42 Facts About Stan Laurel

Stan Laurel appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 short films, feature films, and cameo roles.

Stan Laurel was a member of "Fred Karno's Army", where he was Charlie Chaplin's understudy.

Stan Laurel appeared with his comic partner Oliver Hardy in the film short The Lucky Dog in 1921, although they did not become an official team until late 1927.

Stan Laurel then appeared exclusively with Hardy until retiring after his comedy partner's death in 1957.

In 2019, Stan Laurel topped a list of the greatest British comedians compiled by a panel on the television channel Gold.

Stan Laurel moved with his parents to Glasgow, Scotland, where he completed his education at Rutherglen Academy.

Stan Laurel's father managed Glasgow's Metropole Theatre, where Laurel first worked.

In 1912 Stan Laurel worked together with Ted Desmond on tour in Netherlands and Belgium as a comedy double act known as the Barto Bros.

Stan Laurel joined Fred Karno's troupe of actors in 1910 with the stage name of "Stan Jefferson"; the troupe included a young Charlie Chaplin.

Chaplin and Stan Laurel arrived in the United States on the same ship from Britain with the Karno troupe and toured the country.

Stan Laurel was not called up; his registration card states his status as resident alien and his deafness as exemptions.

Stan Laurel joined with two other former Karno performers, Edgar Hurley and his wife Ethel to form "The Three Comiques".

Stan Laurel started to do his character as an imitation of Charlie Chaplin, and the Hurleys began to do their parts as silent comedians Chester Conklin and Mabel Normand.

Amongst other performers, Stan Laurel worked briefly alongside Oliver Hardy in the silent film short The Lucky Dog, before the two were a team.

Around the same time, he adopted the stage name of Laurel at Dahlberg's suggestion that his stage name Stan Jefferson was unlucky, due to it having thirteen letters.

Stan Laurel was credited for directing or co-directing ten silent shorts, but appeared in none of these.

Stan Laurel next signed with the Hal Roach studio, where he began directing films, including a 1926 production called Yes, Yes, Nanette.

The first film that Stan Laurel and Hardy made after Stan Laurel returned was A Chump at Oxford.

Stan Laurel found, to his shock, that he and Hardy were hired only as actors, and were not expected to contribute to the staging, writing, or editing of the productions.

Revisiting his music hall days, Stan Laurel returned to England in 1947 when he and Hardy went on a six-week tour of the United Kingdom performing in variety shows.

Around this time, Stan Laurel found out that he had diabetes, so he encouraged Hardy to find solo projects, which he did, taking parts in John Wayne and Bing Crosby films.

The plans were delayed after Stan Laurel suffered a stroke on 25 April 1955, from which he recovered.

Those who knew Stan Laurel reported he was absolutely devastated by Hardy's death and never fully recovered from it; his wife told the press that he became physically ill upon hearing that Hardy was dying.

In 1961, Stan Laurel was given an Academy Honorary Award "for his creative pioneering in the field of cinema comedy".

Stan Laurel was introduced by Bob Hope, and the award was accepted by Danny Kaye.

Stan Laurel had achieved his lifelong dream as a comedian and had been involved in nearly 190 films.

Stan Laurel lived his final years in a small flat in the Oceana Apartments in Santa Monica, California.

Stan Laurel was gracious to fans and spent much time answering fan mail.

Lewis paid tribute to Laurel by naming his main character Stanley in the film, and having Bill Richmond play a version of Laurel as well.

Stan Laurel was offered a cameo role in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, but declined.

Stan Laurel reportedly said he did not want to be on screen in his old age, especially without Hardy.

Stan Laurel was one of several popular British actors in Hollywood who never became a naturalised US citizen.

Stan Laurel had four wives and married one of them a second time after their divorce.

In 1935, Stan Laurel married Virginia Ruth Rogers.

On New Year's Day 1938, Stan Laurel married Vera Ivanova Shuvalova, and Ruth accused him of bigamy, but their divorce had been finalised a couple of days before his new marriage.

In 1941, Stan Laurel remarried Virginia Ruth Rogers; they were divorced for the second time in early 1946.

Stan Laurel died on 23 February 1965, aged 74, four days after suffering a heart attack.

In 1989, a statue of Stan Laurel was erected in Dockwray Square, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, where he lived at No 8 from 1897 to 1902.

In 2006, BBC Four showed a drama called Stan, based on Brand's radio play, in which Laurel meets Hardy on his deathbed and reminisces about their career.

In 2008, a statue of Stan Laurel was unveiled in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on the site of the Eden Theatre.

The play, starring Holland as Stan Laurel, was taken on tour of the UK in 2014 until June 2015.

In 2019 Stan Laurel was voted the greatest ever British comedian by a panel on the British television channel Gold.