Call me crazy ("Hey, crazy!") but I never enjoyed silent era films. I tried, oh I tried, but each time an actor's mouth moved there was nothing but an awkward silence. Then after what seemed too lengthy of a wait, a placard flashed on the TV screen, reflecting what the actor had just said moments before. I found this to be very distracting, plus it slowed down the natural comedic timing. This lapse between action and dialog, for me, was like watching an entire movie subtitled, and I couldn't square the two up.
That being said, I didn't watch any of the short and feature length "TV reruns" unless they were "talkies." As a kid who was fortunate enough to have a tiny black and white TV set in my bedroom, every Saturday morning before my parents or the Sun were up, I was thoroughly mesmerized by the vaudevillian, overtly physical humor of Buster Keaton, Our Gang (The Little Rascals), The Three Stooges, and of course, Laurel & Hardy.
The first Our Gang (The Little Rascals) talkie was "Small Talk" released in 1929. Buster Keaton's first talkie was "Free and Easy," released in 1930. The Three Stooges (Larry, Moe and Curly) most recognized talkie was The Woman Haters (1934). "Unaccustomed As We Are," released worldwide in 1929, was Laurel and Hardy's film debut with sound. It was an immediate hit with audiences.
Unlike many of their silent film era contemporaries who couldn't make the transition from silent to sound film, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy effortlessly slipped into this new media. Both actors had the rare gift of "comedic timing," and the duo knew how to thoroughly exploit sight gags. Moreover, lovable Hardy routinely broke the "fourth wall" of film, and after each hilarious yet tragic gag, he would often look straight at the camera as if to say, "Can you believe what just happened to me?"
Blotto! (1930) was Laurel and Hardy's 6th sound movie. Like the first five, it is a short. And like many of the early L&H Shorts, they were hilariously written by Leo McCarey who would someday win a Best Picture Oscar for "The Awful Truth" (1937). Blotto's plot is simple: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy come up with a badly worked out plan to attend the opening of a nightclub without first getting permission from henpecked Mr. Laurel's dominating wife. They even steal a bottle of alcohol from Mrs. Laurel to later drink at the club. Naturally, the two get completely wasted (Blotto) even though the bottle of booze they stole was nothing more than cold iced tea. "You can certainly tell good liquor when you taste it," says Ollie. The boys are having a grand old time until a steaming furious Mrs. Laurel shows up with a loaded shotgun.
It's all brilliantly choreographed by two of the most iconic comedic teams in history, and supported by a wonderful set of actors who would often appear in many future Laurel & Hardy shorts and feature length films.
No spoilers here as usual, but I will reveal that like several other L&H short features, Blotto was also filmed in a Spanish version, with Oliver and Stanley actually speaking Spanish.
That being said, I didn't watch any of the short and feature length "TV reruns" unless they were "talkies." As a kid who was fortunate enough to have a tiny black and white TV set in my bedroom, every Saturday morning before my parents or the Sun were up, I was thoroughly mesmerized by the vaudevillian, overtly physical humor of Buster Keaton, Our Gang (The Little Rascals), The Three Stooges, and of course, Laurel & Hardy.
The first Our Gang (The Little Rascals) talkie was "Small Talk" released in 1929. Buster Keaton's first talkie was "Free and Easy," released in 1930. The Three Stooges (Larry, Moe and Curly) most recognized talkie was The Woman Haters (1934). "Unaccustomed As We Are," released worldwide in 1929, was Laurel and Hardy's film debut with sound. It was an immediate hit with audiences.
Unlike many of their silent film era contemporaries who couldn't make the transition from silent to sound film, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy effortlessly slipped into this new media. Both actors had the rare gift of "comedic timing," and the duo knew how to thoroughly exploit sight gags. Moreover, lovable Hardy routinely broke the "fourth wall" of film, and after each hilarious yet tragic gag, he would often look straight at the camera as if to say, "Can you believe what just happened to me?"
Blotto! (1930) was Laurel and Hardy's 6th sound movie. Like the first five, it is a short. And like many of the early L&H Shorts, they were hilariously written by Leo McCarey who would someday win a Best Picture Oscar for "The Awful Truth" (1937). Blotto's plot is simple: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy come up with a badly worked out plan to attend the opening of a nightclub without first getting permission from henpecked Mr. Laurel's dominating wife. They even steal a bottle of alcohol from Mrs. Laurel to later drink at the club. Naturally, the two get completely wasted (Blotto) even though the bottle of booze they stole was nothing more than cold iced tea. "You can certainly tell good liquor when you taste it," says Ollie. The boys are having a grand old time until a steaming furious Mrs. Laurel shows up with a loaded shotgun.
It's all brilliantly choreographed by two of the most iconic comedic teams in history, and supported by a wonderful set of actors who would often appear in many future Laurel & Hardy shorts and feature length films.
No spoilers here as usual, but I will reveal that like several other L&H short features, Blotto was also filmed in a Spanish version, with Oliver and Stanley actually speaking Spanish.