Hello and welcome to another vintage Media millennial blog. Inspired by things I’ve been writing about recently, I wanted to discuss my millennial relationship with the iconic comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. I’m possibly of the last generation to have experienced the duo being repeated on daytime television.
I previously announced my intention to review numerous films from the Silent era of cinema, including the films in a Eureka entertainment box set of Laurel and Hardy films recently released. After watching a couple on the set, it got me thinking about how I discovered Laurel and Hardy.
How I Discovered Laurel and Hardy
The BBC used to show their sound-era films on BBC 2 back in the early 2000s. I would ask my grandparents to record them while I was at school and then watch them afterwards. I’m not sure exactly how I discovered it was a thing. This would have been the period when I always searched for classic content, but it wasn’t always readily available in 2002. Whatever it was, it made me a fan of the famous duo. These films were 60+ years old at that point, but I loved them.
I only managed to tape around 90 minutes worth of this stuff but I watched it quite a lot. Along with the vibe the films were made in I appreciated the chemistry between Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. I also enjoyed the cartoony nature of the comedy, and the moments after a piece of slapstick.
My favourite of the short films might be obvious to hardcore fans, but I watched a couple of them a lot in my teens. The music box ( year) is well known for the slapstick elements, such as the piano continually falling down the stairs. I also appreciated Hog Wild, and the various moments Hardy would fall into a deep pool, only for it to appear shallow in the next shot!
How I Lost Laurel and Hardy
As I got deep into my teens, I drifted away from the iconic duo. I had a DVD or two in the cupboard, but revisits were rare. There was still a deep love and fascination, but my mind was drawn into doubt by those who didn’t see the attraction. It was seemingly used as a way to undermine my opinion, and so I publicly dropped it for a while.
There were occasions when I got to indulge. I watched the Stan and Ollie movie with great interest and thought the leads of Steve Coogan and John C Reilly nailed their roles. I was particularly moved by the end scene, which was truly beautiful.
In more recent times, I’ve begun to embrace things a lot more. I discovered their films playing back-to-back on a Pluto TV channel, and happy memories came flooding back. It took another few years, but I’m finally back to where I was; Enjoying Laurel and Hardy, regardless of other people’s opinions. Whenever I watch now, I think back to when I discovered them, and the extraordinary paths they led me down. Thank you Laurel and Hardy.
Thank you for reading this edition of vintage Media millennial if you have any thoughts or opinions you would like to express, do not hesitate to let us know via social media. Alternatively, you can email Jamie@OldTimeReview.co.uk.
Are you a fan of Laurel and Hardy? how did you discover the famous duo? what is your favourite Laurel and Hardy short?
