I first read the sad news of Stan Laurel's passing on February 23rd, 1965, coming back from school at my grandma's house, where I usually stopped to read the paper before heading home. I was 14 years old at the time, and had been a fan since the mid-fifities when the local TV station began showing their shorts. RIP Stanley!
Stan Laurel, born Arthur Stanley Jefferson (June 16, 1890-February 23, 1965), most famous for his role in the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. With his comedy partner Oliver Hardy he appeared in 107 short films, feature films and cameo roles. Laurel began his career in the British music hall, from where he took a number of his standard comic devices: the bowler hat, the deep comic gravity, and the nonsensical understatement. His performances polished his skills at pantomime and music hall sketches. Laurel was a member of "Fred Karno's Army," where he was Charlie Chaplin's understudy. The two arrived in the US on the same ship from Britain with the Karno troupe. Laurel began his career in films in 1917 and made his last appearance in 1951. From 1928 onwards he appeared exclusively with Oliver Hardy. In August 1957, Oliver Hardy died. Laurel was too ill to attend his funeral and said, "Babe would understand".People who knew Laurel said he was devastated by Hardy's death and never fully recovered from it. He refused to perform on stage, or act in another film without his good friend, although he continued to socialize with his fans. Laurel was a heavy smoker until suddenly quitting around 1960. Stan Laurel died in February 1965, age 74, four days after suffering a heart attack. Just minutes away from death, Laurel told his nurse he would not mind going skiing right at that very moment. Somewhat taken aback, the nurse replied that she was not aware that he was a skier. "I'm not," said Laurel, "I'd rather be doing that than this!" A few minutes later the nurse looked in on him again and found that he had died quietly in his armchair. He is buried at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills.
