Laurel and Hardy in "Way Out West" - Cowboy Dance

Video Title :	Laurel and Hardy in "Way Out West" - Cowboy Dance
Description :	Among the many, many examples in their movies of the pure genius of these two men. The dancing scene takes place at the end of this clip, but I provided a little context. The donkey they bring along (for boring factual notation here) was tied to the back of stagecoach... just for understanding continuity. Also, it's easy to miss the first moment when Stan Laurel smiles then nods to Olly when he sees the donkey they've just tied up tapping its foot to the music. Seemingly that's what first inspires them to dance. These are two of the most brilliant of comics in American history. STAN LAUREL His father was an actor and theatre manager. He made his stage debut at the age of 16 at Pickard's Museum, Glasgow. He traveled with Fred Karno's vaudeville company to the United States in 1910 and again in 1913. While with that company he was Charles Chaplin's understudy, and performed imitations of Chaplin. On a later trip he remained in the United States having been cast in a two-reel comedy, Nuts in May (1917) (released in 1918). There followed a number of shorts for Metro, Hal Roach Studios, then Universal, then back to Roach in 1926. His first two-reeler with Oliver Hardy was 45 Minutes from Hollywood (1926) . Their first release through MGM was Sugar Daddies (1927) and the first with star billing was From Soup to Nuts (1928). Their first feature-length starring roles were in Pardon Us (1931). Their work became more production-line and less popular during the war years, mostly producing for Twentieth Century-Fox. Their last movie together was The Bullfighters (1945) except for a French failure ("Atoll K", 1951). In 1960 he was given a special Oscar "for his creative pioneering in the field of cinema comedy". Five years later he died. INTERESTING OTHER THINGS... He was married 5 times. One of his wives he married and divorced twice (with a three year interlude while he was married to someone else. When Oliver Hardy died he had a nervous breakdown, and swore he would never perform again. He didn't. OLIVER HARDY His Scottish-English parents were never in show business. As a young boy, he was a gifted singer and, by age eight, was performing with minstrel shows. In 1910, he ran a movie theatre, which he preferred to studying law. In 1913, he became a comedy actor with the Lubin Company in Florida and began appearing in a long series of shorts; his debut film was Outwitting Dad (1914); 1914-5 was the "Pokes and Jabbs" series; 1916-8 saw the "Plump and Runt" series, 1919-21 the "Jimmy Aubrey" series, and from 1921-5 he worked as an actor and co-director of comedy shorts for Larry Semon. In 1917, he had played a bit part in The Lucky Dog (1921), starring Stan Laurel. His first two-reeler with Laurel was Forty-five Minutes from Hollywood (1926). Their first release through MGM was Sugar Daddies (1927) and the first with star billing was From Soup to Nuts (1928). Their first feature-length starring roles were in Pardon Us (1931). Their work became more production-line and less popular during the war years, mostly working for Twentieth Century-Fox. Their last movie together was The Bullfighters (1945) except for a French failure (Atoll K (1951)). He appeared without Laurel in The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) and Riding High (1950) and died seven years later. INTERESTING OTHER THINGS... Explaining their success at some point in the 1930s, Oliver Hardy said: "The world is full of Laurel and Hardys. I saw them all the time as a boy at my mother's hotel. There's always the dumb, dumb guy, who never has anything bad happen to him, and the smart guy who's even dumber than the dumb guy, only he doesn't know it." Despite rumors over the years, he did not die from the effects of obesity--quite the contrary. Dieting on doctor's orders, he took off too much weight too fast, going from 300+ pounds to 150 in a matter of a few weeks, weakening his constitution well past the danger point. It was becoming dangerously underweight in this manner that brought about his final illness and death. Used Babe Hardy for a screen name until convinced by a numerologist that the longer screen name, Oliver Hardy, would bring him success.
Views :	19688
Rating :	4.98
Keywords, Tags :	Laurel Hardy American Comedy Vaudeville 1930s 30s Hal Roach
Video Length :	4 : 27

Comments :

This brings back my happy childhood. Every morning I start out with the laughing scene from Blotto and then turn to this dance scene. I'm 80 and dance along. Try it!! You'll extend your life

The most perfect 4 and half minutes in cinema, it is pure joy.

For the record, The Avalon Boys also turn-up as a singing sailor-crew in the 1936 Paramount film of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes", and do some nice harmonizing w/Bing Crosby on a ditty called "There Will Always be a Lady There" (or something like that!) When I was 10, I was at Stan Laurel's apt. "Did you meet your wife in show-business?" I asked. "No, lad" he responded. "Well, did you meet ANY of your wives in show-business?" I innocently-asked. He leaned back, and roared! R.J.

brilliant ....absolutely brilliant.

nice!! one of my favorite movies. my grandpa got me into these guys. watching that puts me in a good mood.

Thanks for the extended clip and the well researched information.

The are wonderful! They could do anything it was always good because we love them. I think no actor has been truly loved by the audience as Laurel and Hardy were.

LOL; too much!!!

Oh man is this larual and hardy at just perhaps there very best. iIt si so very sad that there is no more gentle humor like this today they did not have to say naothing to be amusing and they were pretty good dancers as well. I can not belive that is chill wills with those cowboys singing sure would like to get some moree music like that now.

The yodeler is Chill Wills who was in uncounted westerns in the '30s and '40s. The group is called the Avalon Boys. Don't know of any records.