18
Jan
In Memory: Oliver Hardy
Today marks the 130th birthday anniversary of Oliver Hardy. This comedy legend of the early Classical Hollywood era is remembered together with his acting partner Stan Laurel. Their comedy duo act Laurel and Hardy lasted from 1927 to 1955. These two appeared in 107 short films, feature films, and cameo roles.
Oliver Hardy was born Norvell Hardy in Harlem, Georgia. He had little interest in formal education, although he acquired an early interest in music and theatre. His mother, Emily Norvell, sent her son to Atlanta to study music and voice with singing teacher Adolf Dahm-Petersen. However, Hardy used to skip some of his lessons to sing in the Alcazar Theatre for $3.50 a week. As a teenager, he adopted "Oliver" as his first name, as a tribute to his late father.
In 1913, Hardy moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. He made his first movie appearance in Outwitting Dad in 1914, credited as O.N. Hardy. As he was known as "Babe" Hardy, he was billed as such in many of his later films, e.g. Back to the Farm (1914).
In 1917, Hardly moved to Los Angeles, California, to work freelance for several Hollywood studios. In 1921, he appeared in the movie The Lucky Dog, starring Stan Laurel. However, they did not work on their next film until 1927 when they shared screen time in Slipping Wives, Duck Soup, and With Love and Hisses. The audience loves the duo and Leo McCarey, the Roach Studios' supervising director, teamed these two in a Laurel and Hardy series the same year.
In 1955, Stan Laurel suffered a stroke and while he was recovering, Hardy had a heart attack and stroke from which he never recovered. Both actors were heavy smokers, and in addition, Hardy suffered from obesity. When he had his first heart attack in May 1954, Hardy began looking after his health, losing more than 68 kg (150 pounds). When he suffered a major stroke on 14 September 1956, followed by two more strokes in early August 1957, the actor fell into a coma and died from cerebral thrombosis on 7 August the same year. He was only 65.
On 15 July 2002, a small Laurel and Hardy Museum was opened in Harlem, Georgia. Hardy's hometown holds an annual Oliver Hardy Festival. Hardy's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 1500 Vine Street, Hollywood, California.
