Black And White Heroes Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Stan Laurel (1890-1965) was born in Ulverston, Lancashire, and started his career in English music halls before moving to America and making his film debut in 1917. In 1927 he officially teamed up with the American Oliver Hardy (1892-1957), and they became one of the most successful and best-loved comic double acts of all time. Together they appeared in over 100 films, starting with silent short films and successfully making the transition to sound (unlike many other silent comedians).

"Blotto" involves them trying to arrange a wild night out at a nightclub without Stan's wife finding out, while "Hog Wild" sees them try to fit a radio aerial onto Ollie's roof. "Another Fine Mess" is based on a 1908 play, "Home From the Honeymoon", written by Arthur Jefferson, Stan Laurel's real-life father. "Laughing Gravy" is about their attempts to hide a dog from their landlord, and "Our Wife" concerns Ollie's attempts to marry his sweetheart against her father's wishes.

"Pardon Us" was their first feature-length film, in which they end up in prison after brewing illicit alcohol. "The Music Box" is the Oscar-winning classic with the piano and the long flight of steps, while "The Chimp" involves various shenanigans with a gorilla named Ethel (not a chimpanzee, despite the title). "Busy Bodies" is the one set in a sawmill, and "Sons of the Desert" concerns Stan and Ollie's attempts to cover up their presence at a fraternal lodge convention which they had attended without their wives' knowledge.

"Thicker Than Water" contains a gag whereby they swap blood in hospital and adopt each other's mannerisms. "Our Relations" introduces us to their twin brothers, Alf and Bert, while "Way Out West" contains the famous song, "On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine". "Swiss Miss" transfers Stan and Ollie to Switzerland, while "Saps at Sea" sends them out to sea in a boat. Finally, "Atoll K" is their late final feature (1951), made when both of them had health problems that affected their performances.

Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin was born in East London in 1889 and began his career as a child performer in local music halls. In 1914 he was on a tour of the United States with Fred Karno's famous comedy group when he left to join Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios. He soon developed his famous "Little Tramp" character, which he went on to play in a series of short and feature films for the rest of his successful career, often directed by himself.

The 1914 short "Kid Auto Races at Venice" is one of the first films in which his tramp character appears. "Easy Street" is another of his earlier short films, in which the tramp joins the police force. "The Kid" is the first full-length film that he directed, in which he adopts an orphan child (played by Jackie Coogan). "The Gold Rush" is one of his best-known features and includes a famous scene in which his starving character eats his own shoe. "City Lights" was made in 1931 and concerns his adventures with a blind flower-seller girl who thinks he is a millionaire. "The Great Dictator" is a 1940 political satire in which Chaplin plays a dictator named Adenoid Hynkel, an obvious caricature of Adolf Hitler. Finally, "Limelight" is a late film in which he plays a failed, alcoholic comedian who befriends a young dancer played by Claire Bloom. It also features an appearance by the silent star Buster Keaton, playing Chaplin's old partner.