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Nickname:	Stan Laurel / Stan Jefferson / Laurel & Hardy /
Known for:	The Flying Deuces, Way Out West, The Music Box
Birth name:	Arthur Stanley Jefferson
Birthday:	16 June 1890, Ulverston, Cumbria, England, UK
Height:	5' 9" (1.75 m)

His light blue eyes almost ended his movie career before it began. Until the early 1920s, filmmakers used black-and-white Orthochromatic film stock, which was "blue blind." Hal Roach cameraman George Stevens (the same George Stevens who would later become the acclaimed producer/director) knew of panchromatic film and was able to get a supply of it from Chicago. This new film was sensitive to blue and recorded Laurel's pale blue eyes in a more natural way. George Stevens became Laurel's cameraman on his short films at Roach. When Laurel teamed with Oliver Hardy, the team made George Stevens their cameraman of choice. Light blue eyes. Only son died 9 days after birth in 1930. Laurel first apeared with his future partner, Oliver Hardy, in A Lucky Dog, which was filmed in 1919, but not released until 1921. He always thought that his "whining face" was humiliating, but the producers forced him to do it in most of his movies since the public loved it. Interred at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California, USA. Suffered a nervous breakdown on the death of his long time film partner and friend, Oliver Hardy, and according to his friends, never fully recovered. Turned down a cameo part in Stan Kramer's farce film comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Laurel had always been a fan of westerns, and after he had achieved success, his company, Stan Laurel Productions, financed a series of musical westerns starring a singing cowboy named Fred Scott. The films were made for and released by the independent Spectrum Pictures, rather than Hal Roach Studios, which made L&H's films, or MGM, which released them. The Fred Scott westerns seldom, if ever, made any money, but Laurel's enthusiasm for them never waned until his accountants showed him that they were getting to be a major drain on his finances, at which time he reluctantly dropped his participation. Subject on one of five 29¢ US commemorative postage stamps celebrating famous comedians, issued in booklet form 29 August 1991. He is shown with his partner Oliver Hardy. The stamp designs were drawn by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. The other comedians honored in the set are Edgar Bergen (with alter ego Charlie McCarthy); Jack Benny; Fanny Brice; and Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Appears on sleeve of The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. He and Mae Laurel lived as a common law couple as Mae was legally married to someone in her native Australia when she met Stan in 1918. They parted in 1925 with mutual consent and Mae returned to Australia. At the time of Oliver Hardy's death in 1957, Stan was too ill to attend his late partner's funeral. Had said that out of all the impersonations done of him, he liked actor Dick Van Dyke's the best. Van Dyke even got to perform that impersonation on one of the episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show and after it premiered, he called Laurel to ask his opinion. Laurel said he liked everything but one detail, the hat wasn't right. Van Dyke said he found Laurel's number in a Santa Monica, CA, phone book. Laurel and Hardy's films had and still have great success in Italy where they are known as "Stallio and Ollio." Their voices being dubbed into Italian in a very funny and colorful way, accentuates their funny lines. He was voted, along with comedy partner Oliver Hardy, the 45th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. The death of his partner Oliver Hardy left him a broken man, so much so that he fell into a deep depression and swore never to do comedy again. He didn't. In the eight years between Hardy's death and his own, he repeatedly turned down offers to do public appearances. Laurel & Hardy have been and continue to be very popular in Germany under the name of "Dick und Doof" (Fatty and Stupid). Father of Lois Laurel, who appeared with him in The Chimp. Fell off a platform and tore ligaments in his right leg during the filming of Babes in Toyland. An extra named John Wood from the film Babes in Toyland sued him and his stunt double, Ham Kinsey, claiming back injuries after Laurel and Kinsey threw him in the ducking pond on the set. The lawsuit specified $40,500 in damages, but was settled out-of-court. Is portrayed by Jim Plunkett in Harlow. Dick Van Dyke delivered the eulogy at Laurel's funeral. He was greatly admired by Jerry Lewis. When Lewis had his own production company in the early 1960s, he repeatedly tried to hire Stan for his creative team. Stan refused, despite the impressive salary. According to Lewis, he would send scripts to Stan who would read them and write suggestions in the margins. Portrayed by Matthew Cottle in _Chaplin (1992)_. Stan was highly admired by Peter Sellers. Sellers claimed that the "Laurel"-character was his great inspiration when he created the "gardener"-character in Being There.

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