Laurel & Hardy Meet Samuel Beckett

The Roots of Waiting for Godot

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by Jordan R. Young

Type

Essays

Subject

Actor > Laurel & Hardy

Keywords

Laurel & Hardy, characters

Publishing date

2012

Publisher

Past Times Publishing

Collection

Past Times Film Close-Up

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Ebook • 28 pages

ISBN

-

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Book Presentation:
“Waiting for Godot” bombed in its 1956 American debut in Miami, where it was promoted as “the laugh sensation of two continents.” The two-act tragicomedy survived to become the most widely analyzed and discussed play of the 20th century, and helped win Samuel Beckett the Nobel Prize for literature.

For all its avant-garde trappings, “Godot” would have provided a fine vehicle for Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. After all, the play was largely inspired by the popular comedy team, or so it seems. Many of the stage directions sound as though Beckett is quoting from a Laurel and Hardy shooting script or cutting continuity: “He takes off his hat, peers inside it, feels about inside it, shakes it, puts it on again.”

Estragon’s attempts to pull off a boot in the play’s opening scene recall Ollie’s belabored efforts to do likewise in “Be Big.” The tramps’ talk of suicide suggests L&H’s attempts in “The Flying Deuces.” The seriocomic ending deleted from the comedy team’s short, “Laughing Gravy,” but used in the French version—and now available on DVD—is played closer in tone to “Godot” than anything else Laurel and Hardy did.

Literary scholars have been digging for the roots of “Godot” for nearly 60 years. The intersection where Stan and Ollie met the esteemed playwright, figuratively if not literally, is as good a spot to dig as any. It’s also a dandy place to celebrate the 85th anniversary of L & H’s first unofficial teaming in the 1927 Hal Roach comedy, "Duck Soup.”

About the Author:
Jordan R. Young is an entertainment historian whose work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. His books include "Spike Jones Off the Record: The Man Who Murdered Music" and "The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV's Golden Age." He served as editor and research associate for Randy Skretvedt's "Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies." His plays have been produced in Hollywood and Off Off Broadway.

Press Reviews:
"Fascinating... an insightful look at how the team seems to have influenced Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot'... a thorough breakdown of their ties."
- Wes D. Gehring, "Laurel & Hardy: A Bio-Bibliography"

"The nucleus of the work is a detailed and insightful discussion of [Jack] MacGowran's association with Beckett. Breezy and anecdotal, the book is a treasury for the Beckett aficionado... a worthwhile text on the craft of the actor and an insight into the Beckett "character." - "Choice," American Library Association, review of "The Beckett Actor: Jack MacGowran, Beginning to End" by Jordan Young

"The special relationship Beckett has with certain of 'his' actors and actresses is well described by this excellent biography... certainly no university library should be without so useful a record of the interaction between this century's chief playwright and one of his most brilliant interpreters." - "Irish Literary Supplement," review of "The Beckett Actor" by Jordan Young

See the complete filmography of Laurel & Hardy on the website: IMDB ...