Name: Stan Laurel

Age: Timeless

Nationality: British

Claim to fame: With his partner Oliver Hardy, he created comic magic on screen

THEY had such comic magic that even looking at them made you smile. Laurel and Hardy are undoubtedly the greatest comedy duos in cinema history and even decades after their death there will be few who would not know them. And those who don’t, know nothing about cinema.

It’s been 40 years since Stan Laurel died on February 23, 1965 and fans of the comic stars are marking the occasion with programmes aimed at keeping the slapstick spirit alive. The famous comedian’s film career spanned 35 years and an incredible 182 films! A look at the filmography of Laurel and Hardy stuns you because of the sheer rate of production of their films in the 1920s and ‘30s, producing almost a feature a month! They made the world roll in laughter both in the silent era and that of the talkies.

It was their oddity as a couple that charmed audiences — Oliver was a larger than life American with a comically small moustache while Stan was a child-like beanpole of an Englishman perpetually bemused by life. It was their relationship together and the comic situations that they found themselves in that comprised the subject of countless films. While Ollie acted, Stan combined his screen duties with scripting, directing and editing all their features. While, he portrayed himself on screen as a dunce, off screen he was the powerhouse behind the duo’s success.

Born in 1890 to a theatrical father, Laurel did odd jobs around the theatres and music halls until he landed his first official stage play at 16. In 1910 he made his first trip to America as a member of a musical-comedy troupe, which also included Charlie Chaplin and for some time, he was Chaplin’s understudy. Around this time, Stan adopted a stage name as a result of a superstition. His real name — Stan Jefferson — contained the unlucky number of 13 letters. He chose the name Laurel. Initially working as a scriptwriter, Stan faced the camera when he had to step in after an actor, Oliver Hardy, was injured. His strong performance led to other films and soon his great comic chemistry with Hardy led them to become comedy partners, officially teaming up in 1927 for the release of Duck Soup. Thereon, they made 117 films between 1926 and 1952.

Hardy started life in 1892 as Norvell Hardy but called himself Oliver after his father died. Brought up in Harlem, Georgia, he studied law but the fascination for films turned him to acting. His first film with Laurel was The Lucky Dog in 1917 and after 11 features together, they became an official double act. They only won one Oscar, for The Music Box, released in 1932, and three years after Ollie’s death Stan was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 1960.

The influence of Laurel and Hardy has been enormous, they represent a direct link from the music hall and vaudeville traditions to modern comedy. They have inspired countless comedians and comic acts, including our own popular Alif Noon and will continue to do so for generations to come. — S.M. Nasir Younus