Stan & Ollie

In advance of the new Laurel and Hardy biopic coming out this year, I should like to point out some other comedy pairs that have been embedded into our memories on TV.

Laurel & Hardy

Black and white movies on the goggle box (from the 1930’s and 1940’s)

Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton

The Honeymooners (1950’s)

Yogi Bear and Boo Boo

TV cartoon series (1960’s)

Holmes and Watson

The latest movie incarnation of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as a comedy act.

Roles Reversed

Sometimes, the comedy pairing has the smaller one being smart and the bigger one being dumb. But the effect is the same: humour.

Rocky and Bullwinkle

More 1960’s cartoons.

Winnie the Pooh and Piglet

Since the mid-1920’s.

Conclusion

The players may change, the characters may morph but the set-up stays the same: one larger man with a brighter intellect and his smaller pal with the dim-witted responses (and vice versa).

The fact that we have seen different versions of the same comedy duo over and over again means that art is imitating life and we love it. (The only exception is the Holmes & Watson fiasco, which everyone hates… maybe we don’t like our serious partnerships being made fun of.)

And the cartoon pals, Tom and Jerry, may be the template.