Laurel and Hardy was one of the original world famous comedy teams that arose to global prominence through the advent of the fledgling motion picture industry of the time. At their peak (circa 1939), they were the preeminent comedy duo in the world. I remember as a child, pre-Netflix, pre-DVD, heck, pre-VHS and cable, we would check out 35mm films from the library and watch Laurel and Hardy movies on neighborhood movie night. They were my first introduction to comedy. In danger of becoming forgotten through the passage of time, ‘Stan & Ollie’ tells the story of the final comedy tour of the duo in the twilight of their careers. Steve Coogin and John C Reilly give Oscar worthy performances (even though they weren’t nominated) channeling Stan and Ollie right down to the minutest mannerisms. Unfortunately, Director Jon Baird fails to deliver an engaging biopic that should celebrate this legendary team, rather he dwells upon the sadness of their fading celebrity.
For anyone familiar with Laurel and Hardy films, the opening sequence is a pleasant voyage of nostalgia, but after 5 minutes (and with no explanation) we are transported 16 years into their future as they embark on a British theatre tour in preparation for a movie that they are staking on reviving their careers. I can’t emphasize enough the total suspension of disbelief as I actually believed the two actors were Laurel and Hardy. Many times, especially when famous people play historical roles, we are always aware it is an actor playing a role. Coogin and Riley have the mannerisms and even look down so exactly that I would be hard pressed to tell the difference. I couldn’t even tell that Riley was in a fat suit with prosthetics. There should have been an Oscar nomination for at least make-up and special effects if nothing else.
As the tour commences, we realize that something has happened that has strained their friendship and they try to put the past behind them in order to restart their career. It was interesting to see them interact having never seen them outside their vaudevillian interplay on screen. On screen, Ollie usually plays the brains opposite Stanley’s almost simpleton persona. In reality, Stan was the more business savvy of the two where Ollie was the reckless bon vivant. A life of excess had caught up to Ollie and he struggled with a variety of health ailments that put his ability to do the tour in jeopardy. We feel Stanley’s desperation to make the tour work despite sub-par venues, shady promoters, and an increasingly fading outlook of the film project he was counting on.
Everywhere they go, there is great love and affection for the two, but it is past glory. It is not strong enough to fill theaters of even low level auditoriums. They were expecting first class accommodations, but the reality of the fading stardom quickly sets in as they see the quality of their accommodations and even the inability to meet with producers. Young up and comers like Abbot and Costello have taken their limelight. As the pressure of looming failure emerges, so do their buried resentments. Each had gone on with their lives after their split years prior, but they had never truly come to grips with the hurt both felt. They tried to convince themselves they were merely studio actors paired together for films, but the reality is that they felt brotherhood for each other and the split was real and emotional. The arrival of their devoted wives who were equally divided only exacerbates the situation.
The final confrontation between the two is heartfelt and dramatic and a highlight of the film. It is both emotionally rending and cathartic. Ultimately, the one scene is not enough to save the otherwise dour film. So much more could have been explored and revealed about Laurel and Hardy. To just dwell on the end without any context robs the uninitiated viewer of what they truly were. They were pioneers at the dawn of global celebrity. While we look back and wonder what the big deal was, for the time it was something the world hadn’t seen on a wide level. They were the foundation for almost all comedy that followed. The inspiration for countless aspiring performers. That is what the film should have been about. It should have been a celebration and not a tragedy. I so wanted to love this film, but at least I loved the performances. The fact that Coogin and Reilly weren’t even nominated for Oscars for these performances shows the state of the present day Academy. If you have any nostalgia for these two, then I recommend seeing this film for a trip down memory lane. If you don’t have that, or don’t really know anything about Laurel and Hardy, then I’m not sure this is the best introduction to them.
I give this film ** stars out of 5.
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