R.I.P. Lena Horne 1917-2010

[midwave]

With the passing of Lena Horne on Sunday, I started watching the 1943 MGM movie "Cabin in the Sky" on DVD, especially with the extra audio track about the movie and its stereotypes and influential aspects.
Eddie's widow and daughter are in the audio extras.
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, of course, played "Little Joe' with a stellar cast, including Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, and the music of Duke Ellington.
I happened to find this in the $3.00 bin at Big Lots a few months ago, along with some double movie DVDs of The Marx Brothers.

[epeterd]

I just saw on the news that she had died. Woke up early with a sore back. Usually not crazy enough to be up at 5:30. Anyway, they showed about 2 seconds of her standing at the mic next to Eddie. I saw Stormy Weather once on AMC in the old days when it was a good channel. I enjoyed the movie.
Speaking of the Marx brothers, I showed my wife Duck Soup recently. She hated it. Says it's the worst movie she's ever seen. She's clearly never seen a Pauly Shore movie.

peter

[Maxwell]

It's sad that during Lena Horne's time at MGM she was relegated primarily to "featured vocalist" status. She was a great singer.

Speaking of the Marx brothers, I showed my wife Duck Soup recently. She hated it. Says it's the worst movie she's ever seen. She's clearly never seen a Pauly Shore movie.

Duck Soup is pure, unadulterated Marx Brothers, and is my favorite of their movies. Maybe it's a male/female thing. Most women don't like Laurel & Hardy either.

[LLeff]

Duck Soup is pure, unadulterated Marx Brothers, and is my favorite of their movies. Maybe it's a male/female thing. Most women don't like Laurel & Hardy either.

I'll have you know that I have been a Marx Brothers fan almost as long as I've been a Jack Benny fan. But you know...I'm strange.

[Maxwell]

Duck Soup is pure, unadulterated Marx Brothers, and is my favorite of their movies. Maybe it's a male/female thing. Most women don't like Laurel & Hardy either.

I'll have you know that I have been a Marx Brothers fan almost as long as I've been a Jack Benny fan. But you know...I'm strange.

You ARE one of the few women I know who is a Marx Brothers fan, although my wife likes Harpo. How about L&H?

[LLeff]

You ARE one of the few women I know who is a Marx Brothers fan, although my wife likes Harpo. How about L&H?

L&H is one of those things where one has a bad experience in childhood and can never completely shake it afterwards. For some reason, even before I got into Jack, I took it into my head that I really needed to look at more vintage comedy. I was probably six or seven. In watching L&H, I was horrified to see these painful, potentially mortal things being done to Oliver Hardy. It struck me as more like watching a torture video, and I turned it off after a couple shorts. Of course, I've got it all in perspective now and I'm sure I'd appreciate them more, but just haven't gotten around to watching enough of it to acquire the taste. Some day.

Nope, didn't get around to the Three Stooges back then. I've certainly seen them since. I appreciate their art, although the knockabout stuff holds less amusement for me than the high art of "Why a duck", or really inventive physical comedy like the mirror scene, the Stateroom scene, or Harpo communicating to Chico in pantomime.

[midwave]

Laura,
How you felt about L&H as a child is how I've felt about the 3 Stooges all my life. I love all the classic comedians and comedy groups EXCEPT the 3 stooges.
I never noticed the abuse and poor display of comedy that the Three Stooges exemplified in any other comedy team or group.

[Maxwell]

The Stooges were not the same after Curly had that stroke and had to leave the group. He was the comedic genius of the trio. Just watch him in Microphonies. He's terrific!

To LL: If you ever start watching L&H, start with some of their silent movies. Two Tars and Big Business are classics in what has been described as their "reciprocal destruction" movies. The Battle of the Century is perhaps the greatest pie fight ever filmed. Must see talkies are the three reeler The Music Box (winner of the Academy Award for best short subject) and their feature Sons of the Desert. I'm also very fond of Way Out West which has a nice little dance number sung by The Avalon Boys (whose bass singer was Chill Wills).

[LLeff]

To LL: If you ever start watching L&H, start with some of their silent movies. Two Tars and Big Business are classics in what has been described as their "reciprocal destruction" movies. The Battle of the Century is perhaps the greatest pie fight ever filmed. Must see talkies are the three reeler The Music Box (winner of the Academy Award for best short subject) and their feature Sons of the Desert. I'm also very fond of Way Out West which has a nice little dance number sung by The Avalon Boys (whose bass singer was Chill Wills).

OK, I appreciate that. Nice to have some direction on where to begin and build a more constructive appreciation of their work. I know it's good because they continue to have so many fans, but just have to find the "door" that allows me to connect with it!

[Maxwell]

LL: May I recommend a great book from the '70s by Walter Kerr called "The Silent Clowns." He gives a great description of what L&H were to silent comedy...and a lot of what they were doing carried over into the sound era. It also contains excellent summaries of Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Langdon, and others including L&H and Raymond Griffith whose work I still haven't seen and feel that I must before I leave this mortal coil.