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Laurel and Hardy : The Magic Behind the Movies

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Laurel and Hardy : The Magic Behind the Movies (Paperback)

~ (Author), Jordan R. Young (Other Contributor), Steve Allen (Designer)

4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Formats		Amazon Price	New from	Used from
Hardcover Available from these sellers. Published May 31, 1987	Hardcover, May 31, 1987	--	$104.65	$9.61
Paperback $17.91 Usually ships within 4 to 6 weeks. Published December 31, 1993	Paperback, December 31, 1993	$17.91	$14.99	$6.00
Paperback Available from these sellers. Published June 1987	Paperback, June 1987	--	$29.85	$3.00
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Skretvedt, coauthor of a biography of Steve Martin and host of a Los Angeles radio show, Forward into the Past, has uncovered a wealth of fascinating information about the lives and careers of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Setting out to tell how the pair "actually made their films," the author spent seven years researching and interviewing some 60 friends and associates of the comedy team, and discovered a collection of original scripts with many scenes that were never filmed. His narrative combines biography with filmography and presents memorable, amusing anecdotes, over 200 illustrations (many previously unpublished) and a meticulous analysis of the scripts, including comparisons of scripted scenes with the finished films. Besides providing a revealing look at Laurel and Hardy, this lengthy, illuminating study offers unusual insights into the complex art of creating comedy.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Drawing upon production records and new interviews with those who appeared with Laurel and Hardy, Skretvedt presents a chronological survey of the comedians' films. He argues that their screen career ended so dismally because the strict rules of big studio filmmakingimposed upon them when they were forced to make only feature-length filmsnecessarily stifled the improvisation that had made their two-reelers so successful. Curiously, Skretvedt supports his thesis by offering the most commentary about the worse films. Thus, despite fresh anecdotal material in this readable survey, John McCabe's Laurel & Hardy (1975) remains the more substantial guide. Movie Entertainment Book Club selection. Marshall Deutelbaum, English Dept., Purdue Univ., W. Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

Paperback: 462 pages
Publisher: Moonstone Press; First Edition edition (June 1987)
ISBN-10: 094041077X
ISBN-13: 978-0940410770
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,369,387 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	67% buy the item featured on this page: Laurel and Hardy : The Magic Behind the Movies 4.9 out of 5 stars (10)
	16% buy Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy 3.8 out of 5 stars (17) $13.46
	6% buy Lou's on First: The Tragic Life of Hollywood's Greatest Clown Warmly Recounted by his Youngest Child 4.8 out of 5 stars (17) $10.04
	6% buy Laurel & Hardy 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews

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4 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.9 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Boys Would Be Proud, October 2, 1997

By	bopcomic@hotmail.com (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies (Paperback)

This truly is the best book about The Boys, although the wealth of behind the scenes and other hardcore info may be daunting to novices or casual fans. Especially fascinating to die hards like myself is the discussion of lost or cut scenes. If the idea of seeing the restored spanish version of "Chickens Come Home" (57 min!) give you goosebumps, this is the book for you.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Indespensable Volume!, February 17, 2000

By	Joe Libby (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies (Paperback)

Randy Skretvedt has written what is arguably the single best book on Laurel and Hardy and their movies. Carefully researched and just plain fun to read, this revised edition includes details on recent discoveries, such as a silent Charley Chase comedy in which the boys appear, and some of the Spanish language "remakes" that were made in the early 1930's for the foreign market. An absolutely indepensable book for comedy buffs and L&H fans, and a essential companion piece to LAUREL OR HARDY and FROM THE FORTIES FORWARD.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book ever written on Laurel and Hardy., May 26, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies (Paperback)

Exhaustive, comprehensive chronicle of Stan and Ollie's team career and movies. Indispensable to any L&H buff. The Sons of the Desert should consider this their bible

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Laurel and Hardy biography
OK, reading it now and have also read two other such screen biographies recently. I would say this is a sort of classic, at least for Sons of the Desert members of whom I am one,... Read more

Published 12 days ago by Jack Patterson

5.0 out of 5 stars Best L&H Book EVER. Period.
Since the early 60's and "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy" and "The Films Of Laurel And Hardy" were published, there have been dozens and dozens of books chronicling the lives and... Read more

Published 8 months ago by R. Greene

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!
'Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies' is a great resource on the career of 'the boys'. The making of each film is covered in detail and there is quite a bit of... Read more

Published on September 17, 2007 by Walter C. Mckinney

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book yet written.
Almost to good to be true. If you want to know anything or everything about Laurel & Hardy and all their movies and films, you can find it here in this wonderfully written book.

Published on January 25, 2007 by Storfiskaren

4.0 out of 5 stars The Boys work,from a different and delightful angle.
Randy Skretvedt produced a highly entertaining and thought provoking work with the release of this work on two of the cinema's greatest comedy legends,Laurel and Hardy. Read more

Published on February 16, 2005 by Robert Badgley

5.0 out of 5 stars Randy Skrevedt finally shows us the creation of L&H'sfilms!
For years.Many film history books have tried to give some insight into the creation,development and the successful appeal of Laurel & Hardy's film work. Read more

Published on March 31, 2003 by Kevin S.Butler

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK ABOUT GREAT COMEDIANS
To me, the Laurel and Hardy (L&H) team was easily the best comedy team of the first half of the 20th century. Read more

Published on March 19, 2002

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