European princesses and scottish cousins

 A busy day out with the family so just a film and a short today.

MOVIE MADNESS

Putting Pants on Phillip: I've watched a few silent films on TCM in the past, and I've wanted to sample more especially the comedy shorts.  I'm purposefully seeking out some of the lesser known works in addition to the undisputed classics.  This short is an early Laurel and Hardy.  The plot is that Hardy as Mr. Piedmont goes to pick up his cousin Phillip from Scotland played by Laurel.  Piedmont is embarrassed by his cousin and the crowd he draws, presumably because of his kilt.  He tries to quickly get him home, but Phillip keeps getting distracted by a woman whom he wants to follow.  They go to a tailor and Piedmont and the tailor wrestle Phillip to measure him, then try to force him into trousers.  He escapes, Piedmont gives up and makes an advance on the woman who turns him down, the Phillip chivalrously covers a mud puddle with his kilt and she walks away.  This is a really odd one.  The jokes appear to be the fact that people follow Phillip and that he leaps in the air every time he sees the woman, neither thing being visually funny.  The one good laugh comes at the end when Laurel and Hardy show a glimpse of the personas they would later adopt.  After the woman leaps in the air showing her mutual attraction to Laurel, he is about to cross the puddle.  Hardy stops him insisting he go first, he steps on the kilt, and falls in over his head.

Roman Holiday:   I put this into the rotation because of the recent Film and Water episode.  I recommend you check it out click here to download.  I won't repeat anything that Rob and Cindy said.  A few of my favorite scenes involve the landlord standing guard on Gregory Peck's apartment,  the princess dancing with the barber who gave her a haircut earlier in the day,  and the way you can tell the princess has changed over the course of a single day.  She manages to stand up for herself and regain some measure of control of her life from her retainers while still fulfilling the duties.