He was one half of laurel and hardy, an iconic comedy duo in the mid20th century. S tours, plus the laurel, chaplin, karno tours in britain and america laurel and hardy books first editions buy now. The author of this biography, john mccabe, was in a unique position, in that he was the only writer out of all the various books on laurel and hardy, to have interviewed the men themselves. Laurel often worked well into the night, writing and editing their films. There are many books on laurel and hardy, many good books on laurel and hardy. Besides the illustrations in dean mckeowns book, and charlie halls own captions for them, i enjoyed the text. Laurel and hardy are among the great geniuses of world cinema. This book is a fictional account of the careers of laurel and hardy and the clever thing that john connolly does is convey the love and mutual admiration both characters had for each other. Hats off was later remade as laurel and hardy s oscar winning comedy the music box 1932, one of their best known pictures. Dec 28, 2018 while filming the movie originally entitled atoll k in 1950 later released as utopia in 1954, hardys general health worsened, exacerbated by his obesity, and stan laurels preexisting. Their bestknown movies included sons of the desert and way out west. He did spend a considerable amount of time and effort helping with the editing when he and hardy were working with roach studios to make sure the comedy was just right. With any director, if laurel said i dont like this idea, the director didnt say well, youre going to do it anyway. John mccabe is an established writer on theater and the movies.
Laurel and hardy british tours is with aj marriot and gary stanley slade. If you want an thorough look at them as individuals, his titles babe the life of oliver hardy and the comedy world of stan laurel are essential reading, and recommended by the author of this book. The british tours oliver hardy told a story about how they were considered. The flying deuces is a great fun film, not their best but by no means at all the worst. Stan laurel biography facts, childhood, family life. When a laurel and hardy film came on television my grandad freddie elcock would sit me on his knee and point excitedly at the screen. Marriot, who has written six books about laurel and hardy, believes that the rows depicted in the film coogans stan yells at ollie that he is lazy at one point do not offer an. The ultimate book on laurel and hardy with respect to everyone who wrote a book about laurel and hardy in the past, and will do so in the coming future, the latest from randy skretvedt, a massive 628page cockroach killer, is a musthave.
Author john connolly, visiting the laurel and hardy museum in harlem on saturday, said hardy was an important point of stability in laurels often complicated, difficult life. Aug 12, 2017 the author of a new book on laurel and hardy reveals the chaotic love lives of the comedy duo. It is the strength of their friendship that forms the. While rarely credited as a writer or director, he was the driving creative force behind the team of laurel and hardy. Nov 21, 2016 he is also the founding director of the louise brooks society, an online archive and international fan club begun in 1995. Laurel and hardy restorations coming to blu ray and dvd. Laurel and hardy central the music of laurel and hardy. The magic behind the movies, which has 50 years worth of my research in it. He became friends with laurel after he found him listed in the phone book and called him to ask for advice.
Popular laurel hardy books laurel and hardy have always had a special place in the affections of british comedians, and not just because laurel is from the cumbrian town of ulverston home to the charmingly idiosyncratic laurel and hardy museum. He argues that their screen career ended so dismally because the strict rules of big studio. Inside the disastrous love lives of movie legends laurel and hardy who had nine wives between them and a string of affairs a new film starring steve coogan and john c reilly will tell the. Rufus jones, a self proclaimed lifelong fan of laurel and hardy he was a member of the sons of the desert is stan and babes producer of the tour, bernard delfont and he s a riot as the promoter who get the boys to do things they may not want to do with the skill of a surgeon. He read a halfdozen books, including the comedy teams first major biography, john mccabes mr.
Jan 11, 2019 i remember seeing the posters they used to have one at the front where you went to pay, he said. W elcome to the laurel and hardy catalogue the ultimate source of books, trading cards, audio cds, ties, t shirts, figures and much more for fans of the boys. Jul 07, 2018 the ultimate book on laurel and hardy with respect to everyone who wrote a book about laurel and hardy in the past, and will do so in the coming future, the latest from randy skretvedt, a massive 628page cockroach killer, is a musthave. Raguse seems to acknowledge this by the contradiction in his next sentence.
Feb 27, 2014 clip from laurel and hardy s 1938 feature length comedy blockheads. The novel charts stan laurels life in 203 short chapters from his perspective as a retiree in santa monica, california. The books great love story is that of laurel mourning and yearning for his late partner oliver hardy, still writing routines for the two of them, rehearsing them by himself. He founded sons of the desert, a laurel and hardy fan club. The truth about stan laurel and oliver hardy in book he.
Entertainment weekly voted him and comedy partner oliver hardy the 45th greatest movie star of all time. Laurel would joke about his three wives getting it all, then explain that producer hal roach owned all the laurel and hardy films. Stan first went to america in 1910, along with the star of the show, charlie chaplin. New book the making of laurel and hardy, by danny lawrence. Arthur stanley jefferson changed his name to stan laurel in 1931 and was, of course, famous for being one half of laurel and hardy along with oliver hardy, or babe as he is known throughout this novel.
The book fans backwards from laurels last years in his oceana apartment, as he remembers the tough years before success came with a chance partnership with oliver hardy. Conflict resolution, concentrate on whats right not whos right. Imagining the unhappy life of stan laurel the new york times. Call me, ill tell you what are you you trying trying to to do do make make make the the the biggest thing i look book, book book, but but but but at this theres theres theres theres. Over the past 40 years there have been many books written about laurel and hardy. He ran the laurel and hardy set, no matter who was in the directors chair, but never felt compelled to assert his authority. Merchandiser larry harmon claimed ownership of laurel s and hardy s likenesses and has issued laurel and hardy toys and coloring books.
The chaotic love lives of laurel and hardy revealed daily. The writer of a new book about the comedy pair explains how their multiple marriages were crazier than any of their movies new years day, 1938. After oliver hardys death in august 1957, stan laurel certainly missed babe, but he surely did not spend his days at the oceana apartment in santa monica. As he was part of the sons as a teenager in 1965, my pick to do this little piece would be leonard maltin as he also knew many of the founders personally over the years he also wrote the official publication of the sons of the desert, 1973s the laurel and hardy book as well randy and richard bann could also do this, but leonards. The loveable creativity of laurel and hardy shepherd express. Stan laurel and oliver hardy made more than 100 comedies together, laurel playing the bumbling and innocent foil to the pompous hardy. A chronological journey through the films of laurel and hardy. Blockheads is a 1938 comedy film starring stan laurel and oliver hardy. Bann, and others, with dozens and dozens of neverbeforeseen photographs. Dick van dyke talks about how he met stan laurel youtube. He and oliver hardy, or babe, as his friends called him had been scared to death when the silent films had ended in 1928.
Reading john connollys book will sort this out for you. I may have the details in my files at home but i cannot access them from where i am right now, talking with lois. Laurel left behind at least 1,500 letters he wrote to friends, lovers and other associates in what now comprises the stan laurel correspondence archive project. Also in the film are charley chase and charlie hall. Rare and previously unreleased audio 19441964 is a hardcover 9 12 x 12 12 85 page book. The book contains essays by leonard maltin, michael feinstein, randy skretvedt, richard w. Whenever oliver hardy was asked a question about a gag, story idea, or plot line, he always pointed to laurel and said, ask stan. Laurel and hardy film fans big business 1929 p3 facebook. While laurel and hardy often appeared innocent, even childlike. Journalists who, in turn, interviewed laurel and hardy, and members of the public.
The he of connollys title is arthur stanley jefferson, better known as one half of the comedy duo laurel and hardy, widely regarded as two. I learned some things i did not know, giving a better sense of who this man really was. The only existing source to include anything useful was a. He by john connolly book cover, description, publication history. He started performing professionally in music hall comedies and developed a style of his own, which included his bowler hat. Dec 28, 2018 he read a halfdozen books, including the comedy teams first major biography, john mccabes mr. Marriots book on laurel and hardys british tours but that left many questions unanswered. Laurel and hardy, along with others, play escapees from an insane asylum who make his life hell. Signature stan laurel born arthur stanley jefferson. I hope that orson bean got to see many of these restorations, before his recent death at 91 as a pedestrian in a grotesque double auto accident. The chaotic love lives of laurel and hardy revealed. That was the beginning, that was the end, of what we will call the laurel and hardy love affair. J is a recognised authority on the lives and careers of laurel and hardy, and his lectures have been the highlight of many literaryluncheons, film festivals, theatre shows, and fan club conventions all over the uk, and in europe. He was a manipulative tightwad who staggered laurel and hardys.
We used to see laurel and hardy at the saturday morning pictures so when i heard they were. In italy, laurel and hardy are known as stanlio e ollio. He is precisely the book stan laurel never wanted anyone to write, and its even worse than that, because theres scurrilous stuff in it that is entirely false. It was not to be, although the indomitable laurel would continue to write material for laurel and hardy, as. Laurel and hardy books the british tours, european tours, u. Laurel and hardy club november 15, 2019 in 2020 i will be doing white noise testing to see if i can get stan coming through speaking to me or giving me anything that he can able to say, it sure would be great. He is also the author of the books below, among a number of others.
Laurel and hardy, comedy team that is widely regarded as the greatest in film history. I knew he had lived in the town but so little was known about that period in his life that i soon came to a grinding halt. To compile laurel and hardy the british tours the author spent hundreds of hours poring over old newspapers, and an equal amount of time in interviewing waitresses, taxi drivers, receptionists, hoteliers, theatre managers, stage staff, and laurel s relatives. Hardy in 1957, laurel retired from making pictures until his death in 1965. He should have it ready for the sons of the desert convention this coming july. Little public information is available on shields years with roach, and few of the major books on laurel and hardy have had much to say about shield except that he showed up, he wrote some great tunes, he left. Every theatre engagement and every act they worked with during the two years in total spent in britain is recorded.
He appeared with his comedy partner oliver hardy in 107 short films, feature films, and cameo roles. Inside the disastrous love lives of movie legends laurel. She was twentyfive, he was thirtytwo when they met at one of those dumb cocktail parties where everyone wonders what they are doing there. There is a lot of info that has not been covered by other bios on the boys. With he, john connolly recreates the golden age of hollywood for an intensely compassionate study of the tension between commercial demands and artistic integrity, the human frailties behind even the greatest of artists, and one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history. Oliver hardy and stan laurel with their wives, lucille and ida, in stans sisters pub, in england, in 1952. Born into a family of actors, laurel entered the stage early in his career. Hardy, always referred to as babe, is much the gentler, while laurel, the he of the title, is the tougherminded.
Mar 30, 2020 laurel and hardy, comedy team that is widely regarded as the greatest in film history. He also coproduced a series of laurel and hardy cartoons in 1966 with hannabarbera productions. The comic was always welcominghis number was listed in the phone book yet this was an especially difficult time. Horne every man has a past with some little indiscretion he would like to bury mr. Jan 10, 2019 america was treating them as absolute hasbeens, says aj marriot, author of the 1993 book laurel and hardy. From autobiographys to the british tours, films, solo careers before the partnership and even advertising, every part of their life has been scrutinised. After the death of oliver babe hardy in 1957, laurel retired from making. He fictionalizes the career of one half of the laurel and hardy team. It is not only a major contribution to theatrical history and a valuable reference book, but also a penetrating and moving analysis of the changing fortunes and lives of laurel and hardy the most celebrated of all comedy double acts. This is a weighty, meticulously researched and beautifully written book.
He presents a fully rounded, wellpaced portrait of their contrasting backgrounds laurel was born in england. In fact this came quite late in their career, shortly before their disapointing move to mgm and fox. This book is a must for true laurel and hardy aficionados. The magic behind the movies is like a whole collection of laurel and hardy books, articles and information all rolled into one. Clip from laurel and hardy s 1938 feature length comedy blockheads. Blockheads is a 1938 comedy film starring stan laurel and oliver hardy, produced by hal roach studios for metrogoldwynmayer. He was associate producer of the documentary moving midway. This is the last how to get a job book youll ever need. J marriot laurel and hardy author, comedy writer, speaker. Winner of the 2017 ryan tubridy show listeners choice award at the irish book awards. Van dyke said he found laurels number in a santa monica, california, phone book. An extraordinary recreation of one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history. Laurel and hardy books over the past 40 years there have been many books written about laurel and hardy.
He was mentored by fred karno and was an understudy to. Laurel had hoped that he and babe hardy would have another shot at stardom via the fledgling medium of television. Its the best tribute to this novel that by the end of it you feel you have been given the full texture of a life. Times have changed and we have different expectations for our comedy this book was an interesting read. When stan laurel is paired with oliver hardy, affectionately known as babe, the history of. Jan 25, 2017 dick van dyke tells conan how he stumbled upon stan laurels phone number in the phone book. Marriot has produced an awesomely researched book which is an absolute must for any laurel and hardy devotee. You may also find yourself laughing out loud whilst reading this book which both laurel and hardy strived to do on the screen for so many years. Laurel and hardy the british tours hardback book, 1st. Marriots the british toursessentially a scrapbook and a. Hal roach told me, the things that hardy did were his the looking to the camera, the waving of the tie. Stan laurel, oliver hardy, mae busch, thelma todd, james finlayson director.
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