A FRIEND of mine made a few remarks the other day to the effect that the whole damn thing has had either a Wagnerian flavor or a Laurel-and-Hardy quality, and he couldn't make up his mind which was the most valid. I kind of like the Laurel-and-Hardy thing myself, although there are certain essential differences unfortunately. For one thing, it isn't easy to tell who is playing what role. You never had that trouble with the original Laurel-and-Hardy cast. Laurel was always consistent, to say the least, and Hardy was as one carved from the stuff of Gibraltar. A pair of buffoons (a wonderful word) but loveable and completely recognizable...