Laurel and Hardy, a flawless duo of heroes

The most famous comedy duo, formed in 1927 by actors Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957), lasted nearly 25 years, appearing in over 100 films and numerous stage productions. This duo achieved such renown that they remain, arguably, the most famous pair in the history of cinema. Their first studio was Hal Roach, and over the years Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and later Universal took over.

Their first meeting took place on the set of Jess Robbins’s *The Lucky Dog* in November 1919. The film was a test for a potential series of comedies in which Stan Laurel was considered for the lead role. Oliver Hardy played a supporting role and already had over two hundred films to his credit. He is recognized as a leading actor, even though his physique often relegates him to supporting roles.

In their second film, 45 Minutes from Hollywood (1926), Stan and Oliver don’t film any scenes together, and it’s not until their third film, Duck Soup (1927), that they appear as a duo. This is the first of the films presented as the « first Laurel and Hardy. »

Stars by Accident

Their career should never have begun, because Oliver Hardy was a singer, and Stan Laurel, for his part, only wanted to write and direct, and in no way did he want to act!

Laurel, the brains of the duo, came from Fred Karno’s famous English troupe, where he served as Charlie Chaplin’s understudy in the 1910s and 20s.

Our two comedians gradually got used to performing together and discovered that they complemented each other. Little by little, they developed some of the gimmicks that would make them famous (scratching his head, giving a double glance, or fiddling with his tie knot for Laurel; shaking his own tie, nodding his head confidently, or looking desperately at the camera for Hardy, etc.). But experts consider that it wasn’t until 1927 and « The Big Deal » that the true Laurel and Hardy partnership was born.

The « Stan-Ollie » mythology began in 1927 with the film *Putting Pants on Philip*. We can therefore confidently state 1927 as the duo’s creation year, as that year was particularly prolific, with fifteen comedies produced.

The End

The two stars found themselves without much fortune at the end of their careers, having signed a highly disadvantageous contract with the Hal Roach studio: they didn’t receive a single dollar for any subsequent television reruns. A large portion of Stan Laurel’s income was swallowed up by the numerous alimony payments he had to make—he was married five times while Hardy squandered his money on horse racing, his other favorite pastime.

In 1957, Ollie died of a stroke. Stan was left alone with his memories and regrets (« In the end, I only really knew Hardy towards the end of his life ») until 1965, after receiving a special Oscar for lifetime achievement in 1961. A heavy smoker until around the 1960s, he died of a heart attack on February 23, 1965, at the age of 74 in Santa Monica, California.

Laurel and Hardy: Behind the Jokers’ Mask…

On one side, Hardy, the big, good-natured but authoritarian and quick-tempered one; on the other, Laurel, the small, submissive, dreamy, but cunning one. This mismatched pair managed the feat of forming a legendary duo of cinema, first in silent films and then in talkies.

Several generations of viewers have laughed until they cried at their squabbles, blunders, and clumsiness.

But who knows the true personalities of these inseparable troublemakers? Hardy, a Freemason, a lover of horse racing and jazz, and an accomplished golfer; Laurel, a lover of violent sports, a virtuoso big-game fisherman, a womanizer, and, behind the camera, the true brains of the duo…

Roland Lacourbe has just published an excellent book (Laurel and Hardy: The True Story), a unique collection of information about the Englishman Arthur Stanley Jefferson, known as Stan Laurel (1890-1965), and the American Oliver Norvell Hardy (1892-1957), who one day merged into an astonishing symbiosis, building one of the most enduring comedic monuments of the 20th century.