| Home Page
Photo Page
Contact Page
Guest Book Page
Photo2 Page
Photo3 Page
Photo4 Page
Photo5 Page
Whats New Page
Custom Page
Favorite Links Page
Photo6 Page
About Page
Custom2 Page
|
BASED on historical facts, interviews and personal reminiscences (not always correct!) this is the birth-to-death bio-pic of STAN LAUREL - "HE OF FUNNY WAYS".
I have neither canonised nor demonised this great man - but merely represented him and his genre after more than 18 months (still on-going) of painstaking and highly detailed research. Such research has not only been about Stan's professional and personal life but the history of that age - British and Empire, semi-raw America, embryonic Hollywood and World events. From a variety of sources I have reproduced (in minute and pinpoint detail) typical English Musical Hall and American Vaudeville acts - there was a difference you know. Included and woven throughout the script are the many fascinating (often famous) characters he meets that help or hinder his career - and I could have written a separate script on his tangled lovelife! Oh! He did have some "funny ways"......As well as writing and highlighting backstage and back of camera scenes explaining the personal and professional story (eg: Joe Rock's expulsion of Mae Dahlberg (see website "What's New" page) and Hal Roach's 'Fun Factory' Gag Gang........)
Much of what you might have read, or think, or mistakenly believe about Stan Laurel (and Ollie Hardy) from some of the books or their films may probably be THE TOTALLY OPPOSITE IMPRESSION of their real personalities........
People keep referring to the "flop" (and I quote) of Richard Attenborough's "Chaplin" .......I liked it a lot when I saw it at the time but on probing lately, I think the film de-mystified Charlie Caholin toomuch! Charlie's real aggressive , fiercely driven, bullish and too businesslike personalty compared to his sweet and enduring " Little Tramp" character on screen was too much for many to handle....Chaplin was not at all well-liked (or loved) at times, sorry, but it's true.
STAN, on the other hand was! Unlike "Chaplin", "Laurel" does not de-mystify his personality traits too much - rather handles his good and bad points very sensitively - and "Laurel" tells the story of a different (nicer) man and is a different script and a completly different treatment to "Chaplin"! Just had to clear that up!
PERSONAL: Arthur Stanley Jefferson (born 1890 (in Lancashire, what is now Cumbria*), died 1965) was the SECOND son (brother Gordon was five years older) of a very famous couple, Arthur Stanley Jefferson ("A.J.") and Margaret ("Madge") Jefferson. They become extremely famous (especially in the North). AJ was well-known and rspected, not only as a theatre manager - he had a whole group across the UK at one point (and invented the modern look of theatres/cinemas) - but also for his playwriting scripts, gags and his stage greasepaint and wigmaking.
Madge achieves renown as an Ingenue - a leading lady, singer and diva of the music halls.
Nearly dying when he was born at his Maternal Grandparent's house, Stan was too frail to travel with his immediate family and lived with his Grandparents - his fairly strict Methodist Grandmother and Cobbler Grandfather (who was not averse to getting drunk) until he was nine years old. He went to boarding schools and subsequently turned into a witty, enegertic, likeable but often naughty boy, often playing truant to be in the theatres (not all of them legit!)
Gordon had followed his Father's footsteps and became a Theatre manager, the third son Sydney was not so lucky as Stan and died as a baby (28% natal death rate in those days)- poor Stan was informed by letter at his boarding school. Their daughter Olga Beatrice ("Bea") went on stage, married and ran a public house - a shrine to her famous brother and the fourth son, Teddy, married, had children, and his famous brother Stan brought them all over to the States employing Teddy (who was mad about cars) as his chauffeur. Teddy dies tragically after a simple dental treatment went wrong .
Stan was bright but not academic and his talent for entertaining was recognised and encouraged at one school, where he frequently entertained the Masters after classes, having an 'arch-enemy', The German Master (treated in the script as an archetypical silent villain!).
When nine, he moved in with his immediate family - and AJ somewhat overcompensated but encouraged his second son's skills by building Stan his own small (but fully accurate) theatre in the family attic - where Stan used to stage his plays as Leading Man, Producer, Director etc. Unfortunately - during one fight scene, an oil lamp light spilled and it burnt down.
School holidays were his favourite times and he often played with his friends, stayed with parents, Grandparents - or with Madge's sister and brother-in-law and their children, Aunt Nante, Uncle John, Mary and Nellie (later followed by Jack, George and Charlie). (see website Photo pages)
His early funny days (despite sparse, conflicting and often fractured information from a wide variety of Laurel and Hardy books) have been turned in scenes in the script into an introduction to slapstick (for the 12+ audience) and have been either made comical or highlighted comedically - this later progresses into English Music Hall and American Vaudeville - which evolves into Stan's solo silent films, his pairing with Hardy and eventually talkies and world fame.
But the difficult and sad points of his early life are handled empathically....
Such unusual formative years must have had a big impact on Stan - his own parents had rocky patches (e.g. AJ's infidelities, dual careers and children) as well as the conflict in his Grandparent's relationship, missing his parents and siblings etc turns into a strong need and an overwhelming drive to be the centre of attention - to expend his energies, to overcome emotions, to be remembered, to make his mark - and be recognised and accepted. It can't have been easy on any of the family at times - but does leave it's mark on young Stan (especially with regard to women!)........
PROFESSIONAL: However nature overcomes nurture and AJ finds out Stan's comedy acting ambition one stolen night at an amateur theatre - and finally comes to accept that Stan does not want to carry on the family tradition of being a Theatre Manager! He writes Stan a letter of introduction to a Boys Juvenile Pantomime (8-16+) touring company - his 'apprenticeship'. He succeeds well enough to play 'singles' (solos) and he learns fast - watching (e.g. Wee Georgie Woods and Charlie Cahplin), picking up ideas and mannerisms from other acts - some of which, much later, become his personal trademarks as Laurel. For example - 'The cry' comes from an act during his apprenticeship called Graham and Barron.
AJ writes a sketch "Home From The Honeymoon" - extremely popular in it's time (but infamous now as Stan uses it as the basis for two Laurel and Hardy films.) One of AJ's actors fails and AJ invites young Stan to take one of the two lead parts - which Stan succeeds at.
PERSONAL: Madge dies when Stan is 18 and he is pulled from rehearsing a show to go home - she dies in his arms, an experience he never truly overcomes. Stan does not want to stay at home any more - which bring us back to........
PROFESSIONAL: He visits Fred Karno - at that time the most successful and famous theatrical and music hall impressario in the UK - rich enough to buy an island on the Thames - and physically brutal to his wife. Backstage at Karno's "Mother Goose" Christmas pantomime a very nervous Stan presents his card - and is hired (on a trial basis) to appear in Karno's stage act "The Mumming* Birds" - and their tour, which starts in London - ideal!.
Fred Karno's act "The *Mummings Bird" was successful for 20 years (rather like "The Mousetrap" of recent years and was re-named "A Night In An English Music Hall" when taken to the States - Americans wouldn't understand the ancient tradition of mumming* - or many of the jokes!).
Stan rises to understudy Charlie Chaplin - even for one week appearing as the star of the show when Chaplin can't get a part right (a spoof western, "Jimmy The Fearless" - there are many people, then and now - that would argue Stan was MUCH better than Chaplin!)
Karno takes them to the USA in 1910 - to over-hectic work schedules, poor conditions - and poverty. Most of the cast leave disgruntled, Stan and another 'Karno-ite' (Arthur Dandoe) coming back to London, where Stan writes his own skit for them both, "The Rum 'Uns from Rome". With a second partner (Ted Leo) and through Ted's contact's - Stan gets taken off to Rotterdam - but again is left (with seven others) jobless, homeless - and starving, having to steal food to survive - "no play-no pay!".
Somehow making his way back to London where big brother Gordon is now a successful Theatre Manager, the dishevelled and disheartened Stan made his way to that theatre. Shocked, Gordon took him home - and employed him in bits and pieces for a small wage - on and off stage. Stan is walking in Leicester Square one day and meets Karno's USA Manager (Alf Reeves) who invites him back to the States - with more pay. THE NEXT TIME STAN IS IN LEICESTER SQUARE HE WILL BE INFAMOUS - AND WILL SEE HIS NAME GO UP IN LIGHTS...........
Back to being Chaplin's understudy, there has been a dramatic sea change in America's feeling to Charlie Chaplin! They love him! Mack Sennett (very famous slapstick silent film producer best known for the "The Keystone Kops")invites Chaplin to Hollywood to make movies.....As Chaplin's understudy, this should have been Stan's big break - but the vaudeville theatre circuit managers cancel all bookings without the star - and the whole troupe is laid off while they wait for a replacement from London. He fails!
Stan decides to leave Karno - but not America. He and Edgar Hurley and his wife, Wren, another two Karno-ites, form their own company so Stan writes another sketch "The Nutty Burglars" which gets picked up by Claude and Gordon Bostock (two brothers, agents and managers who represent the big time). Gordon Bostock adapts their act to mimick Sennett, calling them the more marketable "Keystone Trio", with Stan playing Chaplin. All goes well - until Edgar lusts after Stan's part.......and fails miserably. On yet another vaudeville circuit, Stan meets Alice and Baldy Cooke, another married couple and behind Stan's back, and worried Edgar registers the act as his own. Stan of course then joins Alice and 'Baldy' Cooke for a fresh start as "The Stan Jefferson Trio". Again, "on the circuit" in Stan's "Crazy Cracksman" sketch, Stan falls in love - with Mae Dahlberg, a married Australian dancer who has brought her son with her to the States and "rapaciously" seduces Stan. They become personal and professional partners - and Stan drops the Cookes! He promises them the sketch and puts it in writing - but Stan and Mae carry on doing "Cracksman".
Stan wants to change his 13 letter name (bad luck) so Mae finds the name Laurel - but the "Laurels" argue constantly. Stan is 'head hunted' at one theatre on yet another vaudeville circuit by the Manager (Adolph Ramish), who happens to be a scout for UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. Stan's film is well received (Chaplin outlines his idea of a giant studio offering independant film studios - which never materialises,well, as far as Stan is concerned). Stan makes films for UNIVERSAL at the same time STILL appearing in vaudeville with Mae - often to tremendously punishing schedules and Stan leaves Mae to take the brunt of the impatient landlords! Mae occasionally acts in Stan's films - but she's not liked: her 'rude' style may be ok for vaudeville but is all wrong for the film producers (and censors) and she is generally regarded as bringing Stan down professionally.
Stan goes through a number of film companies (e.g. Larry Semon (missing Ollie Hardy by mere moths), B.B. Anderson (first film with Ollie), twice with Hal Roach, and Joe Rock) until Mae takes things too far and is 'helped' back to Australia by Joe Rock. PERSONAL: Stan meets wife no. 1, the lovely Lois Neilson, marries her, sues Joe Rock's film company for ,000 (more or less closing down Rock's studios for months which is eventually resolved.) Stan and Lois have a baby daughter (Lois Jnr. - poor baby Stan Jnr. dies).
For the third time, Stan finally ends up with Hal Roach at Culver City. Filming being a small world, Roach also has on his books a certain Oliver Hardy (a 'heavy' because of his size and a straight actor originally). At this stage - and because of the court suit where he can't appear for any other studio as an actor - Stan is happy writing, directing, gag writing and editing backstage and has to be bribed back in front of the camera, taking a Butler part Stan had written when Ollie burns his arm and hurts a leg and calls in sick).
FINALLY - In 1927 Roach employed Leo McCarey - and HISTORY was made - he put LAUREL with HARDY.
The film obviously carries on from this point and explains the why's and how's of their early days working together, their success (infamous worldwide) and the decline but let's just say for now - "THAT'S ALL FOLKS!"
Footnote: *Mumming in an extremely ancient British tradition which still happens in certain rural towns and villages of England today - you'll probably recognise it by Morris Dancers, The Hobby Horse Man or George and the Dragon.
Originally local men with blackened faces (their 'act/part' often handed down father-to-son) Mumming plays traditionally take part at yearly Festicals (and mystical timetables) but are often associated with Easter (fertility), Christmas and Halloween.
Lancashire and Cumbria have their own Mumming play (Christmas) and - believe it or not - a PACE EGGING play (Easter). Was it a co-incidence than, that Stan's films feature quite a lot of boiled eggs??
Lancashire still have 'cloggers' or clog dancing competitions (see scene in script/film).
Stan, 'The Man', in real life was attractive, energetic, hardworking, multi-talented, friendly, depressive, liked a drink - and his women - especially with French or Russian accents......!
So....I thought I would mention here his complicated love life - woven into the script.
I've already mentioned the lovely Lois Neilson (No.1 1926-1935) (see above)- they were married about ten years but he had a ten year relationship with his profesional partner Mae Dahlberg (also see above). Following Lois came Virginia Ruth (No. 2 1934 and 1935 (divorce from Lois in 1924 not final - 1937, 1941 - 1946). Another lovely looking lady - who Stan married three times and divorced twice)again. Perhaps here is a good place to mention Alyce Ardell - Stan's mistress for 10 years. And the teenage twin that Ruth found out about and went round there to get a ,000 bracelet back! Stan - who had an achilles heel for Russian or French accents - then meets No. 3 - his first Russian wife - not a lovely lady AT ALL - regarded by all contemporary authors today as "NUTS!". Vera Ivanova Shuvalova was supposed to be a 'White Russian Countess' escaping post Russian Revolution but was more possibly an ex-prostitute via Singapore, a 'lady' that sought out rich men (shall we say..............!) Stan married her three times -
once January 1938 and then February 1938 because of groundless fear hia first ceremony invalid)
and once in the Russian Orthodox church (April 26th 1938 - 1940).
FINALLY! In middle age - tired and in early poor health he finds the lovely Ida, No. 4, his second Russian wife, whom Stan loved very much and until the day he died.
There's two funny stories with the last marriage - Stan whisked Ida of to get married and drove into the desert - and promptly got lost for hours so when they finally arrived, they had to knock the marital officiator up and out of bed! (Used in L&H' stage show). When Stan and Ida gave a press conference to announce their marriage, Ida stated that "this would be Stan's last marriage" - all the press men laughed!
|
 |
Wrapped around Stan's personal and professional career is interwoven the history of the time - Stan was born 1890 and died 1965 - one of the most fascinating and compressed historical stages of this planet's history. So you get not just the costumes but the wars (from Boer to Vietnam), the social revolutionary changes (from the bustle to the mini skirt), policitical, architectural and technological etc!
TAKE A LOOK AT THE "WHAT'S NEW" PAGE FOR TWO SCENES FROM THE SCRIPT.........YOU'VE JUST MISSED THE GRAHAM AND BARON SLAPSTICK COMEDY ROUTINE THAT STAN (AT 17) ADMIRED - AND LATER IN HIS CAREER, PARTLY COPIES - THAT FAMOUS 'CRY' WAS ORIGINALLY BARON'S! AND YOU'VE MISSED STAN FIRST STARRING IN A FRED KARNO ROLE, "JIMMY THE FEARLESS" - NOT THE WHOLE ACT BUT SCENE TWO, THE WESTERN SCENE. CHARLIE CHAPLIN COULDN'T HANDLE IT - SO FRED KARNO PICKED STAN - THIS IS STAN'S FIRST CHANCE AT NOT ONLY STARRING BUT DIRECTING AN ACT. BUT IT ONLY LASTED A WEEK - KARNO, REID (MANAGER) AND CHAPLIN SEE HOW GOOD HE IS - AND CHAPLIN QUICKLY GETS HIS LEAD ROLE BACK!
BUT THE SCENES I HAVE ON NOW DEPICT TWO DISPARATE 'SNAPSHOTS' OF MAE DAHLBERG AND STAN'S RELATIONSHIP (BEAR IN MIND IT WENT ON FOR TEN YEARS!). THE SECOND SCENE IS NOT THE LAST MAE SCENE BUT IS ENOUGH FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE BACKSTAGE, PERSONAL DETAILS - AND MISDEMEANOURS - THAT WENT ON IN STAN'S LIFE.
Poor Mae - she went through all the bad times with Stan but just couldn't let him go - mainly because he was a ladykiller (Oh yes, he was......!) and because she loved him (even when reminiscing in an interview (see "What's New" Page, scene 1) in her 90's she said she still loved him!) I hope I've handled what happened with her with a certain amount of .....well, inevitability and some compassion! |
"In my youth, I felt an overpowering need to understand something of the riddles of the world in which we live and perhaps even contribute to their solution". Sounds a lot like Stan, doesn't it? But it's Freud,in 1927.
When, as an after dinner speaker on the tour of the United States, DYLAN THOMAS was asked to define poetry. He sat and smoked and thought hard - all the while the diners waited, no doubt expecting him to spurt a Shakesperian answer. Dylan Thomas said:
"Watch a Laurel and Hardy picture - THAT'S POETRY!"
HENRY MILLER regarded their "The Big Fight" film as "The funniest comedy film ever produced".The pie film to 'out-pie' all other pie films - they threw 4000 REAL fruit pies! DYLAN THOMAS AND HENRY MILLER - does it come any better than that? |
For professional use in relation to the film(s), you may use (careful now, it's very similar) - TheLaurelandHardyLady@yahoo.co.uk
TheLaurelandHardyLady@yahoo.co.uk
"Slapstick more closely approximates to the daydreams of childhood than any other form of entertainment. The antics of funny men in the custard pie comedies are an exaggeration of those which keep children in the heights of laughter. You may not see the similarity at first, but on thinking it over the resemblance is very definitely there. The comedian who knocks down a policeman is the small child rebelling against authority. The custard pie is a symbol of revolt - revolt against an ignorant world of grown-ups which cannot appreciate that the dirty puddle at the end of their garden path is really the most romantic of lakes on which there are boats to be sailed and bridges to be built".....Stan's quote to the East Anglian Times, on tour, 1932
STAN: "What did she say?"
OLLIE: "You heard what she said!"
STAN: "Well, what's the matter with her anyway......?"
OLLIE:"Oh, I dont know. She says that I think more of you than I do of her."
STAN: "Well, you do, dont you?"
OLLIE: "Well,we won't go into that!"
|
STAN AND 'MR. CLEAN' - the 'Special' Oscar Stan received in 1961 "For creative pioneering in the field of comedy cinema".
"GOD BLESS ALL CLOWNS!"
Who star the world with laughter,
Who ring the rafters with a flying jest,
Who make the world spin merry on its way,
And somehow add more beauty to each day.
God Bless All Clowns!
So poor the world would be,
Lacking their piquant touch - hilarity!
The belly laughs, the ringing, lovely mirth
That makes a friendly place of this Earth.
God Bless All Clowns!
Give them a long, good life,
Make bright their way - they're a race apart!
All comest most who turn their hearts'pain,
Into a dazzling jest to lift the heart.
God Bless All Clowns!
TheLaurelandHardyLady@yahoo.co.uk |
|
