Initiating the Young (or "What Worked for YOU?")

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Bill Cassara
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Re: Initiating the Young (or "What Worked for YOU?")

Postby Bill Cassara » Fri Dec 25, 2009 6:18 am

Sorry for the late entry. Can only speak for myself, but my first exposure where the Robert Youngson films: "When Comedy Was King," and "The Golden Age of Comedy." My dad brought me to the cinima to see those, and they were packed with men, grandpas and kid of all ages. I liked everything, the zippy bango music, sound effects and clever narration. The sight gags were the best of the best all tightly edited. I vividly remember Snum Pollard using his magnet car and wondered if was possible.

The stars were Laurel and Hardy, just to see something my father hadn't seen in over 30 years got my attention. I liked L&H as good friends, then read anything I could about them. T.V. was introducing me to "Little Rascals," and the Columbia shorts as well. They were funny and sexy too. On contemporary t.v. there was not a Chistine McIintre on any of those "Father Knows Best," Ozzie and Harriot, June Beaver. et al. There was something sexy and funny going on in the theatres.

This changes when Fractured Flickers came on. It was hilarious; tightly edited, funny sight gags, and those voices. Then in college, rediscovered the Marx Bros. and and W.C. and Buster.

I got to develop my taste. First the Hal Roach music, then identification of actors. Same for the rest of the other series. Then in the late 1960's. Nothing on t.v. I found out the Marx Bros. with the intellectual set in college.

So, to answer your question. I would try and expose kids to watch some of these on the big screen. I brought Tommy Butch Bond with me one and made it an occasion. They related to him. Then we played a "silent" Big Business. Those kids just screamed.

Thanks for the question, I've got your book as well. And I spent 30 years in law enforcement.

Bill Cassara
Associate
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:24 pm

Re: Initiating the Young (or "What Worked for YOU?")

Postby Bill Cassara » Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:16 am

NOTE TO SELF:

I will try not to write posts on this site between the hours of 3 and 4 a.m. when most people are asleep. The lack of sleep clouded my spelling check mechanism (in my prior post on this subject), and made it seem as if Arthur Houseman used my login. I did have an ice bag on my head though.

Bill Sprague
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Location: woodstock, Vt
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Re: Initiating the Young (or "What Worked for YOU?")

Postby Bill Sprague » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:50 pm

My first exposure to silent comedy was when I was in the first grade and PBS was running the Laurel and Hardy silent shorts with the intertitles intact. I remember these words in silent comedies were among the first words I had read in my life outside of school. Later on, I started watching "Leave It To Beaver" and "Father Knows Best" reruns. Around the same time there was a Boston channel that had the Universal Horror library. They would run these on Saturday afternoons as well as Saturday nights at 11:30 PM .The 11:30 PM offerings were hosted by the late great Gary Newton. In my opinion, Gary Newton was the best of the horror hosts. He would appear in a red cloud of smoke , with blackened teeth . He would sneeringly refer to the viewers as his "Devoted" He would have this animal living in a dungeon below that he would try to feed various things to. He would ask the viewers to help him feed this animal. He would become sneeringly angry when he thought we were scared. All the time he would be in the atmosphere of a decayed Old English room wearing worn out Old English clothing. Every once in a while after a commercial, he would invite the viewers to drink a bubbling elixir that would "add to our longevity" Other times he would want to "expose us to the classics" while reading Shakespeare. After I turned 18 , I discovered all of the 8mm and 16mm ads in "The Big Reel" with all the used films for sale as well as the "Mischief Makers" and "Comedy Capers", Youngson and all the other stuff. I still wonder why those syndicators who put out those Our Gang Pathes' cut out those original title cards.......


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