Understanding classic comedy

W

wstol

Dedicated Member
It seems (younger?) people today just don't get some of the classic comedies, such as LOTSW.

One of my favourite comedies of all time is By the Sea, starring The Two Ronnies. Filmed around the golden age of comedy (1981, shown the following year I think), cobbled together by Alan JW Bell, impressive music score by Ronnie Hazlehurst, and filmed around Dorset, primarily Swanage.

Great silent comedy of the old school, talented cast, and something genuinely suitable for the whole family, and bloody funny.

See it on YouTube.

Yet many reviewers on YouTube just don't get it. There's nothing not to get about it as far as I can see. There's nothing close to this kind of comedy now. It's hard work watching most comedy now, as it lacks charm and warmth.


Many programmes now try to be PC, but with bad language.

Now that's what I don't get.
 
wstol said:
It seems (younger?) people today just don't get some of the classic comedies, such as LOTSW.

One of my favourite comedies of all time is By the Sea, starring The Two Ronnies. Filmed around the golden age of comedy (1981, shown the following year I think), cobbled together by Alan JW Bell, impressive music score by Ronnie Hazlehurst, and filmed around Dorset, primarily Swanage.

Great silent comedy of the old school, talented cast, and something genuinely suitable for the whole family, and bloody funny.

See it on YouTube.

Yet many reviewers on YouTube just don't get it. There's nothing not to get about it as far as I can see. There's nothing close to this kind of comedy now. It's hard work watching most comedy now, as it lacks charm and warmth.


Many programmes now try to be PC, but with bad language.

Now that's what I don't get.
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Well said wstol, today's standard of comedy is very poor, and I have noticed that earlier comedies are either no longer shown or heavily edited to keep the pc brigade happy, remember in the old days, we had Mary Whitehouse and she would complain about certain programs, yet if I recall they were still shown and the countries attitude was, you can always turn your TV off if it offends you.

I have noticed that the Mrs Brown show has been allowed to use more accurate bad language these days,with more of it, it seems that it is no longer classed as comedy if it is not glued together with bad language, even good old fashion chats show get away with it now, how long before our weather reporters start by saying it is going to be a !!##*&ing bad day tomorrow.
 
I agree but there are some slap the face comedy which makes me laugh , perhaps the finest is Battle of the Century starring my comedy favourites of all time, the simply brilliant Laurel and Hardy . Thankfully someone found it and has posted it on You Tube. I am sorry but if you don't find this funny you must have had your funny bone removed.

 
captain clutterbuck said:
I agree but there are some slap the face comedy which makes me laugh , perhaps the finest is Battle of the Century starring my comedy favourites of all time, the simply brilliant Laurel and Hardy . Thankfully someone found it and has posted it on You Tube. I am sorry but if you don't find this funny you must have had your funny bone removed.

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YOU MISUNDERSTAND ME CAPTAIN! ITS THE FOUL MOUTHED "LETS PICK ON SOMEONE DIFFERENT OR DISABLED THAT TURNS ME OFF!!" I LOVED THE PIE /PUDDING FIGHT ALSO THE ONE IN THE TONY CURTIS "THE GREAT RACE ".:rolling:..............….:fp:Rant over now !;)
 
dick said:
YOU MISUNDERSTAND ME CAPTAIN!
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Dick I knew exactly what you meant its just the phrase "Not the stuff that slaps you in the face" gave me the opportunity to post the link to the wonderful Laurel and Hardy film which features custard pies slapping people in the face and other parts of their anatomy :)
 
With those pie in the face scenes you have to get it exactly right. You've got all going on in the background then the man or lady in the foreground gets it in the face. Wonderful acting because they know they are going to get it so they can't be shown to wince before the pie hits them.
 
Brian Johns said:
Tut Tut Tut.....such shocking violence!!! I am deeply offended:fp:
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You want violence watch a Tom and Jerry cartoon, good grief. Violence isn't funny nore is swearing, don't get me wrong I can swear like the rest of them just follow me on Facebook but having it constantly in your face in very line is just not funny.
 
Saw a comedian who did a routine about claiming damages for accidents in which he said he made out a claim with " I was painting a big black arch on a wall when I was suddenly run over by a train driven by a bird wearing a train driver uniform " . He added another which I used when one of these trip and slip jokers stopped me in the street and when asked had I suffered any accidents recently that were not my fault I replied " Yes I was trying to change the honey bell in the Budgie's cage when I was given the wrong type of ladder , it slipped and I fell and cut my head on the cuttlefish . It wasn't very well received but I enjoyed delivering it.
 
I suppose the young generation think it is comedy, they have not seen the alternatives,so they know no better, a bit like modern day music
 
Although I have seen press articles , series like Dads Army span the ages and has a large number of young fans , so we Don't have to Panic [doh :fp:] there is a penchant to carry on with the legacy of the comedy we find so entertaining.
 
I bought the full DVD set of Dad's Army a few weeks ago. Well, as full as you can get given that some of the early episodes are irretrievably lost. My PBS station has never aired it, so it's all new to me. So far, I'm enjoying it thoroughly as a follow-on to FOTSW. When I've finished it I'll move on to LOTSW again. I especially like that occasionally the straight comedy is interspersed with a semi-serious topic that shows how the unit has bonded and how they take care of one another. For instance,"Something Nasty in the Vault". BTW, was that title meant to hark back to Cold Comfort Farm and Aunt Ada's trauma of having seen "something nasty in the woodshed"?

I don't think the lack of appreciation for classic British comedy is entirely an age thing. My younger sister, 68 years old, is completely baffled by my liking for LOTSW.
 
I love Laurel and Hardy and have visited the museum in Ulverston a few times. Just one of those looks to camera from Oliver does it for me. 70s and 80s shows i like to revisit are Porridge, Reggie Perrin, Steptoe, Dads Army, Ever Decreasing Circles, Secret Army,Fawlty Towers,Goodies, Ripping Yarns...all the stuff i watched as a youth ! There's still a bit of modern comedy i like to watch, League of Gentlemen, Inside no 9, Two Doors Down, Friday Night Dinner and my all time favourite Alan Partridge.
 
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