The Crazy World of Laurel and Hardy

Jay Ward, the creator of Bullwinkle, has earned my undying respect for proving that intelligent scripts plus bad animation will make a better cartoon than superb animation with bad scripts. In 1967, Ward cobbled together a feature-length compilation of clips from various Laurel & Hardy movies, which was released by Hal Roach Jnr (son of Laurel & Hardy's original producer) as 'The Crazy World of Laurel & Hardy'. I'm a fan of Stan and Ollie, and I'm also a fan of Jay Ward, but this movie is nothing to cheer about. Jay Ward and co-producer Roach appear to have created this thing purely to make a few bucks off the kiddie trade. It doesn't really work as entertainment, and it certainly doesn't tell us anything useful about Stan Laurel or Oliver Hardy.

In the 1960s, Robert Youngson enjoyed a great deal of success with several feature-length compilations of silent-film footage. 'The Crazy World of Laurel & Hardy' looks suspiciously like a cynical attempt to cash in on Youngson's success. The difference is that Robert Youngson's compilation films contained rare silent-film footage which we weren't likely to see anyplace else, and Youngson's wisecracking narration managed to include some genuinely informative content about the actors in his retrospectives. Jay Ward's movie tells us nothing at all about Laurel & Hardy, and it consists only of footage from the most widely-seen Laurel & Hardy films. There is NOTHING here from the silent films Stan and Ollie made for the Hal Roach studio, even though some of their best work was done during that period. There is NOTHING here from the films which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy made separately from each other. There is nothing here from Laurel & Hardy's 20th Century-Fox period (although admittedly those were their worst films). There's nothing here from 'Robinson Crusoeland', their last and most unusual film which they made in Europe. No; all we get here is an unimaginative sampling of the most obvious excerpts from a dozen of the sound films Laurel & Hardy made for Hal Roach Senior. Instead of sponsoring this feature-length compilation, Roach Junior would have done better merely to re-release a couple of his dad's Laurel & Hardy features, or perhaps a selection of their short films. Even worse: Hal Roach Senior and Junior were the only two people who had access to Laurel & Hardy's out-take footage, yet none of that material is included here.

Worst of all: 'The Crazy World of Laurel & Hardy' has no structure, no theme, no pace. There's no attempt to arrange the film clips by subject nor theme nor any other category. Ward could have done some interesting things here, such as presenting the gradual development of Stan & Ollie's onscreen characters, or showing how Laurel & Hardy's 1935 short 'Tit for Tat' was a direct sequel to 'Them Thar Hills', with the same supporting cast. Ward could have spotlighted the contributions of some of Stan & Ollie's supporting players, such as James Finlayson and Mae Busch. But instead of any coherent overview of Laurel & Hardy's movies, we just see a few random minutes from one of their films, a few minutes from another, and so forth. The compilation doesn't build to any sort of climax nor payoff, and the clips aren't arranged in any logical sequence. Consequently, some of Laurel & Hardy's funniest jokes lose most of their punch. For example, we get the weird sight gag from 'Busy Bodies' (1933) in which Stan pulls on Ollie's head until Ollie's neck stretches to bizarre lengths. In 'Busy Bodies' this was an effective gag because the jokes leading up to it prepared us for this departure from reality. Here in this compilation film, there's no proper preparation for the gag and so it merely frightens children ... who appear to have been the intended audience for 'The Crazy World of Laurel & Hardy'.

Anyone who thinks this compilation film is a 'Greatest Hits' of Laurel & Hardy will be disappointed. Fans of Stan & Ollie should skip this clip-job and watch a few Laurel & Hardy shorts instead, or any of their features. This movie is a blot on the otherwise impressive credentials of the great Jay Ward. I'll rate 'The Crazy World of Laurel & Hardy' one point out of 10.

This well-intentioned but flawed compilation film has never been popular with Laurel & Hardy fans. Objectively speaking it's easy to understand why, but it's difficult for me to be objective about it. On its first release I went to see this movie in a packed auditorium, and had a great time. My father took me to see it. He'd loved these comedies as a boy, and knew I enjoyed Stan & Ollie on TV, so we made the trek to our neighborhood cinema. As I recall, the place was packed with middle-aged dads and their kids. Going to see this movie was like a Father and Son banquet, only more relaxed and a lot more fun. A comedy tradition was being passed from one generation to the next, and in the best possible way: in a theater full of laughter.

'The Crazy World of Laurel & Hardy' was made by the Jay Ward organization, best known for such Saturday morning cartoons as Bullwinkle and George of the Jungle. (Cheaply produced, but witty and enjoyable fare, especially compared to the competition.) I don't question the Ward team's sincerity in producing this L&H tribute, or their fondness for the subject matter. Plainly they loved old movies, as their cartoons are packed with inside jokes aimed at movie buffs. Ward & his colleagues were surely familiar with the silent comedy compilations of Robert Youngson, which were quite popular at the time. They chose to take a different approach, and focus on Laurel & Hardy's talkie shorts and features. That in itself is not a drawback, but their handling of the material is dubious.

The most effective passages in 'Crazy World' are the ones with the least amount of tampering. There are some great routines from Busy Bodies, Towed in a Hole, and other favorites. But there are too many sequences featuring gags chopped into quick montages, some of which are devoted to certain props, such as hats, doors, or automobiles. This is contrary to the more leisurely pace the guys favored, and the comic impact is weakened through repetition. To make matters worse, cartoon-style sound effects have been added. (The Roach studio did use such effects at times, though sparingly.) But for fans of L&H the biggest issue here is the musical score. In an attempt to 'modernize' the material those familiar, beloved musical pieces by Roy Shield and Marvin Hatley were stripped from the soundtrack, and newly composed music was added. It has the feel of a '60s sitcom, and is jarringly out of place.

But for all that, somehow the comedy of Laurel & Hardy mostly comes through intact. 'Crazy World' worked well enough for audiences of its time, as I can attest. Nowadays of course anyone who wants to experience these films as they were intended to be seen has multiple options. That was not the case in the pre-video, pre-internet days. This production -- whatever its aesthetic flaws -- served its purpose. It kept Laurel & Hardy before the public and provided an enjoyable experience for undiscerning viewers. One can hardly fault the producers for that.

Fun compilation that stars with high-lights from the seldom seen silent short BACON GRABBERS and ends with the delightful dance number from WAY OUT WEST. Breezy narration by Gary Moore. Great choice of clips.

I should challenge the above comment - I think its a great piece for people new to Laurel and Hardy. It depicts everything they're good at, and actually does warrant you to look for the original films to see where the clip came from.

I was already a fan when I first watched this (aged 9 during the BBC and Channel 4 viewings in the late 80s) and I found this to be a complement.

I actually should look for my old VHS recording of this.

I was already a fan when I first watched this (aged 9 during the BBC and Channel 4 viewings in the late 80s) and I found this to be a complement.

I actually should look for my old VHS recording of this.