In Writing these Pages has probably caused me a lot more Dilemma than any other Topic. The Inclusion List has changed dozens of times & as I put finger(s) to Keyboard for this Page the Final Lists is still not Complete.

The Criteria was to try & cover the 'Most Important / Influential', with the Aim of keeping the number down to a manageable size. This was not easy!

There were some that just had to be there, the ones on this Page, for example. There were others that I could not decide whether to include or not, quite often it is a case of Formula Settings, Characters & Dialogue, so I've gone for what I think was the Better examples.

What constitutes something being a Classic?

• Is it the First?
• The Most Famous?
• The Biggest Earner?
• The Biggest Star?

Or is it the One that the most people say it is? What ever the Criteria, one thing is sure - it won't be the same for everyone!

For myself I looked at one from the 'Silent Era' and another from the 'Talkies'.

What I had no hesitation about is the 2 that I chose, no difficulty whatsoever. Harold Lloyd and the All - Time Best, Laurel & Hardy.

I looked for a Third to put in this Category, to keep the Balance, and was unable to think of anyone else that could compare, so I have put a an Entry at the bottom of this Page called, amazingly, The Others. This is in case I think of any Person, Film, Scene or Clip, etc. that is on a Par with my Faves.

Anyway here we go ..... watch out for that pie!

The way in which Slapstick, Melodrama & Visual Trickery were all combined into a single Film was Pure Magic.

Even more Impressive was that Lloyd did most, if not all, his own Stunts!

The Clock Face Stunt was a Mastery of Suspense and Camera Trickery (try saying that after a few drinks ;-)

The One that I Like the Most is, The Kid Brother. It was Long, by the Standards of the Time, and yet never loses its Charm or Pace.

The Dressed up Goat was Brilliant!

If you've never seen a Harold Lloyd Film then do so. You've missed out on One of the All - Time Greats, in some of the Best Comedy ever.

For those that may not Know. Harold Lloyd was used as a Template for Clark Kent, alias Superman. The Mild mannered Lloyd who was capable, if the cause was Just, of becoming the Hero that may be Hidden in all of us.

I see very strong Similarities between Lloyd and that other Master of Stunts Michael Crawford as the Disaster ridden Frank Spencer, another Favourite of mine.

In fact, I had watched Some Mothers Do Have 'Em before seeing any Harold Lloyd stuff. If you get the chance Compare them & see if the they are as alike as I think they are.

The Partnership of the Two Funniest People to have stood, or fallen, tripped, crash, been hit or sat with a tin of paint on their heads before a Camera.

I still see variations, if not complete copies, of their Gags today.

The way the Interplay between the Two of them worked so well is what Distinguishes Good from Great.

The Best Laurel & Hardy Picture, for me, is Way Out West.  I even have the Trail of the Lonesome Pine Single which I bought when it was in the Charts so many Years ago.

If Way Out West rates a Ten then their other Stuff comes in at Eights & Nines. Most other Peoples Stuff would be lower than that.

I have yet to see anyone come anywhere near as close to the Nigh Perfect Execution of Comedy that is Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy.

Although they were Excellent in their own right, they didn't have the Impact that the Acts above had. I must say that even Laurel & Hardy & possibly Harold Lloyd as well, tried to Emulate Previous Artist(s) before Developing their own particular Styles. This is fairly obvious for the former pair if you see some of their really early work, especially before they formed their Duo.

Charlie Chaplin made a space for himself that no other could ever fill or usurp. Similar to the Impact that Jimi Hendrix had on the Music World (for more on him click Here). No matter how someone tries to Improve or Copy Chaplin (or Hendrix) there is no way it can be ever be as Unique.

Unfortunately I just found Chaplin a little too... grasping for words - how ironic... slushy at times.

As with the Keystone Kops the Choreography, the timing, was what made it what is was. Chaplin seem to do just the right move or expression to achieve the maximum effect. Their was also an element of sameness in both acts that means I can only watch them on occasion, unlike Harold, Stan & Ollie.