Another fine show

Review: Laurel and Hardy at the Southampton Gaumont, February 1952.

Laurel and Hardy - in person - are the big attraction of this week's variety bill at the Southampton Gaumont: and let it be said at once that this is probably the best variety programme that the Gaumont has put on since the stage facilities were restored in 1950.

Stan and Ollie themselves are a riot; they are just as much at home (and just as funny) before the footlights as before the cameras. None of the old magic has gone - there are still the wonderful range of facial expressions, the studied yet gentle insults about Ollie's size and Stan's gormlessness, that have made millions laugh since they made their first film together in 1927.

And although their sketch on this occasion does not, perhaps, do them full justice, Stan can still bring the house down just by looking at his audience (those eyebrows!) and Ollie has his famous glare of righteous indignation and all the equally famous mannerisms.

They are, in every sense of the word, a team; and if your taste in humour is not too rigidly highbrow, you will laugh as much as I did.

And what a joy to hear that comic little signature tune from a real live orchestra in a real live theatre to introduce a real live Laurel and Hardy!'

It is 53 years since this review of Laurel and Hardy at the Southampton Gaumont theatre appeared in the Daily Echo on February 13, 1952.

Laurel and Hardy's brand of comedy was one of the first to introduce the verbal wit of vaudeville to film audiences when sound arrived.

Where many comedians relied on their physical humour to carry them into the talking age, Laurel and Hardy fleshed out characters that were distinct.

Stan Laurel was the half-witted innocent who was childlike in his lack of knowledge, while Oliver Hardy was the confident one who barely registered as more intelligent despite his obvious belief otherwise.

Their rise to fame happened when a friend encouraged Norvell Hardy to move to Jacksonville where movies were being made. He did so and quickly found work as a cabaret and vaudeville singer.

Since his singing engagements were in the evening, Norvell spent his days at the Lubin Studios, watching and learning. A director enlisted Norvell in his first movie Outwitting Dad (1914).

Norvell chose to be billed as O N Hardy, taking his father's first name as his own. Thereafter he referred to himself as Oliver Norvell Hardy.

But it was the Italian proprietor of a nearby barber shop who gave Ollie the name by which he was known to friends for the rest of his life.

After shaving Ollie, the barber would apply talc to his cheeks and say, "nice-a-baby." This was eventually shortened to Babe. In many of the late films at Lubin he was billed as "Babe" Hardy.

Babe made 50 films at Lubin during 1914-15, all one-reel short comedies. Late in 1917 Babe moved to Los Angeles which was rapidly replacing Florida and New York as the motion picture capital. At first Babe worked freelance at several Hollywood studios.

In 1925, while working at Roach Studios, Stan Laurel directed Babe in a one-reel comedy, Yes, Yes, Nanette!

My mid-1926 Babe had appeared with all the "All Stars" at Roach Studios Stan, who originated from Cumbria, remained behind the scenes as he had been working for Roach as a writer and director.

A chance accident with a hot leg of lamb put Babe in the hospital just as filming was to begin on Get 'Em Young, and Stan was recruited to replace Babe.

Although he had no intention of remaining in front of the cameras, he agreed to appear in another two-reeler, 45 Minutes From Hollywood.

It was not until Putting Pants on Philip that the boys were consciously teamed together. Stan called it their first Laurel and Hardy team film.

In October, 1941 Laurel and Hardy agreed to do a film for 20th Century Fox. Over the next four years they made six features for Fox and two for MGM.

When their contract with Fox expired they did not renew. Instead, they agreed to a six-week tour of the English Music Halls.

The tour of England and Scotland grew to seven months, followed by engagements in Scandinavia, Belgium and France and a Royal Command Performance for King George and Queen Elizabeth. Their six-week tour lasted nearly a year.

When Stan returned to the States he was exhausted. Tests revealed that he was diabetic. He needed a long rest.

In 1950 Laurel and Hardy were approached by a European consortium to produce a film in Europe to be financed largely by the French government. Trusting their promise of script approval Stan and Babe agreed. The result was Atoll K (also known as Utopia and Robinson Crusoe Land).

The international nature of the cast and crew created insurmountable problems. The French actors spoke French, the Italian actors spoke Italian and the boys spoke English.

The European actors' voices were dubbed. The writers, all speaking different languages, did not work together.

During the filming Stan became seriously ill and required prostate surgery. Babe also became ill and was diagnosed with heart problems.

Returning to the States, both Stan and Babe needed convalescence. When they recovered they were offered a second British tour, where they visited Southampton, and, in 1954 a third tour both of them highly successful.

In 1955 they contracted with Hal Roach Jr to produce a series of TV shows based on Mother Goose fables.

A few days before filming was to commence Stan suffered a stroke. As he slowly recovered Babe had a massive heart attack and stroke that left him paralysed.

While Stan continued to recover, Babe did not. He lingered on for several months, finally succumbing to a series of strokes.

He died on August 7, 1957 and his ashes were interred in the Masonic Garden of Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood.

Stan did not work after Ollie passed away, but he continued to fashion gags and skits until he died on February 23, 1965, of a heart attack.