due to both to the spotty availability of their films (the last time Laurel and Hardy comedies were shown regularly on television was over 20 years ago by the American Movie Classics channel) and a culture with the attention span of a gnat on methamphetamines.
This scene from The Boys' 1937 feature Way Out West gets me every time.
Until the recent Laurel And Hardy - The Essential Collection DVD release, their films remained largely out of circulation.
Laurel & Hardy silent comedies, including the hilarious You're Darn' Tootin' and Liberty have been posted on Hulu.
Film & Television Archive has launched an ambitious restoration project devoted to Laurel & Hardy. I have posted the piece on the restoration effort by film historian Leonard Maltin before - and it bears repeating.
Laurel and Hardy, like fellow Hal Roach Studio stalwarts Charley Chase and Leo McCarey, definitely had "song and dance man" in their souls. Here is the charming and funny bit from the Stan n' Babe classic Way Out West that inspired Tilda and the Edinburgh Flash Mob.
Wish I could have been there in Edinburgh for the fun!
Laurel And Hardy: still the best!
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Laurel & Hardy Tribute
Saturday September 29th 7pm
Doors Open at 6:30pm $10
Experience Laurel & Hardy in all their black & white glory!
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