 Laurel
and Hardy had every right to be apprehensive about the talkies. After
all,
in 1929, sound films were still considered a bit of a novelty by many,
and the new technology had hastened the demise of many a silent actor's
career. The Roach Studio was outfitted for sound in January of that
year,
even though Roach played it safe and planned a shooting schedule for
the
coming year which was comprised of an equal mix of sound and silent
films.
By the end of the year, however, it was obvious to all that sound was
here
to stay. The limitations initially imposed by the new technology were
quickly
ironed out, and even those who had fought sound's hasty encroachment
now
resigned themselves to making the new medium work for them.
Stan and Babe needn't have worried, as their voices matched their personalities -- beautifully, hilariously so. Wonderful as their silents were, it took sound for Laurel and Hardy to realize their comic potential. True, many of their sound shorts were sparse on dialogue, heavy on visual gags. But even these films could boast an extra dozen or so laughs over their silent counterparts thanks to the occasional "Ooooooooh!!", "Doh!" or "What happened?"; not to mention the frequent banging, clanging, crashing and splashing that adorned their soundtracks. By the mid-30's, the Hal Roach Studio was forced to accomodate the economics of a Depression-ridden America. People demanded more bang for their entertainment buck (or dime), and double-features were rapidly replacing the established movie-goer's fare of a feature preceeded by cartoons, newsreels and short subjects. In 1935, Laurel and Hardy had no choice but to abandon the short comdies and devote their energies exclusively to feature films, a circumstance they always regretted. The two and three-reeler sound shorts that Laurel and Hardy made for Hal Roach from 1929 to 1935 comprise their strongest extended body of work. Along with perhaps half-a-dozen of their features and a like number of silents, they are the films upon which their reputation is built. |
Copyright © John Larrabee, John V. Brennan
2002.
All Rights Reserved.
