The online, 39th Pordenone Silent Film Festival ended on an upbeat note with five comedies featuring Laurel and Hardy, but not featuring the famous duo together in any of them; hence, the program being entitled "Laurel or Hardy." Their social-distancing days, you could call it. So, this one features Oliver "Babe" Hardy before he became famous teaming up with Stan Laurel. A Billy Ruge and a bunch of other comedians join "Babe" in this one. Reportedly, the duo were popular enough to earn their own "Plump and Runt" series. It's the usual knockabout slapstick of the era--not my thing, although I heartily endorse restoring films I'm not fond of, as well as the ones I love. I've been spoiled by the artistry of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd. I guess the humor in this one--besides them hitting each other, running around and a few trick effects--is supposed to be how bad their band is. We call them "silent films," but this is a good reminder of how important music was and is to the art form. The score for the "Laurel or Hardy" program was provided by Neil Brand.

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Plump and Runt are street musicians who are rivals for Florence's affection.

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Oliver Hardy in An Expensive Visit (1915)

Charles Chaplin and John Rand in Police (1916)

Charles Chaplin and Jess Dandy in His New Profession (1914)

James Finlayson and Stan Laurel in Brothers Under the Chin (1924)

Oliver Hardy and Florence McLaughlin in The Serenade (1916)

Florence McLaughlin in The Serenade (1916)

Billy Bletcher and Florence McLaughlin in The Serenade (1916)

The Serenade

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