Greatest double act tunneled to the top
They would become one of the most popular and critically acclaimed double acts of all time. Tomorrow 91 years ago, slapstick comedians Laurel and Hardy made their on-screen debut as a pair. On October 8, 1927, silent short film The Second 100 Years was released, and it’s often considered to be the first official Laurel and Hardy film. Stan and Ollie play two convicts who are locked up in prison but make an escape attempt. However, the hapless pair end up digging a tunnel... into the warden’s office. Another attempt at breaking free sees them disguised as painters and walking out the front gate. In order to make it convincing to a police officer, they quite literally paint the town. To hide from the police officer, they jump into a limousine and steal the clothes of two French police chiefs before throwing them out the window. Unbeknownst to them, though, the French police were on their way to visit the prison, so the pair end up back behind bars – and are recognised by fellow inmates and eventually caught out. The film remains a firm favourite with Laurel and Hardy fans. And even though they look different with their shaven heads, the film portrays Stan and Ollie at their best. Prior to The Second 100 Years, both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were already well-established actors, with Stan appearing in more than 50 films and Ollie an incredible 250. The two comedians had worked together briefly in 1919, on The Lucky Dog, which was released in 1921. After a period of appearing separately in several short films for the Hal Roach studio during the 1920s, they began appearing together in 1926, and officially became a team in 1927. The rest, as they say, is history. Before long, they became Hal Roach’s most famous and lucrative stars. Composed of thin Englishman Stan and heavy American Oliver, they became well-known during the late 1920s to the mid1940s for their slapstick comedy, with Laurel playing the clumsy and childlike friend of the pompous Hardy. Hardy’s catchphrase: “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!” was quoted across the globe, as were Laurel’s notable traits of crying like a baby and scratching his head. The duo made more than 100 films together. After finishing their movie commitments at the end of 1944, they concentrated on stage shows. In 1950, they made their last film, Atoll K. They even have their own appreciation society, The Sons Of The Desert, after a fraternal society in their film of the same name.