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Block-Heads
''Block-Heads'' is a 1938 comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It was produced by Hal Roach Studios for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, a reworking of elements from the Laurel and Hardy shorts ''We Faw Down'' (1928) and '' Unaccustomed As We Are'' (1929), was Roach's final film for MGM. Plot In the trenches of World War I, Ollie, Stan and the rest of their army company are ready to go 'over the top', but Stan is ordered to stay behind to guard the trench. Scenes of fighting are then followed by the caption 'Armistice'. Twenty years pass, and Stan is still guarding the post, as shown by the huge pile of bean cans he has accumulated, and the path he has worn pacing back and forth on guard. He is found by accident (after firing on a plane he sees approaching) and goes home, feted as a hero. Ollie, who has been married for a year to the formidable Mrs. Hardy ( Minna Gombell), sees him in a newspaper and visits him in the Soldiers' Home. H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laurel And Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in the silent film era, they later successfully transitioned to " talkies". From the late 1920s to the mid-1950s, they were internationally famous for their slapstick comedy, with Laurel playing the clumsy, childlike friend to Hardy's pompous bully. Their signature theme song, known as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Dance of the Cuckoos" (by Hollywood composer T. Marvin Hatley) was heard over their films' opening credits, and became as emblematic of them as their bowler hats. Prior to emerging as a team, both had well-established film careers. Laurel had acted in over 50 films, and worked as a writer and director, while Hardy was in more than 250 productions. Both had appeared in ''The Lucky Dog'' (1921), but were not teamed at the time ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minna Gombell
Minna Marie Gombell (''née'' Gombel; May 28, 1892 – April 14, 1973) was an American stage and film actress. Early years She was born Minna Marie Gombel in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of William and Emma M. Debring Gombel. Her father was a medical doctor who came to the United States from Germany in 1880. Her mother was from Baltimore and of German descent. Life and work Gombell was active in stock theater, starring with troupes in Albany, Atlanta, Cleveland, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. Her Broadway credits include ''Indiscretion'' (1928), ''The Great Power'' (1928), ''Ballyhoo'' (1926), ''Alloy'' (1924), ''Mr. Pitt'' (1923), ''Listening in'' (1922), ''On the Hiring Line'' (1919), ''The Indestructible Wife'' (1917), ''Six Months' Option'' (1917), and ''My Lady's Garter'' (1915). She had a successful stage career from 1912 as Winifred Lee before being signed by the Fox Film Corporation in the late 1920s. Her first film was ''Doctors' Wives'' (1931) in which she pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karl Slover
Karl Slover (September 21, 1918 – November 15, 2011) was a Slovakian-born American actor best known as one of the Munchkins in '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939). Only three other adult Munchkin performers remained alive at the time of Slover's death. Early years Slover was born as Karl Kosiczky on September 21, 1918, in Prakovce, Slovakia (then Prakfalva, Kingdom of Hungary). Diagnosed at an early age with pituitary dwarfism, Slover was barely two feet tall by his eighth birthday. Dwarfism was not a family trait; his father stood six feet six inches, and his mother was just a few inches shorter. Slover's father went to great lengths to make Slover taller, including and taking him to Hungary, where doctors fixed stretchers to his arms and legs. Career When Slover was just nine years old, his father sent him to work for a traveling show based out of Berlin, Germany. After working with the show for several years, Slover moved to the United States where he joined another traveli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patricia Ellis
Patricia Ellis (born Patricia Gene O'Brien; died March 26, 1970) was an American film actress of the 1930s. Early years Born in Birmingham, Michigan, most likely in 1915 (although she gave her year of birth to the Social Security Administration as 1920), Ellis was the eldest of four children born to Eugene Gladstone O'Brien, a Detroit insurance salesman, and his wife, Florence Calkins. Her parents divorced in 1929. She was later known as Patricia Leftwich after her step-father, Alexander Leftwich, "an eminent New York producer of musical shows." She had a step-brother, Alexander Leftwich Jr. Her childhood activities included singing and dancing, and she reportedly studied French and German. A 1932 newspaper article said, "Since she was able to walk, Patricia has been familiar with the world of the theater, accompanying her father constantly to rehearsals and performances." That same year, another newspaper reported, "She understudied all her father's leading women in the last ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marvin Hatley
Thomas Marvin Hatley (April 3, 1905 – August 23, 1986), professionally known simply as Marvin Hatley, was an American film composer and musical director, best known for his work for the Hal Roach studio from 1929 until 1940. Hatley wrote many of the musical cues appearing in the ''Our Gang'', ''Laurel and Hardy'', and ''Charley Chase'' films. His most memorable composition is "Dance of the Cuckoos" (also known as "Ku-Ku", or "The Cookoo Song"), which serves as Laurel and Hardy's theme song. He was also the "player piano" (performing off-screen) in ''The Music Box'' (1932). His work in Laurel and Hardy's films '' Way Out West'' and ''Block-Heads'' earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Score.Piazza, Jim, & Kinn, Gail (2008). ''The Academy Awards: The Complete Unofficial History'', p. 45. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc. In 1939, Hatley was fired from the Roach studio. At the insistence of Stan Laurel, however, he did return to score one f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Finlayson (actor)
James Henderson Finlayson (27 August 1887 – 9 October 1953) was a Scottish actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson had many trademark comic mannerisms and is known for his squinting, outraged, "double take and fade away" head reaction, and characteristic expression "d'ooooooh", and as the best remembered comic foil of Laurel and Hardy. Finlayson was known by a variety of nicknames. According to Laurel and Hardy scholar Randy Skretvedt, he "called himself Jimmy, was known around the lot as Jim and is usually referred to today as 'Fin'"Skretvedt, p. 77 – as a truncated version of his surname, as author John McCabe presented it in his 1961 book biography ''Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy ''. Early life and stage career Born in Larbert, Stirlingshire, Scotland to Alexander and Isabella (née Henderson) Finlayson, James worked as a tinsmith before pursuing an acting career. As part of John Clyde's company, he played the part of Jamie R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Gilbert
William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects and television shows beginning in 1929. Career Early life and vaudeville career The child of singers with the Metropolitan Opera, he was born in a dressing room at the Hopkins Opera House in Louisville, Kentucky. Gilbert began working in vaudeville at the age of 12, and later played in burlesque on the Columbia and Mutual wheels. Big break in films Gilbert was spotted by Stan Laurel, who was in the audience of Gilbert's show ''Sensations of 1929''. Laurel went backstage to meet Gilbert and was so impressed by him he introduced him to comedy producer Hal Roach. Gilbert was employed as a gag writer, actor and director, and at the age of 35 he appeared in his first film for the Fox Film Corporation in 1929. Gilbert broke into comedy s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
We Faw Down
''We Faw Down'' is a silent short subject directed by Leo McCarey starring comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on December 29, 1928. It was remade in part with their film '' Sons of the Desert'' in 1933. Plot Stan and Ollie are about to attend a poker game when Ollie receives a telephone call telling them their absence is holding up the game. Ollie then tells their wives they have a business engagement at the Orpheum Theater and sneak off to their poker game. En route, they gallantly stop to assist two young ladies retrieve a hat that has blown under a parked car. They end up being soaked by a passing street-cleaning vehicle while trying to retrieve it. The girls invite them up to their apartment while their clothes dry. One of the females becomes very amorous with Stan and all proceed to become blotto with beer. A large boyfriend of one of the females appears at the apartment, sending the duo scrambling out the back window, in full view of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chill Wills
Theodore Childress "Chill" Wills (July 18, 1902 – December 15, 1978) was an American actor and a singer in the Avalon Boys quartet. Early life Wills was born in Seagoville, Texas, on July 18, 1902. Career He was a performer from early childhood, forming and leading the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930s. After appearing in a few Westerns, he disbanded the group in 1938, and struck out on a solo acting career. One of his more memorable roles was that of the distinctive voice of Francis the Talking Mule in a series of popular films. Wills' deep, rough voice, with its Western twang, was matched to the personality of the cynical, sardonic mule. As was customary at the time, Wills was given no billing for his vocal work, though he was featured prominently on-screen as blustery General Ben Kaye in the fourth entry, ''Francis Joins the WACS''. He provided the deep voice for Stan Laurel's performance of "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" in '' Way Out West'' (1937), in which the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tommy Bond
Thomas Ross Bond (September 16, 1926 – September 24, 2005) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He was best known for his work as a child actor for two nonconsecutive periods on ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') comedies (first as "Tommy" and later as "Butch"). Also, he is noted for being the first actor to appear onscreen as "Superman's pal" Jimmy Olsen, having portrayed the character in the film serials ''Superman'' (1948) and '' Atom Man vs. Superman'' (1950). Biography Early years and ''Our Gang'' Born in Dallas, Texas, Bond got his start in 1931 at the age of 4 when a talent scout for Hal Roach studios approached him as he was leaving a Dallas cinema. Bond was hired at Hal Roach Studios for the ''Our Gang'' series in the summer of 1931 to begin work that upcoming fall, at around the same time as George "Spanky" McFarland was hired. Bond worked in ''Our Gang'' for three years, alternately appearing as a supporting character and a background actor. His sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ed Brandenburg
Marion Edgar "Ed" Brandenburg (May 5, 1896 – November 17, 1968) was an American actor and stuntman. He appeared in 37 films between 1922 and 1938 and was the brother of actor Chet Brandenburg. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky and died in San Gabriel, California. Selected filmography * '' Block-Heads'' (1938; uncredited) * '' Swiss Miss'' (1938; uncredited) * '' Way Out West'' (1937; uncredited) * '' Our Relations'' (1936; uncredited) * '' Thicker than Water'' (1935) * ''Railroadin''' (1929) *'' Little Mother'' (1929) *'' Election Day'' (1929) *'' Crazy House'' (1928) *'' Playin' Hookey'' (1928) * ''The Battle of the Century'' (1927) * '' Baby Clothes'' (1926) * '' Monkey Business'' (1926) * ''Good Cheer'' (1926) * ''One Wild Ride'' (1925) * '' Young Sherlocks'' (1922) * ''One Terrible Day ''One Terrible Day'' is a 1922 American silent short film, the first entry in Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') series to be released. Directed by Robert F. McGowan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charley Rogers
Charles Rogers (15 January 1887 – 20 December 1956) was an English film actor, director and screenwriter, best known for his association with Laurel and Hardy. He was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. In 1928, he joined the Laurel and Hardy crew on the Hal Roach lot, where he worked as actor, writer, and ultimately director. Although he was known informally as "Charley," he was always billed on screen under his given name, Charles Rogers. In the 1940s, as an actor, Rogers was teamed briefly with Harry Langdon in feature films, and with Andy Clyde for a few short comedies. In 1956, Rogers died in Los Angeles, California, following injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Partial filmography *''Oliver Twist'' (1912) - Artful Dodger *''A Ticket to Red Horse Gulch'' (1914, Short) *''The Woman God Forgot'' (1917) - Cacamo *'' The Light of Western Stars'' (1918) - Danny Marns *''Two Tars'' (1928, Short) - Motorist with Bent Fenders *''Habeas Corpus'' (1928, Sho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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