Arthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson (16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965), better known as
Stan Laurel, was an
EnglishThe British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
comicA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
actorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team
Laurel and HardyLaurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film
The Music Box (1932). In 1961, Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his pioneering work in comedy. He has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 7021 Hollywood Blvd.
Early life
Arthur Stanley Jefferson was born in his grandparents' house on 16 June 1890 at 3 Argyle Street,
UlverstonUlverston is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Historically part of Lancashire, the town is located in the Furness area, close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay....
,
LancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He had three siblings - two brothers and a sister.
His parents, Arthur and Margaret ("Madge") Jefferson, were both active in the theatre and always very busy. In his early years, he spent much time living with his grandmother Sarah Metcalfe. Stan Jefferson attended school at King James I Grammar School,
Bishop AucklandBishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
,
County DurhamCounty Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and
the King's School, TynemouthThe King's School is a co-educational, independent day school in Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear, England with over 800 pupils aged between 4 and 18. The current headmaster is Mr Edward Wesson . The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference...
, before moving with his parents to
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, where he completed his education at
Rutherglen Academyis a non-denominational state high school located in Rutherglen, Scotland near the city of Glasgow. It was established in August 1970 as a four-year school based in the former building at the corner of Stonelaw Road and Melrose Avenue. Eventually Stonelaw High became a six-year school and was...
. His father managed Glasgow's
Metropole TheatreThe Metropole Theatre, built in 1862, was a theatre situated at 116, Stockwell Street, Glasgow, Scotland.Built to the designs of architect Robert Black for James Baylis, who later built the Theatre Royal in the Cowcaddens area of the city, it opened as the Scotia Hall, holding over 3000 people,...
where he began work. At the age of 16, with a natural affinity for the theatre, Jefferson gave his first professional performance on stage at the
PanopticonThe Britannia Music Hall in Trongate, Glasgow, Scotland is the oldest surviving music hall in the world. Built in 1857 by Thomas Gildard and H. M. McFarlane , it has hosted some of the biggest names on the Music hall circuit. In 1906 Stan Laurel made his first stage appearance there on amateur...
in
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
In 1910, with the stage name of "Stan Jefferson", he joined
Fred KarnoFrederick John Westcott , best known by his stage name Fred Karno, was a theatre impresario of the British music hall. Karno is credited with inventing the custard-pie-in-the-face gag. Among the young comedians who worked for him were Charlie Chaplin and Arthur Jefferson, who later adopted the...
's troupe of actors, which also included a young
Charlie ChaplinSir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
. For some time, he acted as Chaplin's
understudyIn theater, an understudy is a performer who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a regular actor or actress in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergencies, the understudy takes over the part...
. The Karno troupe toured America, and brought both Chaplin and Jefferson to the United States for the first time. From 1916 to 1918, he teamed up with Alice Cooke and
Baldwin CookeBaldwin Cooke, also known as Baldy Cooke , was a comedic American actor. Born in New York, Cooke and his wife, Alice, toured in vaudeville with Stan Laurel, remaining close friends over the years. He appeared in some thirty Laurel and Hardy comedies...
, who became lifelong friends. Amongst other performers, Jefferson worked briefly alongside
Oliver HardyOliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
in a silent film short
The Lucky Dog. This was before the two were a team.
It was around this time that Jefferson met
Mae DahlbergMae Dahlberg , was a music hall and vaudeville performer and actress in several Hollywood silent movies. In 1917, while in California, she met and formed a variety act with Stan Laurel. In 1917 she played in a comedy short, Nuts in May, notable as the screen debut of Stan Laurel...
. Around the same time he adopted the stage surname of Laurel, at Dahlberg's suggestion. The pair were performing together when Laurel was offered $75.00 per week to star in two-reel comedies. After the making of his first film,
Nuts in MayNuts in May is a 1917 silent comedy short, directed by Robin Williamson and featuring Stan Jefferson in his onscreen debut. It was filmed at Bernstein Studios, in Hollywood, California. Very little of the film survives...
,
UniversalUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
offered him a contract. The contract was soon cancelled, however, during a reorganisation at the studio. Among the films Dahlberg and Laurel appeared in together was the 1922 parody,
Mud and SandMud and Sand is a silent film starring Stan Laurel, that was filmed in 1922. Laurel plays a matador who makes a fool of a famous Spanish dancer. The dancer demands revenge and, in the end, kills the matador by throwing a concealed brick at him after a fight with the fiercest bull in Spain...
, of which a short clip can be seen at the left. By 1924, Laurel had given up the stage for full-time film work, under contract with
Joe RockJoe Rock was an American movie producer, director, actor and screenwriter best remembered today for producing a series of 12 two reel comedies starring Stan Laurel in the 1920s....
for 12 two-reel comedies. The contract had one unusual stipulation, that Dahlberg was not to appear in any of the films as it was felt her temperament was hindering Laurel's career. In 1925, when she started interfering with Laurel's work, Rock offered her a cash settlement and a one-way ticket back to her native Australia, which she accepted.
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel went on to join the
Hal RoachHarold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
studio, and began directing films, including a 1926 production called
Yes, Yes, NanetteYes, Yes, Nanette is a 1925 film featuring Oliver Hardy and directed by Stan Laurel.-Cast:* James Finlayson - Hillory, the new husband * Jack Gavin - Father of Ten Children* Grant Gorman - Sonny Bryan* Sue O'Neill - Daughter...
. He intended to work primarily as a writer and director, but fate stepped in. In 1927,
Oliver HardyOliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
, another member of the Hal Roach Studios Comedy
All Star players, was injured in a kitchen mishap and Laurel was asked to return to acting. Laurel and Hardy began sharing the screen in
Slipping WivesSlipping Wives is a 1927 silent comedy short film starring Priscilla Dean, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.- Plot :Priscilla is married to an artist called Leon. However Leon isn't showing much interest in his wife so she hatches a plot to win back his affections. Ollie plays the butler. Stan arrives...
,
Duck SoupDuck Soup is a Laurel and Hardy short silent film produced by Hal Roach Studios.-Production background:Duck Soup was considered a lost film for nearly fifty years, until a print was discovered in 1974...
and
With Love and HissesWith Love and Hisses is a 1927 short military comedy silent film. One of a dozen or so films starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy prior to their official billing as the duo Laurel and Hardy, this silent two-reeler features the pair as soldier and commanding officer.-Cast:*Stan Laurel as Cuthbert...
. The two became friends and their comic chemistry soon became obvious. Roach Studios' supervising director
Leo McCareyThomas Leo McCarey was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. During his lifetime he was involved in nearly 200 movies, especially comedies...
noticed the audience reaction to them and began teaming them, leading to the creation of the
Laurel and HardyLaurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
series later that year.
Together, the two men began producing a huge body of short films, including
The Battle of the CenturyThe Battle of the Century is a 1927 Hal Roach two-reeler starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, who, although just teamed, had yet to take on their recognisable Stan and Ollie characters on a more or less permanent basis. A young Lou Costello can be seen in an early scene as a member of the...
,
Should Married Men Go Home?Should Married Men Go Home? is a silent two-reel comedy produced by the Hal Roach Studios and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was filmed in March and May 1928, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on September 8 of that year...
,
Two TarsTwo Tars, directed by James Parrott and released in 1928, is recognized as one of Laurel and Hardy's greatest films. A silent film, it largely consists of a 'reciprocal destruction' involving motorists in a traffic jam, which has much inventive mayhem with the destruction of various...
,
Be Big!Be Big! is a Hal Roach three-reel comedy starring Laurel and Hardy. It was shot in November and December 1930, and released on February 7, 1931 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Dialogue was by H.M. Walker and direction by James Parrott.-Opening title:Mr...
,
Big BusinessBig Business is a 1929 silent Laurel and Hardy comedy short subject directed by James W. Horne and supervised by Leo McCarey from a McCarey and H. M. Walker script. The film was deemed culturally significant and entered into the United States National Film Registry in 1992.- Plot :Stan and Ollie...
, and many others. Laurel and Hardy successfully made the transition to talking films with the short
Unaccustomed As We AreUnaccustomed As We Are is a 1929 comedy short film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, also featuring Mae Busch , Edgar Kennedy , and Thelma Todd...
in 1929. They also appeared in their first feature in one of the revue sequences of
The Hollywood Revue of 1929The Hollywood Revue of 1929 is a 1929 part Technicolor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer American musical-comedy film. It was the studio's second feature-length musical, and one of the earliest ventures into the talkie format. Produced by Harry Rapf and directed by Chuck Riesner, the film brought together some...
and the following year they appeared as the comic relief in a lavish all-color (in
TechnicolorTechnicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
) musical feature,
The Rogue Song. In 1931, their own first starring feature,
Pardon UsPardon Us is Laurel and Hardy's first feature length comedy film. It was produced by Hal Roach and Stan Laurel, directed by James Parrott, and originally distributed by MGM in 1931.- Plot :...
was released, although they continued to make both features and shorts until 1935, including their 1932 three-reeler
The Music BoxThe Music Box is a Laurel and Hardy short film comedy released in 1932. It was directed by James Parrott, produced by Hal Roach and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, which depicts the pair attempting to move a piano up a large flight of steps, won the first Academy Award for Live Action...
which won an
Academy Award for Best Short SubjectThis name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...
.
Trouble at Roach Studio
During the 1930s, Laurel was involved in a dispute with
Hal RoachHarold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
, which resulted in the termination of his contract. Since Roach maintained separate contracts for Laurel and Hardy that expired at different times, Hardy remained at the studio and was "teamed" with
Harry LangdonHarry Philmore Langdon was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films , and talkies. He was briefly partnered with Oliver Hardy.-Life and career:...
for the 1939 film
ZenobiaZenobia is a 1939 comedy film starring Oliver Hardy, Harry Langdon, Billie Burke, Alice Brady, James Ellison, Jean Parker, June Lang, Stepin Fetchit, and Hattie McDaniel...
. There was also talk about a series of films co-starring Hardy with
Patsy KellyPatsy Kelly was an American stage and film comedic actress.-Early life and career:Kelly was born Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly in Brooklyn, New York to Irish immigrants, John and Delia Kelly, and made her Broadway debut in 1928...
called "The Hardy Family." But Laurel sued Roach over the contract dispute. Eventually, the case was dropped and Laurel returned to Roach. After returning to Roach studios, the first film
Laurel and HardyLaurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
made was
A Chump at OxfordA Chump at Oxford, directed by Alfred J. Goulding and released in 1940 by United Artists, was the penultimate Laurel and Hardy film made at the Hal Roach studios. Originally released as a streamliner featurette at forty minutes long, twenty minutes of footage largely unrelated to the main plot...
. Subsequently, they made
Saps at SeaSaps at Sea is a 1940 American film directed by Gordon Douglas, distributed by United Artists, and Laurel and Hardy's last film produced by Hal Roach Studio.- Plot :...
, which was their last film for Roach.
Fox Studios
In 1939,
Laurel and HardyLaurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
signed a contract at 20th Century Fox to make one motion picture and nine more over the following five months. During the war years, their work became more standardised and less successful, though
The BullfightersThe Bullfighters is a late Laurel and Hardy feature film. The plot involves the team working as private detectives who've come to Mexico City hot on the trail of Hattie Blake, a.k.a. Larceny Nell. Meanwhile, Stan Laurel is found to resemble a famous matador, Don Sebastian...
,
Great GunsGreat Guns is a 1941 film directed by Monty Banks, and produced by Sol M. Wurtzel for 20th Century Fox starring Laurel and Hardy.- Plot :...
and
A-Haunting We Will Go did receive some praise. Laurel discovered he had diabetes, so he encouraged
Oliver HardyOliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
to make two films without him. In 1946, he divorced Virginia Ruth Rogers and married Ida Kitaeva Raphael.
In 1950, Laurel and Hardy were invited to France to make a feature film. The film, a French/Italian co-production titled
Atoll KAtoll K is a French/Italian film—also known as Robinson Crusoeland in the UK and Utopia in the US—starring the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in their final screen appearance. The film co-stars French singer/actress Suzy Delair and was directed by Léo Joannon, with uncredited...
, was a disaster. (The film was titled
Utopia in the US and
Robinson Crusoeland in the UK.) Both stars were noticeably ill during the filming. Upon returning home, they spent most of their time recovering. In 1952, Laurel and Hardy toured Europe successfully, and they toured Europe again in 1953. During this tour, Laurel fell ill and was unable to perform for several weeks.
In May 1954,
Oliver HardyOliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
had a heart attack and canceled the tour. In 1955, they were planning to do a television series,
Laurel and Hardy's Fabulous Fables, based on children's stories, but the plans were delayed after Laurel suffered a
strokeA stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on 25 April, from which he recovered. But as he was planning to get back to work, Oliver Hardy had a massive
strokeA stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on 14 September 1956. Paralyzed and bedridden for several months, Hardy was unable to speak or move.
Hardy's death
On 7 August 1957,
Oliver HardyOliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
died. Laurel was too ill to attend his funeral, stating, "Babe would understand" . People who knew Laurel said he was devastated by Hardy's death and never fully recovered from it - indeed, Laurel refused to perform ever again after his partner's death.
Life after Laurel and Hardy
In 1961, Stan Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement
Academy AwardAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for his pioneering work in comedy. He had achieved his lifelong dream as a comedian and had been involved in nearly 190 films. He lived his final years in a small apartment in the Oceana Hotel in
Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
Always gracious to fans, Laurel spent much time answering fan mail. His phone number was listed in the telephone directory, and fans were amazed that they could dial the number and speak to Stan Laurel.
Dick Van DykeRichard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
told a similar story to
Jerry LewisJerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
'. When Van Dyke was just starting his career, he looked up Laurel's phone number, called him, and then visited him at his home. Lewis was among the comedians to visit Laurel, who offered suggestions for Lewis' production of
The BellboyThe Bellboy is a 1960 comedy film starring, written by and directed by Jerry Lewis. The film was released on July 20, 1960 by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:The movie opens with a movie studio executive introducing the movie...
(1960). Lewis had even paid tribute to Laurel by naming his main character Stanley in the film, and having
Bill RichmondBill Richmond is an American film and television comedy writer and producer, as well as a musician, actor and composer. He co-wrote the screenplays to numerous popular films that starred Jerry Lewis. These films included The Nutty Professor, The Errand Boy and The Ladies Man...
play a version of Laurel as well.Van Dyke played Laurel on "The Sam Pomerantz Scandals" episode of the
The Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
.
Personal life
Laurel had a rich marital history. He had four wives and married one of them twice.
In 1928, during the early years of Laurel and Hardy's partnership, Laurel and first wife Lois had a baby girl, also named Lois. In May 1930, their second child, Stanley Robert Laurel, died after nine days.
In 1935, Laurel divorced Lois and married Virginia Ruth Rogers. In 1938, he divorced Virginia and married Vera Ivanova Shuvalova. By 1941, he had divorced Vera and re-married Virginia. In 1946, he divorced Virginia and married Ida Kitaeva Raphael, whom he did not divorce.
Death
Laurel was a heavy smoker until suddenly quitting around 1960. In January 1965, he underwent a series of x-rays for an infection on the roof of his mouth. He died on 23 February 1965, aged 74, several days after suffering a
heart attackMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. Just minutes away from death, Laurel told his nurse he would not mind going skiing right at that very moment. Somewhat taken aback, the nurse replied that she was not aware that he was a skier. "I'm not," said Laurel, "I'd rather be doing that than this!" A few minutes later the nurse looked in on him again and found that he had died quietly.
At his funeral, silent screen comedian
Buster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
was overheard giving his assessment of the comedian's considerable talent: "
ChaplinSir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
wasn't the funniest, I wasn't the funniest, this man was the funniest."
Dick Van DykeRichard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
, a friend, protege and occasional impressionist of Laurel's during his later years, gave the eulogy, reading
A Prayer for ClownsThe Clown's Prayer is a poem or prayer that comedians of various sorts use for inspiration. The original author is unknown.As I stumble through this life,help me to create more laughter than tears,dispense more cheer than gloom,...
.
Laurel had written his own epitaph:
"If anyone at my funeral has a long face, I'll never speak to him again." A similar statement was later found:
"If anyone cries at my funeral, I will never speak to him again."
Laurel is interred in
Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills CemeteryForest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
.
Legacy
In 1989, a statue of Laurel was erected in Dockwray Square,
North ShieldsNorth Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
,
Tyne and WearTyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
, England where he lived at No. 8 from 1897 to 1902, and where the steps down from the Square to the North Shields Fish Quay were said to have inspired the piano-moving scene in
The Music Box. In 2006,
BBC FourBBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
showed a drama called
Stan, based on Laurel meeting Hardy on his deathbed and reminiscing about their career. There is a plaque on the Bull Inn,
Bottesford, LeicestershireThis page is about the English village of Bottesford near Grantham. For the Bottesford near Scunthorpe, see Bottesford, LincolnshireBottesford is a village and civil parish within the Melton district of Leicestershire, England....
, England, recording how Laurel and Hardy while appearing in
NottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
over Christmas 1952, stayed with Laurel's sister, Olga, who was the landlady of the pub.
In 1999, merchandiser
Larry HarmonLawrence Weiss , better known by the stage name Larry Harmon and as his alter-ego Bozo the Clown, was a Jewish American entertainer.-Biography:...
produced the direct-to-video film
All New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: For Love or Mummy starring
Bronson PinchotBronson Alcott Pinchot is an American actor. He has appeared in several feature films, including Risky Business, Beverly Hills Cop , The First Wives Club, True Romance, Courage Under Fire and It's My Party...
and
Gailard SartainGailard Sartain is an American comedic and serious actor, often playing characters with roots in the South. He is also an accomplished and successful painter and illustrator.-Early years and education:...
as the descendants of the comedy duo. In 2008, a statue of Stan Laurel was unveiled in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on the site of the Eden Theatre. In April 2009, a bronze statue of Laurel and Hardy was unveiled in Ulverston, Cumbria. There is a Laurel and Hardy Museum in Stan's hometown of Ulverston. Laurel and Hardy are featured on the cover of the Beatles' album ,"
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
".
Filmography
- Filmography of Stan Laurel
These are the films of Stan Laurel as an actor without Oliver Hardy. For the filmography of Laurel and Hardy as a team, see: Laurel and Hardy films.----1917 - 1918 - 1919 - 1922 - 1923 - 1924 - 1925 - 1926 - 1927 - 1928 - References----...
(The films of Stan Laurel as an actor without Oliver Hardy)
- Laurel and Hardy filmography (The filmography of Laurel and Hardy together)
External links