Remember STAN LAUREL

54 years ago, we lost Stan Laurel, a comedy genius and my own personal idol.

From Wikipedia:

In January 1965, Stan Laurel underwent a series of x-rays for an infection on the roof of his mouth. He died on 23 February 1965, aged 74, four days after suffering a heart attack on 19 February.  Minutes before his death, he told his nurse that he would not mind going skiing, and she replied that she was not aware that he was a skier. "I'm not," said Laurel, "I'd rather be doing that than this!" A few minutes later, the nurse looked in on him again and found that he had died quietly in his armchair.

At his funeral, silent screen comedian Buster Keaton said, "Chaplin wasn't the funniest, I wasn't the funniest, this man was the funniest."  Dick Van Dyke gave the eulogy as a friend, protégé, and occasional impressionist of Laurel during his later years; he read "The Clown's Prayer".  Laurel had quipped, "If anyone at my funeral has a long face, I'll never speak to him again."  He was interred in Forest Lawn–Hollywood Hills Cemetery.

At Forest Lawn Cemetery, a plaque was placed reading:

STAN LAUREL
1890 - 1965
A MASTER OF COMEDY
HIS GENIUS IN THE ART OF HUMOR BROUGHT GLADNESS TO THE WORLD HE LOVED.

Joining the Laurel and Hardy appreciation society, the Sons Of The Desert, I was fortunate enough to meet Stan Laurel's daughter, Lois Laurel Hawes and visit Stan's final resting place with her, back in 1980, during the Sons of the Desert Second International Convention in Hollywood.

God Bless Stan Laurel!

ARTIE SHAW and BENNY GOODMAN, the Great Clarinet Players.

I've always been a big fan of Big Band Swing music which I've been listening to since my early childhood. My parents had a good sized collection of old 78 RPM shellac records which I continually played on an old Motorola player and later, on a Garrard turntable. The music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and several other big band leaders, was a staple of their collection.

Later on, I managed to get hold of a second-hand clarinet and taught myself how to play the instrument, aided by Paul Harvey's THE COMPLETE CLARINET PLAYER Omnibus Edition from 1986 and A. Magnani's Complete Method for Clarinet in Two Books. Since there were no YouTube tutorials back then, and I didn't have the time to take lessons from a qualified music teacher, the learning process was quite slow and lengthy.

Of course, no virtuosity was achieved but after much practice, I managed to play it with limited proficiency, enough to carry me by when I had to perform in public for a musical play.

I don't remember the name of the show but I do recall I had two solo numbers with a piano accompanist: As Time Goes By and St. Louis Blues.

My clarinet kit.

The clarinet is no longer functional for lack of proper maintenance; however, I still keep it for nostalgic reasons and am planning to buy me a new one someday soon. Playing the clarinet along with Goodman and Shaw's recordings used to be a very pleasant pastime years ago and I hope I can indulge myself once more.

 

Artie Shaw was born May 23, 1910 and died December 30, 2004 at the age of 94.

Benny Goodman was born May 30, 1909 and died June 13, 1986 at the age of 77.

STAN & OLLIE - The Movie

STAN & OLLIE, the biopic of comedians Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy was released in the US on December 28, 2018 and as of February 14, it had grossed a total of $4, 489,249.
The film earned several award nominations:
John C. Reilly was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.
The film was nominated for the BAFTA Film Award for the Outstanding British Film of the Year.
Steve Coogan was nominated for the BAFTA Film Award for Best Leading Actor.

STAN & OLLIE earned praises and cheers from Laurel and Hardy fans all over the world in spite of some resistance early on.  I was lucky enough to be in New York in January and made it to a screening thanks to my son Ricardo, who promptly bought our tickets!

Frankly, I had my doubts about the characterizations and overall treatment of the story but in spite of the historical inaccuracies and factual distortions, the film is excellent, and both Coogan and Reilly give realistic and very moving performances. Shirley Henderson as Lucille Hardy and Nina Arianda as Ida Laurel are magnificently funny and likable. They almost walk away with the film. The rest of the cast is excellent. I do not completely subscribe to the portrayal of Mr. Hal Roach but all in all, this is an exceptional work of movie magic; the period is faithfully recreated and the entire production looks like a top-notch endeavor. Many touching moments and funny bits are edited in a very effective fashion and the film goes by very quickly, never dragging and always keeping you wondering what's coming up next. Some scenes are painfully realistic and you genuinely feel as if you're witnessing the woes and trials of two great comedians trying to recapture their former glory and popularity. 
Their theme song, Dance of the Cuckoos is thankfully present throughout!
If anything, the movie made me realize once again, how great Laurel and Hardy really were...and it reinforced my deep love for these two gentlemen.
The theater was little more than half full and most of the audience was made up of people around my age range. They were all quite appreciative and laughed at the right moments. The comments I overheard as we were walking out of the movie house were all very positive, with people remembering other L & H films and reminiscing about their favorite bits from the original films. The inclusion at the end credits of the actual dance sequence from WAY OUT WEST and photos from the real Laurel and Hardy in the same period of time was a nice surprise for me as was the dedication to Lois Laurel.
All in all, both thumbs way up for this film. 

                                                     

The release of the DVD was announced for March 26, 2019!

Of course, wishful thinking makes one hope that all of this will somehow contribute to a rediscovery and renewed appreciation of Laurel & Hardy's original body of work, for present and future generations to enjoy.

Doubtful, at best...but anyway, the film was a success and we, the old tried and true Laurel & Hardy fans, are simply grateful for it!

VALENTINE'S DAY!

According to WIKIPEDIA:
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is a secular and religious holiday celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus. Valentine's Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world, although it is not a public holiday in any country.

Whatever the case, February 14th is Valentine's Day, so...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

DAVID JANSSEN (1931-1980)

David Janssen was an American actor who became world-famous when he starred in the TV series THE FUGITIVE (1963-67). He was also the star of three other TV series: Richard Diamond, Private Eye (1957-60), O'Hara U.S. Treasury (1971-72) and Harry-O (1974-76).
He appeared in several hit films: The Green Berets (1968), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Marooned (1969), Macho Callahan (1970) and Once Is Not Enough (1975).
While Janssen appeared in many TV series, Made-For-TV films and big screen motion pictures, he will always be remembered as Dr. Richard Kimble, the man wrongly accused of killing his wife. The story of Dr. Kimble and his pursuit of the one-armed man he saw running away from the crime scene, captured the imagination and interest of millions of viewers in the 1960s.
The final two-part episode, held the record for the highest number of viewers in August 1967,  at 75%, who tuned in to watch Kimble catch the real killer and thus, prove his innocence.
Janssen was one of my favorite TV stars and I was deeply saddened when he died at the very early age of 48, from a massive heart attack on February 13, 1980.
The Fugitive is still available on DVD and Janssen continues to thrill viewers with his desperate quest of clearing his name, running all over the United States and trying to escape the relentless pursuit of Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse).

 

                             

 

KING KONG ALIVE ON BROADWAY!

King Kong is a musical with music by Marius de Vries, lyrics by Michael Mitnick and Craig Lucas, a book by Lucas and additional musical and lyrical contributions by 3D, Sarah McLachlan, Guy Garvey, Justice and The Avalanches. It is based on the 1933 film of the same name. The original production was mounted in Australia in 2013. A Broadway production premiered in October 2018.

 

This was my grandson's first Broadway show ever. Coincidentally enough, KING KONG (1976) was also his dad Ricardo's first big screen movie which he saw when he was only four years old!  

I remember back in 1977, we were at the cinema, sitting somewhat close to the screen before the lights went out and just before the curtain rose, Rick turned to me and apprehensively asked if Kong was really behind the curtains. He didn't yet realize we were about to see just a movie!

And now, more than 40 years later, my almost seven years old grandson, came to see a "real" King Kong on stage! 

Statler and Waldorf, Two Joyful Curmudgeons!

 Statler and Waldorf were a pair of Muppet characters known for their cantankerous opinions and shared penchant for heckling. These two elderly men first appeared in THE MUPPET SHOW in 1975, where they consistently jeered the entirety of the cast and their performances from their balcony seats.
I remember I enjoyed their sarcastic insults and grumpy demeanor back then, but it is until now, more than 40 years later, that I truly appreciate and understand the deep truth within their personalities.
Yes, as you get older, you may not get wiser but you sure are far more critical of others and you become an acid critic of every subject you dare to tackle.  I know this because as I get on in years, I feel I am becoming more and more like these two grumpy old geezers!
                                              

THE FLINTSTONE SOLUTION!

The recent gas shortage in Mexico has everybody worried but I finally came up with the perfect solution to beat the ever so scarce fuel!

Thank you, Fred and Barney!

TO BE OR NOT TO BE!

For a while back in the 70s, 80s and 90s, apart from being a cartoonist, I pursued a career in acting with varying grades of success. For the most part, I just landed small roles in TV commercials and an extended stint performing in dinner theaters which lasted almost 20 years until the new millennium kicked in and most of them folded. There was a short period in 1985 where I made it into the cast of a TV sitcom which barely survived for one season. And, apart from brief cameo appearances in two films, my acting ambitions were reduced to doing comedy skits for a radio show which lasted, in various formats, about eleven years.
Luckily, none of those efforts are available for viewing today (except for the films), and thus, the only evidence remaining of my thespian ambitions is a pair of magazine ads where I tried to look somewhat fashionable.

                                                                                                                                                               
                     

                                                                                                                                                              

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Happy Birthday, Oliver Hardy!

Oliver Hardy was born on January 18, 1892 in Harlem, Georgia.  With Stan Laurel, he was one half of the famous comedy team of Laurel & Hardy, active from 1927 to1955. 

He was portrayed by John C. Reilly in the recently released biopic STAN & OLLIE which depicts the pair's last years touring Britain and Ireland. 

At The Crack of Dawn...

As the body becomes older, the joints and bones become creakier and noisier as I've come to realize every time I get up from bed.  Each morning becomes a veritable symphony of onomatopoeia reminiscent of those old Don Martin cartoons from MAD magazine!