O/T Laurel & Hardy Are Back At the Cinema

[boingy]

Must admit that -much to the better hall's annoyance😁-my ever growing DVD collection includes a nostalgia section from my childhood so have shows like The Champions, Voyage to the bottom of the sea, Tarzan (Ron Ely), Man from Uncle, The Flashing Blade and various Gerry Anderson series amongst others.

I love movies and over many years have built up quite a collection from the early days of cinema onwards but the better half amongst others cannot understand how I can enjoy either old b&w movies (some of which are admittedly quite creaky by today's standards) or anything with subtitles. To me, age doesn't matter, like music I can enjoy films from many years ago and those that scoff don't know what they are missing!

We find ourselves gravitating towards nostalgic memories don’t we as we get older. Used to love voyage to the bottom of the sea. Land of the giants etc. connects us with more (although we never appreciated it then) carefree times.

[mickd1961]

We find ourselves gravitating towards nostalgic memories don’t we as we get older. Used to love voyage to the bottom of the sea. Land of the giants etc. connects us with more (although we never appreciated it then) carefree times.

Land Of The Giants started in 68 and I was totally hooked on it, Fitz and his suitcase of money!🤣

I was desperate for a model of the Spindrift spacecraft but it seemed impossible to get it over here, even the superb Dudley toy store Criterion didn’t have it.

Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea was massive for me, Richard Basehart is the main man.

I used to make my own submarine control console by drawing on cardboard boxes and then throwing them around to simulate the Sun crashing like it seemingly did every week.

I doubt kids would dream of doing that sort of thing these days.

I also loved UFO in the early 70’s.

[phild]

An old friend of mine (long since gone) remembers them coming out of the hotel in Dudley and tipping their bowler hats to him as they came out of the hotel doorway. The one on the corner opposite the Zoo.

I'd be interested to know the date.

The boys visited the Dudley Hippodrome, part of a 12wk tour (later extended) on May 12th 1947, They stayed at the Station Hotel just over the road for 7 days, before leaving for the next leg of the tour in Liverpool, catching the train next door to Dudley Zoo. They were on stage for around 45mins performing a sketch called the Drivers Licence. They would often greet the crowds outside the Hotel as they walked across the road to the Theatre. During the week they also visited the Cape Hill brewery in Smethwick.

On 19th January 1952 the boys decided to tour Britain again for the 3rd time after the offer of a new film didnt materialise. Their last film was Atoll K in 1950, which was not good, due in part to their poor health.

They would perform again at Dudley Hippodrome on the 15th September 1952 also staying at the Station Hotel. They performeed a sketch called a spot of trouble. Again they would greet large crowds outside the stage door as they returned to their hotel. After this they set off to Wales for the last 2 venues in Swansea and Cardiff before returning to the States. They would return a few months later for a 4th tour of Britain in 1953/54.

It was on this tour that the boys performed together for the final time, ever!! on May 10th 1954 at the Aston Hippodrome Birmingham. After the week they played there they set off for their penultimate venue at Plymouth when Hardy suffered a heart attack which resulted in the final tour stop in Swansea to be cancelled.

[mickd1961]

I'd be interested to know the date.

The boys visited the Dudley Hippodrome, part of a 12wk tour (later extended) on May 12th 1947, They stayed at the Station Hotel just over the road for 7 days, before leaving for the next leg of the tour in Liverpool, catching the train next door to Dudley Zoo. They were on stage for around 45mins performing a sketch called the Drivers Licence. They would often greet the crowds outside the Hotel as they walked across the road to the Theatre. During the week they also visited the Cape Hill brewery in Smethwick.

On 19th January 1952 the boys decided to tour Britain again for the 3rd time after the offer of a new film didnt materialise. Their last film was Atoll K in 1950, which was not good, due in part to their poor health.

They would perform again at Dudley Hippodrome on the 15th September 1952 also staying at the Station Hotel. They performeed a sketch called a spot of trouble. Again they would greet large crowds outside the stage door as they returned to their hotel. After this they set off to Wales for the last 2 venues in Swansea and Cardiff before returning to the States. They would return a few months later for a 4th tour of Britain in 1953/54.

It was on this tour that the boys performed together for the final time, ever!! on May 10th 1954 at the Aston Hippodrome Birmingham. After the week they played there they set off for their penultimate venue at Plymouth when Hardy suffered a heart attack which resulted in the final tour stop in Swansea to be cancelled.

What had these icons done wrong to deserve so many trips to Dudley?

[phild]

I remember all the talk over Michael Crawford's stunts in "Some Mothers" ( who must have been channeling his own inner Keaton or Harold Lloyd) but even those weren't as risky as some of these much earlier (pre HASAW ��) stunts. Whilst a few modern action hero stars like Keanu Reeves do their own fight scenes, with the exception of Tom Cruise, you rarely see the major film stars put themselves in such dangerous situations these days.

I cant believe you've forgotten Rog!! He did all his own stunts dont cha know in the Bond films!! I even asked him in Malvern as to how many stunts he did and he replied tongue in cheek "a fair few" It was always a running gag with Rog about his stunt work because even the smallest tiniest of jumps and any running scenes nearly always resulted in his stunt double Michael Grace taking over.

Grace was almost killed in Octop ussy hanging from the side of a train and colliding with a lineside telegraph pole, so Rog probably did the right thing.

[phild]

Land Of The Giants started in 68 and I was totally hooked on it, Fitz and his suitcase of money!��

I was desperate for a model of the Spindrift spacecraft but it seemed impossible to get it over here, even the superb Dudley toy store Criterion didn’t have it.

Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea was massive for me, Richard Basehart is the main man.

I used to make my own submarine control console by drawing on cardboard boxes and then throwing them around to simulate the Sun crashing like it seemingly did every week.

I doubt kids would dream of doing that sort of thing these days.

I also loved UFO in the early 70’s.

I also would visit the Criterion also looking for a Spendthrift I never got one but I did get the Joe 90 car called the Bigrat?? and the Thunderbird 4 underwater craft. But I ruined that cus I really thought it could go underwater and chucked it in the bathwater.

[mickd1961]

I also would visit the Criterion also looking for a Spendthrift I never got one but I did get the Joe 90 car called the Bigrat?? and the Thunderbird 4 underwater craft. But I ruined that cus I really thought it could go underwater and chucked it in the bathwater.

Do you remember the Johnny 7 gun Phil?

I always wanted one but again I couldn’t find one OR my parents couldn’t afford it and told me they couldn’t find one.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/en-g...n-oma-toy-gun/

[phild]

'What had these icons done wrong to deserve so many trips to Dudley?'

Bernard Delfont was their agent for booking their tour venues so they never had a say. But it must be said they did prefer the provincill theatres as they tended to have very popular following.

In fact, you aint gonna belive it, but Stan Laurel, before joining Hardy, appeared at the Royal Opera House on 4 occasions. The first time on Feb 17th 1908 performing Sleeping Beuty with the Levy Co. Next on Dec 25th 1908 Performing the House that Jack built in a panto then on Dec 28th and 4th January 1909.

The Royal Opera House suffered a great fire in the 30s and was rebuilt as the Dudley Hippodrome. Dudley was like Stans second home

Incidentally its sad to announce that the Dudley Hippodrome is now in the process of being demolished.

[phild]

Do you remember the Johnny 7 gun Phil?

I always wanted one but again I couldn’t find one OR my parents couldn’t afford it and told me they couldn’t find one.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/en-g...n-oma-toy-gun/

Mate, the Johnny 7 gun was the ace of spades. I didn't have it as my school friend had one. It was huge and it came with flippin rockets and grenades. It could fire them some distance as well so much so I fired one of the rockets which took out a window at my friends house. It resulted in him being grounded and I was banned from seeing him for a month

[Omegstrat6]

I also would visit the Criterion also looking for a Spendthrift I never got one but I did get the Joe 90 car called the Bigrat?? and the Thunderbird 4 underwater craft. But I ruined that cus I really thought it could go underwater and chucked it in the bathwater.

I still have a good collection of matchbox cars from the 70s, most of which are in really good nick as they are stored in those special collectors cases they made. Very sadly, however, I only have one in its original box which decreases their value massively 😞 For a self-contained hoarder, my big regret is not hanging onto all the Corgi models though. I had the classic Bond Aston Martin, both the red pursuit car and blue SPV from Captain Scarlett, various different models of all the Thunderbirds, the 60s Batmobile , Rog's Volvo from the Saint and the interceptor and Shadow mobile from UFO amongst others.

Oddly, with the advent of 3D printing and a growing market in nostalgia, it is now possible to get models of things like the Seaview from VTBotS or Skydiver from UFO. Don't think they will compete with the Tracy Island from Blue Peter though😁