Why so few Votes?
I dont understand why Laurel & Hardy Movies have such a low number of votes cast on IMDB. Have they lost their popularity?
shareI don't think younger people today have the exposure to Laurel & Hardy that baby boomers (like me) had while growing up. I was aware of Laurel & Hardy, W.C. Fields, Abbott & Costello, etc., from a very early age because their movies were on TV all the time. Not so anymore. "TV" has fragmented into a multiplicity of cable stations, and when people pop videos or DVD's into their home players I don't think these older comedies are necessarily available to them, especially if they don't live in big cities. And of course, these films aren't everyone's cup of tea, anyhow. Some people won't watch anything that isn't in color, and as for silent movies-- forget about it!
I always loved Way Out West. To this day I believe it represents Laurel & Hardy at their best. Their little dance to "At the Ball" is a priceless sequence, and the scene in which L&H and Finlayson and the 'Bad Lady' fight over possession of the deed is a riot.
Great comedy! As long as prints are available to those of us who care, I don't mind if not so many people are into this stuff anymore.
I miss their presence on tv myself - they had been on through my childhood (when I was 5 or so my sibs & I called them 'Fatso and Thinso') up through college. There was certainly a big interest in classic comedy from the 50s through the mid-70s, and I hope it gets rekindled.
Turner Classic Movies had the great sense to devote all yesterday (April Fools Day) to L&H - that kept my VCR busy. They'll be devoting Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to comedy all this month, so check them out!
I think you've hit the nail on the head. I also remember watching Laurel (which is my real name) and Hardy in the 70s. If Abbott & Costello is on, it must be Saturday. WC Fields, not so often. And don't forget the Marx Brothers who are my favorites (with L&H a very slim second place).
Most people, say under 40, have never even heard of these guys...let alone the more obscure ones like the Ritz Brothers (whom I've never seen but have heard of).
It's indeed less and less on TV, and probably true that young generation isn't so fond of B&W movies, even less of silent movies. Note that I am 22 and I have known L&H since before my teenage years, always loved their work, especially this movie, a classic of comedy in my opinion. Didn't find it in stores when I recently searched for L&H DVDs though, but I found Sons of the Desert instead, which is pretty funny too.
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