Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland Daily Photo: Stan Laurel Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland Daily Photo mainly photos from around Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland, but not quite daily any more. Saturday, 13 March 2010 . . Stan Laurel was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson on the 16th June 1890. He grew up in Bishop Auckland, County Durham where his father was a theatre manager; he later attended Kings School, Tynemouth. He lived in Dockwray Square, North Shields, from 1897 to 1902 where this statue was erected in 1989 . He was to become one half of the famous Hollywood comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. He died on 23 February 1965 aged 74. Posted by This brought back fond memories of watching Laurel and Hardy with my dad when I was a kid, thank you. It's a sweet and loving tribute to a man who brought so much laughter to the world. Love the beautiful yellow and blue colors in your photo too!

Stan Laurel - Famous Figures biography Stan Laurel Category : Famous Figures Last modified : 2010-05-31 Out of the vast array of comic talent found at the Hal Roach Studios during its heyday, Stan Laurel emerged as The Lot of Fun's supreme comic genius. Given carte blanche by Roach when it came to the writing, direction, editing and production design of the Laurel and Hardy films, he enjoyed a close and professional relationship with Roach until their falling out over the script of "Babes in Toyland" (1934). Nevertheless, 'The Boys' continued to work another six years at Roach without interference from the boss. Though his name never appeared on the credits as such, Laurel was the de facto director and head writer for virtually every L & H film, a fact which enabled him to make twice as much money as his portly partner, but despite rumors that the two were bitter enemies, they remained close friends until Hardy's death in 1957. Having had only modest success as a solo performer, Laurel readily acknowledged Hardy as the missing ingredient which made his own character more sympathetic. There simply was no viable Laurel without Hardy.

They needed each other; it was the pairing that made them funny. Born into a show business family, Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson) made his stage debut in Glasgow, Scotland at the age of 16 and four years later joined Fred Karno's company, understudying Charlie Chaplin. When Chaplin's departure to work with Mack Sennett led to the cancellation of the troupe's remaining US dates, Laurel remained in the USA and toured the North American vaudeville circuit in "The Nutty Burglars", a sketch of his own devising. He then made a living impersonating Chaplin before teaming with common-law wife Mae Dahlberg (billed as Stan and Mae Jefferson; later as Stan and Mae Laurel), with whom he appeared in his first movie, "Nuts in May" (1917). Laurel bounced between pictures and vaudeville, working for Universal, Essanay (where he acted by chance with Oliver 'Babe' Hardy in "Lucky Dog" 1921) and Roach. After questioning his abilities as a performer, he pretty much decided to concentrate on a career behind the camera.

In fact, Roach hired him back in 1925 with the understanding that his primary duties would be as writer, director, gagman--and only occasionally--performer. Though not credited as director on any of the signature Laurel and Hardy films, he did receive credit as helmsman on 10 Roach shorts, three of which included Hardy. If not for Laurel's occasional appearances as one of the Hal Roach all-stars, director Leo McCarey, credited with urging Roach to make Laurel and Hardy an official team, might never have recognized the extra comic sparks flying whenever the duo were in a scene together. After their pairing, it took a little while for them to develop the winning formula. Their trademark costumes did not appear until their eighth film ("Do Detectives Think?" 1927), and McCarey and Roach both cited "Putting Pants on Philip" (also 1927) as the first "official" L & H film. By the end of that year, they had caught on so well with the public that there was no turning back, yet no one except Roach would have allowed their growing pains.

He understood comedy and gave his people the time and freedom to get things just right, saving the pair from the kind of studio meddling that eviscerated the genius of Buster Keaton. Laurel and Hardy each beautifully complemented the other's screen presence, achieving a connection that can only be called soulful on their way to becoming Hollywood's greatest acting team. (Bud Abbott and Lou Costello only proved how much more L & H had brought to the arena of fat man-thin man humor.) The perfect pairing of opposites, they thrived on maintaining their decency in a world constantly inflicting its irreverence and cynicism on them. Despite suffering defeat after defeat at the cruel hand of fate, they dusted themselves off to face whatever calamity awaited with renewed optimism, lampooning life's difficulties in a way that appealed to children and scholars alike.

Stanley, the well-intentioned, bungling simpleton, always found a way to sabotage the dainty and painstaking plans of Ollie, eliciting from him, "This is another fine mess you've got us into." Their well thought-out comic interplay featured peerless one-upmanship, with each getting ample opportunity to upstage the other, though Hardy may have earned more laughs for his endless capacity for "falling in the whitewash." The coming of sound did not shake up Laurel and Hardy's world. They simply continued doing their same brand of humor, adding only the language that seemed appropriate, nothing more nor less. "Pardon Us", their first feature, debuted in 1931, but their main work was still comedy shorts, which they continued to make along with their full-lengths until 1935. Though it is the features of this period (especially "Sons of the Desert" 1933 and "Babes in Toyland") that are now best remembered, the shorts, less flawed by tedium and plotlessness, may represent their highest artistic achievement.

Certainly, a critical high point came when arguably their best short, "The Music Box" (1932), won the first Academy Award ever given in the category of Best Short Subjects (Live Action Comedy). When Roach abandoned shorts as commercially impractical, 'The Boys' continued making funny films through the end of the decade, benefiting from the creative contributions of veteran silent comedian Harry Langdon who received screenplay credit on "Blockheads" (1938), "The Flying Deuces" (1939) and "A Chump at Oxford" and "Saps at Sea" (both 1940). In all, Laurel and Hardy appeared in over 70 films for Roach between the years 1926 and 1940, excelling in the studio's best of all possible worlds working environment. Neither 20th Century-Fox nor MGM would allow Laurel to call the shots, sure that they knew more about L & H's humor than 'The Boys', and their films from 1941-45 were dismal failures. No longer the sweet innocents so carefully perfected at Roach, they came off simply as unendearing idiots in weary, unfunny, juvenile efforts.

Though they would make one last disappointing film, "Atoll K/Utopia" (1950), Laurel and Hardy enjoyed phenomenal success on the live stage between 1947 and 1954, particularly in Great Britain. Drawing from his English music hall roots, Laurel wrote delightful sketches that the team performed before sellout crowds, and the rejuvenated pair returned to the USA with big plans for a series of TV comedy specials. Sadly, it was not to be. 'Babe' Hardy suffered a mild heart attack, Laurel, a paralyzing stroke, and though they posed for a series of publicity stills in 1956, Hardy's massive stroke that year dispelled all hope of subsequent triumphs. Their close, personal relationship was such that, when Hardy died in 1957, Laurel refused to work on film again. Realizing that one of its treasures had slipped away without proper recognition, Hollywood resolved to not make the same mistake twice, presenting Laurel with an honorary Academy Award in 1960.

The comedy of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy remains popular today, as evidenced by a contemporary fan club called Sons of the Desert (which Laurel helped co-found), named for one of their best-loved films, in which 'The Boys' sneak off to a fraternal convention while pretending to go on a "medicinal" sea voyage. When the ship sinks and their wives see them cavorting on a newsreel report of the convention, the stage is set for a delicious send-up of marital strife, just one of the many examples of their art-imitating-life problems. This ability to capture universal truths about the human condition, coupled with the kindness and gentleness of their screen personas even in their roughest vehicles, produced a timeless humor which grows in estimation with each passing year. Laurel was a heavy smoker until suddenly giving up when he was about seventy years of age. He died on February 23, 1965, several days after suffering a heart attack. Just minutes away from death, Laurel told his nurse he would not mind going skiing right at that very moment. Somewhat taken aback, the nurse replied that she was not aware that he was a skier.

"I'm not," said Laurel, "I'd rather be doing that than have all these needles stuck into me!" A few minutes later the nurse looked in on him again and found that he quietly had died. Dick Van Dyke, a friend, protege and occasional impressionist of Laurel's during his later years, gave the eulogy at his funeral. Silent screen comedian Buster Keaton was overheard at Laurel's funeral giving his assessment of the comedian's considerable talents: "Chaplin wasn't the funniest, I wasn't the funniest, this man was the funniest." Laurel wrote his own epitaph; "If anyone at my funeral has a long face, I'll never speak to him again." He was buried at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. Legacy * In 1989 a statue of Laurel was erected in Dockwray Square, North Shields, Northumberland, England where he lived at No. 8 from 1897 to 1902, and where the steps down from the Square to the North Shields Fish Quay were said to have inspired the piano-moving scene in The Music Box.

In 2006, BBC Four showed a drama called Stan, based on Laurel meeting Hardy on his deathbed and reminiscing about their career . * Laurel's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is situated at 7021 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California. * In 2008, a statue of Stan Laurel was unveiled in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on the site of the Eden Theatre. * In April 2009, a bronze statue of Laurel and Hardy was unveiled in Ulverston, Cumbria. View the full website biography of Stan Laurel . Stan Laurel S Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 – February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor , writer and director, famous as the first half of the comedy double-act Laurel and Hardy , whose career stretched from the silent films of the early 20th century until after World War II .

Early life Stan Laurel was born in his grandparents' house on 16 June 1890 at 3 Argyle Street, Ulverston in the Furness region of Lancashire , England (now part of the ceremonial county of Cumbria ). His parents, Arthur and Madge (Margaret) Jefferson, were both active in the theatre and always very busy. But Stan's home life in Bishop Auckland, County Durham was still a happy one. In his early years, he spent much time living with his grandmother Sarah Metcalfe. He attended school at the King James I Grammar School, Bishop Auckland and The King's School, Tynemouth, for a while he attended Rutherglen Academy. His father managed a number of different theatres - one of which being the long demolished Eden Theatre in Bishop Auckland. Stan had a natural affinity for the theatre, with his first professional performance on stage being at the Britannia Panopticon in Glasgow , Scotland, at the age of 16. In 1910, he joined Fred Karno's troupe of actors, which also included a young Charlie Chaplin . For some time, Stan acted as Chaplin's understudy .

The Karno troupe toured America, and brought both Chaplin and Laurel to the United States for the first time. From 1916 to 1918, he teamed up with Alice and Baldwin Cooke, who became lifelong friends. Amongst other performers, Laurel worked briefly alongside Oliver Hardy in a silent film short The Lucky Dog. This was before the two became a team. It was around this time that Stan met Mae Dahlberg, who was to have a great effect on his life. Also about this time, Stan adopted the stage name of Laurel, at Dahlberg's suggestion. The pair were performing together when Laurel was offered $75.00 per week to star in two-reel comedies. After the making of his first film, Nuts in May, Universal offered him a contract. The contract was soon cancelled, however, during a reorganisation at the studio. By 1924, Laurel had forsaken the stage for full-time film work, now under contract with Joe Rock for twelve two-reel comedies. The contract also had one unusual stipulation, that Dahlberg was not to appear in any of the films. It was felt that her temperament was hindering his career.

In 1925, when she started interfering with Laurel's work, Rock offered her a cash settlement and a one-way ticket back to her native Australia, which she accepted. In 1926, Stan married his first wife, Lois Nielson. He would go on to marry three other women. One of them he would marry twice (Clara). He was also good friends with Jimmy Finlayson before the team of Laurel and Hardy appeared. Laurel and Hardy Laurel went on to join the Hal Roach studio, and began directing films, including a 1926 production called Yes, Yes, Nanette. He intended to work primarily as a writer and director, but fate stepped in. In 1927, Oliver Hardy, another member of the Hal Roach Studios Comedy All Star players, was injured in a kitchen mishap and Laurel was asked to return to acting. Laurel and Hardy began sharing the screen in Slipping Wives, Duck Soup and With Love and Hisses. The two became friends and their comic chemistry soon became obvious.

Roach Studios' supervising director Leo McCarey noticed the audience reaction to them and began teaming them, leading to the creation of the Laurel and Hardy series later that year. 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. Laurel and Hardy successfully made the transition to talking films with the short Unaccustomed As We Are in 1929. They also appeared in their first feature in one of the revue sequences of The Hollywood Revue of 1929 and the following year they appeared as the comic relief in a lavish all-colour (in Technicolor ) musical feature, The Rogue Song. In 1931, their own first starring feature, Pardon Us was released, although 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. Trouble at Roach Studio During the 1930s, Laurel was involved in a dispute with Hal Roach and ended up having his contract terminated.

After being tried for drunk driving, he counter-sued the Roach studio. Eventually, the case was dropped and Laurel returned to Roach. Meanwhile, Laurel had divorced his first wife and married Virginia Ruth Rogers in 1935, whom he divorced to marry his third wife Vera Ivanova Shuvalova ("Illeana") in 1938. By 1941, he had once again married Virginia Ruth Rogers. After returning to Roach studios, the first film Laurel and Hardy made was A Chump at Oxford. Subsequently, they made Saps at Sea, which was their last film for Roach. In April 1940, their contract expired. Roach decided to make a film without Stan Laurel, but with Oliver Hardy, Zenobia. During the start of Laurel and Hardy's partnership, Stan had a baby girl with Lois (his second wife), born in 1928, and named the baby after his wife, Lois. Stan and his daughter Lois had a very strong relationship. Stan would take Lois onto the sets and try to see her as much as he could, even when he divorced her mother.

Stan also had a son, who died just ten days after birth in 1930 [ but he had Lois and that's all that mattered to him after he recovered from his bereavement. Fox Studios In 1939, Laurel and Hardy signed a contract at 20th Century Fox to make one motion picture and nine more over the following five months. During the war years, their work became more standardised and less successful though The Bullfighters, Great Guns and A-Haunting We Will Go did receive some praise. Laurel discovered he had diabetes , so he encouraged Oliver Hardy to make two films without him. In 1946, he divorced Virginia Ruth Rogers and married Ida Kitaeva Raphael. With Ida, he enjoyed a happy marriage until his death. In 1950, Laurel and Hardy were invited to France to make a feature film. The film, a French/Italian co-production titled Atoll K, was a disaster. (The film was titled Utopia in the US and Robinson Crusoeland in the UK.) Both stars were noticeably ill during the filming. Upon returning home, they spent most of their time recovering.

In 1952, Laurel and Hardy toured Europe successfully, and they toured Europe again in 1953. During this tour, Laurel fell ill and was unable to perform for several weeks. In May 1954, Oliver Hardy had a heart attack and canceled the tour. In 1955, they were planning to do a television series, Laurel and Hardy's Fabulous Fables, based on children's stories, but the plans were delayed because Laurel suffered a stroke . He recovered, and as he was planning to get back to work, Oliver Hardy had a massive stroke on 15 September 1956. Paralyzed and bedridden for several months, he was unable to speak or move. Hardy's death On 7 August 1957, Oliver Hardy died. Laurel did not attend his funeral, stating "Babe would understand." Afterward, Laurel decided he would never act again without his long-time friend, but he did write gags and sketches for fellow comedians. People who knew Laurel said he was absolutely devastated by Hardy's death and never fully recovered.

Life after Laurel and Hardy In 1961, Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his pioneering work in comedy. He had achieved his lifelong dream as a comedian and had been involved in nearly 190 films. He lived his final years in a small apartment in the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica. Always gracious to fans, he spent much time answering fan mail. His phone number was listed in the telephone directory, and fans were amazed that they could dial the number and speak to Stan Laurel. Jerry Lewis was among the comedians to visit Laurel, who offered suggestions for Lewis' production of The Bellboy (1960). Lewis had even paid tribute to Laurel by naming his main character Stanley in the film, and having Bill Richmond play a version of Laurel as well. Death Laurel was a heavy smoker until suddenly giving up when he was about seventy years of age. He died on February 23, 1965, several days after suffering a heart attack . Just minutes away from death, Laurel told his nurse he would not mind going skiing right at that very moment. Somewhat taken aback, the nurse replied that she was not aware that he was a skier.

"I'm not," said Laurel, "I'd rather be doing that than have all these needles stuck into me!" A few minutes later the nurse looked in on him again and found that he had died. Dick Van Dyke, a friend, and protege, and occasional impressionist of Laurel's during his later years, gave the eulogy at his funeral. Silent screen comedian Buster Keaton was overheard at Laurel's funeral giving his assessment of the comedian's considerable talents: "Chaplin wasn't the funniest, I wasn't the funniest, this man was the funniest." Laurel wrote his own epitaph; "If anyone at my funeral has a long face, I'll never speak to him again." He was buried at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. Legacy In 1989 a statue of Laurel was erected in Dockwray Square, North Shields, Northumberland , England where he lived at No. 8 from 1897 to 1902, and where the steps down from the Square to the North Shields Fish Quay were said to have inspired the piano-moving scene in The Music Box.

In 2006, BBC Four showed a drama based on Laurel meeting Hardy on his deathbed and reminiscing about their career called Stan. Laurel's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is situated at 7021 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California . In 2008, a statue of Stan Laurel was unveiled in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on the site of the Eden Theatre. In April 2009, a bronze statue of Laurel and Hardy was unveiled in Ulverston, Cumbria. Above the door of the house where Stan Laurel lived, there is a plaque commemorating the actor. Filmography Filmography of Stan Laurel (The films of Stan Laurel as an actor without Oliver Hardy) Laurel and Hardy films (The filmography of Laurel and Hardy together) (Wikipedia) Stan Laurel Stan Laurel Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles Person Arthur Stanley Jefferson (16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965), better known by his stage name Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, most famous as Laurel of comedic duo Laurel and Hardy–Hardy being Oliver Hardy.

Laurel began his career in the British music hall, from where he took a number of his standard comic devices: the bowler hat, the deep comic gravity, and the nonsensical understatement. His performances polished his skills at pantomime and music hall sketches. Laurel was a member of "Fred Karno's Army," where he was Charlie Chaplin's understudy. The two arrived in the US on the same ship from Britain with the Karno troupe. Laurel went into films in the US, with his acting career stretching between 1917 and 1951, and from "silents" to "talkies." It included a starring role in the film The Music Box (1932). In 1961, Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his pioneering work in comedy. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. In a 2005 UK poll to find The Comedians' Comedian, Laurel and Hardy ranked top among best double acts and seventh overall. In 2009, a bronze statue of the duo was unveiled in Laurel's hometown of Ulverston, Cumbria.

Early life Arthur Stanley Jefferson was born in his grandparents' house on 16 June 1890 at 3 Argyle Street, Ulverston, Lancashire (now Cumbria), England. He had two brothers and a sister. His parents, Margaret (Metcalfe) and Arthur Jefferson, were both active in the theatre and always very busy. In his early years, the boy spent much time living with his grandmother Sarah Metcalfe. He attended school at King James I Grammar School, Bishop Auckland, County Durham and the King's School, Tynemouth. He moved with his parents to Glasgow, Scotland, where he completed his education at Rutherglen Academy. His father managed Glasgow's Metropole Theatre, where Laurel began work. His boyhood hero was Dan Leno, one of the greatest British music hall comedians. At the age of 16, with a natural affinity for the theatre, Laurel gave his first professional performance on stage at the Panopticon in Glasgow where he polished his skills at pantomime and music hall sketches. In 1910, with the stage name of "Stan Jefferson", he joined Fred Karno's troupe of actors, which also included a young Charlie Chaplin.

The British music hall nurtured him, and for some time, he acted as Chaplin's understudy. Chaplin and Laurel arrived in the United States on the same ship from Britain with the Karno troupe and toured the country. From 1916 to 1918, he teamed up with Alice Cooke and Baldwin Cooke, who became lifelong friends. Amongst other performers, Laurel worked briefly alongside Oliver Hardy in a silent film short The Lucky Dog (1921). This was before the two were a team. It was around this time that Laurel met Mae Dahlberg. Around the same time he adopted the stage surname of Laurel, at Dahlberg's suggestion. The pair were performing together when Laurel was offered $75 per week to star in two-reel comedies. After the making of his first film, Nuts in May, Universal offered him a contract. The contract was soon cancelled during a reorganisation at the studio. Among the films Dahlberg and Laurel appeared in together was the 1922 parody, Mud and Sand, of which a short clip can be seen at the left.

By 1924, Laurel had given up the stage for full-time film work, under contract with Joe Rock for 12 two-reel comedies. The contract had one unusual stipulation, that Dahlberg was not to appear in any of the films; Rock thought her temperament was hindering Laurel's career. In 1925, when she started interfering with Laurel's work, Rock offered her a cash settlement and a one-way ticket back to her native Australia, which she accepted. 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), Half a Man (1925).

Laurel and Hardy Laurel next signed with the Hal Roach studio, where he began directing films, including a 1926 production called Yes, Yes, Nanette. He intended to work primarily as a writer and director, but fate stepped in. In 1927, Oliver Hardy, another member of the Hal Roach Studios Comedy All Star players, was injured in a kitchen mishap, and Laurel was asked to return to acting. Laurel and Hardy began sharing the screen in Slipping Wives, Duck Soup (1927) and With Love and Hisses. The two became friends and their comic chemistry soon became obvious. Roach Studios' supervising director Leo McCarey noticed the audience reaction to them and began teaming them, leading to the creation of the Laurel and Hardy series later that year. 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. Laurel and Hardy successfully made the transition to talking films with the short Unaccustomed As We Are in 1929.

They also appeared in their first feature in one of the revue sequences of The Hollywood Revue of 1929, and the following year they appeared as the comic relief in a lavish all-colour (in Technicolor) musical feature, The Rogue Song. In 1931, their first starring feature, Pardon Us was released. 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. Trouble at Roach Studio During the 1930s, Laurel was involved in a dispute with Hal Roach, which resulted in the termination of his contract. Since Roach maintained separate contracts for Laurel and Hardy that expired at different times, Hardy remained at the studio and was "teamed" with Harry Langdon for the 1939 film Zenobia. The studio discussed a series of films co-starring Hardy with Patsy Kelly, to be called "The Hardy Family." But Laurel sued Roach over the contract dispute. Eventually, the case was dropped and Laurel returned to Roach.

After returning to Roach studios, the first film Laurel and Hardy made was A Chump at Oxford. Subsequently, they made Saps at Sea, which was their last film for Roach. 20th Century Fox In 1941, Laurel and Hardy signed a contract at 20th Century Fox to make ten films over five months. During the war years, their work became more standardised and less successful, though The Bullfighters, and Jitterbugs did receive some praise. Laurel discovered he had diabetes, so he encouraged Hardy to make two films without him. In 1946, he divorced Virginia Ruth Rogers and married Ida Kitaeva Raphael. In 1947, Laurel returned to England when he and Hardy went on a six-week tour of the United Kingdom, and the duo were 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.

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." The tour included a Royal Command Performance for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in London. The success of the tour would see them spend the next seven years touring the UK and Europe. In 1950, Laurel and Hardy were invited to France to make a feature film. The film, a Franco-Italian co-production titled Atoll K, was a disaster. (The film was titled Utopia in the US and Robinson Crusoeland in the UK.) Both stars were noticeably ill during the filming. Upon returning to the US they spent most of their time recovering. In 1952, Laurel and Hardy toured Europe successfully, and they returned in 1953 for another tour of the continent. During this tour, Laurel fell ill and was unable to perform for several weeks. In May 1954, Hardy had a heart attack and cancelled the tour. In 1955, they were planning to do a television series, Laurel and Hardy's Fabulous Fables, based on children's stories.

The plans were delayed after Laurel suffered a stroke on 25 April, from which he recovered. But as he was planning to get back to work, his partner Hardy had a massive stroke on 14 September 1956, which resulted in his being unable to return to acting. Hardy's death On 7 August 1957, Oliver Hardy died. Laurel was too ill to attend his funeral and said, "Babe would understand". People who knew Laurel said he was devastated by Hardy's death and never fully recovered from it. He refused to perform on stage, or act in another film without his good friend. But, he continued to socialise with his fans. Apparently Laurel never wore the famous hat after Hardy's death. Laurel was described by his fans as a very nice man, with a sense of humour that will never be forgotten. Life after Laurel and Hardy In 1961, Stan Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his pioneering work in comedy. He had achieved his lifelong dream as a comedian and had been involved in nearly 190 films. He lived his final years in a small flat in the Oceana Apartments in Santa Monica, California.

Always gracious to fans, Laurel spent much time answering fan mail. His phone number, EXbrook 3-1851, was listed in the telephone directory, and fans were amazed that they could dial the number and speak to him directly. Jerry Lewis was among the numerous comedians to visit Laurel, who offered suggestions for Lewis's production of The Bellboy (1960). Lewis paid tribute to Laurel by naming his main character Stanley in the film, and having Bill Richmond play a version of Laurel as well. Dick Van Dyke told a similar story. When he was just starting his career, he looked up Laurel's phone number, called him, and then visited him at his home. Van Dyke played Laurel on "The Sam Pomerantz Scandals" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. Laurel was offered a cameo role in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), but he turned it down. He did not want to be on screen in his old age, especially without his comedy partner, Oliver Hardy, who had died in 1957.

Personal life Laurel and Dahlberg never married, but lived together as common-law husband and wife from 1919 to 1925. Laurel also had four wives and married one of them a second time after their divorce. Laurel married his first wife, Lois Neilson, on August 13, 1926. In December 1927, during the early years of Laurel and Hardy's partnership, Laurel and Neilson had a baby girl, also named Lois, who later married actor Rand Brooks. In May 1930, their second child, Stanley Robert Laurel, died after nine days. In December 1934, Laurel divorced Lois and in 1935 married Virginia Ruth Rogers. In 1938, he divorced Virginia and married Vera Ivanova Shuvalova. By 1941, he had divorced Vera and remarried Virginia. In 1946, he divorced Virginia and married Ida Kitaeva Raphael, whom he did not divorce. Death Laurel was a heavy smoker until suddenly quitting around 1960.

In January 1965, he underwent a series of x-rays for an infection on the roof of his mouth. He died on 23 February 1965, aged 74, four days after suffering a heart attack on 19 February. Just minutes away from death, Laurel told his nurse he would not mind going skiing right at that very moment. Somewhat taken aback, the nurse replied that she was not aware that he was a skier. "I'm not," said Laurel, "I'd rather be doing that than this!" A few minutes later the nurse looked in on him again and found that he had died quietly in his armchair. At his funeral, silent screen comedian Buster Keaton was overheard talking about Laurel's talent: "Chaplin wasn't the funniest, I wasn't the funniest, this man was the funniest." Keaton would himself die of lung cancer one year later in February 1966. Dick Van Dyke, a friend, protege and occasional impressionist of Laurel during his later years, gave the eulogy, reading A Prayer for Clowns.

Laurel had earlier quipped: "If anyone at my funeral has a long face, I'll never speak to him again." Laurel was cremated, and his ashes were interred in Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery. Legacy Laurel and Hardy are featured on the cover of the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). In 1989, a statue of Laurel was erected in Dockwray Square, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, England where he lived at No. 8 from 1897 to 1902. The steps down from the Square to the North Shields Fish Quay were said to have inspired the piano-moving scene in The Music Box. In a 2005 UK poll, Comedians' Comedian, Laurel and Hardy were ranked top among best double acts, and seventh overall. Neil Brand wrote a radio play entitled Stan, broadcast in 2004 on BBC Radio 4 and subsequently on BBC Radio 4 Extra, 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.

In 2006, BBC Four showed a drama called Stan, based on Brand's radio play, in which Laurel meets Hardy on his deathbed and reminisces about their career. A plaque on the Bull Inn, Bottesford, Leicestershire, England, marks Laurel and Hardy appearing in Nottingham over Christmas 1952, and staying with Laurel's sister, Olga, who was the landlady of the pub. In 2008, a statue of Stan Laurel was unveiled in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on the site of the Eden Theatre. In April 2009, a bronze statue of Laurel and Hardy was unveiled in Ulverston. There is a Laurel and Hardy Museum in Stan's hometown of Ulverston. There are two Laurel and Hardy museums in Hardy's hometown of Harlem, Georgia. One is operated by the town of Harlem, and the other is a private museum owned and operated by Gary Russeth, a Harlem resident. In 2013, Gail Louw and Jeffrey Holland debuted a short one-man play "…And this is my friend Mr Laurel" at the Camden Fringe festival.

The play, starring Holland as Laurel, was taken on tour of the UK in 2014 until June 2015. Source: wikipedia.org Stan Laurel biography, birth date, birth place and pictures Email Print Out of the vast array of comic talent found at the Hal Roach Studios during its heyday, Stan Laurel emerged as The Lot of Fun's supreme comic genius. Given carte blanche by Roach when it came to the writing, direction, editing and production design of the Laurel and Hardy films, he enjoyed a close and professional relationship with Roach until their falling out over the script of "Babes in Toyland" (1934). Nevertheless, 'The Boys' continued to work another six years at Roach without interference from the boss. Though his name never appeared on the credits as such, Laurel was the de facto director and head writer for virtually every L & H film, a fact which enabled him to make twice as much money as his portly partner, but despite rumors that the two were bitter enemies, they remained close friends until Hardy's death in 1957. Having had only modest success as a solo performer, Laurel readily acknowledged Hardy as the missing ingredient which made his own character more sympathetic.

There simply was no viable Laurel without Hardy. They needed each other; it was the pairing that made them funny. Born into a show business family, Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson) made his stage debut in Glasgow, Scotland at the age of 16 and four years later joined Fred Karno's company, understudying Charlie Chaplin. When Chaplin's departure to work with Mack Sennett led to the cancellation of the troupe's remaining US dates, Laurel remained in the USA and toured the North American vaudeville circuit in "The Nutty Burglars", a sketch of his own devising. He then made a living impersonating Chaplin before teaming with common-law wife Mae Dahlberg (billed as Stan and Mae Jefferson; later as Stan and Mae Laurel), with whom he appeared in his first movie, "Nuts in May" (1917). Laurel bounced between pictures and vaudeville, working for Universal, Essanay (where he acted by chance with Oliver 'Babe' Hardy in "Lucky Dog" 1921) and Roach. After questioning his abilities as a performer, he pretty much decided to concentrate on a career behind the camera.

In fact, Roach hired him back in 1925 with the understanding that his primary duties would be as writer, director, gagman--and only occasionally--performer. Though not credited as director on any of the signature Laurel and Hardy films, he did receive credit as helmsman on 10 Roach shorts, three of which included Hardy. If not for Laurel's occasional appearances as one of the Hal Roach all-stars, director Leo McCarey, credited with urging Roach to make Laurel and Hardy an official team, might never have recognized the extra comic sparks flying whenever the duo were in a scene together. After their pairing, it took a little while for them to develop the winning formula. Their trademark costumes did not appear until their eighth film ("Do Detectives Think?" 1927), and McCarey and Roach both cited "Putting Pants on Philip" (also 1927) as the first "official" L & H film. By the end of that year, they had caught on so well with the public that there was no turning back, yet no one except Roach would have allowed their growing pains.

He understood comedy and gave his people the time and freedom to get things just right, saving the pair from the kind of studio meddling that eviscerated the genius of Buster Keaton. Laurel and Hardy each beautifully complemented the other's screen presence, achieving a connection that can only be called soulful on their way to becoming Hollywood's greatest acting team. (Bud Abbott and Lou Costello only proved how much more L & H had brought to the arena of fat man-thin man humor.) The perfect pairing of opposites, they thrived on maintaining their decency in a world constantly inflicting its irreverence and cynicism on them. Despite suffering defeat after defeat at the cruel hand of fate, they dusted themselves off to face whatever calamity awaited with renewed optimism, lampooning life's difficulties in a way that appealed to children and scholars alike.

Stanley, the well-intentioned, bungling simpleton, always found a way to sabotage the dainty and painstaking plans of Ollie, eliciting from him, "This is another fine mess you've got us into." Their well thought-out comic interplay featured peerless one-upmanship, with each getting ample opportunity to upstage the other, though Hardy may have earned more laughs for his endless capacity for "falling in the whitewash." The coming of sound did not shake up Laurel and Hardy's world. They simply continued doing their same brand of humor, adding only the language that seemed appropriate, nothing more nor less. "Pardon Us", their first feature, debuted in 1931, but their main work was still comedy shorts, which they continued to make along with their full-lengths until 1935. Though it is the features of this period (especially "Sons of the Desert" 1933 and "Babes in Toyland") that are now best remembered, the shorts, less flawed by tedium and plotlessness, may represent their highest artistic achievement.

Certainly, a critical high point came when arguably their best short, "The Music Box" (1932), won the first Academy Award ever given in the category of Best Short Subjects (Live Action Comedy). When Roach abandoned shorts as commercially impractical, 'The Boys' continued making funny films through the end of the decade, benefiting from the creative contributions of veteran silent comedian Harry Langdon who received screenplay credit on "Blockheads" (1938), "The Flying Deuces" (1939) and "A Chump at Oxford" and "Saps at Sea" (both 1940). In all, Laurel and Hardy appeared in over 70 films for Roach between the years 1926 and 1940, excelling in the studio's best of all possible worlds working environment. Neither 20th Century-Fox nor MGM would allow Laurel to call the shots, sure that they knew more about L & H's humor than 'The Boys', and their films from 1941-45 were dismal failures. No longer the sweet innocents so carefully perfected at Roach, they came off simply as unendearing idiots in weary, unfunny, juvenile efforts.

Though they would make one last disappointing film, "Atoll K/Utopia" (1950), Laurel and Hardy enjoyed phenomenal success on the live stage between 1947 and 1954, particularly in Great Britain. Drawing from his English music hall roots, Laurel wrote delightful sketches that the team performed before sellout crowds, and the rejuvenated pair returned to the USA with big plans for a series of TV comedy specials. Sadly, it was not to be. 'Babe' Hardy suffered a mild heart attack, Laurel, a paralyzing stroke, and though they posed for a series of publicity stills in 1956, Hardy's massive stroke that year dispelled all hope of subsequent triumphs. Their close, personal relationship was such that, when Hardy died in 1957, Laurel refused to work on film again. Realizing that one of its treasures had slipped away without proper recognition, Hollywood resolved to not make the same mistake twice, presenting Laurel with an honorary Academy Award in 1960.

The comedy of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy remains popular today, as evidenced by a contemporary fan club called Sons of the Desert (which Laurel helped co-found), named for one of their best-loved films, in which 'The Boys' sneak off to a fraternal convention while pretending to go on a "medicinal" sea voyage. When the ship sinks and their wives see them cavorting on a newsreel report of the convention, the stage is set for a delicious send-up of marital strife, just one of the many examples of their art-imitating-life problems. This ability to capture universal truths about the human condition, coupled with the kindness and gentleness of their screen personas even in their roughest vehicles, produced a timeless humor which grows in estimation with each passing year. Laurel was a heavy smoker until suddenly giving up when he was about seventy years of age. He died on February 23, 1965, several days after suffering a heart attack. Just minutes away from death, Laurel told his nurse he would not mind going skiing right at that very moment. Somewhat taken aback, the nurse replied that she was not aware that he was a skier.

"I'm not," said Laurel, "I'd rather be doing that than have all these needles stuck into me!" A few minutes later the nurse looked in on him again and found that he quietly had died. Dick Van Dyke, a friend, protege and occasional impressionist of Laurel's during his later years, gave the eulogy at his funeral. Silent screen comedian Buster Keaton was overheard at Laurel's funeral giving his assessment of the comedian's considerable talents: "Chaplin wasn't the funniest, I wasn't the funniest, this man was the funniest." Laurel wrote his own epitaph; "If anyone at my funeral has a long face, I'll never speak to him again." He was buried at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. Legacy * In 1989 a statue of Laurel was erected in Dockwray Square, North Shields, Northumberland, England where he lived at No. 8 from 1897 to 1902, and where the steps down from the Square to the North Shields Fish Quay were said to have inspired the piano-moving scene in The Music Box.

In 2006, BBC Four showed a drama called Stan, based on Laurel meeting Hardy on his deathbed and reminiscing about their career . * Laurel's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is situated at 7021 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California. * In 2008, a statue of Stan Laurel was unveiled in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on the site of the Eden Theatre. * In April 2009, a bronze statue of Laurel and Hardy was unveiled in Ulverston, Cumbria. Blue Plaques - North Tyneside Blue Plaques Email Page Blue Plaques There are dozens of Blue Plaques situated in historically significant locations in North Tyneside. Below is a brief description of each. Click here to view the Blue Plaque Walk leaflet. Cullercoats Winslow Court (former site of the Bay Hotel), Cullercoats American artist Winslow Homer stayed here when it was the Hudleston Arms between 1881 and 1882 when he lived and worked in Cullercoats. Fishermans Lookout opposite Winslow Court Flats. Tyne and Wear County Council, 1986.

Built in 1879 on the site of a traditional Fishermans lookout to house the Cullercoats Volunteer Life Brigade. A pre-existing clock tower was incorporated in the design. Now used as a community centre. North Shields New Quay, North Shields Former Sailors Home, built by the 4th Duke of Northumberland in 1854-6 to accommodate 80 visiting seamen. Architect Benjamin Green. Howard Street, North Shields Maritime Chambers built in 1806-7 as a subscription library for Tynemouth Literary and Philosophical Society. Occupied 1895-1980 by Stag Line Ltd. One of Tyneside's oldest family-owned shipping companies. The building still bears the stag emblem. Old High Light, Trinity Buildings, North Shields Since 1536 Trinity House, Newcastle, has built several leading lights in North Shields. This one was constructed in 1727. Following changes in the river channel it was replaced in 1807 by the new High Light.

New Low Light, Fish Quay, North Shields The new Lighthouse and Keeper's house were erected in 1808-10 by the Master and Brethren of Trinity House, Newcastle, to replace the Old Low Light. It still serves as an important navigational aid to vessels entering the river. Old Low Light, Clifford's Fort, Fish Quay, North Shields Built inside Clifford's Fort 1727-33 and extended 1775. Its white gable was painted black and its light window blocked to obscure it as a navigational landmark when converted to Almshouses in 1806-8. Dockwray Square, North Shields Born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston, Cumbria, on 16th June 1890, the 'thin one' of the world famous Hollywood comedy team of Laurel and Hardy lived at No 8 Dockwray Square between 1897-1901. He died in Santa Monica, California on 23rd February 1965, aged 74 years. Old Drill Hall, Military Road, North Shields Home of Tynemouth Volunteer Artillery.

This period hall was built by local public subscription for Tynemouth's Volunteer Gunners founded in 1859 to top the Army list of volunteer artillery formations. Queen Elizabeth II granted the unit's successors the right to the word 'Tynemouth' under Royal Artillery on battle dress - a unique distinction in military annals. Clifford's Fort, Fish Quay, North Shields Completed in 1672 and named after Lord Clifford of Cabal, this fort was armed with cannons. Commanded by Governor of Tynemouth Castle until 1839. Headquarters of Tyne Division Royal Engineers (Volunteers) Submarine Miners 1888 - 1928. 71 West Percy Street, North Shields Victor Noble Rainbird was born in North Shields 12th December 1887. He was a prize-winning student of art on Tyneside and in London. This was the family home between 1917-1933, when he built his reputation as a painter and stained glass designer. He died 8th March 1936.

Tynemouth Master Mariners Homes, Tynemouth Road Built 1837-40 by North Shields Master Mariners Asylum for 32 aged mariners and their dependants; John and Benjamin Green, architects. Land donated by 3rd Duke of Northumberland; his statue stands in the gardens. H M Coastguard House, Priory Grounds, Tynemouth A lighthouse was built here in 1664 using stone from the Priory. It is likely that this tower replaced a medieval light in the Priory buildings. Demolished in 1898 and replaced by St Mary's Lighthouse. The Watch House, TVLB Spanish Battery, Tynemouth The Tynemouth Brigade, the first in the country, was formed in 1884 following several tragic shipwrecks. This watch house, built 1887, was restored by the brigade and Tyne and Wear County Council in 1997. The Black Middens, Tynemouth These exposed rock formations, once a notorious shipping hazard, claimed 5 ships in 3 days of blizzards in November 1864. 34 passengers and crew perished within sight of the shore.

Tynemouth Lodge Hotel, Tynemouth Road, Tynemouth The building has been in use as a public house and residential hotel since 1799. Meals for prisoners were prepared in the cellar kitchens of this hotel and carried through an underground tunnel to the inmates of the Tynemouth House of Correction and Justice Room next door. Tynemouth Road, Tynemouth Site of the Governor's Tree, where important visitors to Tynemouth were met as they disembarked in Pow Burn. These visitors included King Charles I in 1633 and King Henry VIII's commissioners, when they came to dispossess the monks of Tynemouth Priory in 1539. Mariner's Point, Tynemouth Road. Tynemouth This building was the booking hall and waiting room for the first railway station in Tynemouth. It was opened on 29th March 1847 by the Newcastle & Berwick Railway Company and designed by the architects John and Benjamin Green, but was superseded in 1882 by the current railway station now part of the Tyne and Wear Metro System.

Drill Hall, Tynemouth Road, Tynemouth Formed in 1888 as Tyne Division Royal Engineers (Volunteers) Submarine Miners for the defence of the Tyne entrance. The unit was based on Clifford's Fort adjoining Fish Quay until 1928 before moving to this New Clifford's Fort drill hall. The 'Tynes' survive still as 72 Engineers Regiment (Tyne Electrical Engineers) (V) at Gateshead. 10 Priors Terrace, Tynemouth Dame Annie Maud Burnett b.1863 - 1950 d. lived here. Elected in 1910, she was the first and only woman member of Tynemouth Council until 1929 when three others were elected. Created a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1918 for services during World War I, she became the first woman Mayor of Tynemouth in 1928. She was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1920.

9 Huntingdon Place, Tynemouth Sailor/Soldier Giuseppe Garibaldi 19th century Italian patriot stayed in this house in 1854 while visiting Tynemouth to brief local political and industrial leaders on his plans for a unified Italy. He was hailed throughout Europe as a true idealist and honest politician. He was born in Nice on 4th February 1807 and died aged 75 years in Caprera on 2nd June 1882. Tynemouth Priory and Castle Railings The headland of Pen Bal Crag - the place where now stands the Monastery of Tynemouth was anciently called by the Saxons "Benebalcrag" - Leland at the time of Henry VIII. So began the history of Tynemouth - its Priory, sacked by the Danes in 800, and Castle walls, started in 1095. Three kings were buried within - Oswin, King of Deria (651); Osred, King of Northumbria (792); Malcolm III, King of Scotland (1093). Three crowns still adorn the North Tyneside coat of arms.

57 Front Street, Tynemouth Harriet Martineau Novelist, Political economist and England's first woman journalist, regained her health here.1840 – 1845. Wallsend Wallsend Heritage Centre, Buddle Street, Wallsend Wallsend riverfront has been the home of world-famous yards including: Schlesinger's (1863-93), C S Swan's (1874-80) and G B Hunter's (1880-1903); together with major marine engine-works. Turbinia (1894) and Mauretania (1906) were launched here. 340 Station Road Building completed 4th June 1921 one of North Tyneside's first council houses. Eldon Court Willington Quay Dedicated to Francis Herbert Stead. Willington Quay 1857. Crusader for Old Age Pensioners' Rights, Pioneer, Social Reformer, d. London 1928 age 71. W. T. Stead 1849-1912 Radical Journalist and worker for Women's Rights, and for Peace.

Lived in Howdon on Tyne, 1850-1871 Whitley Bay Curry's point opposite St Mary's Island, Whitley Bay On 4th September 1739 Michael Curry was executed for the murder of the Landlord of the Three Horseshoes Inn, Hartley. His body was afterwards hung in chains from a gibbet at this spot, within sight of the scene of his crime. Ever since that gruesome event this headland has been known as Curry's Point. Stan Laurel blue plaque in North Shields | Blue Plaque Places Stan Laurel blue plaque in North Shields Stan Laurel blue plaque in North Shields Stan Laurel. Born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston, Cumbria on 16th June 1890, the "thin one" of the world famous Hollywood comedy team of Laurel and Hardy lived at No 8 Dockwray Square between 1897-1901.

He died in Santa Monica, California, on 23rd February 1965, aged 74 years Erected: 1 January 1990 Subject Commemorated: Stan Laurel Arthur Stanley Jefferson (born 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965), better known by his stage name Stanley "Stan" Laurel was an English comic actor, writer and film director, most famous as Laurel of Laurel and Hardy–Hardy being Oliver Hardy. Laurel began his career in the British music hall, from where he took a number of his standard comic devices: the bowler hat, the deep comic gravity, and the nonsensical understatement. He was a member of "Fred Karno's Army," where he was Charlie Chaplin's understudy. The two arrived in the US on the same ship from Britain with the Karno troupe.

Laurel went into films in the United States, with his acting career stretching between 1917 and 1951, and from "silents" to "talkies." It included a starring role in the film The Music Box (1932), which won an Academy Award.In 1961, Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his pioneering work in comedy. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. In a 2005 UK poll to find The Comedians' Comedian, Laurel and Hardy ranked top among best double acts and seventh overall. In 2009, a bronze statue of the duo was unveiled in Laurel's hometown of Ulverston, Cumbria.

Question: He died in 1965, who has a statue in Dockwray Square, North Shields (erected in 1989)?
Answer: Stan Laurel