# Stan and Ollie - movie

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stan-and-ollie-movie/826740>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 26, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stan-and-ollie-movie/826740 "2018-12-26T16:36:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2018, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stan-and-ollie-movie/826740/21 "2018-12-29T01:28:22Z")

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> [@caligulathegod](#):
>
> Yeah, but it’s not treacly like, say, Chaplin can sometimes get. They are just more likeable as personalities than the Stooges even while being assholes. This isn’t meant to imply that the Stooges aren’t liked or even that I don’t like them, but they come across more deliberately aggressive. I have a similar dislike of Harpo Marx. I find him too aggressive in his pure ID assholery. I do like the Stooges, but really if you’ve seen one Stooge short, you’ve seen them all. It’s literally the same slaps, punches, eye pokes, and so on just in different settings.
> 
> But we all have different taste. I prefer Keaton to Chaplin but like them both. Love Groucho but hate Harpo. I love WC Fields and think Gracie Allen was a genius.

Agree with everything you said in your second paragraph! I’m a HUGE Keaton fan. He could do pathos where Chaplin would slide into schmaltz. I loved The Gracie Allen Murder Mystery. So much fun. With Warren Williams (as Philo Vance). I don’t understand why he’s almost unknown today. I’ve fully enjoyed his Vance and Perry Mason films immensely.

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**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2018, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stan-and-ollie-movie/826740/22 "2018-12-29T08:33:00Z")

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> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#):
>
> Hal Roach kept Stan and Ollie on separate contracts rather than one contract as a team. In the late 30’s Stan got into a contract dispute with Roach. During this period Ollie was cast in a film called Zenobia and teamed with Harry Langdon. It’s possible Roach was trying out a new team or just did it to get San to re-sign, which is what ultimately happened. The trailer for this new film suggests there was some anger on Stan’s part toward Ollie for making that film. But as has already been mentioned, they remained friends until the day Ollie died and certainly didn’t go decades without speaking to each other

Although it’s likely simplified for the movie, it actually wasn’t just that one movie. Hardy was also cast in a movie starring Bing Crosby and another with John Wayne so it looked to many he was building a solo career as a character actor and wouldn’t need Laurel anymore.

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stan-and-ollie-movie/826740/23 "2018-12-29T19:23:42Z")

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> [@NDP](#):
>
> Although it’s likely simplified for the movie, it actually wasn’t just that one movie. Hardy was also cast in a movie starring Bing Crosby and another with John Wayne so it looked to many he was building a solo career as a character actor and wouldn’t need Laurel anymore.

Apparently he did those reluctantly and only on advice from Laurel who had been diagnosed with diabetes and apparently was slowing down. They continued to tour together throughout that period and after.

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**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stan-and-ollie-movie/826740/24 "2019-01-04T14:22:08Z")

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A small digression for the Laurel and Hardy fans in the thread. TCM is showcasing 10 Laurel and Hardy movies on Monday, January 7, 2019. Get your DVR set.  
8:00 PM The Music Box (1932)  
8:45 PM Busy Bodies (1933)  
9:15 PM Way Out West (1937)  
10:30 PM Sons of the Desert (1933)  
11:45 PM Tit For Tat (1935)  
12:15 AM Swiss Miss (1938)  
1:45 AM Pack Up Your Troubles (1932)  
3:00 AM Air Raid Wardens (1943)  
4:15 AM Brats (1930)  
4:45 AM A Chump at Oxford (1940)

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**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stan-and-ollie-movie/826740/25 "2019-01-22T19:01:34Z")

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I finally saw \*Stan and Ollie \*on Saturday. It was very well done, and the actors did a good job of capturing their characters. It is a sad movie. The first few minutes recount the earlier history of Laurel and Hardy, and I found myself wishing that the movie was more about the successful part of their lives, and not so much about the sad ending. (I saw _The Happy Prince_ last year, which is about the last days of Oscar Wilde, and had a similar reaction.)

That said, in the moments when they recreate memorable Laurel and Hardy routines, they are just as funny as they were when I was six. Also, they both had horrible, horrible wives, at least as portrayed in this movie.

I would recommend it, but know going in that while there are some laughs from the comedy routines, overall it is a serious, sad, thoughtful movie.

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**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stan-and-ollie-movie/826740/26 "2019-02-10T04:09:11Z")

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I watched swiss miss … and it would of been a nice short but as a longer movie well ………

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