What Would The Kids Of Today Make Of

[Caran]

The three Stooges and Albott and Costello?

[jno]

I didn't think much of them when I was a kid of yesterday.

[Caran]

I seem to remember I enjoyed them at the time.

[jno]

they were okay till I was about 6. Even at that age there's only so much anyone can take of people hitting each other on the head.

[Buenchico]

I'm not even sure that I've ever seen The Three Stooges (or, indeed, a great deal of Abbot and Costello)!

However I think that certain elements of visual comedy can last through the ages. (I've got The Keystone Cops on DVD!).

'Mr Bean' is largely visual comedy and even the most-remembered moments of series such as 'Only Fools and Horses' are basically slapstick. (i.e. if you ask people for their favourite Delboy moments they won't involve the words that John Sullivan put into David Jason's mouth but, instead, the crashing chandelier and the open bar-flap).

[jno]

Keaton and Chaplin set up beautiful, elegant gags

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ea/97/7c/ea977c619a338a31118db819cb566b47.gif

A and C not so much.

[Jackdaw33]

I was, and still am, a great fan of the Marx brothers.

[Cloverjo]

I don't think today's young'uns would be impressed by the Stooges and A&C.

I do know a youngish person who finds Laurel and Hardy hysterical, though.

[jno]

actually, this one's my favourite, incredibly dangerous

http://www.gifbin.com/bin/112014/1415642571_house_wall_falls_over_buster_keaton__steamboat_bill_jr.gif

[jno]

Marx Brothers, mmm, don't know, MGM made them second fiddle in their own films and you had to listen to Allan Jones singing. Early Paramount films were much better.

[Jackdaw33]

When I was small I used to love the slapstick of Mr. Pastry (Richard Hearne).

[Buenchico]

^^^ I never found Mr Pastry very funny

[Buenchico]

I preferred Charlie Drake ;-)

[kvalidir]

I'm a massive Harold Lloyd fan, likewise Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers, but not the three stooges really and Abbot and Costello are a bit limited tbh.

[Cloverjo]

Just thinking of old comedians in general, who was the guy with very long-toed shoes who used to lean forward and look like he was about to topple over, but his footwear kept him up?

He was the subject of a QI question a few years ago. Stephen Fry thought he was hilarious. Jo Brand really didn't.

Max Wall as well. Was he ever funny?

[jno]

Harold Lloyd blew half his his hand off when a fake bomb turned out to be not so fake. And today's comedians claim to be "risk-taking"...

[jno]

was that Little Tich, Cloverjo?

[jno]

[Cloverjo]

Thanks, Jno. Yes that's the man. He obviously had gymnastic and athletic ability, but not comedic IMHO.

[jno]

he got his name from the "Tichborne claimant", an Australian who said he was the missigg heir to the Tichborne baronetcy. (He was fibbing.) So this guy called himself Little Tich. I expect Stephen Fry knows all this.

[wendilla]

Not many kids watch comedy or tv nowadays . Too busy on their phones and X boxes .
I ban my grandkids from using phones when we go out for a meal .