Paul Merton's Silent Clowns

[Paulie Tandoori]

Anyone else catch this on BBC4 last night - was a really good look at the work of Buster Keaton, followed by a showing of one of his films (can't remember title off top of my head as slightl inebriated at time), had me laughing my socks off and the quite genuine affection that PM had for him was quite touching, I thought.

Well worth a watch, what with Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy (oh yes) and Harold Lloyd coming up.

 

[Santino]

The bit where Buster pinned himself to the lamp-post with his coat had me crying with laughter.

 

[Belushi]

It was ace, cant wait for the ones on Laurel and Hardy and Harold Lloyd (Chaplin never really did it for me).

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

The rocks rolling down the hill sketch was a good un too. And some of his stunts

 

[floopadelic]

Fantastic show

What struck me watching it was how much Tex Avery and Chuck Jones used Buster's ideas in their cartoons. But Buster was doing it for real and without any technology to help him

 

[Belushi]

The rocks rolling down the hill sketch was a good un too. And some of his stunts

The stunts they used to do themselves in those days were amazing - they really did put their lives on the line.

Cant wait for Harold Lloyd hanging off the clock on top of the big building

 

[Ranu]

It was quality. Loved seeing 'The Goat' again, that scene with the chase around the lift is so funny. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Cant wait for Harold Lloyd hanging off the clock on top of the big building

I used to love Harold Lloyd when C4 used to play him, just before the news I think when it first started. Horray for harold lloyd, la la la la la la la la la.

 

[Belushi]

I used to love Harold Lloyd when C4 used to play him, just before the news I think when it first started. Horray for harold lloyd, la la la la la la la la la.

Me too

 

[FiFi]

Does anybody know the date of the Harold Lloyd show?

I really want to watch that one, his work was amazing

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

Does anybody know the date of the Harold Lloyd show?

I really want to watch that one, his work was amazing

BBC site says 15 June, altho it also states that it is TBC at the mo, see here for more info

 

[FiFi]

Cheers Paulie!
I'm looking forward to that

 

[E.J.]

I used to love Harold Lloyd when C4 used to play him, just before the news I think when it first started. Horray for harold lloyd, la la la la la la la la la.

I'm old enough to whenremember BBC2 showing Harold Lloyd every Friday (at either 5.30 or 6.30pm), when i was a nipper. I'm humming the theme tune in my brain right now! Can't argue with what's just been mentioned about Harold Lloyd - he was tres cool!:cool Because he did some very innovative visual and stunt-based silent comedy that's been used so often through cinema's history.

Buster Keating was another great silent movie actor!

 

[Santino]

I preferred his daughter, Caron.

 

[Ranu]

Not a big fan of brother Ronan mind.

 

[brixtonvilla]

Didn't Harold Lloyd do all his own stunts with a false hand?

*goes to check Wikipedia*

E2A: Yep, missing the thumb & index finger of his hand after a prop bomb went off. 'Nuff respect.

 

[Dhimmi]

Great show, hope it leads to more silents and early takies on the Beeb. Once they were all on pretty regularly.

 

[spartacus mills]

I enjoyed the Keaton one; I was surprised how inventive and surreal he was. Still can't appreciate Chaplin though.

 

[Fong]

Never really liked Chaplin myself either.

However, Laurel and Hardy were genious' my all time favorite movie of theirs.

Chumps at Oxford.

"Jeeves....show this man the egress."

Best line in a movie evah!

Also the scene in that movie where he is in the maze and another arm comes through the bushes and lights his pipe and scratches his head....even twiddles his thumbs with this 'other' arm, fantastic stuff.

Used to watch all their movies back in the day when me and my mates were stoned, a few times we had to switch them off half way thru and have a break cause we were all laughing that hard it was getting difficult to breath.