Charlie and Stan – The Lowry
It seems quite remarkable that two of the greatest comedians England has ever produced shared a cabin on a ship before they were famous. Yet it is true that Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel did just that as part of Fred Karno’s comedy troupe as they sailed over the sea to tour America.
One of the reasons they were both successful comedians was that they learnt their trade in the English Music Hall. This was their heritage and where they honed the skills of mime and pantomime that would be invaluable to them as silent movie stars.
Charlie and Stan is a silent movie as a play. There is no dialogue, and the action is performed as if it were an old Charlie Chaplin film full of slapstick with the odd bit of pathos.
Like every silent film we had musical accompaniment. This was performed ...