Customer Reviews

Laurel & Hardy in "Big Quizness"

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A year ago, we learned about a LaureI & Hardy trivia book which was in the works. Frankly, we weren't expecting much, since most such books are - well, trivial. So, we were very happily surprised with Laurel & Hardy in "Big Quizness". Written by siblings Robert and Tracie McFerren and copiously illustrated by Robert, the book is an entertaining parade of unusual aspects of the L&H Þlms. Only the Þrst third of the book is the expected Trivia Contest. Questions are posed about almost every L&H Þlm, going chronologically from the Þrst (Lucky Dog) to last (Atoll K). Some of the questions are fairly easy for L&H buffs (in Come Clean, which þavors is ice-cream vendor Charlie Hall out of? Orange, gooseberry and chocolate!), while others are head-scratchers even for longtime aÞcionados (in what month does Way Out West take place?). The authors are kind enough to refrain from asking about the lost L&H Þlms Hats Off - a vitally important but long-gone 1927 two- reeler - and The Rogue Song, a 1930 Technicolor musical starring Lawrence Tibbett with Stan and Ollie in support. However, in one of the most valuable portions of the book, these two lost gems are recreated in detailed descriptions of each Þlm's action. Chapters four through ten are probably the most enjoyable, focusing on unusual facts about the Þlms. Films with "Weird or Uncontrollable Laughter" are listed, along with the perpetrator; all of the gags involving feet are described; all of the scenes in which the telephone is used for laughs are summarized. We found only a couple of mistakes (Pardon Us at its original 56 minutes is the boys' shortest feature, not the 58- minute Block-Heads; Roy Seawright did not win four Oscars for special effects in L&H movies) and a few omissions (Stan sings - brieþy - in Busy Bodies as well as the eight listed Þlms; the most outrageous double-entendre in an L&H Þlm is delivered by Ollie to Mae Busch during Tit For Tat, not listed in the "Read Between the Lines" section). Sections about the Boys' characteristics are quite interesting; we learn that Stan scratched his head 256 times, doing it Þrst in 1928's From Soup to Nuts, and most frequently - 15 times - in 1935's Bonnie Scotland. Stan's greatest quotes, collected here, are as funny as ever. A chronology of the boys' lives will prove useful to the more scholarly L&H admirers, as will a lengthy listing of non-L&H Þlm appearances made by the supporting players. Not only are regulars such as Charlie Hall thus documented; even Fred "Snowþake" Toones - who appears in just one brief shot of Way Out West - gets a listing of notable Þlms. Although there are a few stills and bits of memorabilia reproduced, most of the illustrations are charming drawings by Robert McFerren. This book is obviously a labor of love by two devoted L&H fans. It's an entertaining, amusing and enlightening read that any devotee of Stan and Ollie should own, and it's certainly going to enliven future meetings of the Sons of the Desert (The Laurel & Hardy Appreciation Society). This review previously appeared the nostalgia entertainment newsletter Past Times (Managing Editor Randy Skretvedt) and is reprinted with permission.

The title "Big Quizness" is a take off on the L&H silent short "Big Business". And that gives a fair idea of what the book is like.
It`s basicly a trivia book. Lots of fun trivia questions that will test your knowlage of L&H, their films, supporting characters,
ect.
The questions range from easy to those that will stump even die hard fans of the boys.
The book is about 400 pages of fun facts and trivia. Not ment to be a history or anything like that, just a fun book for anyone
who likes Stan and Ollie.

I have every Laurel and Hardy book there is, but this is one of my favorites. It is fun reading, enjoyable and enlightening. If you are a fan, this is a must. Everything from trivia to costars and everything in between. It is hard to find and out-of-print, so if you come across one, grab it!