Laurel and Hardy

Laurel and Hardy were a comedy team from 1927 to 1955, consisting of British Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a team in the silent film era, they transitioned easily to the new talking pictures and became internationally famous for their slapstick comedy. Laurel's character was clumsy and childlike; Hardy's was domineering and genteel, but both were inseparable friends. Their theme song, known variously as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Dance of the Cuckoos" (by Hollywood composer T. Marvin Hatley) was heard over their films' opening credits, and became as identified with them as their derby hats.

Before becoming a team, both had well-established film careers. Stan Laurel had been a vaudeville performer on European and American stages before joining the film industry in 1917; he was primarily a comedian but was also a talented writer and director. Oliver Hardy entered the film business as a theater projectionist, and became an actor in 1913. They first appeared together in 1921 -- purely by chance -- in the short film The Lucky Dog, but did not encounter each other again until 1925, when both were working at the Hal Roach film studio. They officially became a team in 1927 when they appeared in the silent short Putting Pants on Philip. They remained with Roach until 1940, and then appeared in eight B movie comedies for 20th Century-Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1941 to 1945. After finishing their film commitments at the end of 1944, they concentrated on performing stage shows, and embarked on a music hall tour of the British Isles. They made their last film in 1951, a French–Italian co-production called Atoll K. Thereafter they performed on stage, exclusively in Europe, until 1954.

They appeared as a team in 107 films, starring in 32 short silent films, 40 short sound films, and 23 full-length feature films. They also made 12 guest or cameo appearances, including the Galaxy of Stars promotional film of 1936. On December 1, 1954, they made their sole American television appearance, when they were surprised and interviewed by Ralph Edwards on his live NBC-TV program This Is Your Life.

Since the 1930s, their films have been released in numerous theatrical reissues, television revivals, 8-mm and 16-mm home movies, feature-film compilations, and home videos. The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is The Sons of the Desert, named after a fictional fraternal society in the film of the same name.