Laurel and Hardy

[LongsightM13]

For those of you on this thread interested in Hollywood's golden age, I would heartily recommend the book Me Cheeta by James Lever. It's a fictionalised autobiography of Tarzan's chimp sidekick, written in the style of one of those self-serving, name-dropping, score-settling Tinseltown memoirs of old. Told in the classic style of how a poor kid from the jungle made his way to California and became a star, hanging out with celebs and going out on the razz with Bogie, Niven and other famous hell-raisers and swordsmen of the era. It's laugh out loud funny, routinely profane ("Rex Harrison was an unutterable c*** who tried to murder me on the set of Doctor Doolittle") and often surprisingly touching. Well worth a read.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/non_fictionreviews/3561673/Review-Me-Cheeta-by-Cheeta.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/book ... heeta.html</a>

 

[Anonymous]

Was never an Arthur Askey fan. I watched a documentary on him a few months ago and was surprised at just what a huge star he was in his day. Although not a fan, this made me laugh from when he was in hospital. Apparently, despite being a scout he supported Brentford. His mate asked him if he was going to go and watch them when he got out of hospital and he quipped "why should I? They didn't come to see me when I was bad!"

My dad used to love Frank Randall but I'm not sure how many of his films survive. Have seen some clips of him in action and you can see where Benny Hill got some if his ideas!

My dad's also a fan of Randall - hardly anything survives & what does isn't great (a film with Diana Dors is about all I remember seeing, plus some stage stuff).

On Askey - I was never a fan but I have to dispute the claim that he was a Brentford fan. He came to a Manchester derby in about 1976 (Tony Book was manager) and claimed to be a United fan. Maybe he varied his support depending on where he was playing/who he was talking to, but as it was a home game I'd have thought he'd have claimed City as his team.

Didn't know that! Very interesting Gary.

On a slight tangent, I must point out a small correction from my post; it says he was a "scout" but it should have said "scouser" - bloody autocorrect!

@ Longsight - that book looks brilliant; will be procuring a copy.

 

[Blue2112]

For those of you on this thread interested in Hollywood's golden age, I would heartily recommend the book Me Cheeta by James Lever. It's a fictionalised autobiography of Tarzan's chimp sidekick, written in the style of one of those self-serving, name-dropping, score-settling Tinseltown memoirs of old. Told in the classic style of how a poor kid from the jungle made his way to California and became a star, hanging out with celebs and going out on the razz with Bogie, Niven and other famous hell-raisers and swordsmen of the era. It's laugh out loud funny, routinely profane ("Rex Harrison was an unutterable c*** who tried to murder me on the set of Doctor Doolittle") and often surprisingly touching. Well worth a read.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/non_fictionreviews/3561673/Review-Me-Cheeta-by-Cheeta.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/book ... heeta.html</a>

Oh yes....Johny Weismuller ah ah aha haaaaaa (poor attempt at a Tarzan scream) absolutely loved watching those films as a kid. Just used to get lost in those mysterious lost Aztec Cities and those beautiful tribes of Amazon women.

 

[somapop]

What a pic.
Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, Jimmy Durante & Buster Keaton in 1932 (apols...I went on a Laurel & Hardy nostalgia traverse after seeing Stan & Ollie over the weekend).