Yesterday, I posted this article and video. It showed up fine, but then disappeared. I'm posted it again this morning, hoping it would post properly. It did -- and then disappeared after I posted the "Writers Talk" piece with HTML code in it. So, here's a third attempt, after which I will try to remember not to post anything with HTML code so that things stay posted. That will mean a lot of things don't get posted as did before, but at least what's here will stay here -- hopefully. From time to time, I may test HTML code again, but we'll see.. * * * It is not shocking to say that of course I think Laurel & Hardy’s The Music Box is hilarious. It's even so great that it won Laurel & Hardy their only Oscar, getting the Academy Award in 1932 for Best Short Subject, Comedy. What is boggling, though, is that all my life – as much as I love the movie – I thought it was only about them pushing the piano up the stairs. That’s all I ever have seen. I had no idea that that was only half the movie. Honest. It was always described as a “short,” so I figured, okay, it’s 15 minutes, that’s a short. That’s all it is. And for all I know, some of you may have thought that, as well, and most people. Or not. The other day, however, it was listed on the Movies! Channel, and I saw it was scheduled for an hour. I knew that they have commercials, but not that many. So, I was intrigued and put it on – and finally saw the whole 30-minute thing! Twice as long as I'd always thought. And it’s absolutely tremendous. The second-half part, after the famous stairs sequence, takes place up at the house, where they're trying to deliver the piano. And the second half inside the house is hilarious. How they keep coming up with wonderful comic non-stop business there is amazing. In fact, what impressed me was that if that was all the movie had been, just the 15-minutes at the house, it still would have been great on its own and would likely be remembered as among their best work for a short. (The little patriotic dance they do with the player piano is almost as funny as their legendary “At the Ball, That’s All” dance in Way Out West.) When you then add the classic stairs sequence on top of it, the full perspective of The Music Box is a total, unabashed joy. While I stand by my explanation that, knowing it won the Oscar as a short, that's why I accepted the 15-minute stair sequence as the whole thing -- it is still beyond me that have no idea how I never knew there was another half of the movie. But…better later than never. Now, after having finally seen the whole movie, as much as I loved The Music Box before, it’s just remarkable. And what’s so remarkable about it is that even without the classic, legendary first half on the stairs, the second half is still utterly hilarious all on its own. But with the stair sequence, it transcends “utterly hilarious.” I thought it was a masterpiece before, and that was only seeing half of it. I haven't figured out the proper adjective for the whole thing. Though "masterpiece" will have to do -- and fits just fine.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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