Stan Laurel - born Arthur Stanley Jefferson on 16 June, 1890 in Ulverston, England - died on 23 February 1965. Oliver Hardy - born Norvell Hardy on 18 January, 1892 in Harlem, Georgia - died on 7 August 1957. STAN AND OLLIE Widely regarded as the finest comedy
pairing of all time, it is no surprise that Stan Laurel learned his
craft in British musical hall, whilst Oliver Hardy grew up with American
vaudeville. Whilst they both enjoyed considerable success as solo
performers, it was the on screen chemistry they achieved that ensures
their lasting reputation. Indeed unlike many of their contemporaries,
the comedy of Laurel & Hardy is timeless with many of their films being as fresh today as they were when first made. The two comedians first worked together on The Lucky Dog. 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. The boys 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), Block Heads (1938) and the shorts Big Business (1929), Liberty (1929), and their Academy Award-winning short, The Music Box (1932). As I mentioned, the Laurel and Hardy partnership officially started in 1927. But I
became a fan in the 1970's after watching their films on BBC2 (UK) during
the school holidays. Of course, as a child I never really analysed
exactly what it was about this pair that made me laugh. I just knew
that every time I saw them I was in hysterics. As an adult, I can see all of the little things that made them just so special. For instance, when Ollie needed to sweet-talk his wife into his good books, he would nervously fumble with his tie. Then there's the way he would look directly into the camera when Stan had done something wrong. Making eye contact with the camera was unheard of in the 1920's, but what genius! Then there was Ollie's catchphrase - which was first heard in the 1929 short Unaccustomed As We Are - "Why don't you do something to help me?". And, of course, "Here's another fine mess you've gotten me in to!". Oh yes, and
Oliver Hardy had a superb singing voice, too. Well, he was very expressive with his face. He would
go from whimpering, to a grin, to a puzzled look in an instant. Stan had
the knack of getting both of them into trouble. He would give Ollie
that daft, but warm smile to try and keep the peace. But whenever he
tried to put things right, he would always end-up making matters worse! Who can forget those clever little tricks he would perform (remember
when he made a flame appear from his thumb in Way Out West?) that had jealous Ollie
trying for himself - it always ended in tears for ollie! Overall, it was that strong bond between them that put the icing on the cake - they just worked brilliantly together. Those slapstick routines never felt as though they had been set-up and just happened so naturally. Mark Nobes
The Laurel & Hardy Calendar 2010 Yes, it's the must-have Christmas present! The new Stan and Ollie calendar is available to pre-order from Amazon. Judging by the photo of it, this should be a really good quality product, and I'm placing my order right now!
Audio recording of Laurel and Hardy in London, 1932 When Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy visited London in 1932, they made this audio recording as a thank-you to their fans. Stan wrote this sketch while waiting for the recording equipment to be set up.
|
 
James "Doh!" Finlayson Best remembered for saying "Doh!" quite a lot and having raised eyebrows and an angry squint in one eye, James Finlayson featured in 33 of the Laurel & Hardy films. He was usually a villain or a person intent on getting revenge. He also starred alongside Stan Laurel in 19 films, and opposite Oliver Hardy in five films before Laurel and Hardy were teamed together. 80s Flash Games, 80s Videos, 80s music, 70s/80s TV Shows/ads and much more!
|
