Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and HardyStan Laurel and Oliver Hardy have remained, from 1927 to the present day, the screen's most famous and popular comedy double act, celebrated by legions of fans. But despite many books about their films and individual lives, there has never been a fully researched, definitive narrative biography of the duo, from birth to death. Louvish traces the early lives of Stanley Jefferson and Norvell Hardy and the surrounding minstrel and variety theatre, which influenced all of their later work. Louvish examines the rarely seen solo films of both our heroes, prior to their serendipitous pairing in 1927, in the long-lost short "Duck Soup." The inspired casting teamed them until their last days. Both often married, they found balancing their personal and professional lives a nearly impossible feat. Between 1927 and 1938, they were able to successfully bridge the gap between silent and sound films, which tripped up most of their prominent colleagues. Their Hal Roach and MGM films were brilliant, but their move in 1941, to Twentieth Century Fox proved disastrous, with the nine films made there ranking as some of the most embarrassing moments of cinematic history. In spite of this, Laurel and Hardy survived as exemplars of lasting genius, and their influence is seen to this day. The clowns were elusive behind their masks, but now Simon Louvish can finally reveal their full and complex humanity, and their passionate devotion to their art. In Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy, Louvish has seamlessly woven tireless and thorough research into an authoritative biography of these two important and influential Hollywood pioneers. |
Contents
The Roots of Comedy PART TWO The Glory Days Tall Oaks From Little Acorns Grow | 191 |
The Roots of Comedy PART THREE We Faw Down On the trail of the lonesome mimes | 327 |
The Roots of Comedy Epilogue Going Bye Bye | 456 |
The Roots of Comedy Notes on Sources | 463 |
The Roots of Comedy Chronology | 477 |
The Roots of Comedy Filmography | 481 |
501 | |
The Roots of Comedy Acknowledgements | 505 |
507 | |
Other editions - View all
Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy Simon Louvish Limited preview - 2005 |
Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy Simon Louvish No preview available - 2002 |
Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy Simon Louvish No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
actor Angeles Examiner Anita Garvin appeared Arthur audience Babe Hardy Babe’s Billy boys camera Chaplin character Charley Chase Charlie Hall clowns comedian comedy comic Directed by James director Edgar Kennedy feature fight figure film final finally find fire first film five Fred Karno funny gags girl Hal Roach Studios Hardy film Hardy’s Harry Hollywood husband ibid Illiana James Finlayson James Parrott Jimmy Finlayson Joe Rock John McCabe Larry Semon later laugh Laurel and Hardy Leo McCarey Lloyd look Lubin Lucille Madelyn Mae Busch marriage married movie Music music-hall Myrtle Norvell Hardy Oliver Hardy Ollie’s picture played Produced Randy Skretvedt released role scene screen script shooting short shot sketch solo stage Stan and Babe Stan and Ollie Stan Jefferson Stan Laurel Stan’s star story tale theatre tour USCHR vaudeville W. C. Fields wife York young