Stan Laurel, The Gentleman

Born June 16, 1890

When you grow up in a house run by classic comedy fans (my parents), it’s a given that you’ll be well-schooled in Laurel And Hardy films! My siblings and I never got tired of hearing Oliver’s famous line “another fine mess!” or seeing Stan wrench his features into the whiny-crybaby face.

We must’ve watched Flying Deuces, and Babes In Toyland (also known as March Of The Wooden Soldiers), I don’t know how many times! And, because we were kids, we had no concept that these films had been made 40 years before our arrival on the planet. We didn’t care that we were watching stuff from the 1930’s! We just thought it was funny!

My Dad was the true comedy historian in the family, and he loved teaching us trivia about the stars we grew up idolizing. I developed a personal affection for Stan Laurel (I always championed the underdogs) and learned over the years that he was born into a vaudeville family in England, was once an understudy to Charlie Chaplin, was voted along with Oliver Hardy the 45th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly, was the inspiration for Peter Sellers’ sublime Chance The Gardener from Being There, and was a mentor to Dick Van Dyke.

But my favorite tidbit is his well-known generosity towards his fans. It’s said that late into his years he kept his phone number listed in the book, welcomed visits from admirers and personally answered as much fan mail as he physically could. That spindly simpleton with the twinkle in his eye was truly a rouse–Laurel, the man, was a gentleman through and through.

Another gentleman I know and love is my dad. So, this past Father’s Day, I drove over to his place and we watched his Laurel And Hardy DVD Collection. I’d brought him a copy of our new book, Stan And Ollie, and we flipped through the pictures while we laughed out loud at the DVDs.

Still ready with the trivia, my dad told me Stan was once asked by a reporter if he had any bad habits. Laurel, who’d been both married and divorced five times, answered, "Yes, and I married them."