It Sure Is Olly

It's birthday week in the Charles household with Nora's Mum and Nora's Dad celebrating birthdays this week. Many Happy Returns!

Also among other bright stars in the firmament with birthdays this week is Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy fame, born on June 16, 1890.

One of the outstanding geniuses of early 20th century comedy and film, Stan Laurel will ever be remembered as the hapless sidekick of Oliver Hardy.

That may have been the on-screen persona, but the reality off-screen was that Stan Laurel was the brains of the outfit, not only as an actor but also as a writer and director.

Once Charlie Chaplin's understudy, Laurel came to the US with Chaplin as part of the Fred Karno troupe.

There are a couple of outstanding web sites that reveal more about the man than celluloid alone will tell you. The first is dedicated to preserving the memories of this wonderful comic duo. The second to preserving his letters, many of which written after the death of his screen partner in 1957.

This cigarette card is dated 1933, the year that one of Laurel and Hardy's greatest films, Sons Of The Desert, hit the silver screen. The back of the card reads:

No 75
This is one of a series of FAMOUS FILM STARS
Laurel and Hardy
Stan Laurel appeared in vaudeville, then entered films where he met Oliver Hardy. These two have done much "team" work in comedies since. Fair hair and blue eyes.

Oliver Hardy also appreared in vaudeville before his partnership wtih Stan Laurel. Balck Hair and brown eyes. They have appeared in "Jailbirds", "Any Old Port", "Helpmates", "County Hospital"
-- From Who's Who on the Screen. 1933
WD & HO Wills's World Renowned Cigarettes