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Stan Laurel Biography (1890-1965)

Born Arthur Stanley Jefferson, June 16, 1890, in Ulverston, Lancashire, England; died February 23, 1965; son of Arthur J. Jefferson (an actor and producer) and Madge Metcalfe (an actress); common-law husband of Mae Dahlberg (a singer and dancer), 1919-25; married Lois Neilson (an actress), 1926 (divorced, 1935); married Ruth Rogers, 1935 (divorced, 1936); married Illeana Shuvalona (a singer and dancer), 1938 (divorced, 1939); remarried Ruth Rogers, 1941 (divorced, 1946); married Ida Kitaeva Raphael (an actress and singer), 1946; children: two (with Lois Neilson).

Nationality

English

Gender

Male

Birth Details

June 16, 1890

Ulverston, Lancashire, England

Famous Works

• Credits; Film Appearances; With Oliver Hardy
• Lucky Dog, (short film), 1917.
• Forty-Five Minutes from Hollywood (short film), 1926.
• The Battle of the Century (short film), 1927.
• Call of the Cuckoos (short film), 1927.
• Do Detectives Think? (short film), 1927.
• Duck Soup (short film), 1927.
• Flying Elephants (short film), 1927.
• Hats Off (short film), 1927.
• Love 'em and Weep (short film), 1927.
• Putting Pants on Philip (short film), 1927.
• Sailors Beware (short film), 1927.
• The Second Hundred Years (short film), 1927.
• Slipping Wives (short film), 1927.
• Sugar Daddies (short film), 1927.
• Why Girls Love Sailors (short film), 1927.
• With Love and Hisses (short film), 1927.
• Early to Bed (short film), 1928.
• The Finishing Touch (short film), 1928.
• From Soup to Nuts (short film), 1928.
• Habeus Corpus (short film), 1928.
• Leave 'em Laughing (short film), 1928.
• Should Married Men Go Home? (short film), 1928.
• Their Purple Moment (short film), 1928.
• Two Tars (short film), 1928.
• We Faw Down (short film), 1928.
• You're Darn Tootin' (short film), 1928.
• Angora Love (short film), 1929.
• Bacon Grabbers (short film), 1929.
• Berth Marks (short film), 1929.
• Big Business (short film), 1929.
• Double Whoopee (short film), 1929.
• The Hoose-Gow (short film), 1929.
• Liberty (short film), 1929.
• Men 'o War (short film), 1929.
• The Perfect Day (short film), 1929.
• That's My Wife (short film), 1929.
• They Go Boom (short film), 1929.
• Unaccustomed as We Are (short film), 1929.
• Wrong Again (short film), 1929.
• Another Fine Mess (short film), 1930.
• Be Big (short film), 1930.
• Below Zero (short film), 1930.
• Blotto (short film), 1930.
• Brats (short film), 1930.
• Hog Wild (short film), 1930.
• The Laurel and Hardy Murder Case (short film), 1930.
• Night Owls (short film), 1930.
• Ali-Bek, The Rogue Song, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1930.
• Beau Hunks (short film), 1931.
• Chickens Come Home (short film), 1931.
• Come Clean (short film), 1931.
• Helpmates (short film), 1931.
• Laughing Gravy (short film), 1931.
• One Good Turn (short film), 1931.
• Our Wife (short film), 1931.
• Himself, Pardon Us (also known as Jail Birds and Gaol Birds), MGM, 1931.
• The Stolen Jools (short film), 1931.
• Any Old Port (short film), 1932.
• The Chimp (short film), 1932.
• County Hospital (short film), 1932.
• The Music Box (short film), 1932.
• Himself, Pack Up Your Troubles, MGM, 1932.
• Scram! (short film), 1932.
• Their First Mistake (short film), 1932.
• Towed in a Hole (short film), 1932.
• Busy Bodies (short film), 1933.
• Stanlio, The Devil's Brother (also known as Fra Diavolo and The VirtuousTramps), MGM, 1933.
• Dirty Work (short film), 1933.
• Me and My Pal (short film), 1933.
• The Midnight Patrol (short film), 1933.
• Himself, Sons of the Desert (also known as Sons of the Legion), MGM, 1933.
• Twice Two (short film), 1933.
• Stanley Dum, Babes in Toyland (also known as March of the Wooden Soldiers), MGM, 1934.
• Going Bye-Bye (short film), 1934.
• Himself, Hollywood Party, MGM, 1934.
• The Live Ghost (short film), 1934.
• The Private Life of Oliver the Eighth (short film), 1934.
• Them Thar Hills (short film), 1934.
• Stanley McLaurel, Bonnie Scotland, MGM, 1935.
• Fixer-Uppers (short film), 1935.
• Thicker than Water (short film), 1935.
• Tit for Tat (short film), 1935.
• Himself, The Bohemian Girl, MGM, 1936.
• Himself and Alfie Laurel, Our Relations, MGM, 1936.
• Himself, Pick a Star, MGM, 1937.
• Himself, Way Out West, MGM, 1937.
• Himself, Blockheads, MGM, 1938.
• Himself, Swiss Miss, MGM, 1938.
• Himself, The Flying Deuces, RKO, 1939.
• Himself, A Chump at Oxford, United Artists (UA), 1940.
• Himself, Saps At Sea, UA, 1940.
• Himself, Great Guns, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1941.
• Himself, A-Haunting We Will Go, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1942.
• Himself, Air Raid Wardens, MGM, 1943.
• Himself, The Dancing Masters, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1943.
• Himself, Jitterbugs, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1943.
• The Tree in a Test Tube (short film), 1943.
• Himself, The Big Noise, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1944.
• Himself, Nothing But Trouble, MGM, 1944.
• Himself, The Bullfighters, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1945.
• Himself, Utopia (also known as Atoll K and Escapade), Exploitation, 1950.
• The Best of Laurel and Hardy, 1971.
• Credits; Film Appearances; Without Oliver Hardy
• (Film debut) Nuts in May, 1917.
• The Evolution of Fashion, 1917.
• Bears and Bad Men, 1918.
• Frauds and Frenzies, 1918.
• Hickory Hiram, 1918.
• Huns and Hyphens, 1918.
• It's Great to Be Crazy, 1918.
• Phoney Photos, 1918.
• Whose Zoo, 1918.
• Do You Love Your Wife?, 1919.
• Hoot Mon, 1919.
• Hustling for Health, 1919.
• Just Rambling Along, 1919.
• No Place Like Jail, 1919.
• Scars and Stripes, 1919.
• The Rent Collector, 1921.
• The Bootlegger, 1922.
• The Carpenter, 1922.
• The Egg, 1922.
• The Gardener, 1922.
• The Miner, 1922.
• Mud and Sand, 1922.
• The Pest, 1922.
• Weak-End Party, 1922.
• When Knights Were Cold, 1922.
• White Wings, 1922.
• Collars and Cuffs, 1923.
• Cowboys Cry for It, 1923.
• A Dark House, 1923.
• Frozen Hearts, 1923.
• Gas and Air, 1923.
• The Handy Man, 1923.
• Kill or Cure, 1923.
• A Man About Town, 1923.
• Mother's Joy, 1923.
• The Noon Whistle, 1923.
• Oranges and Lemons, 1923.
• Pick and Shovel, 1923.
• Roughest Africa, 1923.
• Save the Ship, 1923.
• Scorching Sands, 1923.
• Short Orders, 1923.
• The Soilers, 1923.
• Under Two Jags, 1923.
• The Whole Truth, 1923.
• Wild Bill Hiccup, 1923.
• Brothers under the Chin, 1924.
• Detained, 1924.
• Mandarin Mix-Up, 1924.
• Mixed Nuts, 1924.
• Monsieur Don't-Care, 1924.
• Near Dublin, 1924.
• Postage Due, 1924.
• Rupert of Cole-Slaw, 1924.
• Short Kilts, 1924.
• Smithy, 1924.
• West of Hot Dog, 1924.
• Wide Open Spaces, 1924.
• Zeb vs. Paprika, 1924.
• Dr. Pickle and Mr. Pryde, 1925.
• Half a Man, 1925.
• Navy Blue Days, 1925.
• Pie-Eyed, 1925.
• Somewhere in Wrong, 1925.
• The Sleuth, 1925.
• The Snow Hawk, 1925.
• Twins, 1925.
• Atta Boy, 1926.
• Eve's Love Letter, 1926.
• Get 'em Young, 1926.
• Now I'll Tell One, 1926.
• Should Tall Men Marry?, 1926.
• Seeing the World, 1927.
• Credits; Film Work; Director
• (With Hennecke) Yes, Yes, Nannette, 1925.
• (With Finlayson) Unfriendly Enemies, 1925.
• Moonlight and Noses, 1925.
• Wandering Papas, 1925.
• Enough to Do, 1925.
• (And actor) On the Front Page, 1926.
• (With Wallace) Madame Mystery, 1926.
• The Merry Widower, 1926.
• Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes, 1926.
• (With Wallace) Raggedy Rose, 1926.
• Credits; Film Work; Producer
• (With L.A. French) Our Relations, MGM, 1936.
• Way Out West, MGM, 1937.
• (With Jed Buell) Knight of the Plains, Spectrum, 1939.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Series
• Laurel and Hardy Laughtoons, syndicated, 1979.
• Credits; Stage Appearances
• Appeared in Alone in the World, 1907; appeared in touring productions ofthe Fred Karno vaudeville troupe, 1910-11 and 1912- 13.

Further Reference

Books:

• Anobile, Richard J., A Fine Mess, {New York}, 1975.
• Barr, Charles, Laurel and Hardy, {London}, 1967.
• Crowther, Bruce, Laurel and Hardy: Crown Princes of Comedy, {London}, 1987.
• Everson, William K., The Films of Laurel and Hardy, {New York}, 1967.
• Guiles, Fred, Stan, {London}, 1980.
• Leeflang, Thomas, The World of Laurel and Hardy, {Leicester, England}, 1988.
• Maltin, Leonard, and others, The Laurel and Hardy Book, {New York}, 1973.
• McCabe, John, The Comedy World of Stan Laurel, {New York}, 1974.
• McCabe, John, Laurel and Hardy, {New York}, 1975.
• Nollen, Scott Allen, The Boys: The Cinematic World of Laurel and Hardy,{Jefferson, NC}, 1989.
• Owen-Pawson, Jenny, and Bill Mouland, Laurel before Hardy, {Kendal, Cumbria}, 1984.
• Skretvedt, Randy, Laurel and Hardy: The Magic behind the Movies, {Beverly Hills, CA}, 1987.
• Smith, Leon, Following the Comedy Trail: A Guide to Laurel and Hardy andOur Gang Locations, {Los Angeles}, 1988.

Periodicals:

• American Film, October, 1986.
• Classic Images, July, 1981; September, 1981; July, 1982; April, 1984.
• Ecran, April and May, 1972.
• Film Comment, July/August, 1987.
• Films and Filming, August, 1960.
• Films in Review, March, 1959; November, 1979; February, 1980; April, 1980.
• Griffithiana, September, 1988.
• New Republic, August 5, 1991, pp. 26-27.
• Postif, July-August, 1978.
• Sight and Sound, July-September, 1954.
• Take One, number 9, 1968.
• Time, July 14, 1967.