Stan Laurel: The Quiet Mastermind Behind the Bowler Hat
He stumbled and bumbled his way into the hearts of millions as one half of the beloved comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. With his innocent smile peering out from under his trademark bowler hat, Stan Laurel created an endearing character that brought joy to audiences around the world. Though he played a simpleton who was often the butt of the joke on-screen, Laurel was anything but simple-minded in real life. He was an innovative thinker and tireless worker who helped pioneer visual comedy on the big screen.
Laurel’s journey to stardom had humble beginnings in his hometown of Ulverston, England, in 1890. Born Arthur Stanley Jefferson, he was one of five children of a theatre owner and actor. Young Stan soaked up the bustling backstage atmosphere and became fascinated with every aspect of putting on a show. Though shy offstage, he stepped confidently into the spotlight for the first time at 16, when he substituted for an ailing actor in his father’s company. The applause was thrilling and Stan was hooked.
He soon struck out on his own, joining Fred Karno’s renowned vaudeville troupe as an understudy to the legendary Charles Chaplin. Laurel learned much from the soon-to-be-iconic star about the art of pantomime and creating amusing characters. After touring with Karno, Laurel tried his luck in America. The gamble paid off as he was offered a studio contract with Universal Pictures.
Thus began Laurel’s education in the fledgling medium of cinema. Though he started as a writer and director, he felt disheartened by how his finely tuned gags fell flat under the stewardship of less skilled comedians. Laurel eventually decided he must perform the material himself if he wanted it to shine on-screen. His comedic talents were clear in the popular “Hickory Hiram” shorts series, but Laurel still struggled to stand apart from the crowded comedy field.
Fate intervened at just the right moment, when Laurel crossed paths with Oliver “Babe” Hardy, a burly Southerner who had over 100 films under his belt. Though the two had contrasting physical appearances and personalities, their chemistry was undeniable. Both men possessed expert comic timing honed from years performing on stage, and Laurel sensed immense possibilities in teaming up. When producer Hal Roach expanded into short feature films, he took a chance by making Laurel and Hardy the stars of his studio. It would be one of the wisest gambles in Hollywood history.
Laurel quickly became the driving creative force behind the iconic duo. He channelled much of his own personality into the Stan character he portrayed on-screen — innocent, emotional, often childlike, but always optimistic no matter how terribly the universe conspired against him. Laurel also shaped the duo’s working dynamic. He valued rehearsal time to build scenes carefully with Hardy, using a precise system of scribbled notes and sketches rather than fully written scripts. Fans around the globe delighted in seeing the pair’s perfectly orchestrated mayhem unfold in scene after scene.
Though blissfully funny on camera, the comedians faced inner turmoil behind the scenes at Roach Studios. The producer was highly critical, driving productions at a breakneck pace. Roach also financially exploited the hugely popular team. Despite bringing in millions for the studio, Laurel and Hardy were only paid a flat fee of a few thousand dollars for each short film they churned out.
In 1940, feeling that they weren’t getting the attention and artistic freedom they deserved at the Hal Roach Studios, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy wanted out! Previously, Roach had always refused to give the team a single contract, instead having each comedian under separate contracts with staggered ending dates. This arrangement left the duo with less negotiating power, as no other studios would sign half of Laurel and Hardy to a high-paying contract. Nevertheless, the pair signed with 20th Century Fox that same year, but unfortunately, all of Laurel’s creative input ceased. In the heyday of the studio system, Laurel and Hardy were relegated to a B-movie unit, losing control over scripts, production values, and editing. Despite their immense talent, they found themselves with poor scripts with lame one-liners that didn’t capture the spirit of the characters they had refined for a decade. It was a depressing time for the iconic comedy duo as they navigated the rules of the “Big Studios”. But just when the future looked bleak, they got an unexpected lifeline from across the Atlantic.
In 1947, Laurel and Hardy embarked on a music hall stage tour of Great Britain. They were stunned to discover thousands of adoring fans turning up night after night. The BBC further rejuvenated interest by airing reruns of their old shorts, which attracted vast enthusiastic audiences. For over 30 weeks, the tour played to sold-out houses full of boisterous laughter and thunderous applause. Everywhere they went, long lines waited to meet them at train stations and hotels.
The success opened the door for more stage work, including a triumphal tour throughout Europe in 1952. Every city brought delirious fans clamouring to see their comedy idols in the flesh. But physically, the demanding schedule was taxing for two men now in their sixties, struggling with years of health issues exacerbated by stressful workloads and uneven profits.
In 1957, Oliver Hardy died after several strokes. Laurel was devastated at the loss of his comedy companion. He retired from acting and refused to work with anyone else again. Yet in the years that followed, he would answer the bins full of fan letters that never ceased arriving at his Santa Monica apartment. After half a lifetime bringing joy to others on screen and stage, he still marvelled at how profoundly his work touched the public — from everyday folks who poured out their hearts in correspondences, and he responded personally to as many admirers as his failing health allowed.
Upon receiving an Honorary Oscar four years before his death in 1961, Stan Laurel remarked wistfully, “I wish that I could be back on stage again.” Even approaching life’s final curtain, Laurel lived to spread joy to audiences everywhere. The showman simply couldn’t turn off that instinct within his soul. So, his farewell gift was a legacy of wonderful movies for future generations to love and enjoy.
