Showing posts with label Laurel and Hardy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laurel and Hardy. Show all posts

Aug 15, 2012

Top Ten Movie Lines

According to the American Film Institute, here they are:
1- Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. (GONE WITH THE WIND)
2 - I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse. (THE GODFATHER)
3 - You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. (ON THE WATERFRONT)
4 - Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. (THE WIZARD OF OZ)
5 - Here’s looking at you, kid. (CASABLANCA)
6 - Go ahead, make my day. (SUDDEN IMPACT)
7 - All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up. (SUNSET BLVD.)
8 - May the Force be with you. (STAR WARS)
9 - Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night. (ALL ABOUT EVE)
10 - You talking to me? (TAXI DRIVER)

Laurel and Hardy came in 60th with the famous line delivered by Ollie in many of their movies, "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" You can find more of the top 100 here. LINK
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Jul 19, 2012

Sons of the Desert Convention

The 18th annual (held every other year) international convention is being held July 17 - 22 in Manchester New Hampshire. It is attended by folks who love a good time and follow Laurel and Hardy. I have attended a few and had a great time. During one convention in California, we staged a pie fight to commemorate a scene from another of L&H movies. It turned out to be the largest pie fight in the world and we were on the TV show 'Real People'. Took me days to get the lemon custard out of every nook and cranny of my body.

The 'Sons of the Desert' name is taken from a lodge that the boys belonged to in the movie of the same name. It is an international fraternal organization devoted to lives and films of comedians Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Each participating city has a "tent" with the name taken from one of their movies. The exception is Detroit, which took the name 'Dancing Cuckoos' from the theme song.

The group is loosely formed and has never approved the bylaws, which Stan Laurel said must maintain a 'half-assed dignity'. Meetings consist of watching their old movies and enjoying drinks and popcorn. Each year the bylaws are brought up for vote and ceremoniously ignored. The leader of the group has the title 'Exhausted Ruler', also taken from one of the movies. It was formed in 1964.

Oct 15, 2010

Bowlers Coming Back

The once iconic Bowler hat is set to make a fashion a comeback, according to tailors who say they are being inundated with requests for them.

Worn by Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin and the headwear of choice for civil servants and bankers the bowler dropped out of fashion in the 1960s.

Tailors Austin Reed says it has so many customer inquiries about the headgear it will soon stock it for the first time in 12 years.

Some American celebrities have recently been pictured wearing one, which is thought to have sparked an interest in the hats which date back to 1849. Some of my favorites pictured, Laurel and Hardy, and John Steed wore them. Of course could not add Steed without adding Emma Peel.

Feb 18, 2010

Laurel and Hardy?

I have always been a huge fan of the boys and I didn't didn't make this one up. Laurel and Hardy delivered 50 bags of cocaine to a home in Kingston, Pennsylvania, where police arrested them. Hardy was also found to have ten bags of marijuana in his possession. 31-year-old Carlos Laurel and 39-year-old Andre Hardy were held at the Luzerne County Jail on several felony drug charges. Do you think they understand the irony of their partnership?

Oct 16, 2009

Benefits of Humor

Here is one from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In my never ending Quixotic quest to finding what is funny, I stumbled on this tidbit that suggests that watching comedy can increase your creativity, but it still does not answer 'what is funny'.

Researchers found that watching a comedy film has several benefits. First, that it makes you feel better and we all know that. Second, that it makes you more creative. Third, that it aids in problem solving.

Are you bored and wondering what to do next (after finishing this).  Well, view a comedy film, or maybe this quickie of Mr. Bean making faces.


The movie makes you laugh and it makes you feel better. Now, don't you feel more creative?

Experiment results from, Isen, Daubman, and Nowicki found that people who watched a comedy film were more likely to solve a problem requiring a creative solution than people who watched a neutral film. 

Another experiment involved a comedy film and the Remote Associates Test. The mean number of items correct on this test was higher for people who watched a comedy film than for people who did not watch a comedy film. The hypothesis was that positive emotion would foster creativity.

The bottom line is that if you are working on a problem at home or work that requires a creative solution, it may be good to first view some comedy. I know that I always feel better after watching Laurel and Hardy, but am not sure if it makes me feel more creative.