STAN & OLLIE
Starz!, 9:38 p.m. ET
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy became a silent-movie comedy team in 1927, just as the cinema was about to make a transition to sound films. They survived that transition, where many silent stars did not, by having vocal comic timing, and distinctively funny voices, as well as their established mastery of physical pratfalls and facial reactions. In 1932, they made one of the funniest short films ever made, The Music Box. And 21 years later, in the twilight of their careers, they embarked on a tour of British music halls, which is where and when Stan & Ollie is set. It’s a singularly narrow focus and smart idea for a movie, and it’s hit over the fence by the actors playing these screen icons. British star Steve Coogan plays Stan Laurel, and John C. Reilly, believe it or not, makes an equally believable Oliver Hardy.