In 1937, he filed for divorce, confessing that he was not over his ex-wife Lois, but Lois decided against a reconciliation. I came to Scotland when I was 12 and we spent three weeks going to different theatres where he performed, to his home, and I remember visiting a pub where his sister worked. Stan Laurel was born on the 16th of June, 1890. In "Bonnie Scotland" Stan says "Why don't we go somewhere 'way out West'" and in that film Stan calls Fin a "toad (Towed) in the hole" 'From Soup to Nuts' is mentioned in "A Chump at Oxford" In "Tit For Tat" a written on a sign is 'Open for 'big business' which also comes up in "Pack Up Your Troubles" when someone says" He's not familiar with these 'big business' deals". In 1912 they went on a tour to America where Chaplin remained, but Stan went straight back to England. Yesterday, speaking from her home in California, she revealed plans to visit Scotland this summer to pay tribute to Stans Scots legacy and unveil a new headstone on his mums grave. He was a member of "Fred Karno's Army", where he was Charlie Chaplin's understudy. On the advice of booking agent Gordon Bostock, they called themselves "the Keystone Trio". All I know is that I learned how to get laughs, and that's all I know about it. There are two Laurel and Hardy museums in Hardy's hometown of Harlem, Georgia. Their first starring feature Pardon Us was released in 1931. it was an odd mixture from the sounds of it but was nonetheless greeted with applause by the Seattle audiences. In 2019 Laurel was voted the greatest ever British comedian by a panel on the British television channel Gold.[53]. Following the film Great Guns they joined The Flying Showboat, a revue that toured the U.S. military bases in the Caribbean for two weeks with John Garfield, Ray Bolger and Chico Marx with The Boys doing the Driving Licence sketch again. They got drunk in Blotto, Scram, Them Thar Hills, The Fixer Uppers and Them Tha Hills. Theatrical Debut In 1928 Stan and Ollie appeared in the short film 'A Pair of Tights' but their scenes were deleted. Occupying a featured position on the bill the sketch, according to reviews, was a variety show in itself for into the basic scenario the pair somehow managed to weave comedy, music and dance. Laurel found Semon to be a selfish performer, as he would steal whole scenes in a subtle and devious manner. On a call sheet for 'A Pair of Tights' (1929) that was discovered in 2012 and would have been issued to the cast and production personnel the day before filming, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are listed. The small house in which Stan was born was the home of Madge's parents, George and Sarah Metcalfe. When flushed, the toilet sank into the floor. The playlet centred on the plight of a burglar who breaks into an apartment only to find it's occupant, a lovely young woman with a toothache, who mistakes him for the dentist she'd sent for earlier. ISBN: 978-1-85858-576-5; 16.95; 320 pp. The actor Sir Alec Guinness was a big admirer of him. When asked why he had his name and number in the telephone directory he's reputed to have said that "How would people find me if I didn't?" He would have been in awe and so excited to see how many people are still interested in what he and Oliver did.. He was the second child of five children whose parents were both in the performing arts. During their time in Scotland, the family lived on Buchanan Drive and he went to Rutherglen Academy, now Stonelaw High. Before he left Ulverston, Stan was a founding member of Barrow Central Wheelers, a cycling club in Barrow in Furness, the biggest nearby town. Laurel's brother died under anesthesia while at the dentist; Hardy's brother drowned in a swimming mishap. They continued to make both features and shorts until 1935, including their 1932 three-reeler The Music Box, which won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject. He once cross-bred a potato and an onion, but couldn't get anyone to sample the results. King James Grammar School in Bishop Auckland, Durham, was seriously damaged by an arson attack in 2007. Around 1940 there was talk of Stan and Ollie starring in a Technicolor film 'The Red Mill; based on the 1906 Victor Herbert operetta. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. She was supposedly looking through a book and saw a picture of a Roman general with a laurel wreath on his head. Stan Laurel's granddaughter is Laurie Brooks Stan Laurel's grandson was Randy Brooks Stan Laurel's great grandchildren: Stan Laurel's great granddaughter is Melinda Grcevic Stan Laurel's great granddaughter is Cherry Fratus Stan Laurel's great grandson is Garrett Brooks Stan Laurel's uncles and aunts: This led onto more short comedies with such greats as Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, and Hal Roach. Stan Laurel was a Lancashire lad who along with Charlie Chaplin went to American vaudeville on the same boat and struck it big. A statue of Stan stands on or near the site of his father's theatre at what is known as Theatre Corner in Bishop Auckland, The statue was created, appropriately by Bob Olley, who also did the one of him in North Shield, and was unveiled by Stan's niece Nancy Wardell. This wasn't a new technique for it had been discovered in 1896 by Georges Melies. Laurel found, to his shock, that he and Hardy were hired only as actors, and were not expected to contribute to the staging, writing, or editing of the productions. The reason why neither Laurel or Hardy liked their time at the "Fox" studios, was because Laurel had been deprived of all creative output. [52] Developed by BBC Films, the film is set in the twilight of their careers, and focuses on their farewell tour of Britain and Ireland's variety halls in 1953. The Daily Times noted 'Laurel was not long ago the understudy for Chaplin and is an expert at the latter's kind of acrobatics' As a paIr Stan and Mae Laurel continued to tour for several years with their vaudeville act (which was eventually renamed 'No Mother to Guide Her') and they returned to Seattle on no fewer than three occasions at the Palace Hip in 1918 and the Pantages in 1919 and 1921. His father, Arthur Joseph Jefferson, was a theatrical entrepreneur and theatre owner in northern England and Scotland who, with his wife, was a major force in the industry. Their daughter Lois died on (2017-07-27)27 July 2017 aged 89.[33]. (incl. Stan and Virginia divorced in 1937 just to re-marry in 1941. [32], Laurel was a smoker until suddenly quitting around 1960. Many people over the years have assumed Laurel was a Democrat because he praised President John F. Kennedy in letters which are available to read on the Internet. He was not called up; his registration card states his status as resident alien and his deafness as exemptions.[15][16]. [3] He attended school at King James I Grammar School in Bishop Auckland, County Durham,[9] and the King's School in Tynemouth, Northumberland. [44], Neil Brand wrote a radio play entitled Stan, broadcast in 2004 on BBC Radio 4 and subsequently on BBC Radio 4 Extra,[45] starring Tom Courtenay as Stan Laurel, in which Stan visits Oliver Hardy after Hardy has suffered his stroke and tries to say the things to his dying friend and partner that have been left unsaid. Although the town was in Lancashire when Laurel was born, that area today is in. Stan Laurel spent much of his childhood in Glasgow and his mum, Margaret Jefferson, is buried in Cathcart cemetery on the southside of the city. Publicity Listings That's why Stan's face is fixed in one position for a relatively long time. In their films Stan wore a Bowler hat a size or two smaller so that it sat higher on his head. Laurel & Hardy are now known as one of the best comedy teams. In 1935, Laurel married Virginia Ruth Rogers (known as Ruth). There is a plaque commemorating the fact, at which time the family were living at 66 Waldron Street, which also has a plaque on it. Robson, 2005 Retrieved: 18 June 2012. His boyhood hero was Dan Leno, considered one of the greatest English music hall comedians. For Laurel, that usually meant staying at the "Hal Roach" studios and carrying out the editing himself, not finishing till quite late. Her beloved . Was known to play practical jokes on unsuspecting crew members on a film set. Revisiting his music hall days, Laurel returned to England in 1947 when he and Hardy went on a six-week tour of the United Kingdom performing in variety shows. The two became friends and their comic chemistry soon became obvious. Laurel was credited for directing or co-directing ten silent shorts (between 1925 and 1927), but appeared in none of these. Stan Laurel and his daughter Lois Laurel. Laurel was offered a cameo role in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), but declined. Laurel and Neilson divorced in December 1934. He found his greatest success when. At the time, Laurel's second marriage was in the process of a divorce, with Dahlberg's legal suit adding to Laurel's woes. Stan was the second of five children born to Arthur Jefferson (A.J.) The film would have opened with each of them sleeping in one of the letter O's of the Hollywood sign. ", "Laurel proves Hardy after disaster delays: Statue of Laurel arrives in Bishop Auckland. Laurel disputed this and claimed that it just "sounded good". In 1908-1909 they lived at Craigmillar Road, Glasgow while Stan's father was running the Metropole Theatre. The play, starring Holland as Laurel, was taken on tour of the UK in 2014 until June 2015.[51]. They had made six Fox features when the studio suddenly abandoned B-picture production in December 1944. In his later years, he was arguably the most approachable of all movie stars, keeping his phone number in the phone book, welcoming all sorts of visitors, and responding to his fan mail personally. A friend once asked me what comedy was. He still received hefty amounts of fan mail. Together, the two men began producing a huge body of short films, including The Battle of the Century, Should Married Men Go Home?, Two Tars, Be Big!, Big Business, and many others. Stan was not able to attend the Screen Actor's Guild Awards in 1963. Worked with Larry Semon on a couple of the latter's films and didn't enjoy the experience. He replied "I don't, but I'd much rather be skiing than this". Charlotte Mae Dahlberg (Dahlberg was her maiden name) was part of a double act with Stan and claimed that she gave Stan his surname. The matter was settled out of court. An invalid since he had a stroke in 1955 . Stan made his stage debut at the sage of 7 in 'Lights of London, and at 15 toured Europe on his own as a song and dance act. ". I also hope the winner can be there on the day of the unveiling to place the headstone. five grandchildren A son, Rand Brooks Jr. died in 2016. Also present was Bart Williams, who brought Stan Laurel's 1947 Chrysler for all to see. [47] In 2008, a statue of Stan Laurel was unveiled in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on the site of the Eden Theatre. "I'm not," said Stan, "I'd rather be doing that than have all these needles stuck into me!" Stan joined with two other former Karno performers, Edgar Hurley and his wife Ethel (known as "Wren") to form "The Three Comiques". A celebration of her . Laurel and Hardy were ranked top among best double acts and seventh overall in a 2005 UK poll to find the Comedians' Comedian. During this tour, Laurel fell ill and was unable to perform for several weeks.[23]. [32] On 6 May 1946, he married Ida Kitaeva Raphael to whom he remained married until his death. The British actor Sir Alec Guinness was a great admirer of Stan's. I guess that's because they saw how much love we put into them. It helped him accent his already humorous walk. [19] The 12 two-reel comedies were Mandarin Mix-Up (1924), Detained (1924), Monsieur Don't Care (1924), West of Hot Dog (1924), Somewhere in Wrong (1925), Twins (1925), Pie-Eyed (1925), The Snow Hawk (1925), Navy Blue Days (1925), The Sleuth (1925), Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde (1925) and Half a Man (1925). Regretted not having more of a formal education, as the comedian felt that that would have made him a better comedian later on. did not want to be on screen in his old age,[4] especially without Hardy. [6] Along with Hardy, Laurel was inducted into the Grand Order of Water Rats. Gaze into the camera with arms up and palms out in a "What now?" Oliver Hardy died on 7 August 1957. But as the team was planning to get back to work, Hardy had a major stroke on 14 September 1956 and was unable to return to acting. Late in life, Stan Laurel faced financial difficulties because of his many ailments. She had five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren in all, as well as a daughter, Laurel. When they were children Stan and comedy actor Alan Young;s families lived near each other in North Shields. Stan's father Arthur Jefferson, or AJ as he was known as, was a prominent theatrical figure in the North East of England. It was around this time that Laurel met Mae Dahlberg. He and Ollie had trouble with dentists in Flying Elephants, Leave 'Em Laughing and Pardon Us, trouble with landlords in Angora Love, They Go Boom, Leave 'Em Laughing, Laughing Gravy and The Chimp and were in prison in The Hoosegow, Liberty, The Second Hundred Years, Pardon Us and Flying Deuces. Joined the Fred Karno's Troupe of actors which included Charlie Chaplin. Cartoon images of Stan and Ollie were used in the cartoon Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Merry Old Soul. That floored me. In 1896, when the Jeffersons were in North Shields, Stan's father was presented with with an entree dish engraved with "Presented to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Jefferson as a mark of esteem from the management and staff of the Theatre Royal, North Shields, Christmas 1896. Subsequently, they made Saps at Sea, which was their last film for Roach. Stan Laurel had a heart attack and died four days later on February 23rd 1965 aged 74. As a result, it was only natural that Laurel also found himself in the entertainment world. . Im hopeful we can be there in the summer.. 87 B&W images); size 240mm x170mm. the tour called Hell -A - Balloo began in Washington D.C. at the end of March '42, - IMDb Mini Biography By: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Stan was always big on treating people equally. His will signed in 1947 showed he had an estate worth $55,062. Both stars were noticeably ill during the filming. Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed. In 1910 the company sailed to America for a tour after which Stan stayed on and eventually met Ollie when they were cast in the same film,. His first two-reeler with Oliver Hardy was 45 Minutes from Hollywood (1926). By 1907 he had been promoted to actor. when projected at normal speed his ears would seem to wave vigorously which would be why Stan's face is fixed in one position for a relatively long time in a scene as in A Chump at Oxford. and Ollie says the same thing in "Babes in Toyland" and in "On the Wrong Trek" Bonita says "Here's 'another fine mess' you've gotten us into". In 1897 the family moved to North Shields which was closer to the centre of AJ's small theatre empire. Editing the two sequences together they would then be copied and joined many times. Stan now changed his surname to Laurel thus given the name Stan Laurel. He just taught us most of it". His father was a vaudeville performer and this led Arthur to being a stage performer too. Billy Wilder planned on doing a film with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in the 1950s. It's shocking of course. The same year, Hardy, a member of the Hal Roach Studios Comedy All Star players, was injured in a kitchen mishap and hospitalised. In Holland, Stan and Ollie were known as Dikke und Dunne. According to his friends, he never fully recovered from, He was a huge fan of westerns. That's the end of the history of Laurel and Hardy. [21] Mobbed wherever they went, Laurel's homecoming to Ulverston took place in May, and the duo were greeted by thousands of fans outside the Coronation Hall. He didn't find out until he met actor Alan Young late in life that their families lived near each other in North Shields, Tynemouth. Dick Van Dyke gave the eulogy[40] as a friend, protg, and occasional impressionist of Laurel during his later years; he read The Clown's Prayer. Her grave is unmarked and overgrown but Cassidy. During the 1930s, Laurel was involved in a dispute with Hal Roach which resulted in the termination of his contract. Ollie was like a brother. The team signed another contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1942, resulting in two more features.[20]. In scenes resembling Beatlemania 30 years later, the comedy team were surrounded by screaming crowds everywhere they went. She is survived by a daughter, Laurel; five grandchildren and nine great- grandchildren. Her grave is unmarked and overgrown but Cassidy Cook, Stans great-grand-daughter and owner of the much-loved entertainers estate and archives, intends to change that. By 1926 he'd come to think that his true gift was in writing and directing instead of performing comedy. Roach maintained separate contracts for Laurel and Hardy that expired at different times, so Hardy remained at the studio and was "teamed" with Harry Langdon for the 1939 film Zenobia. Somewhat taken aback, the nurse replied that she didn't know he was a skier. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Flying Deuces (1984, GOODTIMES) VHS Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy ~ Black and White at the best online prices at eBay! Was an admirer of James Finlayson, Billy Gilbert, Oliver Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Jack Benny and Dick Van Dyke. [24] Laurel had achieved his lifelong dream as a comedian and had been involved in nearly 190 films. [3] With a natural affinity for the theatre, Laurel gave his first professional performance on stage at the Panopticon in Glasgow at the age of sixteen, where he polished his skills at pantomime and music hall sketches. We get to see newly recovered footage as well. She was supposedly looking through a book and saw a picture of a Roman general with a laurel wreath on his head. Their work became more production-line and less popular during the war years, especially after they left Roach and MGM for Twentieth Century-Fox. Whenever. Laurel began his career in music hall, where he developed a number of his standard comic devices, including the bowler hat, the deep comic gravity, and the nonsensical understatement, and developed his skills in pantomime and music hall sketches. [22] The Evening Mail noted: "Oliver Hardy remarked to our reporter that Stan had talked about Ulverston for the past 22 years and he thought he had to see it. A bronze statue of Laurel and Hardy was unveiled in Ulverston, Cumbria, UK where Stan Laurel was born. He made his stage debut at the age of 7 in 'Lights of London' and at 15 toured Europe on his own doing a song sand dance act then became an understudy to Charlie Chaplin in the Fred Karno Company. When his family moved to Scotland, he pursued theater and got to work with the likes of impresario Fred Karno and actor Charlie Chaplin. How many grandchildren does Stan Laurel have? [6] In 2019, Laurel topped a list of the greatest British comedians compiled by a panel on the television channel Gold. As he was a sickly baby she left him there and returned to Bishop to help her husband run his theatres. He didn't get much schooling and this led to the joining of Fred Karno's Troupe where Arthur understudied the future star, Charles Chaplin. Olga died in 1978 and was cremated in Sunderland. It begins and ends with scenes of Stan. In 1916 he returned to the States and did an impersonation of Charlie Chaplin and the act was called "The Keystone Trio" and it was quite successful.In 1917 Stan made his first movie entitled Nuts in May (1917) and at the first screening among the people in the audience were Chaplin himself and producer Carl Laemmle who were both impressed. With Stan Laurel, they often had a scene in their films where they would get into a fight with . Surprisingly he has something in common with Rock and Roll singer BIll Haley in that Bill's mother, like Stan, was born in Ulverston, Cumbria, U.K. Scottish actor Alex Norton wrote a television play 'Stan's First Night, screened 22 June 1987, in which Stan was played by Paul Oldham and his father by William Hoyland. Interred at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California, USA. After Laurel left England for America the pair maintained a life-long friendship, sending letters and photos that documented Laurel's rise from an unknown British comedy actor in 1913 to one of the biggest names in Hollywood in the 1950s. Following his appearance with Ollie on 'This is Your Life' Hal Roach contracted them to star in a series of hour long TV specials but they were never made. [41] Laurel had quipped, "If anyone at my funeral has a long face, I'll never speak to him again. One of Stan's favorite practical jokes was a trick toilet built into the bathroom of one of his homes. and Margaret (Madge) Metcalfe. [14] Chaplin and Laurel arrived in the United States on the same ship from Britain with the Karno troupe and toured the country. He had two children with his first wife, Lois: a daughter Lois Laurel (1927-2017); and a son, Stanley Robert (May 7, 1930-May 16, 1930), who was born two months prematurely. The film The Great Race was dedicated to Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy by director Blake Edwards because it contained a pie fight and because he loved comedy and L&H. In Spain, Stan and Ollie were known as El Gordo y El Flaco. In deed Stan's act at the time seems to have been more in line with the Chaplin style of comedy (more precisely the Karno style of comedy) than the type he would perfect in later collaborations with Oliver Hardy. He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960. . You have to learn what people will laugh at, then proceed accordingly. He is often thought of as being very short and skinny. He and Ollie had trouble with landlords in Angora Love, They Go Boom, Leave 'em, Laughing, The Chimp and Laughing Gravy, with police in Night Owls, Bacon Grabbers, Unaccustomed As We Are, Finishing Touch, The Hoosegow, Below Zero, Pardon Us, Midnight Patrol, Tit For Tat, Saps at Sea, Big Business Leave 'em Laughing, Double Whoopee and with doctors in Thicker Than Water, County Hospital, Saps at Sea, and Them Thar Hills. Entertainment Weekly voted him and comedy partner, He fell off a platform and tore ligaments in his right leg while filming, In his later years, he was a close friends with, While rarely credited as a writer or director, he was the driving creative force behind the team of Laurel and Hardy. Stan Laurel (June 16, 1890 - February 23, 1965) was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston, Lancashire, England, into a theatrical family. - IMDb Mini Biography By: [39], At his funeral service at Church of the Hills, Buster Keaton said, "Chaplin wasn't the funniest. The production included. [2], In 1961, Stan Laurel was given an Academy Honorary Award "for his creative pioneering in the field of cinema comedy". Their first release through MGM was Sugar Daddies (1927) and the first with star billing was From Soup to Nuts (1928). Our house was like a museum, with pictures and statues everywhere. Like most comedians, Stan Laurel lived and breathed comedy. Regarding stories of their supposed split in 1940, Stan said that his contract ran out 3 months before Ollies so Stan refused to re-sign until Ollies contract came up for renewal, then they both signed together. ", "Raw footage of Stan Laurels funeral with Dick Van Dyke, Buster Keaton and more", "BBC Four Cinema - Silent Cinema Season. On February 23, 1965, Laurel told his nurse he wouldn't mind going skiing right at that very moment. Publication date Thursday 19 October 2017. He became one of the biggest stars in the world but he was born a normal guy. He was one of five children. Film director Ray Bradbury, best known for his science fiction films was a big fan of Stan and Ollie attending Sons meetings when he could and wrote a number of short stories about them including - The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair, The Laurel and Hardy Alpha Centauri Farewell Tour, and Another Fine Mess, which was set on the Music Box Steps. Although they were identified with Bowlers they actually wore more other hats in their many films and when they were on their European tours they eagerly donned the appropriate national hat of the country they were in- Berets in Paris, Tam O Shanter in Scotland .After Ollie's death Stan never publicly wore another Bowler. He and Chaplin arrived in the United States on the same ship from the United Kingdom with the Karno troupe. . He was one of five children. DC Thomson Co Ltd 2023. The old school that he attended briefly in Bishop Auckland is being demolished (as at August 2021) and aged peoples homes built on the site which will be named Laurel Court with a plaque commemorating Stan put at the entrance. The film was a disaster, a Franco-Italian co-production titled Atoll K. (The film was entitled Utopia in the US and Robinson Crusoeland in the UK.) [1] He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 short films, feature films, and cameo roles.[2]. [30] Dahlberg was described as a "relief project worker" by the court. Cassidy realised from an early age that her family was different, but it wasnt until she was 18 she understood how much Stan meant to his fans. Stan's father was a skilled actor, make-up artist, and theatre manager, and his mother was a dramatic actor. Man of the Theatre and Father of Stan Laurel (Brewin Books Ltd). As children Alan Young's father and an aunt ran away from home to audition for Stan's father in Glasgow. His mum suffered from ill health and died aged 48, while his dad, AJ Jefferson, who managed the Metropole theatre in Glasgow, moved back down south and married again. I was quite young at the time, so I would like to go back and experience it again.. A plaque on 66 Princes Street in Bishop Auckland put up by the Civic Society a good few years ago states that Stan lived there but since then research has proved that to be wrong as it's now known that while his parents lived there his mother went back to her parents in Ulverston to give birth to him. Over ten years later the ruins remain surrounded by scaffolding and tarpaulin sheets waiting for some kind of decision to be made on what to do with it. In 1925, she started interfering with Laurel's work, so Rock offered her a cash settlement and a one-way ticket back to her native Australia, which she accepted. They formed a friendship but not a very good one. No grave photo. [37] He died on 23 February 1965, aged 74, four days after suffering a heart attack. He appeared with his comic partner Oliver Hardy in the film short The Lucky Dog in 1921, although they did not become an official team until late 1927. [36] In January 1965, he underwent a series of x-rays for an infection on the roof of his mouth. Abbott and Costello weren't getting what they wanted from the scriptwriters at Universal so would take the scripts to Stan for the three of them to work on together. Arthur Stanley Jefferson was born in his grandparents' house on 16 June 1890 in Argyle Street, Ulverston, Lancashire,[a] to Arthur J. Jefferson, an actor and theatre manager from Bishop Auckland, and Margaret (ne Metcalfe), an actress from Ulverston.
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