8mm Forum: Laurel & Hardy

This is topic Laurel & Hardy in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on February 16, 2018, 08:46 AM:

This morning I had telephone contact from the help/support team of Apple to solve a problem with my iPad. The specialist who dealt with it was very nice and extremely knowledgeable young man of 18yrs. When I say knowledgeable I refer to his experience of computers, but because we were having difficulties tackling the problem, we had to resort to my security questions and answers. One of them was 'What is your favourite actor' to which my answer is 'Laurel & Hardy'. He said 'What was that?' So I repeated it, he said 'How do you spell it?' I nearly replied ' A dog bit me b- i -it me bit me' But I knew he wouldn't have a clue what I was talking about, so I spelled it out for him and said ' You know Laurel and Hardy surely?' ' He said 'No' so I explained who they were and that they are the most famous film comedy duo ever. I just couldn't believe that an American citizen, albeit a youngster, had never heard of them. Amazing! Even my grandchildren know who they are, but maybe that's because they know of my fascination of them [Smile]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on February 16, 2018, 08:59 AM:

I think the collective memory runs back about 6 weeks!

Nostalgia: "Do you remember January?!!"

Years and years ago my Son's pre-school had a movie-themed week. He was about four at the time and had discovered The Music Box ("The Pianyo Movie").

The school asked the little kids their favorite Movie Star: his was "Laurel and Hardy". It blew their minds a little!

He'll be 16 this summer. To this day when we pass by a house high above the street he might just say "That's the house up there!..."

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on February 16, 2018, 10:26 AM:

My experience is that todays 20 and 30 somethings know nothing of life before they were born. I grew up listening to stories from my parents, so was already familar with radio and film personalities from the 20s and 30s, plus other aspects of those times. The BBC used to show the Robert Youngson film 'Days of Thrills and Laughter', and another title, so we were familiar with Harold Lloyd, Keaton, Larry Semon, Chester Conklin, and all the other silent stars.

Posted by Ty Reynolds (Member # 5117) on February 16, 2018, 10:54 AM:

If you grew up in the '60's, the silent era was only 40 years prior. 40 years prior to today was the era of... the first Star Wars movie. I think most kids today are familiar with Han Solo.

Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on February 16, 2018, 12:11 PM:

Anything black and white is considered antique according to my 37 year old son. Having sat in a railway carriage with them and chatted they will always be special to me but so much of their work is now on scratchy prints and poor quality dvd's, if they are seen at all.

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on February 16, 2018, 12:25 PM:

One day some people will say 'Elvis who?'. Are today's kids familar with every aspect of life 40 years ago?. We weren't just familiar with film stars, but the depression and means testing; the 1st world war, Lord Kitchener, etc.

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on February 16, 2018, 12:28 PM:

Robert - Maybe. But never "Who are The Beatles?"

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on February 16, 2018, 12:38 PM:

I was always interested in learning about former times; but sometimes I'm surprised at the replies I have had from pensioners; once when I commented to a friend in his 80s that he looked like Sam Spade, he claimed to have no knowledge of the character or Humphrey Bogart. Another pensioner in his 90s had never heard of Tom Walls and Ralph Lynn, and finally, another, who had lived all his life a few miles from Ely, had never heard of local hero Hereward the Wake, and the Norman Conquest.

'Star Wars' is a very high profile title; I wonder what else they are familiar with?

Posted by Mark Mander (Member # 340) on February 16, 2018, 01:16 PM:

Robert
Was Norman Conquest an actor? Ha ha,Mark

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on February 16, 2018, 01:18 PM:

Terry, here you sure he was an American Citizen ? I don't know how the situation is in the UK but many call centers of Begian companies are now located in North Africa. Once, they asked me how I spell Bruxelles...
That said, I must admitt that few "old" films are shown on tv. Black and white films are very seldom broadcasted, not to mention silent films. But many Young people don't watch tv anymore anyway, they prefer their mobiles and computer screens.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on February 16, 2018, 02:02 PM:

Our friends' daughter is very, very bright. She's in her mid-twenties now and she's going to be a doctor someday soon.

When she was high school age the subject of Elmer Fudd came up and she had absolutely no idea who he was.

-so I decided to dig a little deeper and ask her about Lucille Ball: not a clue! Jackie Gleason? Ditto... John Wayne? Bob Hope...

So it's not that they are brain dead, really. They just grew up tuned to a different frequency than we did. They have their own...stuff!

(Sometimes I can hear my Dad's voice coming out of my own face: "Turn that CRAP OFF!!!")

The funny part is they often know who the Beatles are, because of Guitar Hero. -but they probably think about them the way we do about Beethoven or Brahms.

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on February 16, 2018, 02:17 PM:

Dom
Oh yes definitely an American. I know what you mean about some call centres using all sorts of countries and some of them have such a thick accent that they are difficult to understand, not so this guy. He spoke perfect English with only a trace of American accent.
After our conversation I asked him to ask one of his colleagues if they had heard of Laurel & Hardy and I heard him say something like ' oh yes they were film stars of the 1920's in silent films'. So there was some recognition, but vaguely. [Smile]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on February 16, 2018, 02:24 PM:

Some of these call center people get a lot of accent and idiom training. You really can't be completely sure these days.
Still the same I wouldn't think most people younger than 40 anywhere would know L&H.

I got a call from a really cheerful caller the other day and talked to her for maybe a minute before I realized "she" was some kind of speech recognition software. My only real clue was the gaps in the conversation for processing time, and I'm sure they are narrowing all the time.

So I decided to test her limits and broke into Spanish: "she" hung up!

-next time "she" gets German!

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on February 16, 2018, 03:19 PM:

I was on the phone to a call centre I think it was in India it was very frustrating to deal with as no matter how I put my inquiry they did not understand, likewise once to a call centre the US.... [Frown]

This for me sums it up [Big Grin]

https://youtu.be/BncDeMO_en0

Posted by Joseph Randall (Member # 4906) on February 16, 2018, 07:24 PM:

It's a shame that Laurel and Hardy are no longer household names.

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on February 18, 2018, 04:05 PM:

You tube might help here as most of Laurel + Hardy`s films are on there.

David have you seen the 21 dvd box set in the UK, the quality is very nice and they project with a wonderful filmie look.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Laurel-Hardy-The-Collection-21-disc-Box-Set-New-DVD/172990716737?epid=30484765&hash=item28470cdb41:g:1EIAAOSwrklVbbn4

Best Mark.

PS I find most dvds look far better projected rather than on a TV even many times larger.

Posted by David Guest (Member # 2791) on February 18, 2018, 05:26 PM:

does anyone one ever remember jimmy clitheroe and danny ross

Posted by Gary Sayers (Member # 5545) on February 19, 2018, 07:23 AM:

I remember Jimmy Clitheroe and Danny Ross, as well as Arthur Haynes, Harry Worth, Dick Emery and loads of others who were once household names but are now largely ignored and forgotten by TV.

Why are they ignored by TV? Is it that the comedy has dated or is no longer politically correct? Could be. But a lot of it hasn't dated badly and is perfectly politically correct (probably not Dick Emery - gone the same way as Benny Hill).

Take a look at this brilliant Harry Worth episode from 1967:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmcDhoC56dY

That episode could easily stand up with any of the current colour, widescreen, HD output of today.

But because it's in black and white, it's unlikely to ever be shown again.

Same goes, I think, for Laurel and Hardy. My two grown up kids love Stan and Ollie but most of their friends have never heard of them.

I also think that as the people who make the decisions on what to show on TV get younger and younger, the old stuff will not be part of their mindset and never be considered for broadcast.

Posted by Trevor Adams (Member # 42) on February 19, 2018, 04:09 PM:

For a nostalgia fix get the BBC old time radio MP3s.
Don't worry about the '20sto 30s',my 50 came back from "Darkest Hour" and asked if Japan 'helped' the Allies!!!

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on February 19, 2018, 04:41 PM:

The Clitheroe Kid was one of my favourite radio shows. I think Danny Ross also appeared with Jimmy, in one of George Formby's later films. Diana Day, who played Jimmy's sister, lives in Herefordshire. I remember ITV putting it on television, but it didn't work like on radio, where you use your imagination.

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on February 19, 2018, 04:56 PM:

Yes Robert
In the same way that Eric and Ernie humour just didn't work on film. Tommy Cooper was another one. Great on tv and live shows, but awful in most film productions- probably due to poor Directors.

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on February 20, 2018, 03:00 PM:

I like their 'Intelligence Men', but not so keen on the others. Then there was Tony Hancock in'The Rebel', but afterwards he fired Galton and Simpson, who were responsible for his success. Hancock to me always seems to look uncomfortable on screen.

Mark Mander, Norman Conquest was a fictional detective of the 1930s in books and films, by Berkeley Grey.

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