Laurel and Hardy were the popular American-based comedy team of thin, British-born Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and heavy, American-born Oliver Hardy (1892-1957). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 &ndash February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor writer Oliver Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 &ndash August 7, 1957) was an American comic Actor They became famous during the early half of the 20th century for their work in motion pictures, and also appeared on stage throughout America and Europe. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on The team is considered one of the most iconic and finest double acts in motion-picture history.

Eric Morecambe paid tribute that the pair were an inspiration to all aspiring double acts because of how they portrayed their characters: "one's an idiot and the other's a complete idiot". John Eric Bartholomew OBE ( 14 May 1926 &ndash 28 May 1984) better known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an

The two comedians worked together briefly in 1919 on The Lucky Dog, released in 1921. After a period appearing separately in several short films for the Hal Roach studio during the 1920s, they began appearing in movie shorts together in 1926. Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema. Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr ( January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Laurel and Hardy officially became a team the following year, and soon became Hal Roach's most famous and lucrative stars. Among their most popular and successful films were the features Sons of the Desert (1933), Way Out West (1937), and Block-Heads (1938)^[1] and the shorts Big Business (1929), Liberty (1929), and their Academy Award-winning short, The Music Box (1932). Way Out West is a Laurel and Hardy Comedy Film released in 1937 Block-Heads is a 1938 Comedy film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, produced by Hal Roach Studios for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Big Business is a 1929 silent Laurel and Hardy comedy Short subject directed by James W Liberty is a 1929 short comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy as escaped convicts who while trying to change pants wind up on a skyscraper in construction This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974 The Music Box is a Laurel and Hardy Short film comedy released in 1932. ^[2]

The pair left the Roach studio in 1940, then appeared in eight "B" comedies for 20th Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1941 to 1944. From 1945 to 1950 they did not appear on film and concentrated on their stage show. They made their last film, Atoll K, in France in 1950 and 1951 before retiring from the screen. Atoll K is a 1951 French / Italian film starring the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in their final screen This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In total they appeared together in 106 films. They starred in 40 short sound films, 32 short silent films, 23 full length feature films and in the remaining 11 films made a guest or cameo appearance. A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film. In the Film industry, a feature film is a Film made for initial distribution in theaters and being the "main attraction" of the screening A cameo role or cameo appearance (often shortened to just cameo) is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the Performing arts, such as

Contents 1 Before the pairing 1.1 Stan Laurel 1.2 Oliver Hardy 2 History 2.1 "Stan" and "Ollie": Hal Roach years 2.2 Style of comedy and notable routines 2.3 On-screen characterizations 2.4 Later feature films 2.5 Final years 3 Aftermath 3.1 Posthumous revivals 3.2 Lost films 3.3 Music 3.4 The Sons of the Desert organization 4 Popular culture 5 See also 6 References 6.1 Notes 6.2 Bibliography 7 External links 7.1 Public domain material

Before the pairing

Stan Laurel

Main article: Stan Laurel

Stan Laurel (June 16, 1890 – February 23, 1965) was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston, Lancashire (now Ulverston, Cumbria), England. Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 &ndash February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor writer Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 &ndash February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor writer Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Ulverston is a Market town in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland His father, Arthur J. "A. J. " Jefferson, was a showman who served as actor, director, playwright, and theatrical entrepreneur in many northern English cities.

Laurel began his career in Glasgow Britannia Theatre of Varieties and Panopticon music hall at the age of 16, where he crafted a comedy act largely derivative of famous music hall comedians of the day, including George Robey and Dan Leno. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 George Edward Wade ( 20 September 1869 – 29 November 1954) better known by his stage name George Robey, was an English Dan Leno born George Wild Galvin ( December 20, 1860 - October 31, 1904) was an English Music hall Comedian He gradually worked his way up the ladder of supporting roles until he became the featured comedian, as well as an understudy to Charlie Chaplin, in Fred Karno's comedy company. An understudy is a theatrical term for someone who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a leading actor or actress in a theatrical play. Frederick John Westcott ( March 26, 1866 - September 18, 1941) best known by the stage name Fred Karno, was a Theatre He emigrated to America in 1912 where he decided to change his name; he worried that "Stanley Jefferson" was too long to fit onto posters. He shortened it to "Stan" and added "Laurel" at the suggestion of his vaudeville partner, Mae Dahlberg.

He made his first film appearance in 1917 (Nuts in May) and continued to make more than 50 other silent films for various producers. At first he experienced only modest success as a solo comedian. Producer Hal Roach later attributed this to the difficulty in photographing Laurel's pale blue eyes on early pre-panchromatic film stock, perhaps giving the appearance of blindness (which, in his earliest films, Laurel tried to remedy by adding heavy defining makeup around his eyes). Panchromatic film is a type of Black-and-white Photographic film that is sensitive to all Wavelengths of Visible light. Moreover, Laurel did not have an identifiable or easily marketable screen character, like that of Chaplin, Harold Lloyd or Buster Keaton. Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr ( April 20, 1893 &ndash March 8, 1971) was an American Film actor and producer Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton ( October 4 1895 &ndash February 1 1966) was an Academy Award -winning American

It was only when Laurel began appearing in satires of popular screen dramas that audiences really took notice of him. Between 1922 and 1925 he starred in a number of films including Mud and Sand (a burlesque of Blood and Sand featuring Stan as "Rhubarb Vaselino") and Dr. Burlesque is theatrical entertainment of broad and parodic humor which usually consists of comic skits (and sometimes a strip tease) Pyckle and Mr. Pryde (with Stan playing both the gentle doctor and the manic monster). Many of these comedies had crazy visual gags along with Laurel's eccentric pantomime, establishing the star as an inspired "nut comic. "

Oliver Hardy

Main article: Oliver Hardy

Oliver Hardy (January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was born Norvell Hardy in Harlem, Georgia, in the United States. Oliver Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 &ndash August 7, 1957) was an American comic Actor Oliver Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 &ndash August 7, 1957) was an American comic Actor Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Harlem is a city in Columbia County, Georgia and is part of the Augusta Georgia metropolitan area The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Upon turning 18, he changed his first name to that of his father who had died years earlier, henceforth calling himself "Oliver Norvell Hardy. " (His offscreen nickname was "Babe. ")

It is widely acknowledged amongst the Sons of the Desert - the international Laurel and Hardy appreciation society - that Hardy's nickname "Babe" originated during his pre-Laurel early silent film career. Hardy was a frequent visitor to an Italian barbershop near to the Lubin Studios where he worked and, after cutting his hair and giving him a shave, the barber would then pat his face with talcum powder whilst saying "Nice-a baby, nice-a baby!!". Lubin Studios, formally incorporated as the Lubin Manufacturing Company was an American Motion picture production company formed in 1902 and incorporated "Baby" became "Babe" and that nickname stuck with Hardy for the rest of his life. It should be noted, however, that "Babe" was always used for Hardy off-screen and never on the film set.

By his late teens Hardy was a popular stage singer, and he operated his own moviehouse (the Palace Theater in Milledgeville, GA). Milledgeville is a town in and the County seat of Baldwin County in the U He thought he could do better than some of the movie comedians he was presenting, so in 1913 he became a movie actor. Babe Hardy was quite versatile, playing heroes, villains, and even female characters. He starred or co-starred in more than 250 silent short films, about 150 of which have been lost. Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema.

He was much in demand as a supporting actor, comic villain, or second banana. A second banana is a performer who serves as a Comic foil opposing a comedian in a Double act. For 10 years he memorably assisted star comics Billy West (a Charlie Chaplin imitator), Jimmy Aubrey, Larry Semon, and Charley Chase. Billy West ( September 22, 1892 - July 21, 1975) was an American film Actor and director of the Silent film Jimmy Aubrey (born October 23, 1887 in Liverpool, England &ndash died September 2, 1983 in Woodland Hills California Larry Semon ( July 16, 1889 - October 8, 1928) was a film comedian during the silent era at the time considered a "Comedy King" Charley Chase ( October 20, 1893 - June 20, 1940) was an American Comedian, Screenwriter and Film director Hardy was a member of Hal Roach's stock company when he began working regularly with Stan Laurel.

History

"Stan" and "Ollie": Hal Roach years

The first film encounter of the two comedians (as separate performers) took place in The Lucky Dog, produced in 1919 by Sun-Lite Pictures and released in 1921. Several years later, both comedians appeared in the Hal Roach production 45 Minutes from Hollywood (1926). Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr ( January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and 45 Minutes From Hollywood ( 1926) is a two reel Silent film released by Pathé Exchange. Their first "official" film together was Putting Pants on Philip, although their first pairing as the now familiar "Stan and Ollie" characters was The Second Hundred Years (June 1927), directed by Fred Guiol and supervised by Leo McCarey, who suggested that the performers be teamed permanently. The Second Hundred Years is a 1927 short comedy Silent film starring Laurel and Hardy as convicts making an escape from prison Thomas Leo McCarey ( October 3, 1898 - July 5, 1969) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director

Hal Roach kept them a team for the next decade, making silent shorts, talkie shorts, and feature films. A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film. While most silent-film actors saw their careers decline with the advent of sound, Laurel and Hardy made a successful transition in 1929 with the short Unaccustomed As We Are. Unaccustomed As We Are is a 1929 Comedy Short film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, also featuring Mae Busch Laurel's English accent and Hardy's Southern American accent and singing brought new dimensions to their characters. The team also proved skillful in their melding of visual and verbal humor, adding dialogue that served to enhance rather than replace their popular sight gags.

Laurel and Hardy's shorts, produced by Hal Roach and initially released through Pathe and then in 1929 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, were among the most successful in the business. This article deals with the Pathé movie company For their music business see Pathé Records. Most of the shorts ran two reels (10 minutes per reel), although several ran three reels long, and one, Beau Hunks, was four reels long. Beau Hunks is a 1931 movie starring Laurel and Hardy and directed by James W In 1929, they appeared for the first time in a feature as one of the acts in The Hollywood Revue of 1929 and the following year they appeared as the comic relief in a lavish all-Technicolor musical feature entitled: The Rogue Song. The Hollywood Revue of 1929 is an American Musical film / Comedy motion picture released in 1929. Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation The Rogue Song ( 1930) is a romantic Musical film which tells the story of a Russian Bandit who falls in love with a Princess This film marked their first appearance in color. Considered a "lost film", only a few fragments of this production have survived, along with the complete soundtrack. In 1931, Laurel and Hardy's first starring feature was released, Pardon Us. Pardon Us is Laurel and Hardy 's first feature length Comedy film. Following its success, the duo made fewer shorts in order to concentrate on feature films, which included Pack Up Your Troubles (1932), Fra Diavolo (or The Devil's Brother, 1933), Sons of the Desert (1933), and Babes in Toyland (1934). Pack Up Your Troubles is a 1932 Laurel and Hardy film directed by George Marshall and Raymond McCarey, named after the World Fra Diavolo or The Devil's Brother or Bogus Bandits is a 1933 film starring Laurel and Hardy. Babes in Toyland (re-released in 1948 as March of the Wooden Soldiers by Screen Guild Productions; alternative titles Laurel and Hardy Their classic short The Music Box, released in 1932, won the first Academy Award for Best Short Subject, (Comedy). The Music Box is a Laurel and Hardy Short film comedy released in 1932. Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film.

Because the popularity of the double feature diminished the demand for short subjects, Hal Roach cancelled all of his shorts series, save for Our Gang. The double feature, also known as a double bill, was a Motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatre managers would exhibit two films for the price of one "The Little Rascals" redirects here For other uses see The Little Rascals (disambiguation. The final short in the Laurel and Hardy series was 1935's Thicker than Water. Thicker Than Water was the last short to star Laurel and Hardy. The duo's subsequent feature films included Bonnie Scotland (1935), The Bohemian Girl (1936), Our Relations (1936), Way Out West (1937) (which includes the famous song "Trail of the Lonesome Pine"), Swiss Miss (1938), and Block-Heads (1938). Bonnie Scotland is a 1935 feature film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, produced by Hal Roach for Hal Roach Studios and directed The Bohemian Girl is a 1936 feature film version of the opera The Bohemian Girl by Michael William Balfe. Our Relations is a 1936 feature film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, produced by Laurel for Hal Roach Studios. Way Out West is a Laurel and Hardy Comedy Film released in 1937 Swiss Miss, is a 1938 Comedy Film directed by John G Blystone, produced by Hal Roach and starring Laurel and Block-Heads is a 1938 Comedy film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, produced by Hal Roach Studios for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Style of comedy and notable routines

The humour of Laurel and Hardy was generally visual, but based on character development with slapstick used for emphasis. Slapstick is a type of Comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense such as a character being hit in the face with Their physical tête-à-têtes are quite complex, which is part of what sets them above other comedy acts. Their characters and closeknit relationship preclude them from making any real progress in even the simplest endeavors. For example, in Night Owls (1930) the boys want to enter a house without disturbing the occupants. Night Owls is a 1930 Laurel and Hardy film Plot Police officer Edgar Kennedy is warned by his Police chief to make arrests to stop Ollie pushes Stan through an open window, but they get into an argument and Stan closes the window on Ollie. Ollie signals for him to open the front door. Stan opens the door but steps out to greet Ollie, and lets the door close behind him. There are several variations of Ollie and Stan entering and leaving various doors and windows, until Stan finally rings the doorbell, alerting the butler who falls down the stairs, scaring Ollie out the door. A butler is a senior servant in a large Household. In the Great houses of the past the household was sometimes divided into departments with the butler Once again the team is back where it started.

Much of their comedy involves milking a joke, where a simple idea provides a basis from which to build several gags. Many of their films have extended sequences constructed around a single problem the pair is facing, without following a defined narrative. A narrative or story is a construct created in a suitable format (written spoken poetry prose images song Theater, or Dance) that describes a sequence of

In some cases, their comedy bordered on the surreal (Stan Laurel called it "white magic"). For example, Laurel would clench his fist and pour tobacco into it, as if it were a pipe. Then he flicked his thumb upward as if he held a cigarette lighter. A cigarette ( French "small Cigar " from cigar + -ette) is a product consumed through Smoking and manufactured His thumb would ignite, and he would matter-of-factly light his "pipe. " The amazed Hardy, seeing this, would unsuccessfully attempt to duplicate it. Much later in the film Hardy would be terrified when his thumb suddenly caught fire.

A famous routine the team often performed was a bizarre kind of "tit-for-tat" fight with an adversary. Typically, Laurel and Hardy accidentally damaged someone else's property. The injured party would retaliate by ruining something belonging to Laurel or Hardy, who would calmly survey the damage and find something else to vandalize. Vandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals in respect of Culture: ruthless Destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or Venerable The conflict would escalate until both sides were simultaneously destroying property in front of each other. An early example of the routine occurs in their classic short, Big Business (1929), which was added to the Library of Congress as a national treasure in 1992. Big Business is a 1929 silent Laurel and Hardy comedy Short subject directed by James W The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress

On-screen characterizations

The Laurel and Hardy onscreen personas are of two supremely brainless, eternally optimistic men, secure in their perpetual and impregnable innocence. Their humor is physical, but their accident-prone buffoonery is distinguished by their affable personalities and mutual devotion. They are 'children' in an adult world: a skinny-and-fat pair of life's innocent bystanders who run afoul of irate landlords, pompous citizens, angry policemen, domineering women, antagonistic customers, and apoplectic bosses. But they face the world together, no matter how disastrous the consequences, and their friendship sees them through more than 100 misadventures. If nothing else, they are gentlemen: "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy. "

Laurel and Hardy had an inherent physical contrariety which was enhanced with small touches. Stan kept his hair short on the sides and back, but let it grow long on top to create a natural "fright wig" through his inveterate gesture of scratching his head at moments of shock or wonderment and simultaneously pulling up his hair. To achieve a flat-footed walk, he removed the heels from his shoes (usually Army shoes). When talking with Ollie, he would frequently look at his partner's forehead instead of his eyes, enhancing his out-of-this-world coloration.

Part of Laurel and Hardy's onscreen images called for their faces to be filmed flat, without any shadows or dramatic lighting. To invoke a traditional clown-like appearance, both comedians wore a light pancake makeup on their faces, and Roach's cameramen, such as Art Lloyd and Francis Corby, were instructed to light and film a scene so that facial lines and wrinkles would be "washed out. Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by their Grotesque appearance colored wigs stylistic makeup, outlandish Costumes unusually Arthur "Art" Lloyd (October 1896 - November 25, 1954) was an American Cameraman and Cinematographer who worked " Art Lloyd was once quoted as saying, "Well, I'll never win an Oscar, but I'll sure please Stan Laurel. "

Offscreen, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were quite the opposite of their movie characters: Laurel was the industrious "idea man", while Hardy was more easygoing. Although Hal Roach employed writers and directors such as H.M. Walker, Leo McCarey, James Parrott, James W. Horne, and others on Laurel and Hardy films, Laurel would rewrite entire sequences or scripts, have the cast and crew improvise on the soundstage, and meticulously review the footage for editing, often moonlighting to achieve all of these tasks. Harley M "Beanie" Walker ( June 27, 1885 &ndash June 23, 1937) was a member of the Hal Roach movie production Thomas Leo McCarey ( October 3, 1898 - July 5, 1969) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director James Parrott ( August 2 1898 – May 10 1939) was an American Actor and Film director; and the younger brother James W Horne ( December 14, 1880 - June 29, 1942) was an early American Actor, Screenwriter and Film director While Hardy did contribute to the routines, he was generally content to follow Laurel's lead and spent most of his free time on hobbies such as golf.

Observers have found the archetypal Laurel and Hardy scenario (two tramp-like men bewildered by the simplest elements of life) to have much in common with the Theatre of the Absurd. The Theatre of the Absurd ( French: Théâtre de l'Absurde) is a designation for particular plays written by a number of primarily European Playwrights This is most strikingly manifested in the work of Samuel Beckett, himself a fan, and who was unquestionably influenced by the characters in works such as Waiting for Godot. Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989 was an Irish Writer, Dramatist and poet Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters wait for someone named Godot who never arrives ^[3]

Later feature films

By 1936, although the relationship between Laurel and Hardy remained strong, Laurel's dealings with producer Roach became strained amid a tangle of artistic differences. Roach insisted that his feature-length comedies should also contain musical numbers and/or subplots. (Roach always contended that if you watched any comedian for an hour at a time, "you'd be bored to hell with him. ") Laurel maintained that such padding distracted from the team's comedy. Because of this friction, extended stand-off periods became common during the late 1930s, with Roach occasionally threatening to pair Hardy with someone else.

Roach kept Laurel and Hardy under separate contracts, so they would have less bargaining power as individuals. Stan Laurel's contract ended in August 1938; Oliver Hardy's had one more year to run, and Roach issued press releases that Harry Langdon (who had co-written Laurel and Hardy's recent feature Block-Heads) would be Hardy's new screen partner. Harry L Langdon ( June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American Comedian who appeared in Vaudeville, Block-Heads is a 1938 Comedy film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, produced by Hal Roach Studios for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ^[4] Hardy's solo film, Zenobia (1939), featured Langdon in the supporting cast but, despite the publicity, the two comics were never really a team. Zenobia (زنوبيا 240-after 274 was a Syrian queen who lived in the 3rd century

Laurel countered Roach's announcement with one revealing his own plans. In October 1938, Roach's old rival Mack Sennett announced that he had signed Laurel to star in comedy features for his new Sennett Pictures Corporation Studio. Mack Sennett ( January 17, 1880 &ndash November 5, 1960) was an Academy Award -winning director and was known as the innovator ^[5] Those films were not made, since by April of 1939 the dispute between Laurel and Roach was settled and the comedy team was again intact for further work with Roach. They made two more films for Roach, A Chump at Oxford (filmed in 1939, released 1940) and Saps at Sea (1940). A Chump at Oxford, directed by Alfred J Goulding and released in 1940 by United Artists, was the penultimate Laurel and Hardy film Saps at Sea is a Laurel and Hardy film released in 1940. It was directed by Gordon Douglas, distributed by United Artists and their Both of these films were released through United Artists, as Roach's distribution arrangement with MGM had ended in 1938. This article is about the film studio Previously it was affiliated with a cinema chain bearing its name now owned by Regal Entertainment Group.

Hoping for greater artistic freedom, Laurel and Hardy split with Roach and signed with major studios 20th Century-Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. However, the working conditions were now completely different, as they were hired only as actors, relegated to the B-film divisions, and initially not allowed to improvise or contribute to the scripts. A B movie is a motion picture made on a low or modest budget Originally the term was used for films intended for distribution as the less-publicized second half of a Double When the films proved popular, the studios gave the team more input, and Laurel and Hardy made eight features through 1944. These films, while not considered the team's best, were extremely successful; budgeted at $250,000 to $300,000 each, the films earned millions at the box office. The films were so profitable that Fox kept making Laurel and Hardy comedies after discontinuing its other "B" series. Jitterbugs (1943), released by Fox, has often been picked by critics as the best of these films; many fans prefer the team's last Fox film, The Bullfighters (1945), which includes sequences written and directed by Stan Laurel. Jitterbugs is a 1943 Laurel and Hardy feature film produced by Sol M The Bullfighters is a late Laurel and Hardy feature film The plot involves the team working as private detectives in Mexico City

In 1941, Laurel and Hardy filmed a silent sequence as a public service for the Department of Agriculture; this footage was incorporated into the U. S. Government short The Tree In a Test Tube (1943). The Tree In a Test Tube is a 1942 Short film produced by the U Narrated by MGM's Pete Smith, the Kodachrome short marked the duo's second appearance in color. Pete Smith (born Peter Schmidt September 4, 1892, New York City - January 12, 1979, Santa Monica California Kodachrome is the trademarked name of a brand of color reversal film sold by Eastman Kodak. ).

In 1949, when Laurel was temporarily unable to work due to illness, Hardy made two solo appearances with his partner's blessings. He played the comic sidekick to John Wayne in Republic's The Fighting Kentuckian (the previous year, Wayne and Hardy had appeared in a charity stage production of What Price Glory? directed by John Ford). John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American The Fighting Kentuckian is a 1949 American Comedy Action film starring John Wayne and Oliver Hardy. Then, Frank Capra cast him as a racetrack gambler in an uncredited appearance in Riding High, starring Bing Crosby. Frank Russell Capra ( May 18, 1897 &ndash September 3, 1991) was an Academy Award winning Italian-American Film Riding High (1950 is a black and white musical racetrack film featuring Bing Crosby and directed by Frank Capra in which the songs were actually sung as Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular

After spending the rest of the 1940s performing on stage in Europe, Laurel and Hardy made one final film together in 1950. Atoll K, later reissued in abridged form as Utopia, was a French-Italian co-production directed by Leo Joannon, which was plagued by language barriers, production problems, and Laurel's grave health during shooting. Atoll K is a 1951 French / Italian film starring the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in their final screen Although the film contained some clever visual humor, critics were disappointed with its storyline, English dubbing, and Laurel's sickly physical appearance. The film was not a success, and brought an end to Laurel and Hardy's film careers.

Final years

After Atoll K, Laurel and Hardy took several months off, so that Laurel could recuperate. Upon their return to the European stage, they undertook a successful series of public appearances in short sketches Laurel had written: "A Spot of Trouble" (in 1952) and "Birds of a Feather" (in 1953).

Laurel and Hardy returned to the United States in 1954. Redcar is a Seaside resort and the principal town in the Unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland On December 1, 1954, the team made their only American television appearance, surprised by Ralph Edwards on his live NBC-TV program, This Is Your Life. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Ralph Livingstone Edwards ( June 13, 1913 &ndash November 16, 2005) was an American radio and television host and producer This Is Your Life was a television documentary series hosted by its producer Ralph Edwards. By the mid-1950s, partly due to the positive response from the television broadcast, the pair was renegotiating with Hal Roach for a series of color NBC television specials to be called Laurel & Hardy's Fabulous Fables. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic However, plans for the specials were shelved, as the aging comedians suffered from declining health.

In 1955, Laurel and Hardy made their final public appearance together, taking part in a BBC television program about the Grand Order of Water Rats, the British variety organization, titled This is Music Hall. The Grand Order of Water Rats is an entertainment industry charity based in London, England. Laurel and Hardy provide a filmed insert during which they reminisce about their friends in British variety.

Under doctor's orders to improve a heart condition, Hardy lost over 100 pounds in 1956. Several strokes (that some partly attribute to the rapid weight loss) resulted in loss of mobility and speech. He died of a major stroke on August 7, 1957. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Longtime friend Bob Chatterton said Hardy weighed just 138 pounds at the time of his death. A depressed Laurel did not attend his partner's funeral, due to his own ill health, explaining his absence with the line "Babe would understand. " Just after Hardy's death, Laurel and Hardy returned to movie theaters, as clips of their work were featured in Robert Youngson's silent-film compilation The Golden Age of Comedy. Robert Youngson ( November 27, 1917 – April 8, 1974) was a Film producer, director, and screenwriter

For the remaining eight years of his life, Stan Laurel refused to perform, even turning down Stanley Kramer's offer to make a cameo in his landmark 1963 movie, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Stanley Kramer ( September 29, 1913 &ndash February 19, 2001) was an Academy Award -nominated American Film director It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is a 1963 American Comedy film directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350000 In 1960, Laurel was given a special Academy Award for his contributions to film comedy. Despite not appearing onscreen after Hardy's death, Laurel did contribute gags to several comedy filmmakers. Most of his writing was in the form of correspondence; he insisted on answering every fan letter personally. Late in life, he hosted many visitors of the new generation of comedians and celebrities, including Dick Cavett, Jerry Lewis and Dick Van Dyke. Richard Alva "Dick" Cavett (born November 19, 1936) is an American former Television Talk show host known for his conversational Jerry Lewis (born March 16, 1926) is an American Comedian, award-winning actor producer writer and director best-known for his slapstick Richard Wayne “Dick” Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American Actor, Presenter and Entertainer, with a Laurel would live until 1965, surviving to see the duo's work rediscovered through television and classic film revivals. He died in Santa Monica, and is buried at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

Aftermath

Posthumous revivals

After Stan Laurel's death in 1965, there were two major motion-picture tributes: Laurel and Hardy's Laughing '20s, Robert Youngson's compilation of the team's silent-film highlights; and The Great Race, a large-scale salute to slapstick which director Blake Edwards dedicated to "Mr. The Great Race is a 1965 Slapstick comedy movie directed by Blake Edwards, written by Blake Edwards and Arthur A Blake Edwards (born July 26, 1922) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, Screenwriter, and producer Laurel and Mr. Hardy. "

Since the 1930s, the works of Laurel and Hardy have been re-released in numerous theatrical reissues, television revivals (both broadcast and cable), 16mm and 8mm home movies, feature-film compilations, and home video. When film colorization was introduced in 1983, the new technology was unveiled on NBC's Today program, and the first films demonstrating the process were two Laurel and Hardy clips (from The Fixer Uppers and County Hospital). The Fixer Uppers is a 1935 Short film starring Laurel and Hardy, directed by Charles Rogers and produced by Hal Roach. *For the 1932 Laurel & Hardy film see County Hospital (1932 film County Hospital (often referred to locally as Panteg Hospital) is the only hospital

Merchandiser Larry Harmon claimed ownership of Laurel's and Hardy's likenesses, and issued Laurel and Hardy toys and colouring books. Lawrence Weiss ( January 2 1925 &ndash July 3 2008) better known by the Stage names Larry Harmon and Bozo He co-produced a series of Laurel and Hardy cartoons in 1966 with Hanna-Barbera Productions. ^[6] His animated versions of Laurel and Hardy also guest-starred in a 1972 episode of Hanna-Barbera's The New Scooby-Doo Movies. The New Scooby-Doo Movies (sometimes called The New Scooby-Doo Comedy Movies) was the second incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera In 1999, Harmon produced a direct-to-video feature, the live-action comedy The All-New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: For Love or Mummy, with actors Bronson Pinchot and Gailard Sartain playing the lookalike nephews of the original Laurel and Hardy, Stanley Thinneus Laurel and Oliver Fatteus Hardy. Bronson Alcott Pinchot (born May 20, 1959) is an American Actor. Gailard Sartain (born September 18, 1946) is an American comedic and serious actor often playing characters with roots in the southern United States ^[7]

Lost films

Virtually all of the Laurel and Hardy films survive, and have never gone out of circulation permanently. Three of their 106 films are considered lost, as they have not been seen in full since the 1930s. A lost film is a Feature film or Short film that no longer exists in either studio archives or private collections The silent Hats Off (1927) has vanished completely. Hats Off is a Silent Short film Comedy made in 1927 by the Hal Roach Studios. The first half of Now I'll Tell One (1927) is lost and the second half has never been released on video. Now I'll Tell One is a 1927 Silent film starring Charley Chase and also featuring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. In the operatic Technicolor musical The Rogue Song (1930) Laurel and Hardy appear in 10 sequences, only one of which is known to exist. The Rogue Song ( 1930) is a romantic Musical film which tells the story of a Russian Bandit who falls in love with a Princess The Battle of the Century (1927) is the only other Laurel and Hardy film with missing content; a few minutes of footage bridging the first and second halves has not been located. The Battle of the Century is a 1927 Hal Roach two-reeler starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, who although just teamed had yet

Music

Main article: Laurel and Hardy music

The duo's famous signature tune, known variously as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Dance of the Cuckoos", was composed by Roach musical director Marvin Hatley as the on-the-hour chime for the Roach studio radio station. Laurel and Hardy were primarily Comedy film Actors. However many of their films featured songs and some are considered as Musicals in their own right Thomas Marvin Hatley ( April 3 1905 &ndash August 23 1986) professionally known simply as Marvin Hatley, was an American Laurel heard the tune on the station, and asked Hatley to use it as the Laurel and Hardy theme song. In Laurel's eyes, the song's melody represented Hardy's character (pompus and dramatic), while the harmony represented Laurel's own character (somewhat out of key, and only able to register two notes: "coo-coo"). The original theme, recorded by two clarinets in 1930, was re-recorded with a full orchestra in 1935. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

A compilation of songs from their films Trail of the Lonesome Pine was released in 1975.

The Sons of the Desert organization

The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is known as The Sons of the Desert, after a fraternal society in their film Sons of the Desert (1933). The Sons of the Desert is a Laurel and Hardy appreciation group founded in 1965 by L & H biographer and admirer John McCabe. It was founded in New York in 1965 by Laurel & Hardy biographer John McCabe, with the sanction of Stan Laurel. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous John McCabe ( November 14, 1920 &ndash September 27, 2005) born John Charles McCabe III, was a Shakespearean scholar and Since the group's inception, well over 100 chapters of the organization have formed across North America, Europe and Australia. An Emmy-winning film documentary about the group, Revenge of the Sons of the Desert, has been released on DVD as part of The Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 1.

Popular culture

The catchphrase most associated with Laurel and Hardy is almost always misquoted as "Well, that's another fine mess you've gotten me into. " Ollie actually said, "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into. " The phrase has passed into common usage and means to blame a partner for causing an avoidable problem. The phrase was first used in the The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930). The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case is a Laurel and Hardy comedy Film released in 1930. A variation of the phrase occurs in the Chickens Come Home (1931), when Ollie says impatiently to Stan, "Well. Chickens Come Home is a 1931 short film starring Laurel and Hardy, directed by James W . . . " with Stan replying, "Here's another nice mess I've gotten you into. " The phrase is also reinterpreted in The Fixer-Uppers (1935) as "Well, here's another nice kettle of fish you pickled me in!" and in Saps at Sea (1940) as "Well, here's another nice bucket of suds you've gotten me into!" The misquoted version of the phrase actually was used by the pair; just not as often as the "nice mess" variant. The Fixer Uppers is a 1935 Short film starring Laurel and Hardy, directed by Charles Rogers and produced by Hal Roach. Saps at Sea is a Laurel and Hardy film released in 1940. It was directed by Gordon Douglas, distributed by United Artists and their The "fine mess" version of course becomes the title to Another Fine Mess (1930); Ollie also uses it in a 1932 public address that the pair recorded in London, redistributed as an audio track in later years. Another Fine Mess is a 1930 short comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy.

There are two Laurel and Hardy museums. The first in Laurel's birthplace, Ulverston, UK ^[8], and the second in Hardy's birthplace, Harlem, Georgia, USA. ^[9]

Laurel and Hardy's likenesses have made frequent "cameo appearances" in animated cartoons and comic strips since the 1930s. From Mickey Mouse to Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies to Woody Woodpecker, caricatured versions of the comedians appeared as walk-on characters and sometimes in supporting roles in cartoons from the Golden Age of American animation. Mickey Mouse is a comic animal Cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros Animated cartoon series which ran in many movie theatres from 1930 to 1969 Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an Anthropomorphic Woodpecker who appeared in theatrical Short films produced

In one of the few instance of incorporating the famous duo's visages into popular literature, author/illustrator Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen (1970)^[10] showed Laurel and Hardy as bakers preparing cakes for the morning in his award-winning children's book and is treated as a clear example of "interpretative illustration" wherein the comedians' inclusion harkened back to the author's own childhood. Maurice Bernard Sendak (born June 10, 1928, in Brooklyn New York) is an American Writer and Illustrator of Children's literature In the Night Kitchen is a popular and controversial children's Picture book, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, and first published in 1970 ^[11][12]

The duo also appeared in the film "Wild Poses" in the Hal Roach series Our Gang (later The Little Rascals). Wild Poses is two-reel (twenty minute Short subject in the Our Gang (a Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr ( January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and "The Little Rascals" redirects here For other uses see The Little Rascals (disambiguation. "The Little Rascals" redirects here For other uses see The Little Rascals (disambiguation. Laurel and Hardy have also turned up in more recent works such as the Asterix album Obelix and Co., Federico Fellini's film Ginger e Fred (1986), Berkeley Breathed's comic strip Bloom County and the The Simpsons episode The Wandering Juvie. The Adventures of Asterix ( French: Astérix or Astérix le Gaulois) is a series of French Obelix and Co is the twenty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories and Albert Uderzo (illustrations Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( January 20 1920 &ndash October 31 1993) was an Italian Film Ginger and Fred is a 1986 film directed by Federico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastroianni and Giulietta Masina. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Guy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed (born June 21, 1957) is an American Cartoonist, children's book Author / Illustrator, Bloom County was an American Comic strip by Berkeley Breathed which ran from December 8, 1980 until August 6, 1989 ' The Wandering Juvie " is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons ' fifteenth season.

Laurel and Hardy were featured alongside many other celebrities in cutout form for the cover of the Beatles's 1967 masterpiece album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the British rock band The Beatles. Of the two, Stan is more recognizable.

In 1976, STV (Scottish Television) produced a half-hour play by Alex Norton called Stan's First Night, about a 16-year-old Stan Jefferson's (Stan Laurel's real name) first appearance on stage at the Panopticon variety theatre in Glasgow. Alexander Hugh Norton (born January 27, 1950) is a Scottish Actor who played the role of Dennis Cooley in the Tom Clancy Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom

In a 2005 poll, The Comedian's Comedian, the duo was voted the seventh greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders, making them the most popular double act on the list.

In 2006, BBC in the UK broadcast a drama Stan about Laurel's final visit to see the dying Hardy. The TV programme derived from a radio play first broadcast in 2004. Both radio and TV versions were written by Neil Brand. Neil Brand (born March 18 1958) is a British Writer, Composer, and a renowned silent film Accompanist.

See also

• Laurel and Hardy films
• Filmography of Oliver Hardy
• Filmography of Stan Laurel
• Double act

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Stan Laurel at the Internet Movie Database
• Oliver Hardy at the Internet Movie Database
• The official Laurel and Hardy website
• Sons of the Desert: The International Laurel and Hardy Society
• Stan. A fictionalized account of Stanley Laurel's last visit to the bedside of Oliver Hardy
• Pratfall, a periodical magazine tribute to Laurel and Hardy, with numerous issues and articles
• The Laurel and Hardy Forum
• The museum in Harlem, Georgia, USA

Public domain material

The following Laurel and Hardy material is in the Public domain. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone It can be watched, listened to or distributed freely.

• Mr. Slater's Poultry Market at the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive ( IA) is a Nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining an on-line Library and archive of Web and (Un-aired pilot for an NBC Old Time Radio (OTR) series - 26 minutes)
• The Flying Deuces at the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive ( IA) is a Nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining an on-line Library and archive of Web and (Their 1939 film The Flying Deuces in full). The Flying Deuces, also known as Flying Aces, is a Comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy.
• Utopia at the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive ( IA) is a Nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining an on-line Library and archive of Web and (Their 1951 film Atoll K/Utopia in full). Atoll K is a 1951 French / Italian film starring the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in their final screen
• The Lucky Dog (1921). Their first film together.

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic