Comedy Film

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

The Music Box (1932)

Absolutely timeless comedy gold. As good today as it was back then.

[Inspector Abberline]

School for Scoundrels (1960)
For years I was on the precipice of a dilemma,what was my favourite Ealing comedy? was it the brilliant The Ladykillers (1955) with its top class cast of actors or was it School for Scoundrels (1960) with its top class cast of actors,well I have now decided its the The Ladykillers (1955),not because I think its better than School for Scoundrels,(there fairly equal in my opinion) the reason being is that School for Scoundrels isn't an Ealing film after all. ( years of ignorance,how I hung my head in shame),but I think calling School for Scoundrels an Ealing film is the highest praise any film could get,its witty,sharp and takes a swipe at British society,whether its a pompous jobs worth like senior clerk, Gloatbridge played by Edward Chapman (Mr Grimsdale) or the upper class Lothario Raymond Delauney (Terry-Thomas). Ian Carmichael as Henry Palfrey is a nice likeable middle class chap,but he seems to be always on the back foot,being a total victim to seedy car salesman,insolent employees and generally a door mat to all and sundry even head waiters at restaurants,played with much class and aloofness by John Le Mesurier as the Head Waiter who stands as the gate keeper in a posh French restaurant.
Ian Carmichael as Henry Palfrey plays upper class idiots like no one else,apart from Hugh Laurie that is,so its no surprise they have both portrayed Bertie Wooster. Combined with Alastair Sim as Mr. S. Potter who runs the "School of Lifemanship" in Yeovil, A place where gentlemen learn to get one up over there rivals in all areas of life,whether its love,sport or cooking the books at work,they have subjects for everyone. Terry-Thomas as Raymond Delauney is Henry Palfrey's main rival,especially for the affection of lovely Janette Scott as April Smith,and Thomas is at his most tricky and cunning,this must rate as one of his best roles. ( factoid Basil Brush was based on Terry-Thomas persona). School for Scoundrels may be a bit old fashioned humour wise,but its such a satisfying film,with a great outcome and a sort of happy ending.Now I got to decide which is my favourite Boulting Brothers movie.

out 0f 5

[Inspector Abberline]

Blotto (1930)
An ever recurring theme in a few of Laurel and Hardy's short films,is the fact that one or both of the boys are hen pecked by a domineering wife,unfortunately for our duo a couple of times the women have managed to obtain double barrel shotguns,and Anita Garvin as Mrs. Laurel is one of them.Blotto doesn't really have that much of a story,Stan pace's impatiently at home,when asked what's wrong by Anita Garvin,he timidly asks permission to go out but is flatly refused. Of course Stan is being lead astray by Olly who wants him to go to a nightclub and get drunk. Seeing as this is the prohibition era ,he needs Stan to sneak out a bottle of hooch.In fact you can hardly blame Mrs Laurel for being slightly annoyed when you consider how devious and under handed there being.In fact its one of the few times they actually deserve there comeuppance for being devious.The plot is pretty thin to say the least,even for a short 3 reel film it does feel a bit slight. Still there some nice caustic dialogue between Stan and Mrs laurel,as she brow beats him every which way,Im not sure what poor old Stan had done previous to this moment but Mrs Laurel is in no mood to be messed with tonight. Over hearing a phone conversation between Stan and Olly ,as they work out a plan for Stan to escape,Mrs Laurel takes the precaution of swapping the bottle of alcohol for some cold tea. In fact allot of the humour comes from the knowledge that are deadly duo,who seem to getting drunker by the minute,are only really drinking cold tea and a few other horrible things that Mrs Laurel could get her hands on at the time. And of course they only realise this when Mrs Laurel confronts them at the nightclub,shotgun and all. They soon sober up,and start running for there lives,literally, not sure what kind of shot she put in her gun but it sure makes a mess of the taxi the guys hide in.Its not necessarily there best short film but I do enjoy it,as its one I remember watching on BBc2 all those years ago when I were a lad.

out of 5

This film was simultaneously produced in a Spanish language version, La vida nocturna (1930) and a French language version, Une nuit extravagante (1930) with the actors speaking their own lines. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy read their lines from cue cards on which the appropriate language was printed phonetically. At the time of early talkies, dubbing was not yet practical.

[Susan Foreman]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

Busy Bodies (1933)

The spirit of Stan and Ollie in 'Busy Bodies' lives on!

[Inspector Abberline]

Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
To me Woody Allen is never better than when he's at his most neurotic,but here he manages to combine this with a seemingly over confident New York talent agent who has some of the worst acts on the circuit,yet he constantly strives to get them work,even though there the kind of acts that wouldn't even get booking on New Faces (retro reference). But Danny Rose (Woody Allen) has one act who's star is on the rise,Lou Canova (Nick Apollo Forte) is a alcoholic lounge singer,but he's on the comeback trail due to a rise in the nostalgia ,slowly Lou Canova starts getting more bookings and Danny has high hoped for this ageing singer.Lou,who has a wife and three kids is having an affair with Tina (Mia Farrow) an recognisable Mia with big hair and even bigger sunglasses who also happened to date a gangster previously and still has associations with Johnny Rispoli (Edwin Bordo ) and his brothers. Although there's very little in the way of slapstick (Bananas and Sleeper have Woody at his silliest and his most likeable) this does feel more like his pre Annie Hall movie's. His constant verbal diarrhoea whenever he gets into a panic,is Allen's classic verbal self defence , whether he is being chased by gangsters through a warehouse full of Thanksgiving parade floats,or just being threatened in general ,Danny Rose:" I don't wanna get my legs chopped off cos I do a guy a favour. " Broadway Danny Rose is just chocked full of quotable lines,and there is know denying that the chemistry between Woody and Mia Farrow is both warm and caustic at the same time. Which makes Tina's betrayal of Danny with Lou Canova,as she advises Lou to change Agent's and leave Danny,that gives the film a nice bitter sweet ending . Shot entirely in black and white,the film does look tremendous although it would of been just as good in colour (same goes for Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull in my humble opinion ) I love Woody's earlier films,but really can't stand allot of his later films except Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993),even Whatever Works (2009) with the great Larry David failed to really capture there great talents combined together.Broadway Danny Rose premise is all told via flashback through a group of ageing comedians who are all trying to remember there best Danny Rose story,until Sandy Baron (vamp) tells the Lou Canova story.In a strange way the film reminds me allot of Goodfellas, and I have no good reason to compare the two,except there both have great stories,and both have few gangsters of course.Its to Woody's credit that it does almost feel like a true story, and the characters,especially the variety acts that Danny Rose handles as an agent,all feel so real.

out 0f 5

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Isn't one of Danny's acts a one legged tap dancer? It makes me smile just thinking about it.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

Isn't one of Danny's acts a one legged tap dancer? It makes me smile just thinking about it.

I'm pretty sure you're right – I think he also represents a blind pianist or xylophone player and ventriloquist with a stutter or other such speech impediment.

[Inspector Abberline]

The Mean Machine (1974) "The Longest Yard" (original title)
Burt Rynolds made some rather interesting films before he became a mega 1970's sexy moustache wearing womanising super star.In fact ironically his character Paul "Wrecking" Crewe is a washed up pro American football player,who gets arrested for having a drunken bust up with his girlfriend Anitra Ford as Melissa.He steals her Maserati,gets chased by the cops,gets into a drunken punch up with the arresting police officers.As soon as he enters the prison Reynolds has his trade mark tache shaved off,as the wardens mock him for his past decadent life style. Not being a sports fan,for some reason I don't mind the odd sports film,Slap Shot (1977) violent hockey, Caddyshack (1980) violent rodent golf and The Hustler (1961) er pool. Robert Aldrich directs a sharp and fast paced comedy / drama that's part prison movie part sports action film. Eddie Albert as Warden Rudolph Hazen blackmails Paul "Wrecking" Crewe into putting together an all convict team to play his semi pro warden team.Not surprisingly the only way to get the viewers to side with convicts team is to make the wardens side a bigger bunch of ugly sweaty red necks. In fact the penal system as shown here in Georgia,is very brutal,and the chief Warden Rudolph Hazen has is no different,when he realises his team is in the process of losing to the convicts,he again blackmails Reynold's character,this time into losing the game. I have no idea what is going on with American football,when it comes to the rules and regulations.But whatever all those blokes are doing when there running up and down that field,cinematic ally it looks fast,furious and violent.There's a whole host of great character actors,Robert Tessier as Connie Shokner as psychopathic killer and Richard Kiel as Samson are both excellent ,and its strange that we side with the convicts,considering there all made up of killer's and thieves.There was a trend of for barbaric prison flicks which showed the corruption of the system and the violence of its inmates,this falls somewhere in between Robert Redfords Brubaker and the exploitation of the Penitentiary movies. Robert Aldrich who has directed such a myriad of wonderful movies during his life from Kiss Me Deadly (1955) ,What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) to The Dirty Dozen (1967) to name a few. He was a marvellous and versatile director and The Longest Yard (1974) is worth a viewing.

out of 5

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

I have no idea what is going on with American football,when it comes to the rules and regulations.But whatever all those blokes are doing when there running up and down that field,cinematic ally it looks fast,furious and violent.

It's exactly that. It's also incredibly complicated! I've been watching for the past 15 or so years and I'm learning new terminology all the time.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

It's exactly that. It's also incredibly complicated! I've been watching for the past 15 or so years and I'm learning new terminology all the time.

When i was at school a few of us were heavily into American football. I decided the Redskins would be my team. It was the time of Jay Schroeder, Art Monk etal.

I picked up the rules really quickly, part in thanks to an excellent year book Marks and Spencer brought out in the mid to late 80's. There were around thirty of us heavily into it. We even used to play it during break and dinner time. I wasn't a bad thrower of the ball, but a better catcher. Some of the lads had real quarterback talent it seemed, always got the correct spin and distance on the laces during a throw.

I lost interest once we left school and the group broke up.