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Stan Laurel was born in England to an actress
mother and comedian father. One night early in his own stage career, as he
returned to the stage for an encore, he dropped his silk topper hat and, as
it rolled toward the footlights with him in pursuit, he accidentally kicked
it into the orchestra pit. One of the pit musicians, in trying to retrieve
the hat, inadvertently stepped on it and thoroughly squashed it. Dashing of
the stage, Stan caught his coat on a steel hook, the coat ripped apart and
the audience howled with laughter. His career as a comedian had begun.
Oliver Hardy was born in Georgia. Unlike Stan Laurel, Hardy’s parents were
not in show business. His mother operated a Hotel, where Hardy developed the
habit of observing peoples’ movements and mannerism. This served him well
when as an actor he was called upon to portray a wide variety of characters.
Laurel & Hardy began working together in the late 1920’s. By then each had
20 years of experience behind them, and when the two joined forces, the
result was hilarious. The twenties and thirties would not have been the same
without the madcap antics of Laurel and Hardy.

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