Biography
During their years working together, the pair—known as Laurel, born Arthur Stanley Jefferson on 16 June 1890 in Ulverston, Lancashire (later Cumbria), England, and who died on 23 February 1965 in Santa Monica, California, USA, and Hardy, born Oliver Norvell Hardy on 18 January 1892 in Harlem, Georgia, USA, and who died on 7 August 1957 in North Hollywood, California, USA—produced both silent pictures and sound features. Laurel had already crossed the Atlantic twice with Fred Karno’s company, in 1910 and again in 1912, and chose to remain in the United States; between 1917 and 1927 he completed seventy-five short subjects on his own before joining forces with Hardy. Hardy, who had begun singing professionally at the age of eight and entered films in 1913, continued in supporting parts until the partnership began.
Once sound arrived, the comedians took part in revue-style productions such as The Hollywood Revue Of 1929 and also appeared in two musical features. The first was The Rogue Song (1930), now lost, an adaptation of Franz Lehár’s operetta Gypsy Love that starred the opera singer Lawrence Tibbett; the second, The Devil’s Brother (1933, released in the UK as Fra Diavolo), featured another opera singer, Dennis King, and drew its score, arranged by Le Roy Shield, from Daniel Auber’s opera. Two further releases adapted well-known stage works: Babes In Toyland in 1934 came from the Broadway musical, while The Bohemian Girl in 1936 was based on William Balfe’s operetta.
Musical interludes surfaced in many other titles, among them Bonnie Scotland (1935) and Swiss Miss (1938). Individual songs included “You Are The Ideal Of My Dreams” in Beau Hunks (1931, known in Britain as Beau Chumps), “Lazy Moon” in Pardon Us (1931, UK title Jailbirds), “Honolulu Baby” in Sons Of The Desert (1933, UK title Fraternally Yours), “The Old Spinning Wheel” in Them Thar Hills (1934), “Shine On Harvest Moon” in The Flying Deuces (1939), and Laurel’s concertina accompaniment to “Mairzy Doats” in The Big Noise (1944). In Way Out West (1937) the duo danced to “The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine,” after which Laurel performed a bass-soprano duet (the voices supplied by Chill Wills and Rosina Lawrence).
Threaded throughout their work was T. Marvin Hatley’s buoyant theme “Ku-Ku,” widely recognised as “The Dance Of The Cuckoos.” Hatley and Shield contributed both occasional songs and much of the incidental scoring; Hatley received Oscar nominations for the music of Way Out West and Block-Heads (1938). Beyond the screen, the two performers also sang during their periodic stage tours of the United States and the United Kingdom.
Once sound arrived, the comedians took part in revue-style productions such as The Hollywood Revue Of 1929 and also appeared in two musical features. The first was The Rogue Song (1930), now lost, an adaptation of Franz Lehár’s operetta Gypsy Love that starred the opera singer Lawrence Tibbett; the second, The Devil’s Brother (1933, released in the UK as Fra Diavolo), featured another opera singer, Dennis King, and drew its score, arranged by Le Roy Shield, from Daniel Auber’s opera. Two further releases adapted well-known stage works: Babes In Toyland in 1934 came from the Broadway musical, while The Bohemian Girl in 1936 was based on William Balfe’s operetta.
Musical interludes surfaced in many other titles, among them Bonnie Scotland (1935) and Swiss Miss (1938). Individual songs included “You Are The Ideal Of My Dreams” in Beau Hunks (1931, known in Britain as Beau Chumps), “Lazy Moon” in Pardon Us (1931, UK title Jailbirds), “Honolulu Baby” in Sons Of The Desert (1933, UK title Fraternally Yours), “The Old Spinning Wheel” in Them Thar Hills (1934), “Shine On Harvest Moon” in The Flying Deuces (1939), and Laurel’s concertina accompaniment to “Mairzy Doats” in The Big Noise (1944). In Way Out West (1937) the duo danced to “The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine,” after which Laurel performed a bass-soprano duet (the voices supplied by Chill Wills and Rosina Lawrence).
Threaded throughout their work was T. Marvin Hatley’s buoyant theme “Ku-Ku,” widely recognised as “The Dance Of The Cuckoos.” Hatley and Shield contributed both occasional songs and much of the incidental scoring; Hatley received Oscar nominations for the music of Way Out West and Block-Heads (1938). Beyond the screen, the two performers also sang during their periodic stage tours of the United States and the United Kingdom.
Albums
