Home> Facts and Trivia > Stars > Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel Facts
| Sign | Gemini |
| Born |
Jun 16, 1890 Ulverston, Cumbria |
| Died |
Feb 23, 1965 Santa Monica, CA |
| Age | Died at 74 |
| Total Facts | 53 |
Dick Van Dyke delivered the eulogy at Laurel's funeral.
A comedian until the very last, Stan Laurel, just minutes away from death on February 23, 1965, 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 Stan, "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 Stan had quietly passed away.
Although Stan is recorded as being born in Ulverston Cumbria, he never knew it. He was actually born in Ulverston Lancashire. Ulverston became part of Cumbria under the 'Local Government Act 1972' and became part of Cumbria two years later in 1974; nine years after Stan died.
An extra named John Wood from the film Babes in Toyland (1934) sued him and his stunt double, Ham Kinsey, claiming back injuries after Laurel and Kinsey threw him in the ducking pond on the set. The lawsuit specified $40,500 in damages, but was settled out-of-court.
Appears on sleeve of The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.
At the time of Oliver Hardy's death in 1957, Stan was too ill to attend his late partner's funeral.
Because the Roach studio was smaller than the majors, the indoor sets were relatively close to each other, and the actors often visited other sets between takes. Matthew "Stymie" Beard picked up Stan's Irish children's derby and wore it whenever Stan put it down. Stan eventually gave Stymie a hat, which became Stymie's trademark as much as it was Stan's.
Father of Lois Laurel, who appeared with him in The Chimp (1932).
Fell off a platform and tore ligaments in his right leg during the filming of Babes in Toyland (1934).
Had said that out of all the impersonations done of him, he liked actor Dick Van Dyke's the best. Van Dyke even got to perform that impersonation on one of the episodes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961) and after it premiered, he called Laurel to ask his opinion. Laurel said he liked everything but one detail, the hat wasn't right. Van Dyke said he found Laurel's number in a Santa Monica, CA, phone book.
He always thought that his "whining face" was humiliating, but the producers forced him to do it in most of his movies since the public loved it.
He and Oliver Hardy have been and continue to be very popular in Germany under the name of "Dick und Doof" (Fatty and Stupid).
He and Mae Laurel lived as a common-law couple, as Mae was legally married to someone in her native Australia when she met Stan in 1918. They parted in 1925 by mutual consent and Mae returned to Australia.
He had always been a fan of westerns, and after he became a success, his company, Stan Laurel Productions, financed a series of low-budget musical westerns starring singing cowboy Fred Scott. The films were made for and released by the independent Spectrum Pictures rather than Hal Roach Studios, which made Laurel's and Oliver Hardy's films, or MGM, which released them. The Scott westerns seldom, if ever, made any money, but Laurel's enthusiasm for them never waned until his accountants showed him that they were getting to be a major drain on his finances, at which time he reluctantly dropped his participation.
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[6]. 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.
He was a heavy smoker until he suddenly gave up when he was about seventy.
He was a staunch Democrat.
He was greatly admired by Jerry Lewis. When Lewis had his own production company in the early 1960s, he repeatedly tried to hire Stan for his creative team. Stan refused, despite the impressive salary. According to Lewis, he would send scripts to Stan who would read them and write suggestions in the margins.
He was voted, along with comedy partner Oliver Hardy, the 45th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
His and Oliver Hardy's films had and still have great success in Italy, where they are known as "Stallio and Ollio.".
His light blue eyes almost ended his movie career before it began. Until the early 1920s, filmmakers used black-and-white Orthochromatic film stock, which was "blue blind." Hal Roach cameraman George Stevens (the same George Stevens who would later become an acclaimed producer/director) knew of panchromatic film and was able to get a supply of it from Chicago. This new film was sensitive to blue and recorded Laurel's pale blue eyes in a more natural way. Stevens became Laurel's cameraman on his short films at Roach. When Laurel teamed with Oliver Hardy, the team made Stevens their cameraman of choice.
His partner Oliver Hardy was an inveterate golfer, often setting up his own little putting green on the set so he could practice between takes. Laurel once joked to a reporter interviewing him that golf was Hardy's only "bad habit". When the reporter asked if he had any bad habits, Laurel--who had been married and divorced five times--replied, "Yes, and I married them.".
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In 1910, Stan Laurel 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.
In 1910, Stan Laurel 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.
In 1961, Stan Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his pioneering work in comedy.
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 2008, a statue of Stan Laurel was unveiled in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, UK, on the site of the Eden Theatre. Although Laurel was born in Ulverston, Cumbria, he was moved as a baby to Bishop Auckland, where he was baptised at St. Peter's Church and schooled at King James Grammar School.
In April 2009, a bronze statue of Laurel and Hardy was unveiled in Ulverston, Cumbria.
In his later years he was a close friend of Dick Van Dyke.
In his later years he was arguably the most approachable of all movie stars, keeping his phone number in the phone book, welcoming all sorts of visitors, and responding to his fan mail personally.
Interred at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California, USA.
Is portrayed by Jim Plunkett in Harlow (1965/II).
Laurel and Hardy's famous piano moving scene from 1932's The Music Box was filmed in the Silverlake district of Los Angeles. The scene shows Laurel & Hardy struggling futilely to haul a heavy piano up a long flight of steps. The 131 steps are still in existence today, and are a public staircase (they do not lead to a single residence as in the film). They connect Vendome Street (at the base of the hill) with Descanso Drive (at the top of the hill). They are located near the neighborhood where Sunset Boulevard and Silver Lake Boulevard intersect. The address is 923-935 Vendome Street near the intersection of Del Monte Street. A commemorative plaque was set into one of the lower steps between 1993 and 1995. The "Music Box" steps can be seen in the background of an earlier Charley Chase silent comedy produced at the Hal Roach Studios, "Isn't Life Terrible?" (1925), during a scene in which Chase is trying to sell fountain pens to Fay Wray.
Laurel and Hardy's likenesses have made frequent "cameo appearances" in animated cartoons and comic strips since the 1930s. They were featured in a Laurel and Hardy cartoon series by Hanna-Barbera and made a guest appearance in The New Scooby-Doo Movies. From Mickey Mouse to Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies to Woody Woodpecker, caricatured versions of the comedians appeared as walk-on characters and sometimes in supporting roles in cartoons from the Golden Age of American animation. Laurel and Hardy have also turned up in more recent works such as the Asterix album Obelix and Co., Mark Dindal's animated film Cats Don't Dance (1997), Berkeley Breathed's comic strip Bloom County, Gary Larson's comic strip The Far Side and The Simpsons episode The Wandering Juvie.
Laurel first appeared with his future partner, Oliver Hardy, in The Lucky Dog (1921), which was filmed in 1919, but not released until 1921.
Laurel insisted that the quote attributed to him, "You know my hobbies; I married them all" was actually dreamed up by the publicity department.
Only son died 9 days after birth in 1930.
Portrayed by Matthew Cottle in Chaplin (1992).
Stan Laurel was an avid Western fan. His son-in-law, Rand Brooks, is best known for doing Westerns.
Stan removed the heels from his shoes while filming. It helped him accent his already humorous walk.
Stan was greatly admired by Peter Sellers. Sellers claimed that the "Laurel" character was his inspiration when he created the "gardener" character in Being There (1979).
Subject on one of five 29¢ US commemorative postage stamps celebrating famous comedians, issued in booklet form 29 August 1991. He is shown with his partner Oliver Hardy. The stamp designs were drawn by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. The other comedians honored in the set are Edgar Bergen (with alter ego Charlie McCarthy); Jack Benny; Fanny Brice; and Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.
Suffered a nervous breakdown on the death of his long time film partner and friend, Oliver Hardy, and according to his friends, never fully recovered.
Suffered a stroke in June 1955.
The 1937 Laurel and Hardy comedy Way Out West parodied the famous hitch-hiking scene from It Happened One Night, with Stan Laurel managing to stop a stage coach using the same technique.
The death of his partner Oliver Hardy left him a broken man, so much so that he fell into a deep depression and swore never to do comedy again. He didn't. In the eight years between Hardy's death and his own, he repeatedly turned down offers to do public appearances.
There is a plaque on the Bull Inn, Bottesford, Leicestershire, England, recording how Laurel and Hardy (while appearing in Nottingham over Christmas 1952) stayed with Laurel's sister, Olga, who was the landlady of the pub.