Yes, it's wonderful what a little bit of kindness will do. And the
following links were kindly compiled to take you a looong way into cyberspace. They
are bound to reward you with a wealth of knowledge and information about the Boys, their
times, and their fans.
(B.S. Please be so kind as to
report any dead links to thebrain@charter.net .)
"The Silents
Majority"
Neil Evans, webmaster of several Laurel and Hardy sites, including that of
the Ulverston Museum, has informed me that "The Silents Majority" seems to be no
longer in existence. And he is unfortunately correct. I am, however, leaving
this link here for a short time in the hopes that it is floating around somewhere in
cyberspace and shall miraculously reappear. If anyone knows of the fate of that
marvelous site, a treasure trove of information and photos dedicated to silent film stars,
please drop a note to thebrain@charter.net
.
http://www.silentsmajority.com
You'll find the answers to many of your
Laurel and Hardy questions at this fun site. The creative webmasters even
anticipated the following query: Is the site's official name "Laurel and Hardy
Central" or is it "Hard-Boiled Eggs and Nuts"? Their response is a
simple one in true Stan and Ollie fashion: "Neither do I too." The
site is chock full of great essays about the Boys, tidbits about their
co-stars, pictures, downloads, a virtual museum, and more. Whatever the
official name is, don't miss a chance to visit this link today.
http://www.laurelandhardycentral.com
http://www.laurelandhardy.org/
http://www.blotto.nl/e/home_e.html
Stan and Ollie don't seem to be televised as much as we would
like, but at least we can now know when they are. Check the listings at the
beginning of each month, keep your fingers crossed, and have a blank video tape
handy.
http://www.tv-now.com/stars/olhardy.html
The Boys' British
Connections
Our British counterpart, The
Laurel and Hardy Museum is located in Ulverston, Cumbria, England (the birthplace of
Arthur Stanley Jefferson) and claims fame to being the first museum ever devoted to it's
native son and his long-time partner from Harlem, Georgia, U.S.A. . So, if - and
when - you find yourself near the Lake District, make it a point to pay homage to the Boys
at this marvelous museum.
http://www.laurel-and-hardy-museum.co.uk
http://www.laurel-and-hardy.com
http://www.laurelnhardy.co.uk/
http://www.britishcomedy.co.uk/one_only.asp?oneonlyid=4
The
Co-Stars
You remember Ethel the gorilla who danced with the
Boys (and tormented Ollie) in 'The Chimp", don't you? Or the ape in 'Swiss
Miss' who chased them across the suspension bridge? Both simian characters were
played by Charlie Gemora. Be sure to read this short article, "Hats Off to
Charles Gemora Hollywood's Favorite Ape" ... but, mind the monkey.
http://gammillustrations.bizland.com/monsterkid1/id2.html
www.ramseyltd.com/rascals/dorothy
"Jean Darling's
Homepage"
http://indigo.ie/~jdarling/
Scholarly Papers
http://laurelandhardycentral.com/essay.htm
"Greek
and Roman Comedy and Satire" is the title... What? Are we still talking
Laurel and Hardy? Of course. Roman New Comedy, as did our beloved Boys,
aimed at 'human folly in general' and slapstick was king - or shall I say emperor?
Follow this link for a fun history lesson.
http://www.aug.edu/langlitcom/humanitiesHBK/handbook_htm/grk_roman_comedy.htm
"Laurel & Hardy vs
The Censors" Any loyal fan of
Laurel and Hardy will comment on the innocence of the characters and on how 'wholesome'
the duo's films were. Hmmm, judging by this interesting piece, the Motion Picture
Production Code Administration did not seem to hold them in such high esteem.
http://home.earthlink.net/~davidp_hayes/lnh/Censorship.html
"Through a Glass
Darkly: Reflections on Mr. Hardy's Camera Look", written by Peter Larsen, is a personal favorite of 'scholarly
papers' on Laurel and Hardy. In it, Larsen 'tried to describe the impact of the
look, the subtle ways in which it affects the relations between film and spectator.'
Mr. Hardy's camera look touches each of us for each of us has seen it looking back at us
from our own mirrors. We seem to understand him as only we can understand our
selves.
http://www.fou.uib.no/fd/1997/f/517001/
Looking for
L&H Films, L&H Books, and, well, L&H Anything?
The four above links are
rather self-explanatory. A click on the first three will take you to a search for
Laurel and Hardy products in all venues. A click on the Barnes & Noble
banner will take you only to the main page of their site. As far as favorites,
Half.com has my vote; it usually has a wide variety of merchandise at prices that can't be
beat. If you're a collector, however, head straight for ebay.com.
This site which will
help you find "books you thought you'd never find" is a treasure. But just
make sure you know specifically for which book you're looking.
http://www.alibris.com/
Stan and Ollie threw quite a lot of things - hats, pies,
anniversary cake, bricks, shoes, a clutch, building blocks, baked potatoes, a potted
flower, dishes, buckets, sandwiches,... You name it, they more than likely
threw it. And there were consequences to pay for their actions - usually paid in
full by our long-suffering Ollie. So, have a care if you decide to be like
them and throw things. Instead, try something safe like throwing your voice with
these marvelous ventriloquist puppets (the Laurel and Hardy ones, naturally).
http://www.throwthings.com/throwyourvoiceventriloquistpuppets.htm
"One of
mankind's most universally loved companions is the rubber duck." And one of
mankind's most universally loved comedy teams is Laurel and Hardy. Put the two
together and you have one fun, fun bathtime whatever your age. Follow this link and
find out how you can order a pair. Other celebrity ducks available are Mae West,
Carmen Miranda, Groucho Marx ("Wanna buy a duck?"), William Shakespeare, and
more.
http://www.celebriducks.com/laurel_and_hardy/index.html
Sites Related in
One Way or Another to Laurel and Hardy
The Costumer's Manifesto is the absolute dernier
cri when it comes to fashions of the Twenties, Thirties, Forties, and every other
era. In fact, "as far as cris go, it's about as dernier as
you can get"! Not only will you find the fashions worn by Laurel and Hardy's
co-starring ladies (and some worn in drag by Stan and Ollie themselves), you will also
discover menswear, haberdashers, shoes, and even glimpses into clothing catalogues of
their day. Visiting this tantalizing site is rather like eating a rich dessert, so
perk a fresh pot of steaming coffee and savor the experience unhurriedly. Magnifique!
http://www.costumes.org/pages/costhistpage.htm
Living Retro: The Age of Cool... "Had enough of being a square? RUN...
Don't walk!!! Find out how you can live retro!!!" Outta my way! I'm
running! I'm running! Right to this fantastically hep site. If you
are a devout fan of Laurel and Hardy and desire to learn more about their times, this
cyber guide to vintage living is surely an ideal place to begin. There is
information about the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s ranging from hair styles to automobiles, home
decor to wartime rationing (I wonder if the lion at the zoo in "Nothing But
Trouble" ever used the ration card Stan left him...), pin-up girls to recipes
(delicious - but not a sign of 'Steak a la Oliver' anywhere!) to more. It's
all about "preserving the past but it's also about remembering a simpler time with a
twist".
http://www.boomerweb.net/livingretro/
It's a bit wacky. It's a lot groovy.
And that hat is oh-so-cool. Let's face it, ever since our earliest
recollection of seeing Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and Charley Chase donning fezzes in
"Sons of the Desert" - not to mention Boris Karloff in "The Mummy",
Sydney Greenstreet in "Casablanca", Vinnie the P in "The Raven", or
even the organ grinder's monkey in the 1937 version of "Heidi" - we just had to
one day have a fez of our very own. You'll just have to see this wild site for
yourselves. Look in Celebrity Fezzers for a picture of the Boys at the big
convention.
http://members.tripod.com/~fezpage/index.html
