Laurel and Hardy, the iconic comedy duo of the early Classical Hollywood era, remain beloved for their slapstick comedy. Comprising Englishman Stan Laurel and American Oliver Hardy, they transitioned successfully from silent films to "talkies," achieving international fame from the late 1920s to the mid-1950s. Their humor was highly visual, often involving physical arguments and cartoonish violence. While Stan Laurel was of average height and weight, Oliver Hardy, standing at 6 ft 1 in (185 cm), weighed about 280 lb (127 kg; 20 st 0 lb) in his prime. Though Hardy's weight was part of his comedic persona, it also played a role in his health struggles later in life.
Early Life and Career
Oliver Hardy, born Norvell Hardy in Harlem, Georgia, on January 18, 1892, had an early interest in music and theatre. As a child, Hardy was sometimes difficult. As a teenager, Hardy began styling himself "Oliver Norvell Hardy", adding the first name "Oliver" as a tribute to his father. In 1910, a motion picture theatre, The Palace, opened in Hardy's hometown of Milledgeville, and he became the projectionist, ticket taker, janitor and manager. In 1913, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida where he was initiated into the Freemasons at Solomon Lodge No. 20. In 1914, he made his first movie, Outwitting Dad, billed as O. N. Hardy.
Known as "Babe" Hardy, he was a big man, weighing up to 300 pounds, which often typecast him in his roles. In 1921, he appeared in The Lucky Dog, starring Stan Laurel, before they officially teamed up. In 1924, Hardy began working at Hal Roach Studios.
The Laurel and Hardy Partnership
Hal Roach is considered the most important person in the development of Laurel's and Hardy's film careers. In 1927, Laurel and Hardy began sharing screen time together in Slipping Wives, Duck Soup, and With Love and Hisses. Roach Studios' supervising director Leo McCarey recognized the chemistry between the pair and the audience reaction to the them and discussed teaming them together with Hal Roach, and then with Stan and Babe. Together, the two would deliver a huge body of short films, initially silent, though in 1929, Unaccustomed As We Are became the first Laurel and Hardy sound short as well as the very first ‘Talkie’ released by the Roach Studios. Their teaming was suggested by Leo McCarey, their supervising director from 1927 to 1930. During that period, McCarey and Laurel jointly devised the team's format. Although Roach employed writers and directors such as H. M. Walker, Leo McCarey, James Parrott, and James W. Horne on the Laurel and Hardy films, Laurel, who had a considerable background in comedy writing, often rewrote entire sequences and scripts.
Fame, Fortune, and Health Concerns
Laurel and Hardy were favorites around the world, and Hal Roach catered to international audiences by filming many of their early talkies in other languages. Just as Laurel and Hardy's teaming was accidental, so was their entry into the field of feature films. Despite their huge success, during the 1930s, Stan was continually in dispute with Hal Roach which resulted in the termination of his contract. While making Flying Deuces, Babe fell in love with Virginia Lucille Jones, a script girl whom he married the next year.
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In 1941, a new company, Laurel and Hardy Feature Productions, signed with 20th Century-Fox to make ten films over five years. However, they were simply being hired as on-screen comics, not as the creative forces behind the film. In 1947, Laurel and Hardy went on a six-week tour of the United Kingdom. The success of the 1947 tour led to impresario Bernard Delfont persuading them to spend the much of the next seven years touring the UK and Europe. In 1949, Babe’s friend John Wayne asked him to play a supporting role in The Fighting Kentuckian. In 1950, Babe and Stan were invited to France to make a Laurel and Hardy feature film, a Franco-Italian co-production titled Atoll K.
Hardy's Weight Loss and Declining Health
Oliver Hardy was a big man his whole life. His weight caused him many health concerns over the course of his life, and by the 1950s he finally decided to do something about it. The last time Stan and Babe appeared on film in a professional capacity was when they gave a tribute to the British theatrical fraternity the Water Rats. In May 1954, again on tour in the UK, Babe had a heart attack after a performance in Plymouth on the south coast and they reluctantly cancelled the tour. Letters written by Stan refer to Babe as having cancer, and some have thought that this was the real reason for his rapid weight loss.
Hardy had a mild heart attack in May 1954 and he began looking after his health for the first time in his life. As author Raymond Valinoti, Jr., notes, he embarked on a crash diet that led to a weight loss of 150 pounds. He lost more than 150 pounds (68 kg) within a few months which completely changed his appearance. Hardy expected people to be supportive, but as author Simon Louvish says, the change in Hardy's appearance was so drastic that friends and family were visibly upset at the sight of him.
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