As I see it, t he key year for the boys is 1927. The development of the characters and their comedy is easily visible film by film. As an example, one only has to look at the scale of the marketing of ‘Hats Off’ (1927), as illustrated in Randy Skretvedt’s updated masterpiece on the team, to get an understanding of the confidence that the studios had in their new comedy duo’s films.Īs I’ve said, the talkies are indeed sublimely wonderful, but they are only wonderful because of the work the boys put in during the silent period. They were riding high on the crest of a wave and their popularity was sky-high, even to the point that MGM was giving just as much publicity to the boys’ two-reelers as they usually only afforded to features. In a way, it’s a shame that the talkies arrived when they did, as Stan & Babe had just gotten into their stride by 1929 and had fine-tuned their films to the extent that each one was a little work of art in its own right. But, having recently re-watched all the boys’ silent films, in chronological order of when they were made, I have a new-found admiration and appreciation for them that makes me want to fight their corner, sing their praises from the rooftops, and hopefully convince anyone that has dismissed them in the past as not worth watching, to maybe think again. There’s really no argument as far as I’m concerned that the boys’ voices and dialogue add so much to the team’s comedy and there are just so many more talkies to go at, so my preference has to be the sound films. Okay, so it’s none of my business what people choose to watch, or don’t watch as the case may be, but for ‘fans’ of Laurel & Hardy to be so instinctively dismissive of the boys’ silent work, doesn’t sit right with me.ĭon’t get me wrong, I myself recently voted for the talkies ahead of the silents in a recent Facebook poll, aimed to uncover what fans prefer. But, I have to say that I find this disappointing, sad even. It’s no secret that a lot of fans, probably even the majority of fans, prefer the Laurel & Hardy talkies above the silent films, with some on social media keenly dismissing the teams’ early films as not worthy of watching. Reilly reaped a Golden Globe bid for his work, while Coogan was recognized at BAFTA, where the film also competes for Best British Film and Best Makeup/Hair.Angora Love, as well as being a typically funny Laurel & Hardy comedy, is also a very significant film in Stan & Ollie’s canon, as it has the distinction of being the very last silent film they ever made together (with the exception of ‘The Tree in a Test Tube’ (1943), but that doesn’t really count).īefore we turn completely away from the silent era and venture into the golden age of the talkies, I wanted to take a moment and pay one final homage to this period in the boys’ career. Reilly and Steve Coogan as the iconic pair. The two have been back in the headlines as of late thanks to the new film “Stan and Ollie” (2018), which casts John C. Sadly, Hardy died in 1957 before any such recognition could be bestowed upon him. (It’s a sign of the times that this plotless hodgepodge managed to snag an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.) Just two year later, the two were headlining the full-length comedy “Pardon Us” (1931), which found Stan and Ollie behind bars for selling beer during Prohibition.Īlthough neither personally competed at the Academy Awards, Laurel did receive an Honorary Oscar in 1961 for his career in comedy.
#BEST LAUREL AND HARDY MOVIES MOVIE#
Their first official foray into features was a cameo appearance in “The Hollywood Revue of 1929” (1929), a musical variety meant to introduce MGM’s silent movie stars to sound.
One of their most famous, “The Music Box” (1934), won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short (Comedy).
#BEST LAUREL AND HARDY MOVIES SERIES#
Laurel and Hardy were already established comedians in their own right before they teamed up for a series of shorts produced by Hal Roach (of “The Little Rascals” fame). Yet how many of those titles are classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 10 of Laurel and Hardy’s best feature films, ranked worst to best. Together, the pair produced 79 shorts (34 silent, 45 sound) and 27 features.
The actor became a Hollywood legend after pairing up with Stan Laurel to form the comedic duo Laurel and Hardy. Oliver Hardy would’ve celebrated his 127th birthday on January 18, 2019.
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