Odds ’n’ Ends (1/13/18) (1/20/18)

The Silent Clowns Film Series and Hyacinth Goes Camping, Love of Life,
Oh Mother! and a theatrical monologue

I love a theme and the Silent Clowns (1/13/18) had an OK one—Housing Problems. Unfortunately, you can only watch so much wallpaper paste and paint being splashed around. Even if the splashers are Chaplin, Keaton, and Laurel & Hardy. New to me, though, was (were?) Ton of Fun—Frank “Fatty” Alexander, Hilliard “Fat” Karr, and William “Kewpie” Ross. Apparently the three of them had a run as silent comedies’ ‘Three Fat Guys’ before the ‘Two Fat Ladies’ of cooking fame. Or the ‘Three Tenors’ of classical music fame. But I digress.

Chaplin’s Work (1915) had him as a paperhanger. Mirth and mayhem ensued. Keaton’s One Week (1920) had him building a pre-fabricated house. Mayhem and mirth ensued. Heavy Love (1926) had a trio of really overweight actors building a house for a sweet young female. While doing so, they fell through roofs, were done in by ropes and pulleys, and rolled down hilly hillsides. Hilarity. The Finishing Touch (1928) had Laurel & Hardy repurposing Keaton’s plot. See mirth/mayhem, mayhem/mirth above.

Don’t get me wrong. All four films were worth seeing—just not at the same time. The guest pianist, Bernie Anderson, did a nice job with accompaniments though they were a little predictable. Still, very effective. And it’s great to hear live accompaniment to these silent films.

Hyacinth Goes Camping (1/20/18) had me from the get-go. I’m a big fan of the BBC serial Keeping Up Appearances. This version—really, a reading—had Hyacinth, Richard, Daisy, Onslow, Rose, Liz, Emmett, Daddy, and an omnipresent gentleman friend of Rose’s (the Earl of Crawford). The Earl invites Daddy and entourage to camp out on his estate. An Earl?!? Hyacinth is sold. Mirth and mayhem ensue. This was more of a radio play reading than a play, play reading, yet was still effective. The Carole Jackson script was directed by Johnny Culver.

Mr. Culver also wrote and directed a two-hander, Love of Life, with references to the soap opera and What’s My Line? Also presented as a reading, it had some interesting viewpoints and a nicely done shift of time frame. Oh Mother! by Sarah Galvin had a four-person cast that performed gamely and funnily (is so a word!). Especially Grandma, who only snored through the proceedings. Ms. Galvin’s monologue—a work in progress—was a little less successful. But, hey! New voices, new writing, these are all things to be supported.

All in all, a nice exploration of what's out there while broadening my horizons.

ConcertMeister