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Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy

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Dancing to the Ku-Ku Song
Laurel and Hardy Biography Beyond Double Talk
I'm a Laurel and Hardy fan, but....
"Hats Off"
Put on your hip boots

Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy
Simon Louvish
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312325983
Release Date: 2005-06-23

Book Description

Stan 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.

Customer Reviews:

Dancing to the Ku-Ku Song.......2007-04-22

By the time I was old enough to appreciate adult comedies shown on TV, i.e. in the late 50's, Oliver "Babe" Hardy was already dead (1957) and Stan Laurel was on the final downslope of his life. Yet, it was Laurel & Hardy, along with Abbott & Costello, that tickled my embryonic sense of humor before "graduating" to Red Skelton, Bob Hope, and Jackie Gleason.

Here, in STAN AND OLLIE: THE ROOTS OF COMEDY, author Simon Louvish draws from even more compulsively detailed books on the duo to yield a satisfyingly comprehensive overview of The Boys' professional lives, both solo and paired. I never thought of Stan and Ollie as being anything other than a team. Yet, the first eighteen chapters of this 40-chapter volume reveal that each had a successful career before being eternally cemented together in the 1927 silent movie, "Duck Soup". Each began life separated by the Atlantic, Stan being born in the north of England in 1890, and Oliver in Georgia of the American South in 1892. Before their fateful pairing by Hal Roach in Hollywood in 1927, Laurel worked his way up through the ranks of U.K. and U.S. vaudeville and U.S. film, while Hardy appeared in 200+ silents on his own beginning with "Outwitting Dad" (1914), a release coming from the then-booming Florida film industry. For both, it was a long and tortuous road to Tinseltown and destiny.

I need to stress that STAN AND OLLIE focuses on their professional lives. If you're looking for a detailed inside peek at their personal existences, look elsewhere. OK, sure, the reader learns, as narrative asides, that Ollie bet on the horses and Stan had a weakness for Yorkshire pudding, chocolate candies, and ocean sport fishing. Both enjoyed golf. And, moreover, both had rocky domestic lives with multiple, mostly failed marriages - Hardy totaling three wives in as many marriages, and Laurel amassing four wives in five marriages, plus one common-law relationship. But, I finished the narrative not really having a feel for the men behind their famous on-screen personae. This skewed exposition is exemplified by the choice of photos included in the text; there are virtually none of Stan and/or Ollie outside of stills from their screen roles. Weren't there pesky paparazzi in those days? There was one photo taken of Hardy towards the end of his life that I particularly wanted to see out of morbid curiosity. As Louvish describes it:

"In 1956 ... (Ollie) reduced his weight by 150 lbs ... The last photograph of Stan and Babe together, in 1956, shows a recognizable smiling Stan, but beside him stands a stranger, relatively trim, with flabby flesh replacing his double chins, thin silvery hair and a rictus of a smile."

My distinct impression was that, throughout the composition of STAN AND OLLIE, the author worked overtime to protect the image and memory of his heroes. That's fine, but it results in a somewhat one-dimensional piece, albeit otherwise excellent as far as it goes.

One rarely sees any of the old Laurel and Hardy movies on TV anymore. Maybe it's just because I don't stay up into the wee hours. STAN AND OLLIE compels me to re-visit their screen appearances on DVD rentals to remind myself of the laughter of childhood memory.

Laurel and Hardy Biography Beyond Double Talk.......2007-04-07

The title of my review, "Laurel and Hardy Beyond Double Talk" makes as much sense as Mr. Louvish's title. With that stated, I must declare that for the most part, I found his book quite educational and enjoyable. Some other reviewers issued complaints about it being too ponderous, or hard to follow. I found no basis for such criticism. In fact, I found the book challenging from the standpoint that its thoroughness kept me motivated in wanting to keep absorbing more and more information and details about these two comic masters.

It was sad to learn that there was so much unhappiness in their domestic lives. I had heard that rumor before, but Mr. Louvish documents the apparently awful experiences in their numerous respective marriages. Still, I was more interested in what was said about the two men as artists. For example, it fascinated me to learn that both Laurel and especially Hardy had made dozens and dozens of films years before they even met. It was also revealing to learn what a perfectionist Stan Laurel was in creating gags, and striving to improve his art while appearing seemingly non-artistic in the process. With the great Chaplin, for example, one is laughing at his fine comedy, but constantly aware that he is showing you art!

I think the narrated details in Stanley Jefferson, aka Laurel's years as a stage comic in England was difficult to track at times in this book. In defense of the author, it was probably hard to reconstruct much of that portion of the man's career. Having not read any of the other previous biographes of L & H, I cannot say whether or not this is comparatively a greater biography or not. I only know that I walked away knowing more about the team after completing my reading of the book.

Yes, I recommend this "Stan and Ollie" the book to anyone today wanting to learn more about this comedy team. Laurel and Hardy have stood the test of time and in my opinion, are simply the greatest comedy on film. I say this knowing that I also love the Marx Brothers, Three Stooges,Abbott and Costello and Hope and Crosby. Comedy purists keep in mind I am not counting Laurel and Hardy's movies after after "Saps at Sea!"

This book spurs a clear interest in their work. Unfortunately, many of their films are simply not available to see. Why this is the case is beyond me. We have umpteen zillion copies of "Friends," Adam Sandler, and Jack Black staring back at us on the DVD shelves, but not many Laurel and Hardy films. I hope Mr. Louvish's book will help stir up more interest in the team, so that pressure increases from fans demanding the retailing of more L & H films on DVD. Everyone is so divided on this side, or that side today, that it would be refreshing for all of us to see comic films that appeal to humanity in general. Laurel and Hardy literally made the world laugh.

I'm a Laurel and Hardy fan, but...........2006-08-16

...whoosh, the style of this book is turgid and overstuffed with mixed metaphors (on the order of "They were the conduit for blossoms of comedy which were to explode in fiery mirth."), and there's far too much "Babe had terrible trouble, which will be explained in due course." I did like the subject, but the book was really irritating to read because of the style.

"Hats Off".......2006-05-21

How does one do justice to two of the greatest comedy legends to have ever have graced the screen? A daunting task, but one that Simon Louvish (biographer of W.C. Fields and the Marx Brothers) accomplishes with great aplomb and thoroughness. "Stan and Ollie" covers all bases as it explores the individual lives of the duo and the eventual pairing of two great screen comedians.

Louvish begins by examining the respective early life of Stanley Jefferson and Oliver Norvell Hardy. Born and raised in England, Stanley Jefferson was the son of a theatre owner and performer, whose children were destined for the stage. But his namesake would take his father's love of acting much farther than the stage and onto screen, a journey that took him half-way around the world to California at the dawn of the movie era. Meanwhile, in small town Georgia, Oliver Norvell Hardy was born, months after his father's death, raised by a mother who ran boarding houses, her perpetually chubby son a constant watcher of the guests. His love of movies hit its stride when he ran projections for the local movie house and decided to test his fortunes on the screen.

Each comic tried to make it on his own - Louvish devotes the first half of his biography to their early lives and the movies they made before they became a popular duo. Stanley's rise was perhaps a bit more difficult due to his theatre training (and his being pegged to impersonate his former roommate, Charlie Chaplin). "Babe" Hardy took easily to the ways of the screen, despite his bulk that haunted him his entire life, which was counteracted by a grace and ease that seemd contradictory to his size. These two very separate beginnings were inevitably paired up in Hollywood at the Hal Roach studio, where these vaudevillan trained actors somewhat reluctantly became Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, a disparate image of perfectly paired clowns.

Louvish traces the years and the films that Laurel and Hardy made together with Roach, intermingling the myriad marriage and divorce affairs that plagued each man, weaving in history of supporting players and screen moments as their story unfolds. He debunks some of the stories that have floated about these two, all the while recognizing that memory is not the strongest recorder of events years after the fact. The subtitle "The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy" refers not to any lurid details, but to the men behind the faces on the screen. Laurel and Hardy were screen personas, not the men who lived and breathed off-screen; while their real lives were sometimes mirrored by what they chose to enact, clowns cannot be funny all the time. Louvish does an admirable job of weaving the good with the bad, the tremendous success while at the pinnacle of their careers, and the sad, dwindling end that included forgettable movies and studio disputes.

"Stan and Ollie", while long and a sometimes wandering read, is a wonderful portrait of two men who were friends until the very end. It is amazing to consider their output of film, and to lament what has forever been lost of their early days and solo work. Louvish truly loves Laurel and Hardy but is able to paint them in an unbiased light, moles and all, revealing the minds behind two comedic geniuses who made it big for not being the brightest bulbs in the story. This book will make fans fall in love with Laurel and Hardy all over again.

Put on your hip boots.......2006-03-06

VERBOSITY, n. the employment of a superabundance of words; the use of more words than are necessary

This probably describes all this author's works. I had a terrible time wading through his bio on W.C. Fields and had to skip over most of it. I disposed of that book as soon as I was finished with it. When I got this book out of the library I had fogotten all about the author. But when I started reading "Stan and Ollie" I quickly looked at the cover and cried, "oh, no!." I made it through almost three chapters before giving up.

Yet, I am a person who loves to read how an author weaves words together. That is part of the pleasure of a book. But this author doesn't weave, he just pours! This book could be a third of its length and do its subjects far better justice

Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies

Average customer rating:

The best book yet written.
The Boys work,from a different and delightful angle.
Randy Skrevedt finally shows us the creation of L&H'sfilms!
GREAT BOOK ABOUT GREAT COMEDIANS
An Indespensable Volume!

Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies
Randy Skretvedt , and Jordan R. Young
Manufacturer: Past Times Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy
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ASIN: 094041029X

Book Description

The beloved comedy team comes to life in this behind-the-scenes look at their unique working methods. The most detailed and accurate account of the team's career, based on exclusive interviews with their friends and associates, original shooting scripts, studio publicity material and production logs, family scrapbooks and legal depositions. Includes a who's who of supporting players and technical crew members, details on newly rediscovered films, lost footage and a resource guide.

Customer Reviews:

The best book yet written........2007-01-26

Almost to good to be true. If you want to know anything or everything about Laurel & Hardy and all their movies and films, you can find it here in this wonderfully written book.

The Boys work,from a different and delightful angle........2005-02-17

Randy Skretvedt produced a highly entertaining and thought provoking work with the release of this work on two of the cinema's greatest comedy legends,Laurel and Hardy.
Most volumes up until this point had approached their careers in similar styles by focusing first on their backgrounds,early entries into showbusiness,their early careers,then into their most popular times and from there into their declining years.All filled with andecdotes either from friends,colleagues or the comedians themselves.
This book though giving a brief overview of the Boys careers examines each of their films starting with their silent shorts right through to their last film.What makes it different is that Randy examines each film from more of a production angle than any other book before has done.He explains in many cases how and why a particular film came into being and compares the original idea or storyline/script with the end product.It's a fascinating departure from the usual and gives a more detailed and informative look into the men behind the comedy,up front and behind the scenes.
I highly recommend this book to all students of film but especially to all fans of Laurel and Hardy.This is one book along with all of John McCabes' books,William K.Eversons' "Laurel and Hardy",Glenn Mitchells' "The Laurel and Hardy Encyclopedia" and Wes Gehrings' "Laurel and Hardy-A Bio-Bibliography" that should form the basis of your collection on the Boys.

Randy Skrevedt finally shows us the creation of L&H'sfilms!.......2003-03-31

For years.Many film history books have tried to give some insight into the creation,development and the successful appeal of Laurel & Hardy's film work.With the exception of Leonard Maltin's"Movie Comedy Teams"and"The Great Movie Comedians!".No book seemed to show the readers how these classic comedies came about.Until now.Film historian,radio interviewer and musical entertainer:Randy Skrevedt's book"Laurel & Hardy:The Magic Behind The Movies!"finally gives us all a chance to see how these two great performers created and presented their cinematic clowning on screen and onstage.With the use of extensive research,interviews with the boys colleages,family members,friends and with staffers from The Hal Roach,MGM,Fox Studios and With Mr.Hal Roach Himself.The book shows us the creation of the team's films from their first effort:"Lucky Dog"to their earliest films at Roach to their glory days at:"The Lot Of Fun!".The book also tells us the true story of what finally lead to the duo's departure from Roach and the unsuccessful efforts to give the boys creative freedom at MGM & Fox.Where they made alot of forgetable films.And additionial info.L&H were slated to make ten features at Fox.Not six as many film history books have stated over the years.There is also some insight into the boys stage performances overseas in Music halls and cabrets during the late 1940's and into the early to mid 1950's.And a large collections of Photos from private collections.Plus in the updated second paperback edition.Info about the recently discovered spanish verison of"Chickens Come Home".Which features some never before seen footage(The newly found footage has little or bearing on the film's storyline.But it's interesting to read about it).These features plus some insight into the boys lives(Which does not get ugly)makes this a fun and informative manuscript and one that's long overdue.Bravo Randy! Kevin S.Butler.

GREAT BOOK ABOUT GREAT COMEDIANS.......2002-03-20

To me, the Laurel and Hardy (L&H) team was easily the best comedy team of the first half of the 20th century. I realize others may have other favorites (Three Stooges, Our Gang, W.C. Fields (another of my personal favorites), Abbott and Costello (not one of my favorites), Marx Brothers, etc.) But the L&H team was beyond these other comedy teams. Randy Skretvet did these men proud with this book that traces them from the very beginning to their eventual demise. If one appreciates L&H and the comedy of the early 1900s they should appreciate this book.

An Indespensable Volume!.......2000-02-18

Randy Skretvedt has written what is arguably the single best book on Laurel and Hardy and their movies. Carefully researched and just plain fun to read, this revised edition includes details on recent discoveries, such as a silent Charley Chase comedy in which the boys appear, and some of the Spanish language "remakes" that were made in the early 1930's for the foreign market. An absolutely indepensable book for comedy buffs and L&H fans, and a essential companion piece to LAUREL OR HARDY and FROM THE FORTIES FORWARD.

The Laurel & Hardy Book- The Curtis Film Series

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The Laurel & Hardy Book- The Curtis Film Series

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0000202010

The Art of Laurel And Hardy: Graceful Calamity in the Films

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The best book yet about the greatest comedy team ever!

The Art of Laurel And Hardy: Graceful Calamity in the Films
Kyp Harness , John Larrabee , and John V. Brennan
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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A History of the Hal Roach Studios
Edgar Kennedy

ASIN: 0786424400

Product Description

From the early days of film came Laurel and Hardy, a comedy team that created slapstick hilarity from lifes simplest situations. Some seventy years after their heyday, Arthur Stanley Jefferson and Oliver Norvell Babe Hardy are still remembered for the comic chaos they created in film shorts. They gave us something to laugh at by reminding us of our own foibles, in a way that was genuine and unpretentious. The lanky Stan Laurel (18901965) and portly Ollie Hardy (18921957) had but one objective: to create as many laughs as would fit in one short film. And that, they did. The book begins by exploring their comedy in the early days of film. A chapter is dedicated to each of the boysLaurel from Ulverston, England, and Hardy from the state of Georgiaas a person and performer. Further chapters explore the slapstick and gags of Laurel and Hardy and how the pair survived the transition to sound that left behind many actors of the day. It was only when they began to work for large studios, churning out cookie-cutter scripts, that their art began to lose its way. The book takes the reader through the ups and downs of their careers and to a final comeback. A filmography lists works from 1917 to 1951 with information on availability.

Customer Reviews:

The best book yet about the greatest comedy team ever!.......2006-09-27

As a life-long Laurel and Hardy fan,it was a given that I would have to order the new book about them,even though I felt the $35.00 price tag was high,especially for a paperback. At that price,I reasoned,it must be huge and loaded with pictures;maybe many I don't already have.With thirty-plus books about L & H on my shelf already it seemed logical that "The Art of Laurel and Hardy" would have to be a big picture book:what could possibly be left to write about them?
Well, I must say, I was crestfallen when it arrived:not only was it considerably smaller than I had expected,but it had no - count them - NO pictures at all!
I was so initially disappointed that I considered returning it for a refund.
Then something happened that changed my opinion completely: I read it.
I didn't think it was possible, but Kip Harness has managed to write a totally fresh and uniquely insightful analysis of what made Laurel and Hardy so great. And,more importantly, why so many of us love them so much. Any fan of the"boys" will love this book,and for those who are new to their art,this is a tremendous introduction.
In my humble opinion,"The Art of Laurel and Hardy" by Kyp Harness is the best book yet about the greatest comedy team ever.

The Complete Films Of Laurel & Hardy (Film Books)

Average customer rating:

Nice Look at Superb Comic Duo
The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy by Everson
First guide to Laurel & Hardy movies is still a great read
One of the Best Laurel and Hardy Books

The Complete Films Of Laurel & Hardy (Film Books)
William K. Everson
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806501464

Customer Reviews:

Nice Look at Superb Comic Duo.......2007-03-11

This nicely-photographed look at the films of Laurel and Hardy should put smiles on many faces. Author William Everson lists their films in chronological order, offering a synopsis for each and analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. The author also provides a box listing the producer (usually Hal Roach), director, supporting cast members, etc. Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957) teamed up for some 100 shorts and feature films during their successful 1927-1945 partnership, and most appear in these pages (a few "lost" films do not). The author also provides a brief biography of both men, a look at their early careers before they teamed up, and an analysis of their routines. I gave this enjoyable book just four stars due to a couple factual errors (Laurel's birth year is off) and an omission of biographical trivia. For example, Hardy enjoyed the track, while Laurel in retirement helped rising comics like Dick Van Dyke, and took calls from curious fans in his Santa Monica apartment (his number was listed). Despite these minor flaws, this is an amusing and informative read.

As many know, the official Laurel and Hardy appreciation club ("The Sons of the Desert") is on-line and currently has many chapters in North America, Europe and Australia.

The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy by Everson.......2005-05-19

This book is perfect for Laurel and Hardy enthusiasts. It contains
a solid introduction on the evolution of the partnership with
dozens of pictures of the dual team. They played in tens of
films including: Forty-Five Minutes from Hollywood, Why Girls Love
Sailors, Flying Elephants, Call of the Cuckoo, The Finishing Touch,
Liberty, Be Big and a host of others. This volume would make a fine
gift for any student, film enthusiast or cultural enthusiast.
It is well worth the price charged for the considerable value
of the pictorial content alone. This work complements an earlier
version published in the 1960s.

First guide to Laurel & Hardy movies is still a great read.......2001-01-18

Motion-picture authority William K. Everson wrote the first book-length guide to Laurel & Hardy movies (it was originally published in 1967). If you or someone you know are Laurel & Hardy fans, this book is a lot of fun. Everson summarizes each Laurel & Hardy film and discusses the various strong and weak points. You'd think this would be dry and dull, but Everson knew and loved his subject, and his very enjoyable book has given many Laurel & Hardy fans the chance to become familiar with the films. There are also dozens and dozens of photographs. The book's only drawback was not Everson's fault: several "lost" Laurel & Hardy films have been rediscovered since 1967, but the publisher decided against revising the book. So the text is still vintage 1967, and now it isn't really the "Complete" films of Laurel & Hardy, but it's still a fine "episode guide."

One of the Best Laurel and Hardy Books.......2001-01-13

I would have rated this book with 5 stars instead of 4 except that it has some factual errors. These are minor though and this book is really a classic on my favourite comedy couple. It tells about each of their films in chronological order. The other books on L&H I recommend are 'The Magic Behind the Movies', 'Mr L and Mr H' and also 'Babe' by John McCabe, and 'Stan' bt Fred Guiles. Also I recommend to everyone who loves funny things to read a novel called 'Rastus Reilly'. It is very naughty but in a nice way and it echoes L&H movies in some ways.

Average customer rating:

This Book gives a look into the work of Laurel & Hardy
Buy this book
Sublime
A Good Primer
Mr Laurel & Mr Hardy: An Affectionate Biography

Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy
John McCabe
Manufacturer: Robson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0903895633

Customer Reviews:

This Book gives a look into the work of Laurel & Hardy.......2003-10-13

In this first book that looks at the work of one of the movies'most beloved comedy teams.Prof(Now Dr.)John McCabe gives some insight into Laurel And Hardy's film work.As he explains the evolution of Stan Laurel's approach to comedy and methiods to creating and performing comedy skits.The Prof. also looks at the boyhood days of Oliver Norvell(Babe)Hardy and his unconventional approach to performing comedy and the development of his singing talent.

The book also looks at the team's vintage years at The Hal Roach Studios and their forgetable film series at Fox and MGM During the war years.It also recalls the team's successful performances at The Music Halls and Cabrets of Europe and Stan Laurel creating funny comedy skits and seeing the team's rebirth during the early days of tv.As he became an idol to many kids of the tv generation(Myself included).While the book doesn't go into great depth about the complete creation of the team's film work.It does show us all how L&H worked at creating and presenting their classic comedic characters and their approach to spoofing man's foilbels.And it shows us Prof.McCabe's love and admiration for both men and for their wives:Ida Laurel(Stan's fourth wife) and Lucille Hardy(Babe's third wife)and their love for their work and for life.If you ever wanted a book that shows a positive look into the physce of two funny and charming people? This is The One movie bio to have.Bravo Jack.Kevin S.Butler.

Buy this book.......2003-01-10

Laurel & Hardy fans will love this book. I certainly did. The warmth and affection that John McCabe had for both Stan and Ollie comes through on every page. While the focus is more on Laurel, Hardy comes off well in the chapters devoted to him.
I wish there had been more pictures, but the text more than made up for it. Don't be surprised if you find yourself whistling the "cukoo song" while reading this book. The "boys" are gone, but the laughter they created is still with us, unlike the current crop of "comedians".

Sublime.......2002-02-22

I wish they'd put Stan and Ollie back on TV to show another generation how wonderful these two are. There's no doubt that they remain as funny today as they did back in their prime. I'm a big fan and have many of their DVD's. I wanted to know about the duo and this book informed me greatly.

Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy is a riveting biography of the two men. It took me only a few hours to get through. It concentrates mostly on Stanley who was the creative genius behind the pair, but this only heightens interest in the chapter on Ollie, which is written in interview form. I liked the way the book started with Laurel failing miserably on his first attempt at performing, with his Dad in attendance. His perseverence was incredible as he subbed for Chaplin during the early days before hard work and the luck to be partnered with Mr Hardy, finally garnered him some success.

The book, written after many interviews with Stan, has got a very appealing narrative. We get insights into the making of their films, answering questions about how the pair came together and how most of their routines got started. It's very enlightening.

What I found most surprising was the undercurrent of emotion throughout. Its author obviously had a wonderful adoration for the pair and Stan, while speaking to him is very nostalgic about the past. I love the parts where Stan met Chaplin after many years, after they both had made it. And where, years after their filmic success, when they were touring Europe, the church bells in Cobh played out their theme tune.

If you have any interest in Laurel and Hardy, you must get this book.

A Good Primer.......2001-11-03

This was the first book about everyone's favourite comedy couple. I recently read it for the fourth or fifth time and felt inspired to recommend it at Amazon. McCabe interviewed both comics and knew Laurel for years. As an overview and appreciation of the Laurel and Hardy career this is still the best book to start with. Those more seriously interested will find a number of excellent books on the subject written in more recent years. I recommend 'Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy' enthusiastically to all fans.

Mr Laurel & Mr Hardy: An Affectionate Biography.......2001-10-01

A great book. If you are a Laurel & Hardy fan get this book. Very few pictures but a lot of quality information. A realistic look at team team's early years, hayday and then fall after leaving Hal Roach. It is obvious John McCabe loves Laurel & Hardy. A GREAT BOOK.

Quote Unquote: Laurel & Hardy (Quote Unquote)

Average customer rating:

Another fine quote.

Quote Unquote: Laurel & Hardy (Quote Unquote)
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews:

Another fine quote........2004-10-01

A great gift for any Laurel & Hardy fan. It consists of biographical sketches of the pair, an account of their careers, a complete list of their movies, plenty of excellent photographs and - what gives the series its title - a fine selection of quotes. It is certainly not a definitive biography but its 80 pages include some interesting trivia. Diehard fans will appreciate it for that and for the illustrations.

Laurel or Hardy: The Solo Films of Stan Laurel and Oliver "Babe" Hardy

Average customer rating:

Tremendous resource, poorly written
The Most Comprehensive Book on the Films of Laurel and Hardy
Superbly and (almost) Exhaustively Researched
An excellent companion piece to Laurel and Hardy by Skretved
A book that is essential to the study of silent film comedy.

Laurel or Hardy: The Solo Films of Stan Laurel and Oliver "Babe" Hardy
Rob Stone , and David Wyatt
Manufacturer: Split Reel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0965238407

Customer Reviews:

Tremendous resource, poorly written.......2003-02-09

This is indeed, like the other reviewers have stated, the most complete foray into the subject matter to date. It's too bad that the author's abilities at unearthing such treasures were not matched by a very readable writting style. Five stars for effort and material and one star for readability equals a three star rating.

The Most Comprehensive Book on the Films of Laurel and Hardy.......2002-04-02

...I have ever read. BEST BOOK EVER!

Superbly and (almost) Exhaustively Researched.......2000-01-27

Rob Stone is to be congratulated for taking on the Herculean (and seemingly impossible) task of documenting all of Stan Laurel's and Babe Hardy's solo film appearances. The comedians frequently worked for small studios that are long since gone, and many of the films apparently no longer exist. Stone has done a superb job of detective work and documentation, and leaves open the possibility of further discoveries; indeed, since this book was published, a previously unknown Oliver Hardy film has surfaced! An essential volume for silent film and comedy buffs. And for fans of the boys, this is a great companion piece to both THE MAGIC BEHIND THE MOVIES and FROM THE FORTIES FORWARD.

An excellent companion piece to Laurel and Hardy by Skretved.......1999-07-19

This eminently affordable 573 page book is meticulously researched and written by an author who knows his stuff. "Laurel or Hardy" is a must have for any fan of the team -- indeed for anyone who loves silent movies. The book is the perfect companion piece to Randy Skretvedt's invaluable "Laurel and Hardy; the Magic Behind the Movies."

A book that is essential to the study of silent film comedy........1999-05-02

To take on the assignment of creating a filmography of Oliver Hardy was a duanting if not impossible task to undertake. But Rob Stone has done it. I would estimate that he has confirmed 95% of Mr. Hardy' films of his early career. To say that this book serves the needs of Laurel & Hardy infophiles is selling it short. It also gives a rich and informative history of silent film comedy making and it's makers, with information of other studios and stars who are not well known. More films and titles are likely to show up making the second edition a must. Bravo. An excellent companion piece for "Laurel & Hardy - The Magic Behind the Movies".

Average customer rating:

The Laurel & Hardy Book
Leonard (edited by) Maltin
Manufacturer: Curtis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HED7EA

Average customer rating:

A must have for any fan!
Laurel & Hardy Trivia Book Is Essential

Laurel & Hardey in "Big Quizness"
Robert McFerren , and Tracie McFerren
Manufacturer: Plumtree Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Actors & Actresses | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0966032306

Customer Reviews:

A must have for any fan!.......2002-12-20

I have every Laurel and Hardy book there is, but this is one of my favorites. It is fun reading, enjoyable and enlightening. If you are a fan, this is a must. Everything from trivia to costars and everything in between. It is hard to find and out-of-print, so if you come across one, grab it!

Laurel & Hardy Trivia Book Is Essential.......1998-11-07

A year ago, we learned about a LaureI & Hardy trivia book which was in the works. Frankly, we weren't expecting much, since most such books are - well, trivial. So, we were very happily surprised with Laurel & Hardy in "Big Quizness". Written by siblings Robert and Tracie McFerren and copiously illustrated by Robert, the book is an entertaining parade of unusual aspects of the L&H Þlms. Only the Þrst third of the book is the expected Trivia Contest. Questions are posed about almost every L&H Þlm, going chronologically from the Þrst (Lucky Dog) to last (Atoll K). Some of the questions are fairly easy for L&H buffs (in Come Clean, which þavors is ice-cream vendor Charlie Hall out of? Orange, gooseberry and chocolate!), while others are head-scratchers even for longtime aÞcionados (in what month does Way Out West take place?). The authors are kind enough to refrain from asking about the lost L&H Þlms Hats Off - a vitally important but long-gone 1927 two- reeler - and The Rogue Song, a 1930 Technicolor musical starring Lawrence Tibbett with Stan and Ollie in support. However, in one of the most valuable portions of the book, these two lost gems are recreated in detailed descriptions of each Þlm's action. Chapters four through ten are probably the most enjoyable, focusing on unusual facts about the Þlms. Films with "Weird or Uncontrollable Laughter" are listed, along with the perpetrator; all of the gags involving feet are described; all of the scenes in which the telephone is used for laughs are summarized. We found only a couple of mistakes (Pardon Us at its original 56 minutes is the boys' shortest feature, not the 58- minute Block-Heads; Roy Seawright did not win four Oscars for special effects in L&H movies) and a few omissions (Stan sings - brieþy - in Busy Bodies as well as the eight listed Þlms; the most outrageous double-entendre in an L&H Þlm is delivered by Ollie to Mae Busch during Tit For Tat, not listed in the "Read Between the Lines" section). Sections about the Boys' characteristics are quite interesting; we learn that Stan scratched his head 256 times, doing it Þrst in 1928's From Soup to Nuts, and most frequently - 15 times - in 1935's Bonnie Scotland. Stan's greatest quotes, collected here, are as funny as ever. A chronology of the boys' lives will prove useful to the more scholarly L&H admirers, as will a lengthy listing of non-L&H Þlm appearances made by the supporting players. Not only are regulars such as Charlie Hall thus documented; even Fred "Snowþake" Toones - who appears in just one brief shot of Way Out West - gets a listing of notable Þlms. Although there are a few stills and bits of memorabilia reproduced, most of the illustrations are charming drawings by Robert McFerren. This book is obviously a labor of love by two devoted L&H fans. It's an entertaining, amusing and enlightening read that any devotee of Stan and Ollie should own, and it's certainly going to enliven future meetings of the Sons of the Desert (The Laurel & Hardy Appreciation Society). This review previously appeared the nostalgia entertainment newsletter Past Times (Managing Editor Randy Skretvedt) and is reprinted with permission.

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