''The Golden Age of Comedy'' (1957) is a compilation of silent

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

s from the

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

and

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

studios, written and produced by

Robert Youngson Robert Youngson (November 27, 1917 – April 8, 1974) was a film producer, director, and screenwriter, specializing in reviving antique silent films.Obituary ''Variety'', April 17, 1974, page 95.Distributors Corporation of America Distributors Corporation of America (DCA) was an American film distribution company which distributed 60 films in the US between 1952 and 1959. DCA distributed the 1956 re-releases of ''The Naked City'' (1948) and '' Brute Force'' (1947), both pro ...

, before being taken up by major Hollywood studio

Twentieth Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...

. The film's commercial success led Youngson to follow suit with other silent film compilations over the next decade. The film is often regarded as particularly bringing

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

back into the public's notice after years of obscurity (they are the film's most predominantly featured performers), but

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his c ...

died around the time of the film's release in August 1957. The film was released (along with several other Youngson compilations) on DVD for the first time in the United States in 2007. Its main musical theme is derived from Chopin's '' Etude Op. 10, No. 3'', often known as "Tristesse".

Plot Details

The film is divided into nine separate acts, each with their own title card. Act One - ''The Laugh Factory''. Featuring several Mack Sennett comedies. Films included are ''The Hollywood Kid'', ''Wandering Willies'', ''Musclebound Music'', ''Wall Street Blues'' and ''Circus Today''. Act Two - ''Nobody Liked Them But The Public''. Laurel and Hardy comedies, including ''

Habeas Corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...

'', '' The Second Hundred Years'', ''

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 ...

'' (identified by its British title ''We Slip Up'') and the famous climactic pie fight from ''

The Battle of the Century ''The Battle of the Century'' is a 1927 silent short film starring comedy double act Laurel and Hardy, who appeared in 107 films between 1921 and 1951. The film is famous for its use of more than 3,000 cream pies (although the Guinness Book of ...

''. Act Three - ''The Cowboy Who Became a Legend''. Featuring Will Rogers in ''Uncensored Movies''. Act Four - ''Two Unforgotten Girls''. Featuring Carole Lombard in ''Run Girl Run'' and Jean Harlow in the Laurel and Hardy comedy ''

Double Whoopee ''Double Whoopee'' is a 1929 Hal Roach Studios silent short comedy starring Laurel and Hardy. It was shot during February 1929 and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on May 18. Synopsis A hotel reception awaits an important guest - a Germanic prin ...

''. Act Five - ''The Great Actor''. Highlighting Ben Turpin in several shorts he made for Mack Sennett. Act Six - ''A Comedy Classic''. Laurel and Hardy's ''

Two Tars ''Two Tars'' is a silent short subject directed by James Parrott starring comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 3, 1928 Plot Laurel and Hardy play two sailors on shore leave who decide to rent an autom ...

''. Act Seven - ''So Funny, So Sad''. An extract from a Harry Langdon comedy, ''

The Luck o' the Foolish The Luck O' The Foolish is a 1924 silent black and white short American film starring Harry Langdon directed by Harry Edwards and produced by Mack Sennett. It was the first time Edwards directed Langdon. The title is a pun on "The Luck O' The Ir ...

''. Act Eight - ''Animal Comedy''. Several examples of humour from animals such as dogs, cats and lions, with Billy Bevan, Charley Chase, Andy Clyde, Harry Gribbon and Kewpie Morgan. Titles featured include ''The Sting of Stings'' and ''Nip and Tuck''. Finale - ''Two Men On a Street''. The shin-kicking, pants-ripping street battle sequence from Laurel and Hardy's ''

You're Darn Tootin' ''You're Darn Tootin is a silent short subject directed by E. Livingston Kennedy starring comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. It was released on April 21, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot Members of a municipal band, Stanley and Oliver seem to be ...

''.

Cast

(Featured Performers) *

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Ha ...

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

Ben Turpin Bernard "Ben" Turpin (September 19, 1869 – July 1, 1940) was an American comedian and actor, best remembered for his work in silent films. His trademarks were his cross-eyed appearance and adeptness at vigorous physical comedy. Turpin wo ...

Harry Langdon Harry Philmore Langdon (June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films (where he had his greatest fame), and talkies.Obituary ''Variety'', December 27, 1944, page 39. Life and career Bor ...

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard 2 ...

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

Edgar Kennedy Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as "Slow Burn", owing to his ability to por ...

Billy Bevan Billy Bevan (born William Bevan Harris, 29 September 1887 – 26 November 1957) was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 American films between 1916 and 1950. Career Bevan was bo ...

Andy Clyde Andrew Allan Clyde (March 25, 1892 – May 18, 1967) was a Scottish-born American film and television actor whose career spanned more than four decades. In 1921 he broke into silent films as a Mack Sennett comic, debuting in ''On a Summer ...

Harry Gribbon Harry Peter Gribbon (June 9, 1885 – July 28, 1961) was an American film actor, comedian and director known for ''The Cameraman'' (1928), ''Show People'' (1928) and ''Art Trouble'' (1934). He appeared in more than 140 films between 1915 a ...

Charles Murray Charles Murray may refer to: Politicians *Charles Murray, 1st Earl of Dunmore (1661–1710), British peer *Charles Murray (author and diplomat) (1806–1895), British author and diplomat *Charles Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore (1841–1907), Scotti ...

Louise Carver Louise Carver (June 9, 1869 - June 19, 1956) was an American actress who performed in grand opera, stage, nickelodeon, and motion pictures. Early years and career Born Mary Louise Steiger in Davenport, Iowa, she was the daughter of Mr. and Mr ...

Kewpie Morgan Kewpie Morgan (born Horace Allen Morgan, February 1, 1892 – September 24, 1956) was an American silent film comedian who also performed in a few early sound films. He appeared in 99 films from 1915 to 1936. He appeared in the films of such comed ...

Daphne Pollard Daphne Pollard (born Daphne Trott; October 19, 1891 – February 22, 1978) was an Australian-born vaudeville performer and dancer, active on stage and later in US films, mostly short comedies. Diminutive stage star Born Daphne Trott, in the in ...

Madeline Hurlock Madeline Hurlock (December 12, 1897 – April 4, 1989) was a silent film actress. Biography Madeline Hurlock was born on December 12, 1897 (some sources say 1899 or 1900), the daughter of John W. Hurlock, an engineer, and Sallie Hurlock. S ...

Keystone Cops The Keystone Cops (often spelled "Keystone Kops") are fictional, humorously incompetent policemen featured in silent film slapstick comedies produced by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917. History The idea for the ...

Vernon Dent Vernon Bruce Dent (February 16, 1895 – November 5, 1963) was an American comic actor, who appeared in over 400 films. He co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures, frequently as the foil and the main antagonist and ally to The Thr ...

Crew

* Narrated by

Dwight Weist Dwight Weist, Jr. (January 16, 1910 - July 16, 1991) was an actor and announcer in the era of old-time radio. Early years The son of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight W. Weist, he was born in Palo Alto, California, but was raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He ...

and Ward Wilson * Music By George Steiner * Written and Produced by Robert Youngson

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Golden Age Of Comedy 1957 comedy films 1957 films 20th Century Fox films American anthology films American black-and-white films Compilation films Films directed by Robert Youngson 1950s English-language films