Shussshhh

Whilst not having a telly or the internet you must find other ways to amuse yourself. One of my main ways to pass the time and also to pick up some great sartorial tips is to consume myself in silent movies. I've been a fan of silent movies of the slapstick variety since I was a young lad when my Granddad would sit us all down on a Sunday and make us watch Laurel & Hardy and The 3 Stooges. I still enjoy the daft and somewhat ridiculous plots in many of the 10/15 minute shorts but it has only hit me much later in life how impeccably dressed they were. For men that were throwing themselves around, in and out of windows, through hedges and repeatedly getting hit over the head with 4x4 wooden planks, they don't half manage to keep it together!

Charlie Chaplin is considered to be a genius, not just for the way he puts 100% into his roles or for his natural way to amuse but for the way he directed, scripted and produced and performed all his own films, in a similar way to Buster Keaton. Many people don't seem to realise that they were playing characters, which goes to show how talented they really were.

Sadly a lot of the silent stars died out when the “talkies” hit big time, but Laurel & Hardy managed to buck the trend, keeping words simple and to a minimum. Words like “Doi”, “Oh no” and “Stanley”, is all they needed. No one pulled off a 3-piece suit, dungarees and a bowler hat look with such conviction! Childhood memories are the best.

Images from top to bottom, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd.