In honor of the comedic teams of vintage Hollywood, I will be dedicating a portion of this week to them. There are duos and there are trios and without them we would of missed out on a lot of laughter.
Some of them had a successful partnership, while others had it's struggles. Each of them have a story, and I hope to capture it as best as I can. I've already posted on Burnes & Allen and Ma & Pa Kettle. For this reason, I'll be leaving them out for this round.
I hope you enjoy and comment on your favorite one!
As I did these last few posts, I realized that each comedian has his own space in the universe of comedy. So I have given a title to a few of them. Here they are:
Raised by a clown himself, his father worked in a circus when Red Skelton was young. With his authentic training, he successfully brought this type of comedy into Radio, Television and Motion Pictures more than any other comedian.
Keeping true to the title of his most popular film, "The Court Jester" (1956),
Danny Kaye proved himself as the "King of Jesters and Jesters of Kings."
As a tribute to his film and character, "The Nutty Professor" (1963),
Jerry Lewis is as crazy as they come.
Who needs scripts when you're with Bob Hope. Dorothy Lamour found herself lost many times through some of their films, but carried on as best she could. From hosting the Oscars to entertaining troops, he never packed a cue card.
As the King of Clumsy, Stan Laurel has kept audiences rolling for generations. He continues to be an example to comedians of our day. His facial expressions, walk, smile and even the movement of his elbows speak louder than any of his dialogue.
Many comedians have found success performing alone, while others found it best to team up. For this next week, I will be posting on my favorite Duos and Trios.
Before I move on from the solo performers, I wanted to list a few comparisons I found interesting. I posted on six comedians and here are their similarities.
When it came to having boys: Stan Laurel Red Skelton Lou Costello
(These three all had their only son die in their youth).
Danny Kaye
(Only had one child, a daughter).
Bob Hope
(Adopted four kids).
Jerry Lewis
(He is the odd one out with six boys from his first wife).
Speaking of wives: Danny Kaye Bob Hope Lou Costello
(All of these never divorced with the exception of a rumor about Hope having a previous marriage).
Jerry Lewis
(He had two marriages).
Red Skelton
(Had three marriages).
Stan Laurel
(Interesting enough, he had five marriages. Two of them were with his second wife who later became his fourth).
On Academy Awards:
None of the comedians I posted on received an Oscar for a performance. They all, except Lou Costello, received Honorary Awards from the Academy. Stan Laurel Red Skelton Jerry Lewis
(They all received one Honorary Academy Award).
Danny Kaye
(He was awarded two Oscars)
Bob Hope
(He beat them all. Not only was he the host for the Oscars countless times, he walked home five of his own).
There are a few other comparisons that I don't have time to list now.
Marriages: Lois Neilson (1926-1934), Virginia Ruth Rogers (1934-1937), Vera Ivanova Shuvalova (1938-1940), Virginia Ruth Rogers (1941-1946) & Ida Kitaeva (1946-1965).
Children: He had two children: a girl named Lois, after his wife at the time, and a son named Stanley Robert Laurel who died after nine days.
Awards: In 1961, Stan received his first and only Academy Award for his pioneering work in the cinema of comedy. Though he was unable to attend, it was received in his honor by Danny Kaye. He also won a Life Achievement Award in 1964, and has a star on the Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures.
Interesting Fact: In an epitaph that he wrote for his own funeral he stated: "If anyone cries at my funeral, I will never speak to him again."
My Favorite Movie: "The Music Box" (1932) is my favorite of theirs. I do not know what makes a piano going up and down the stairs so funny, but it cracks me up every time. There is also a collection of scary shorts that I love called the "Laurel & Hardy Spooktacular," which is still only on VHS.
Stan was the inspiration for so many comedians who followed him. Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Lewis, Peter Sellers and others looked to him as an example and even met with him a few times to ask for advice. Though he was the understudy of Charlie Chaplin, the first most successful comedian, he set his own standard in the world as the character of a childish adult. He was also one of the most gracious of comedians by adding his number in the phone book and personally responding to fan mail.
Though it may not seem this way, he was the brains of the team. He was the director & writer of many of his films with Oliver Hardy. That was what made their partnership successful. This duo withstood the test of time better than any other partnership in Hollywood history. They were close friends and received awards and achievements as a team most of the time. They were in more than 300 movies together and are commonly mimicked to this day.
From his ear to ear smile to his puffed out bottom lip he became the Laurel that America would never forget. We have never seen anything like him since and were sure we never will. He gave us so much laughter and tears that there is hardly room for anyone other comedian to do the same. What a beautiful "mess we've gotten into!"
Here are some scenes from my favorite film of theirs "The Music Box."
This is a touching interview with Laurel about his fan mail.
Comments from Jerry Lewis on his idol Stan Laurel.
Marriages: Edna Marie Stilwell (1932-1943), Georgia Davis (1945-1973) & Lothian Toland (1973-His death).
Children: He had two children: a boy named Richard Jr., who died of leukemia at the age of nine and a daughter named Valentina.
Awards: In 1989 he was given an Oscar as a Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy. He has also been awarded two Golden Globes, three Emmy's, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two stars on the Walk of Fame for Radio & Television. He was nominated for three other Emmy's.
Interesting Fact: Though many of his skits included characters that were humorously drunk, Skelton himself never drank a drop of alcohol. He was ironically allergic to it.
My Favorite Movie: "Neptune's Daughter" (1949). The film includes the first appearance of the classic Christmas song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and has a fantastic cast. It's one of his comical best.
Red is the cleanest comedian I've ever seen. Not only was his humor original and incomparable, he also became the true definition of a "CLOWN." Having grown up in the Circus and watching his father perform as a clown, he learned what he saw and made it entertaining to watch on the screen. But, instead of just one character to play, he had a full arsenal to choose from. These characters gave him one of the most successful runs on Television. He also insisted on fewer takes and would often adlib during a goof in order to keep the originality of it. What I love most about Mr. Skelton was his feelings on "Blue Humor." He considered it as a cheap escape from inventing true entertainment. What I also love about him was his patriotism and support to keep "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Here is one of my favorite scenes from "Neptune's Daughter."
Here is his infamous gin routine.
Here is his feelings on the Pledge of Allegiance.
I had to include this last video he does with Jerry Lewis.
Marriage: Patti Lewis (1944-1982), SanDee Pitnick (1983-Present).
Children: He had six children with his first wife Patti: Gary, Ronald, Scott, Christopher, Anthony & Joseph. With his SanDee they had a daughter named Danielle.
Awards: He was given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy Awards in 2009 to add to his seventeen other entertaining achievements. He has also been nominated for an additional eleven other awards.
Interesting Fact: He was a professor at the University of Southern California where he taught a film directing class. Among his students were Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
My Favorite Movie: Without reservation I place "Scared Stiff" (1953) as my favorite Jerry Lewis film. Comedians seem to be funnier when they play a character scared out of their pants, and this movie proves it beautifully. It was a remake of Bob Hopes "Ghost Breakers" (1940) and includes a cameo of him with Bing Crosby at the end of the movie. Both of them were directed by George Marshal and have very few deviations from each other. The real debate is which one is better.
Jerry is a man of a thousand faces. His expressions teamed with his high-pitch voice set him apart from all other comics. Whether he was in a film with Dean, or not, he always gave his all, plus a little extra. He could pull off the incompetent fool and then the untouchable VIP without compromising either one. As a comedian he crossed over into the world of writing, directing & singing. Not unlike other of his trade he has taken his effect on the hearts of the world to the next level through charity, and has become an example for mankind of selfless giving. On a personal note, one of my many middle names is Jerry, and I claim that is in honor of this amazing actor/comedian.
This is my favorite sequence from the film "Scared Stiff."
"Myron, MYRON!"
Here is another favorite of mine, the Pantomime typewriter.
Here are Jerry's words on the split up of him and Dean.
I have missed a few posts and will be catching up within the next few days. I have been on Vacation and took a little Blog break. I wanted to stray a little from the norm and post on some of my favorite comedians, rather than just the ones in my favorite films. BACK TO WORK!
Children: They had three daughters and a son that died a few days before he reached one: Patricia "Paddy" Costello, Carole, Lou Jr. & Christie.
Awards: He has three stars on the Walk of Fame: Radio, Television & Motion Pictures.
Interesting Fact: He used to be an amateur boxer, which explains his funny boxing moves he reenacts in his bits.
My Favorite Movie: "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948) is my all time favorite of his. It has all of the best monsters with a convincing story of using his brain to keep Frankenstein from thinking for himself. "Hold That Ghost" (1941) comes in at a closed second with it's other hilarious skits.
When I was younger I never understood the importance of a straight man, and used to think Lou was stealing the show. It was Lou himself who said that: "Comics are a dime a dozen - good straight men are hard to find!" He was always generous with his co-comedian and they enjoyed a friendship that rivaled Laurel & Hardy.
Lou was one of the kindness men on earth. He used his talents to bless the lives of others with laughter and even a good youth through his Lou Costello Jr. Recreation Center . As a Comedian he was one of the best fallers. He had a way of taking every punch or slap like it didn't even cause pain and then fling himself across the set into a wall ending up on his back. He would then get right back up and do it all over again about fifteen times. Charlie Chaplin had his "Tramp" character, Lou's was that of a little kid. I can only imagine how lucky his son would have been to grown up with such a funny father. He loved his family, he loved his fans and he loved those who needed direction and help.
Here is Lou on "This is Your Life."
This is a treasure to watch.
This is one of their hilarious math equations.
How can you miss their most popular skit "Who's On Your First."
Children: He & Dolores adopted four children: Eleanora Hope, William Kelly Francis Hope, Anthony J. Hope & Linda Hope., Maureen Hope
Interesting Fact: He is the only civilian to be classified as a US Veteran by Congress. This was done in 1996 for his almost 200 USO shows that he hosted or performed in during war time.
Awards: With Bob Hope, I will need to add a little disclaimer. This section of the post, which lists their awards, was intended to present the celebrities achievements in relation to their contributions to Motion Pictures themselves. At times, I have taken certain liberties by listing achievements such as knighthood and political honors on other individuals to spruce up this area. For Bob, this would be impossible to list without a thorough study that could take a few weeks. For interest of time, I will avoid those awards in order to not belittle one over another in importance. If you would like to see a complete list of his accomplishments, I would refer you to the sometimes inaccurate Wikipedia.
Though he had never received an Academy Award for his acting alone, he had been awarded five honorary Oscars throughout his life. He has received twenty-nine other awards for his performances with an additional eight nominations.
My Favorite Film: Any film that starts with the words "My Favorite" or "Road to" have a special place on my favorite list. Each one of them just keep on bringing more and more laughs. The one film that I really love is "The Ghost Breakers" (1940). It presents his cowardice character perfectly. It also gives lenience to an almost macho Hope you don't see much of in other pictures. This film was remade by Martin & Lewis in 1953, under the title "Scared Stiff." Bob has a cameo at the end, in honor of the remake, with Bing by his side. Though Crosby was not in the original film, they were shown together, since they just completed "Road to Bali" (1952) the year before.
As frugal as Bob was, no other star gave as much time & money as he did. From performing for our troops to golf, he kept himself pretty busy, making an occasional film now and then. He is the ultimate ad-libber & the most well known comedian to ever grace the silver-screen. He walked among some of the greatest of this country, whether it was in an Oval Office or a Barracks. He spread his medicine of laughter through Radio, Television, Motion Pictures and even the Stage. For the 100 years of his life, he gave America just what it needed, HOPE!
Here is the song that summed up the friendship of Bob & Bing in "Road to Utopia" (1946). Bob said of the friendship himself: "There's nothing I wouldn't do for Bing, and there's nothing he wouldn't do for me. And that's the way we go through life - doing nothing for each other!"
This is one of my favorite dance routines. Cagney relives his timeless portrail of the original "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942) with Bob in his film of the real-life depiction on "The Seven Little Foy's" (1955). My Mom always had me watch how often the the camera position would change, in order to see how much a routine they had to dance for. I invite you to see how long they last in this seguence. Quite impressive!
Interesting Fact: In his youth he wanted to become a Doctor. This is interesting since laughter is the best medicine.
Awards: Though he was never nominated for an Oscar in acting he did receive two honoree awards: one in 1955 and another in 1982 as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. In his first season of his show he received an Emmy and was nominated three other times for different shows. He was awarded two Golden Globes: "Me and the Colonel" (1958) & "On the Riviera" (1951). He also has a Star on the Walk of Fame in Motion Picture, Radio & Recoding. He also received a Laurel Award, a life achievement award from the Screen Writers Guild and hand prints at Grauman's Chinese Theater.
My Favorite Film: "The Court Jester" (1956) is his most popular film. Usually I'd rather pick my favorite as an unknown film I've discovered. With Danny Kaye, however, I am going to have to agree with the crowd that this is also my favorite.
Chef, Pilot, Conductor, Actor, Singer, Comedian, Dancer, TV host, UNICEF ambassador, husband & father - Danny sure kept himself busy. History shows that movie stars had a hard time balancing all of these talents and duties with family like, but Danny didn't just balance them, he juggled them.
For many reason's Danny is my favorite comedian of Hollywood. He could stand on his own as the funny & straight man, while being the orchestra at the same time. He was clean in his act and had his own unique form of tongue twisters that he and his wife, as his writer, developed. Most of all, he is my favorite for his love of children that far surpassed many of his day. Being an ambassador of UNICEF and with the film of "Hans Christian Andersen" (1952), you can see his kindness and care for them. What a legacy to leave behind!
Interesting Fact: The authors of the book that originated this film were Samuel and Bella Spewack. In contrast they also wrote the musical "Kiss Me Kate" (1953).
My Favorite Scene: There is a scene in the film, that I have viewable below, where they contemplate on warning their victim. The writing, timing and also the acting of all three are fantastic in this moment.
Joseph: We came here to rob them and that's what we're gonna do - beat their heads in, gouge their eyes out, slash their throats. Soon as we wash the dishes.
This film may be unknown to you. Even though it is a Christmas classic, it is not seen much these days. It is a story of three convicts who escape prison and are mistaken as workers by a household. They soon feel a need to solve some of the problems of the home by using their own eccentric tactics. The reason why I love this movie so much is because of its dry humor. The three angels are polar opposites to the three stooges, but yet, they are just as funny. It is a beautiful story with tongue in cheek humor!
Interesting Fact: This films was intended to be their third film together, following "Buck Privates" (1941). Afraid that audiences may not take to the transition to a horror movie, they shelved the project and made "In the Navy" (1941) instead. After that film was completed, they picked this film back up and renamed it from it's original title "Oh Charlie!" to "Hold that Ghost."
My Favorite Scene: Picking my favorite scene is too difficult for this movie. I can, however, tell you my least favorite scene. When Lou runs back and forth as his room changes into a gambling hall. It is so frustrating to watch it. No one else ever sees it but him, and it happens over and over and over. I have to fast forward it every time.
Ferdie: Look, from now on, keep one eye on that candle, another eye on that one, and with the other eye WATCH ME!
To tell the truth, "Bud Abbott & Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948) is my all-time favorite of the duo's. Since it is more of a Halloween film, though, I am saving it for October. Meanwhile, I wanted to post on another favorite of mine, "Hold that Ghost." This, along with "What's Up, Doc?" (1972), is a film my family quotes all the time. Whenever one of my nephews & nieces gain a new friend, their initiation is watching this film.
Who could have ever thought that comedy could be so scary. Very few duo's have pulled off the straight man & funny man as well as these two. They were a smash hit in their day and their films continue to send waves of laughter into ours. It was their talent that has inspired many comedians today to perfect their art. This was the first of the films that Lou was able to show his scardy pants attitude. What a classic!
Producer: Dore Schary, Melvin Frank & Norman Panama
Director: H.C. Potter
Awards: It was nominated for an award from the Writers Guild of America.
Interesting Fact: This film is based on a true story that happened to the writer, Eric Hodgins, the author of the book.
My Favorite Scene: My favorite scene has always been the pump scene. It wasn't until my parents began to build a house of their own, that the floor plan scene replaced it, as my favorite. My parents had some of the exact things happen to them: exaggerated closet space, multiple bathrooms and even a larger second floor on top of a smaller first floor.
Mr. Zucca: That's no rock. That's a ledge. Bill Cole: What Mr. Blandings means is, what precisely is a ledge? Mr. Zucca: A ledge is like a big stone. Only it's bigger. Jim Blandings: Like a boulder! Mr. Zucca: No, like a ledge.
They say that true humor is pulled from life itself. If this statement is accurate, then this is the most honest humor I've ever seen. I had seen this movie as a boy and we all laughed. It wasn't until my parents built a custom home that we pulled it out again and cried with so much laughter. From the color for the walls to the number of closets and bathrooms, it displayed our story.
This film was in between Grant's humor years and romance years. In fact, Myrna Loy & him were considered too old to play the young couple being swindled into by a country home. The year before, they had been cast together in "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" (1947). It wasn't until there pairing as an experienced married couple, in this movie, that I found their chemistry hilarious. This is my favorite comedy that Cary Grant had done, with the exception of "Arsenic & Old Lace" (1944).
If you have ever done anything to a house, you need to see this movie.
