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Stan and Ollie

rockershovel

Entry posted by rockershovel

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Whiling away a miserable wet weekend in Plymouth (I don’t go home every weekend because of the time and cost), went to the pictures for the first time in a long time.

 

Much impressed with the new layout at the cinema, big semi-reclining airline style seats with ample legroom. Being 4:30 in the afternoon, only 7 or 8 in the auditorium... the film was Stan and Ollie, and I loved it.

 

I was never a huge fan of Laurel and Hardy, being (I suppose) the generation that “didn’t want to see a Laurel and Hardy movie any more”. I didn’t really care for Abbot and Costello, either. But I DO enjoy Steve Coogan, and this was a joy.. a gentle, humorous biopic of sorts about two ageing has-beens, coasting towards the inevitable end amid the aftermath of old betrayals and quarrels, affection and ingrained habit.

 

The sniping wives are a joy. Hardy’s wife is clearly distressed by his failing health and career, Laurel’s wife... not do much, a hard-eyed Russian former dancer and failed actress who for some reason won’t sit next to the magnificently slippery Bernard Delfont at appearances. Laurel remarks at one point that he won’t marry again, just find a woman he doesn’t like and buy her a house.

 

I loved it. The recreated routines are well done, the characters are convincing, the whole film is gently melancholic as optimism fades away. It had never occurred to me that L&H were still wearing basically Edwardian stage costumes into the 1950s - wing collars, frock coats and bowlers.

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Londontram

Hmm not really model railway or even modeling in general related might have been better in wheel tappers section

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Richard Jones

Haven't seen the film yet, but hoping to get along before it falls off the showings at the local flee pit - I understand that it deals with their UK tour, so a pity the RHDR doesn't feature, as I know they visited the line either as publicity for themselves or for the RHDR!

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi3iKCxuv3fAhU0pnEKHfGZC8IQyCkwAHoECAYQBA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dq_1FwvhdxWM&usg=AOvVaw37scMEuwApgRhIlkohe03v

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rockershovel

The film is essentially a somewhat simplified and condensed account of their successive tours of U.K. and Ireland between 1947 and 1954, which were attended by numerous public appearances to publicise them and boost ticket sales.

 

Steve Coogan is a very convincing Stan Laurel, the Oliver Hardy part is pretty good too. The personal side, I can’t comment on the accuracy (although it is clearly very compressed) although the feuding between the wives is well known. It’s a fun film for a rainy day.

 

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RobMG

Good film, and Steve Coogan was as always brilliant.

I was a Laurel and Hardy fan when I was a kid, so I found it sad to see how they had come down in the world, and how they, as many others in the world of entertainment were exploited for others gain.

Does any one know where the railway scenes were filmed ?

 

Rob

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Richard Jones

 

As the YouTube clip shows - the RHDR visit was for the postwar reopening of the New Romney to Dungeness section of the line in 1947 on the 21st birthday of the line.

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