I really missed something in today's blog entry. Today would have been Stan Laurel's 116th birthday. As a kid, and even today, I was and am a Laurel and Hardy extreme fan. Nothing could make me laugh harder than a great Laurel and Hardy film. Now trust me when I tell you that I have seen every picture they made many many times. I ran them at home in 16mm and ran them for benefits I used to do for The Alhambra Public Library. Our "Films For The Future Club" was trying to buy films for the library collection. Thank goodness for Father Hultgren and the Holy Trinity Parish in Alhambra for always helping us and providing us free space for the fund raisers. Guess what? Even today, I still find something new to laugh at watching those old films. "The Music Box" without doubt remains my all time favorite. That was the movie that won the boys their only Academy Award in 1932. Those steps and that house were real steps and a real house. You can still climb those famous old steps even today! The secret to really enjoying the comedy of these two incredible performers is this: Oliver Hardy is actually dumber than Stan Laurel but doesn't know it! Watch Oliie ask Stanny for a solution to a problem. Stan will say something perfectly logical and intelligent. Then Olie will say to Stan: "Tell me that again!" And Stan will attempt to repeat what he just said, but it comes out all confusing and crazy sounding. After which Olie will say "That's just what we'll do! And you laugh and laugh and laugh. It all goes back to what Danny Simon always taught us writers that honesty was the basis of all great comedy. Laurel & Hardy comedy was the very best comedy next to Charlie Chaplin. Today is also the birthday of a great songwriter by the name of Sammy Fain. He was born in 1902. With his original lyricist Irving Kahal, Sammy was the composer of many incredible Tin Pan Alley hits including "Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella" in 1927, "Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine" in the same year plus "By A Waterfall", "I'll Be Seeing You", "Easy To Love", and "Dear Hearts and Gentle People". With Sammy Fain, he also wrote the music for the songs from Walt Disney's animated classics "Alice In Wonderland" and "Peter Pan". But more than that he also wrote "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" in 1955 and "Secret Love" from Calimity Jane in 1953. He was an incredible composer and my hat is off to him this day! Well until next time....