These are the last photos taken of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy together. They were shot by a family friend at the Reseda, California home of Stan Laurel’s daughter, Lois, in 1956.
In 1956, while following his doctor’s orders to improve his health due to a heart condition, Hardy lost over 100 pounds (45 kg), but nonetheless suffered several strokes causing reduced mobility and speech. Despite his long and successful career, Hardy’s home was sold to help cover his medical expenses. He died of a stroke on August 7, 1957, and longtime friend Bob Chatterton said Hardy weighed just 138 pounds (63 kg) at the time of his death.
For the remaining eight years of his life, Stan Laurel refused to perform, and declined Stanley Kramer’s offer of a cameo in his landmark 1963 film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 1960, Laurel was given a special Academy Award for his contributions to film comedy, but was unable to attend the ceremony due to poor health. Actor Danny Kaye accepted the award on his behalf. Despite not appearing on screen after Hardy’s death, Laurel did contribute gags to several comedy filmmakers. His favorite TV comedy was Leonard B. Stern’s I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster, co-starring John Astin and Marty Ingels as carpenters. Laurel enjoyed the Astin-Ingels chemistry and sent two-man gags to Stern.
Laurel lived to see the duo’s work rediscovered through television and classic film revivals. He died on February 23, 1965, in Santa Monica.
Laurel and Hardy, were a comedy team that is widely regarded as the greatest in film history. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy made more than 100 comedies together between 1921 and 1950, with Laurel playing the bumbling and innocent foil to the pompous Hardy.
0 comments:
Post a Comment