Share Some Singin' and Dancin' and Laughin'

Let's not leave Chill Wills and The Avalon Boys out of our appreciation.

Doghouse6

Y'know, thing is, that sounds exactly like what the Boys would do, too--particularly Stan, as (from what I know about him) he would add an extra touch to what the writers concocted for them (e.g., according to Everson, the scooping sand gag in Blockheads).

I almost wrote "Stan" instead of "the boys," but it didn't seem fair to discount what might have been Babe's contributions. But the step (if not the execution) is identical: three bounces on alternating feet, with the trailing one and the arms extended in the "soaring" position. Perhaps coincidentally, Arlene Croce wrote in The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book of a scene in Swing Time in which Fred is studiously resistant to Ginger's romantic advances (and the only one in their films in which he wears a derby): "He plays it like Stan Laurel."

Refresh my memory about the scooping sand gag in Blockheads? I love that film (and William K. Everson, whom I've always sought to emulate when commenting on films), but can't dredge that one to recollection.  

Doghouse6 said: The gag I'm talking about comes at about 22:52 in this video, after Stan has dumped a load of sand on Babe and his car.



Everson wrote (and I don't have my dog-eared old copy of The Films of Laurel and Hardy in front of me, so I'm only paraphrasing) that the writers (which included Harry Langdon) only had the gag go to Babe's head sticking out of the sand, but Stan punctuated it by scooping it by hand.

Thank you! I remembered the dump truck gag, but had forgotten the "scooping" bit. So typical of the "Stan" character's ineffectual efforts to remedy the ill effects of whatever calamity Ollie has suffered at his hands (such as dabbing at the drenched Ollie with a handkerchief after he's fallen into the pond in The Music Box, or tucking the lower half of Ollie's necktie into the bib of his overalls after it's been sawed off in Busy Bodies).

I love behind-the-scenes details. Notice the older Model A, rather than the late-model Ford seen beforehand, that was actually buried, and the protective custom-built roof with a hole in the top being lowered into position:


Here we see Babe preparing to climb in (and Stan conferring with crewmen in the background):


Babe now in place, apparently waiting for more sand:


And with the truck and Babe in position, a final detail:

     

Doghouse6

I was, under this name, but for a very short period just before it closed, and that mostly in the "INTK" board (for Sleuth singers and other ridiculous requests). I'd love to hear your Stan Laurel story.