Plot summary

Both Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel and John C Reilly as Oliver Hardy give performances that bring back to life these two masters of Comedy. Coogan, not known as a serious actor, turns out a truly inspiring performance as Stan Laurel, portraying Stan as the more forceful member of the partnership and John C Reilly as Ollie, who is quite submissive, this is a complete reversal of the film portrayals of the duo, where Ollie is a 'know it all' and Stan is a dim wit. The film is a fictional story based on their 1953/1954 UK tour and what would ultimately be their last tour together, mainly due to Ollie's deteriorating health. The recreation of famous scenes from the original Hal Roach, Laurel and Hardy films, is remarkably accurate and a joy to watch. The 1953/53 Tour was very demanding on the duo and at times it seems that they were actually starting to dislike each other and that the tour would eventually fold and they would return to the US However things progressed from originally performing their show to half empty provincial theatres to performing at sold out large City theatres. They film recreates the duo performing scenes on stage from Laurel and Hardy's films, singing and dancing and of course slapstick. A good tribute of the biggest comedic film stars of the early years of talking pictures by two fine actors of the modern age.—bc1968