Oliver Hardy
Born	Norvell Hardy January 18, 1892(1892-01-18) Harlem, Georgia
Died	August 7, 1957 (aged 65) North Hollywood, California
Known for	Laurel and Hardy
Spouse	Madelyn Saloshin Myrtle Reeves Virginia Lucille Jones
Partner	Stan Laurel
Parents	Oliver Hardy Emily Norvell

Oliver Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor, famous as the second half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 40 years. 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 Harlem is a city in Columbia County, Georgia and is part of the Augusta Georgia metropolitan area 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) North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles California. 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 Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 &ndash February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor writer 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) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 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 A double act, also known as a Comedy duo, is a comic device in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners usually of the same Hardy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 1500 Vine Street, Hollywood, California. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that Vine is a Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California that runs north-south from Melrose Avenue up past Hollywood Boulevard. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

Contents 1 Childhood 2 Early career 3 Career with Stan Laurel 4 Death 5 Filmography 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links

Childhood

Hardy's parents were of English and Scottish descent. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English The Scots people ( Scots Gaelic: Albannaich) are a Nation and an Ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. His father, Oliver, was a Confederate veteran wounded at the Battle of Antietam on September 18, 1862. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday After the war he worked as a foreman for the Georgia Southern Railroad, supervising the building of a rail line between Augusta and Madison. The Georgia Southern Railroad was formed in 1875 to assume the operations of the bankrupt Selma Rome and Dalton Railroad. Augusta Georgia is a city in Richmond County, Georgia, United States. His mother, Emily Norvell, the daughter of Thomas Benjamin Norvell and Mary Freeman, was descended from Captain Hugh Norvell of Williamsburg, Virginia. Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia Her family arrived in Virginia before 1635. Their marriage took place on March 12, 1890; it was the second marriage for the widow Emily, and the third for Oliver. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

By the time Hardy was born, the family had moved to Harlem, Georgia. Harlem is a city in Columbia County, Georgia and is part of the Augusta Georgia metropolitan area His father died less than a year after his birth. Hardy was sometimes a difficult child. He was not interested in education, although he acquired an early interest in music and theater, possibly from his mother's tenants. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one He ran away from home to join a theatrical group, and later ran away from a boarding school near Atlanta. His mother recognized his talent for singing, and sent him to Atlanta to study music and voice with a prominent musician, but Hardy skipped his lessons to sing in a vaudeville house. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s He was sent to a military college, but ran away from there, also. After toying with college and the idea of studying law, he decided to follow his dream of a singing career.

Early career

In 1910, a movie theater opened in the future Hardy's home town of Milledgeville, and he became the projectionist, ticket taker, janitor and manager. Milledgeville is a town in and the County seat of Baldwin County in the U A Projectionist is a person whose profession entails the operating of a Movie projector. For the Scrubs character see Janitor (Scrubs A janitor is a person who takes care of a building such as a School, Office ManaGeR ( MGR) is a graphical Window system. The MGR server provides a builtin Window manager and windowed graphics Terminal emulation on color He soon became obsessed with the new motion picture industry, and became convinced that he could do a better job than the actors he saw on the screen. A friend suggested that he move to Jacksonville where some films were being made. In 1913 he did just that, where he worked as a cabaret and vaudeville singer at night, and at the Lubin Studios during the day. Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring Comedy, Song, Dance, and Theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue &mdash a Restaurant Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Lubin Studios, formally incorporated as the Lubin Manufacturing Company was an American Motion picture production company formed in 1902 and incorporated It was at this time that he met and married his first wife, pianist Madelyn Saloshin. A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra

The next year he made his first movie, Outwitting Dad, for the Lubin studio. Outwitting Dad is a 1914 Comedy film that features Oliver Hardy 's first onscreen appearance He was billed as O. N. Hardy, taking his father's name as a memorial. In his personal life, he was known as "Babe" Hardy, a nickname that he was given by an Italian barber, who would apply talcum powder to Oliver's cheeks and say, "nice-a-bab-y". A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging A barber (from the Latin barba, " Beard " is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair give shaves, and trim Baby powder is an Astringent powder used for preventing rashes on the area covered by a Diaper (see Diaper rash) In many of his later films at Lubin he was billed as "Babe Hardy. " Hardy was a big man at six feet one inch tall and weighed up to 300 pounds. His size placed limitations on the roles he could play. He was most often cast as "the heavy" or the villain. He also frequently had roles in comedy shorts, his size complementing the character.

By 1915, he had made fifty short one-reeler films at the Lubin studio. Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema. A reel is an object around which lengths of another material (usually long and flexible are wound for storage He later moved to New York and made films for the Pathé, Casino and Edison Studios. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous This article deals with the Pathé movie company For their music business see Pathé Records. Edison Studios was an American Motion picture production company owned by the Edison Company of inventor Thomas Edison. He then returned to Jacksonville and made films for the Vim and King Bee studios. He worked with Charlie Chaplin imitator Billy West and comedic actress Ethel Burton Palmer during this time. Billy West ( September 22, 1892 - July 21, 1975) was an American film Actor and director of the Silent film (Hardy continued playing the "heavy" for West well into the early 1920s, often imitating Eric Campbell to West's Chaplin. Eric Campbell may refer to Eric Campbell (actor, silent film star Eric Campbell (baseball, baseball player The leader ) In 1917, Oliver Hardy moved to Los Angeles, working freelance for several Hollywood studios. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The next year, he appeared in the movie The Lucky Dog, produced by G.M. ("Broncho Billy") Anderson and starring a young British comedian named Stan Laurel. Broncho Billy Anderson ( March 21, 1880 – January 20, 1971) was an American actor writer director and producer who is best The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 &ndash February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor writer ^[1] Oliver Hardy played the part of a robber, trying to stick up Stan's character. Robbery is the Crime of seizing Property through Violence or Intimidation. They did not work together again for several years.

Between 1918 and 1923 Oliver Hardy made more than forty films for Vitagraph, playing the "heavy" for Larry Semon. American Vitagraph was a United States Movie studio, founded by J Larry Semon ( July 16, 1889 - October 8, 1928) was a film comedian during the silent era at the time considered a "Comedy King" In 1919, he separated from his wife, ending with a divorce in 1920, due to Babe's infidelity. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. The very next year, on November 24, 1921, Babe married again, to actress Myrtle Reeves. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar This marriage was also unhappy, with Myrtle eventually becoming an alcoholic. Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions

In 1924, Hardy began working at Hal Roach Studios working with the Our Gang films and Charley Chase. 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. Charley Chase ( October 20, 1893 - June 20, 1940) was an American Comedian, Screenwriter and Film director In 1925, he was in a film "Yes, Yes, Nanette!" starring James Finlayson, who in later years was a recurring character in the Laurel and Hardy film series. James Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson ( August 27, 1887 – October 9, 1953) was a Scottish-American Actor The film was directed by Stan Laurel. Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 &ndash February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor writer He also continued playing supporting roles in films featuring Clyde Cooke and Bobby Ray. Clyde Cook ( December 16, 1891 - August 13, 1984) was an Australian born Actor whose career spanned the Silent film

In 1926, a hot leg of lamb changed the future of both Laurel and Hardy. Hardy was scheduled to appear in Get 'Em Young but was unexpectedly hospitalized after being burned by a hot leg of lamb. Laurel, who had been working as a gag man and director at Roach Studios, was recruited to fill in. Laurel kept appearing in front of the camera rather than behind it, and later that year appeared in the same movie as Hardy, 45 Minutes from Hollywood, although they didn't share any scenes together. 45 Minutes From Hollywood ( 1926) is a two reel Silent film released by Pathé Exchange.

Career with Stan Laurel

Main article: Laurel and Hardy

In 1927, Laurel and Hardy began sharing screen time together in Slipping Wives, Duck Soup (no relation to the Marx Brothers film of the same name) and With Love and Hisses. 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 Slipping Wives is a 1927 silent comedy Short film starring Priscilla Dean, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. For other meanings see Duck Soup (disambiguation. Duck Soup was a short Silent film made by Hal Roach Studios in The Marx Brothers were a popular team of sibling Comedians who appeared in Vaudeville, stage plays film and television With Love and Hisses is a 1927 short comedy Silent film. One of a dozen or so films starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy prior to Roach Studios' supervising director Leo McCarey, realizing the audience reaction to the two, began intentionally teaming them together, leading to the start of a Laurel and Hardy series late that year. Thomas Leo McCarey ( October 3, 1898 - July 5, 1969) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director With this pairing, he created arguably the most famous double act in movie history. A double act, also known as a Comedy duo, is a comic device in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners usually of the same They began producing a huge body of short movies, including The Battle of the Century (1927) (with one of the largest pie fights ever filmed), Should Married Men Go Home? (1928), Two Tars (1928), Unaccustomed As We Are (1929, marking their transition to talking pictures) Berth Marks (1929), Blotto (1930), Brats (1930) (with Stan and Ollie portraying themselves, as well as their own sons, using oversized furniture to sets for the 'young' Laurel and Hardy), Another Fine Mess (1930), Be Big! (1931), and many others. The Battle of the Century is a 1927 Hal Roach two-reeler starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, who although just teamed had yet Should Married Men Go Home? is a 1928 short comedy Silent film starring Laurel and Hardy. Two Tars, directed by James Parrott and released in 1928, is recognized as one of Laurel and Hardy 's greatest films Unaccustomed As We Are is a 1929 Comedy Short film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, also featuring Mae Busch A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film. Berth Marks is a 1929 short comedy starring Laurel and Hardy. Blotto is a 1930 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. See also Brat Brats is a 1930 Laurel and Hardy comedy short The film was directed by James Parrott. Another Fine Mess is a 1930 short comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. In 1929, they appeared in their first feature, in one of the revue sequences of Hollywood Revue of 1929 and the following year they appeared as the comic relief in a lavish all-color (in 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. In 1931 they made their first full length movie (in which they were the actual stars), Pardon Us although they continued to make features and shorts until 1935. Pardon Us is Laurel and Hardy 's first feature length Comedy film. Perhaps their greatest achievement, however, was The Music Box (1932), which won them an Academy Award for best short film - their only such award. The Music Box is a Laurel and Hardy Short film comedy released in 1932. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film.

In 1936, Hardy's personal life suffered a blow as he and Myrtle divorced. Whilst waiting for a contractual issue between Laurel and Hal Roach to be resolved, Hardy made Zenobia with Harry Langdon. Zenobia (also known as Elephants Never Forget ( UK) and It's Spring Again) is a 1939 Comedy film starring Harry L Langdon ( June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American Comedian who appeared in Vaudeville, Eventually, however, new contracts were agreed and the team was loaned out to General Services Studio to make The Flying Deuces. The Flying Deuces, also known as Flying Aces, is a Comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. While on the lot, Hardy fell in love with Virginia Lucille Jones, a script girl, whom he married the next year. They enjoyed a happy marriage until his death.

Laurel and Hardy also began performing for the USO, supporting the Allied troops during World War II. "USO" redirects here for other uses see USO (disambiguation The United Service Organizations Inc World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including They also made A Chump at Oxford (1940) (which features a moment of role reversal, with Oliver becoming a temporarily concussed subordinate to Stan) 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

Beginning in 1941, Laurel and Hardy's films began to decline in quality. They left Roach Studios and began making films for 20th century Fox, and later MGM. Although they were financially better off, they had very little artistic control at the large studios, and hence the films lack the very qualities that had made Laurel and Hardy worldwide names.

In 1947, Laurel and Hardy went on a six week tour of Great Britain. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Initially unsure of how they would be received, they were mobbed wherever they went. The tour was then lengthened to include engagements in Scandinavia, Belgium, France, as well as a Royal Command Performance for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, normally Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite 4 August 1900 &ndash 30 March 2002 was the Queen Consort of King George Biographer John McCabe said they continued to make live appearances in the United Kingdom and France for the next several years, until 1954, often using new sketches and material that Laurel had written for them.

In 1949, Hardy's friend, John Wayne, asked him to play a supporting role in The Fighting Kentuckian. 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. Hardy had previously worked with Wayne and John Ford in a charity production of the play What Price Glory? while Laurel began treatment for his diabetes a few years previously. Initially hesitant, Hardy accepted the role at the insistence of his comedy partner. Frank Capra later invited Hardy to play a cameo role in "Riding High" with Bing Crosby in 1950. Frank Russell Capra ( May 18, 1897 &ndash September 3, 1991) was an Academy Award winning Italian-American Film 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 Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular

In 1950-51, Laurel and Hardy made their final film. "Atoll K" (also known as "Utopia") was a simple concept; Laurel inherits a boat, and the boys set out to sea, where they discover and claim a brand new island, rich in uranium, making them powerful and wealthy. Atoll K is a 1951 French / Italian film starring the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in their final screen Uranium (jʊˈreɪniəm is a silvery-gray Metallic Chemical element in the Wealth derives from the old English word "weal" which means "well-being However, it was produced by a consortium of European interests, with an international cast and crew that could not speak to each other. A crew comprises a body or a class of people who work at a common activity generally in a structured or hierarchical organization In addition, the script needed to be rewritten by Stan to make it fit the comedy team's style, and both suffered serious physical illness during the filming. See also Pre-production Screenwriting A screenplay or script is a written plan authored by a Screenwriter, for a Film or Television

In 1955, the pair had contracted with Hal Roach Jr. to produce a series of TV shows based on the Mother Goose fables. They would be filmed in color for NBC. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's However, this was never to be. Laurel suffered a stroke, which required a lengthy convalescence. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain Hardy had a heart attack and stroke later that year, from which he never physically recovered. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply

Death

During 1956, Hardy began looking after his health for the first time in his life. During his health watch, he lost more than 150 pounds in a few months. This weight loss completely changed his appearance. He suffered a major stroke on September 14, which left him confined to bed and unable to speak for several months. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. He remained at home, being cared for by his beloved Lucille. He suffered two more strokes in early August, 1957 and slipped into a coma from which he never recovered. In Medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep is a profound state of Unconsciousness. Oliver Hardy died on August 7, 1957, aged 65 years old. 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) ^[2] His remains are located in the Masonic Garden of Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood. Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 10621 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood California. North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles California. [1]

In 2006, BBC Four showed a drama called Stan (website) based on Laurel meeting Hardy on his deathbed and reminiscing about their career. BBC Four is a BBC Television channel available to digital television ( Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable) viewers in the

Filmography

• For Oliver Hardy's films without Stan Laurel, see: Filmography of Oliver Hardy
• For his films with Laurel, see: Laurel and Hardy films

See also

• Laurel and Hardy music

References

Further reading

• McCabe, John (2004). John McCabe ( November 14, 1920 &ndash September 27, 2005) born John Charles McCabe III, was a Shakespearean scholar and Babe : The Life of Oliver Hardy. London: Robson Books, Ltd. . ISBN 1-86105-781-4.  

External links

• Stan and Ollie's Last Movie Appearance
• Oliver Hardy at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Laurel and Hardy Website
• Free clip from Bouncing Baby (1916), made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida
• Oliver Hardy's Gravesite
• Oliver Hardy's obituaries in the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Mirror-News

Persondata
NAME	Hardy, Oliver
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Hardy, Norvell
SHORT DESCRIPTION	silent film comedian
DATE OF BIRTH	January 18, 1892
PLACE OF BIRTH	Harlem, Georgia, United States
DATE OF DEATH	August 7, 1957
PLACE OF DEATH	North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States

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 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 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) North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles California. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

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