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Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20's

Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20's

1965

Approved

Director

Robert Youngson

Runtime

91 minutes

Average Rating

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Synopsis

A compilation of primarly Laurel and Hardy shorts---From Soup to Nuts, Wrong Again, Putting the Pants on Philip, The Finishing Touch, Sugar Daddies and short clips from others---plus Max Davidson's Call of the Cuckoo and Dumb Daddies, with some cross-over Charley Chase footage, which, along with Robert Youngson's previous "The Golden Age of Comedy", "When Comedy Was King", "Days of Thrills and Laughter", led to a renewed interest in and a revival of television showings of Laurel and Hardy shorts. The cast was billed in order of their appearance: Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, Vivien Oakland (with a Vivian typo), Glen Tyron, Edna Murphy, Anita Garvin, Tiny Sanford, Jimmy Finlayson, Charlie Chase, Viola Richard, Max Davidson, Del Henderson, Josephine Crowell, Anders Randolf (as Anders Randolph), Edgar Kennedy, Dorothy Coburn, Lillian Elliott and "Spec" O'Donnell.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

2.4/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The compilation lacks any depiction of queer narratives or non-cisnormative identities. The comedic focus remains strictly within the heteronormative social structures of the early sound era.

Gender Representation

Limited

Women appear in the cast but often serve as catalysts for male embarrassment. The shorts do not prioritize female agency, instead leaning into traditional comedic hierarchies.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

Representation is largely homogeneous, reflecting the demographic norms of early Hollywood. The footage centers a white, Western perspective through the 'everyman' personas of the central duo.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Limited

The film celebrates traditional comedic values and working-class themes through slapstick. It functions as a nostalgic tribute to a specific era of Western entertainment rather than a critique.

Disability Representation

Minimal

Physical vulnerability and bodily clumsiness are used as primary sources of humor. These tropes do not provide nuanced portrayals of disability or neurodivergence.

Strengths

  • Preserves the comedic legacy of the Laurel and Hardy era.
  • Provides a curated mosaic of classic early 20th-century slapstick tropes.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer narratives.
  • Relies on physical clumsiness as a comedic device rather than nuanced disability portrayals.
  • Maintains traditional gender hierarchies with limited female agency.

AI Analysis

Robert Youngson’s retrospective is a historical preservation piece that captures the social hierarchies of the 1920s and 30s. Because it relies on archival slapstick, it inherently reflects the era's traditionalist frameworks and limited intersectional representation. The film prioritizes the preservation of physical comedy over social commentary. Consequently, the content adheres to the established cultural norms of the original Hal Roach era shorts.

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