Another Nice Mess

While I was in Georgia we passed through a small town called Harlem.  For some reason that name sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't figure out why until I saw the sign that explained that it was the birthplace of Oliver Hardy.  At this point I got very excited and began to explain to the woman I was traveling with that there was a Laurel and Hardy museum somewhere in town, and that if we passed it we would have no choice but to stop.  As we passed downtown and began to enter a primarily residential neighborhood my hope that we would see the museum began to fade.

Just past the main downtown area I finally saw a sign for the museum.  I quickly pulled into the parking lot, grabbed my camera, and ran around to the front of the building for some pictures.  I didn't get to go in because it was already closed for the day, but I'm glad I got to see it.

I remember the first time I ever saw a Laurel and Hardy movie.  It was at my Grandparents on my Mom's side's house and I was pretty young.  It was the classic Flying Deuces.  I don't think I knew exactly what it was at the time, but I knew it was funny.  I still remember the scene from my first viewing, where Laurel and Hardy are preparing to jump into a river which, unbeknownst to them, is the new home from an escaped shark.  Being very young, and
not knowing anything about how TV and scheduling worked, I kept wanting to watch it every time I went to their house for quite a while after that.

I watched this movie again a couple weekends ago, along with another classic of theirs, and I can say with the utmost confidence that Laurel and Hardy stand the test of time.  Their movies are as funny today as they were when they were made.  It’s a shame that most people these days have no idea who Laurel and Hardy are.  I’ll spare you all my rant about kids these days and how they don’t know about the classics like Lauren and Hardy, but suffice it to say, my future kids will watch a Laurel and Hardy movie or two, whether they want to or not.