Stan & Ollie

I was really bowled over by this film Stan & Ollie. Steve Coogan as Laurel and John C. Reilly as Hardy were so dead on in their performances. I really thought I was looking at the real Stan & Ollie off screen in private moments.

With a couple of flashbacks to the late 30s the film was a story of both Laurel and Hardy in their last days. Said last days consisted of a tour in the British Isles and a promise of yet another feature film shot in the United Kingdom and it would have been a Robin Hood kind of satire with Ollie as one obvious choice as Friar Tuck.

Things don't go as planned and Hardy's health is giving out. Ironically it was Stan who had the health problems before. They had made a film Bullfighters in 1945 and then Laurel had issues that kept him off the screen for 7 years. Ollie in that time did appearances with John Wayne in The Fighting Kentuckian in a sidekick role and as one of many comic actors in a memorable bit in Frank Capra's Riding High. The two did Utopia in 1952 and it was a bomb.

The film emphasizes and it's important to remember than neither of them owned any of their films. They made millions for producer Hal Roach yet it was only a straight salary they were paid. Laurel had been married multiple times and Hardy had a gambling problem.

So the guys are in Great Britain on tour because they need the money and hope to do one more film where they would share in the profits and have a more than comfortable old age. Sadly it doesn't work out that way. This film will tell you why.

What I liked best about Stan & Ollie is the chemistry between Coogan and Reilly in their characters. Newer comedy teams like Abbott&Costello and Martin&Lewis were in their prime just as Stan & Ollie were going into decline, but they had their well publicized spats and eventual breakups. These two guys never had those kind of incidents.

It was also nice to see Nina Arianda and Shirley Henderson as the last wives of the boys and the relationship of the four. Laurel was married 5 times and Hardy thrice. Wives and former wives were also an expensive proposition.

I think all Laurel and Hardy fans should see Stan & Ollie. And if you see this film make sure you acquaint yourself with their comic genius.