"Laughter Then and Now" (1963)

101 is designed for beginners with questions about the site, SCM, or early comedy. Use this forum without fear of taunting from advanced users or the local curmudgeons.
Michael J Hayde
Associate
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:33 pm

"Laughter Then and Now" (1963)

Postby Michael J Hayde » Thu May 19, 2011 11:17 pm

What exactly is this and where was it released? I've seen lobby cards that imply it's a retitled reissue of "The Golden Age of Comedy." And I've seen other lobby cards saying Chaplin is in it, and also Peter Sellers (who seems to be the only "Now" comic to be billed). Both sets of cards call it a "Union Films Release," but only the former state it's produced by Youngson. It's not listed at imdb, so I can't even find any <i>wrong</i> info about it!

Here are four LCs: http://www.movieposterbid.com/itemdetl.asp?id=64057

Thanks,
Michael

Rob Farr
Godfather
Posts: 489
Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 12:00 pm
Location: Our Nation's Capitol

Re: "Laughter Then and Now" (1963)

Postby Rob Farr » Fri May 20, 2011 12:44 pm

Perhaps not coincidentally, Union Film Distributors is also the company that released "Sound of Laughter" that same year. It's a compilation of Educational talkie clips hosted by Ed Wynn (who never made an Educational talkie).
Rob Farr
"If it's not comedy, I fall asleep" - Harpo Marx

Chris Seguin

Re: "Laughter Then and Now" (1963)

Postby Chris Seguin » Fri May 20, 2011 2:14 pm

I wonder if this isn't THE SLAPPIEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, a 1950s compilation released in the UK with Peter Sellers narrating (in the first person, as the character of Stan Laurel!)

It's nothing like the Youngson compilations, and the lobbies definitely look like the Youngson promotional material, but this could explain Sellers presence -- perhaps it was a cheap, sloppy attempt to cash in on both the popularity of Youngson and Sellers in the US in the early '60s.

http://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.p ... e8d768e06c

Chris

Gary Johnson
Cugine
Posts: 656
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:15 am
Location: Sonoma, CA
Contact:

Re: "Laughter Then and Now" (1963)

Postby Gary Johnson » Fri May 20, 2011 8:24 pm

Did Seller's imitation of Stan sound like Chance from BEING THERE
only on steroids?
(....he talks rather sloooowww in that film)


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 29 guests