FILMS: Diabolical Twins
By RENE RONDEAU
Kansan Reviewer
After a lapse of nearly 30 years, Laurel and Hardy are once again on the screen, and their justly famous producer, Hal Roach, is again behind the scenes.
The film is entitled "The Crazy World of Laurel and Hardy." and is a compilation of 21 of their films made during the decade from 1929 to 1938.
In a long career as a team, 1926 to 1957, Laurel and Hardy made over 250 films, both silent and sound. This film marks their first comeback in popularity since their tv-syndicated films were driven off the air by such shows as Yogi Bear and Underdog.
The most apt description of the Laurel and Hardy character is Hardy's own: Stan is the dumb guy to whom everything happens, and Ollie is the smart guy who's dumber than the dumb guy, only he doesn't know it. Stan always seems to fall into (or create) awkward situations, but Ollie usually gets the brunt of the consequences.
They are slapstick comedians, but their slapstick is controlled. Their slapstick situations always blossom slowly from a completely calm and believable beginning. No matter how wild a situation might become, it invariably starts out basically believable.
Laurel and Hardy were such firm believers in reality as the core of their comedy that they always used their own names in their films, never a character name.
"The Crazy World of Laurel and Hardy" is a reasonably well edited compilation, with only a few mediocre sequences. A plus factor in the editing is the continuity; the film is not a string of isolated scenes, but rather capsulated versions of their short films, often retaining the story line.
There is one major flaw, however, detracting from the overall presentation—the narration. Garry Moore, by explaining the obvious, and with a great deal of overstatement intrudes on the self-explanatory comedy. Laurel and Hardy need no drab commentary.
Worse, some of the historical contentions are totally false, such as the statement that Jean Harlow was a "frequent visitor" to their films, when in fact she made only one very brief episode in a 1929 silent comedy.
"The Crazy World of Laurel and Hardy" is not a moving or particularly relevant film, but it is enjoyable entertainment, even after 30 years.
RECORDS: Biggest Mama
Cass' latest album, Bubble Gum, Lemonade & Something for Mama, is breathtakingly fresh, mellow and warm. It's the spoonful of Cass-tor oil to help make the sugar down.
Mama Cass may not be Kate Smith, but then Cass isn't selling bonds. She's selling songs.
By MIKE SHEARER Arts & Reviews Editor
Pearl gets show
"A little sugar to sweeten my tea, a little girl to set me free," sings Cass to her daughter in the some "Lady Love."
And Cass sweetens our tea while her big, beautiful voice sets us free.
With such songs as "It's Getting Better," "When I Wear My Smile" and "Sour Grapes," Cass is waiting near our prison wall with the get-away car and there aren't many voices around that would make better companionship for us escapees.
NEW YORK (UPI)—ABC has signed Pearl Bailey to head a musical variety series for the 1970-71 season. She currently stars in Broadway's "Hello Dolly!"
"Mother Nature gave me a good design," Cass sings, and doubts haven't heard Cass' big voice.
Cass' act is streamlined, sleak, trim and just a bit on the sensational side.
So if you're saving up to buy a bond, do what I did. Blow it all on a couple of Cass' albums and send one to Kate Smith. You'll both be better persons for it.
BOOKS:
HORSE UNDER WATER, by Len Deighton (Dell, 75 cents)—when you read Len Deighton you're never quite sure what's going but it's still interesting going, because the man at least can write. This is a novel of intrigue involving trouble in Portugal, a sunken submarine containing millions, a machine that could give the owner-nation mastery of the Arctic. There's all kinds of hankypunk in this one
WHITEOAK HARVEST, by Mazo de la Roche (Crest, 95 cents)—Another in the famous series of novels of the Whiteoak family of Jalna, in Canada. This one concentrates on the son Renny, his marriage, and his affair with another woman. Though it sounds soapy it's almost always believable, like the other books in this series, one of the best of dynastic novels.
OFFERS THANKS
RICHMOND, Calif. (UPI)
James M. Allyn, of nearby El Sebrante, offered a word of thanks to a member of the San Pablo Police Department today in a letter to the editor of the Richmond Independent.
Allyn explained that, through "abnormal testing procedures" involving the officer, he was able to determine the windshield wippers of his automobile do not work
"However," Allyn added, "I hope that in the future when a cop spits out of his car downwind, he will take into consideration the wind velocity and the distance of the automobile behind him."
Sept. 18
1969 KANSAN 5
Students! take a lesson in KING'S Collegese*
Meet the *dublehelper*. Study him well, for he may turn out to be you. Dubblehelpers have just got to be the hungriest guys in the world. No calorie-counters they, though often they be tall and lank and lean. And it takes double-everything to fill up the empty space in between. For this ravenous fellow we trot out our specialty. The Double Cheeseburger, a dubblehelper's dream. Or the Double Hamburger. (Or BOTH??) And a Double Pepsi. All served—you guessed it—ON THE DOUBLE!
*Kingstonlan wisdom spoken here
Home of Friendly Family Dining KING'S Food Host U.S.A.
1601 West 23rd
Sunday - Thursday—11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Friday & Saturday—11 a.m. - 1 a.m.
HERE'S TO YOU. CHARLEY BROWN, by Charles M. Schulz (Crest, 50 cents)—A new volume of Peanuts cartoons.
Best sellers
THE GODFATHER Mario Puze
Fiction
THE LOVE MACHINE
Jacqueline Susann
PORTNOYS COMPLAINT—Philip Roth
THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN
-Michael Crickter
ADA OR ARDOR—
ADA OR ARDOR
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Nonfiction
I THINK—L. Woiwode
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO,
L THINK  J W
EXCEPT FOR ME AND THEE
THEE-Jessamyn West
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO
THE PETER PRINCIPLE-
Laurence J. Peter and
Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull
THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER-Gay Talese
POWER Gay Tales
THE MAKING OF THE
PRESIDENT 1900
Theodore H. White
Theodore H. Winn
JENNIE—Ralph G. Martin
ERNEST HEMINGWAY—
Carlos Baker
AN UNFINISHED WOMAN—
Lillian Hellman
(Compiled by Publishers' Weekly)
COLOK- DeLuxe
X
United Artists
Matinee 2:30
Sat. & Sun. Eve.
7:15 - 9:30
Separate Admission
LATE SHOW 12:00 SAT.
Sorry, we can't divulge the title but it's one of the following new pictures.
- Butch Cassidy and
- the Sundance Kid
- Medium Cool
- Easy Rider
- John and Mary
ALL SEATS
$1.50
"I Am Curious, Yellow' is banned in this country and 'Inga' is not. In 'Inga'...the sexual activity is...more tantilizing."
"If I were to describe in detail what goes on in 'Inga', I'd get arrested." Robert S. Savage, WSJ.com
From Sweden...
the classic female concept
Inga
Persons Under 18
Not Admitted
Matinee Daily 2:30
Eve—3 Showings
7:00 - 8:40 - 10:20