It Takes Two To Tango.

Hi to all,

There is a saying that sometimes two heads are better than one. Throughout the history of Hollywood their has been a wealth of actors who made their fame and fortune appearing in movies alongside the same fellow actor, and also behind the camera there are directors who have constantly worked with the same performers. Duos that came together to create something special in the film world that wouldn't have had the same impact if they had worked alone. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have a Laurel but no Hardy or a Scorsese with no De Niro or even a Tom but no Jerry. This week I want to take a look at the partnerships that I believe have had an everlasting effect on the world of cinema.

Laurel & Hardy

Laurel & Hardy: English born Stan Laurel and American Oliver Hardy joined forces to become the first real comedy double act spanning more than two decades, starting in the 1920's until the mid 40's. After having successful solo careers, with Laurel appearing in over 50 silent films and Hardy in over 250, they joined forces for their first film The Lucky Dog made in 1921 and were together right up until 1945 with their last feature The Bullfighters. They did however make an Italian/French produced film in 1950 called Atoll K. During that time they made approximately 105 films which were a mixture of short and feature length films. They started with silent movies until 1929 when sound was introduced. Their comedy depended on the straight man Oliver Hardy playing against the fool character of Stan Laurel, and that recipe for success is probably still copied by comedians until this day. With their trademark bowler hats and Hardy's catchphrase "Another Fine Mess" and the fiddling with his tie along with Laurel's head scratching puts them simply as the best comedy duo in the history of cinema and still enjoyed by audiences to this day.

Bob Hope & Bing Crosby

Hope & Crosby:  Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are two of the biggest names in American films of the 20th century. However, their legacies go far beyond the big screen to include all aspects of entertainment that encompasses successful music and television careers. But luckily they came together to star along with Dorothy Lamour in a series of Road to ... comedy movies. The chemistry between Hope and Crosby was such a joy to watch that the films never get tiresome. They made a total of seven movies from 1940 to the last in 1962. These included Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Zanzibar (1941), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia (1946), Road to Rio (1947), Road to Bali (1952), and The Road to Hong Kong (1962). In 1977 they had planned to reunite for an 8th outing together but sadly Bing Crosby died of a heart attack that year. In an interesting side note Bob Hope was actually born in London but when he was 5 years old his family emigrated to America, he lived until the age of 100.

Bogie & Bacall

Bogart & Bacall: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall not only appeared in films together but were a real life Hollywood power couple in the 40's and 50's. Their sexual chemistry was undeniable in the films they starred in together. To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947), and Key Largo (1948). With a combination of Bacall's sultry looks and Bogart's all male persona they made a perfect romantic couple on and off screen. Bogart was 25 years older than Bacall but their marriage lasted until his death in 1957. In their day they were the most talked about celebrity couple in Hollywood.

Burton & Taylor in Cleopatra

Burton & Taylor: Another couple that shared screen time and marriage, twice in fact, was Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Burton probably the most famous Welsh actor and Taylor, who was born in England but became a Hollywood child star in the 40's. They first met during the filming of Cleopatra (1963) and during that decade went onto appear together in 6 more films.  The V.I.P.s (1963), The Sandpiper (1965),  and The Taming of the Shrew (1967). By 1967, their films had earned $200 million at the box office. When Taylor and Burton told the studios that they wanted a hiatus for a few months it caused alarm bells to ring in Hollywood as nearly half of the American film industry's income came from movies starring one or both of them. Their next films included Doctor Faustus (1967), The Comedians (1967) and Boom! (1968). Their relationship was highly volatile and often played out in the worlds media but on screen they were a perfect match.

De Niro & Scorsese filming Taxi Driver

Scorsese & De Niro: Over the last 40 years the partnership of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro is second to none. It started with Mean Streets (1973) and included some of the director's and actor's best screen work. Every film is now considered a classic of modern day cinema: Taxi Driver (1976), New York, New York (1977), Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), and Casino (1995). It was Taxi Driver that catapulted De Niro into the public eye with his brilliant portrayal of the troubled Travis Bickle. This duo is a perfect example of two great talents coming together at the right time of their careers to bring out the best in each other. We sincerely hope that it's not too late for them to work together again soon.

George Lucas & Steven Spielberg

Spielberg & Lucas: Alright I know that they are not actors but without the teamwork of  George Lucas and Steven Spielberg we wouldn't have had probably one of the most iconic figures in film history, Indiana Jones. It began with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) written by Lucas and directed by Spielberg. When it was released the impact was huge. The world had a new hero to cheer on in the form of the fedora wearing, whip carrying hero, played by Harrison Ford. Three more films followed, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in (1989), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). But it was the first movie that will last long in the memory of a young film fan who was sat in the cinema spellbound by this action packed spectacle.

Pegg, Frost & Wright: I know it's not a couple but this threesome of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright has brought us such fun collaborations including Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007) and The Worlds End (2013). Known as the cornetto trilogy the films show off the qualities of these three Brits who are the hottest talents around. All of them have gone on to have huge individual success but without each other where would they be? And to think It all started with a TV show in Britain called Spaced.

Of course there are many more outstanding partnerships but these are my favourites and the ones that have had an impact on my life through the movies.

Until next time thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.