Ship's Reporter - Laurel and Hardy (1949)

[Music] hi there friends and welcome to New York Harbor today we're the guests of the kunard White Star Line the beautiful and palacial 80,000 ton SS Queen Mary we have a host of Travelers out here today and some people we think you'd like to meet today we'll be talking to personalities from the world of the films Stan Laurel and Oliva Hardy Mrs M let's run over if I can get between the boys and meet danan Laurel and oliv a Hardy we have we have done excuse me fellas have get in here we we've done uh wonderful interviews with both Laurel and hottie but separately we've never had them together and I want to develop and build and try and get as much of the Stan Laurel and oliv a HTI story if I can but try and keep it on a straight plain basis you know no comedy that's going to be awfully hard huh would it be what do you mean huh hey Stan when did uh you and Oliver first get together oh I think it was about uh 26 years ago to my way of thinking that's somewhat of a show business record when it comes to film it's films a team being together that long isn't it Oliver I think so and as much as we've never had any PES or fights or squabbles of any kind always friends where how did it all come about how did you first you know sort of form together in a team oh I was directing at the time and and he was the lover no not not uh quite that no the leading man well no not quite that the second lead well maybe yes I think the second they heavy and then what happened then two of you uh you directed him in a picture and you de yeah well he burnt his arm one day and couldn't go into the picture so I went in for him and when he got better and came back then we decided to work as a team oh you ruined my story I thought he was going to say he could do it better than you and he was trying to show you well he did 100% better and incidentally that picture was the origination of the cry that Stan does in the film he did a a butler in the picture and had to do the cry wonder and he yes fting you want to see it I'd love to see it f wonderful you know you you fellas sort of originated a lot of things in the movies um I believe in your early pictures like the flying Deuces and many others you were the first ones to come up through the grounds from a tunnel yeah we've been through a lot of [Laughter] tunnels yes that what the one we did that we were escaping from prison and we had dug through the ground for about 3 weeks and finally thought we were outside but when we dug up we were in the warden's office so we had to go back you always get out though somehow when you're in prison uh what's you what what's the favorite picture that the two of you have Stan oh I think one of my favorites is fraud Diablo that was a costume picture with music a great big deal the Opera yeah was he the uh romantic lead in that well he tried to take the place of diavo but failed miserably how about you oliv do you have any special part that you like well that's my favorite U Jack and incidentally that picture uh has been revived 12 times in Italy it was running in palmo when our boys went into palmo and uh you know that's something that that uh we don't have I don't think in pictures too much today and that is the comedy pictures that you fellas make sort of live on for years and years people go to the theater and they can still chuckle about them is it in the writing stand uh oh I don't think so I think it has more appeal over there because there were very simple ideas and wasn't much to think about was more Visual and talk of course and keeping in character and panine well Stan is a past master of pmim he taught me all that I know about it you do very well and the past master of course does very very well too did you in the early days write all your own scripts oh yes such as they were I take it then you went out with a piece of paper and an idea and said well we're going to shoot a full picture in two days that's right it was just really a plan that's all we had to follow the rest is what we call shooting off the cuff the thing that I like about the Oliver and Hardy story is the fact that 26 years and we're still together as a team and we're still knocking them out it it it's sort of a real show business to me have you felt that way about your own Association well we get an awful lot of pleasure in making pictures and appearing in public and enjoy each other stand is the funniest thing in the world to me and he thinks I'm funny you compliment one another well he thinks of things for me to do and I think of things for him to do you so in that way there's no friction Stan L and and Oliver Hardy I want to thank you both for chatting with us once again we always find you quite the most wonderful people to come out of Hollywood and to me of course the the the uh real top when it comes to Comedy because I always enjoy uh seeing a laurel and hoty picture even on television we have them now you know you and so friends we come to the end of your ships reporter program for today ships reporter is produced on film by the national television Guild and directed by chick Vincent until next time then this is Jack Mangan your ship's reporter wishing you and yours the smoothest in smooth sailing