Maybe they only appeal to children or adults who appreciate childish humor, but is there any other comedic duo funnier than Laurel and Hardy? These two couldn’t be more opposite. They are the Bert and Ernie or the Skipper and Gilligan of black-and-films. These guys started late but still starred in over 100 films within 30 years.
1927 – Laurel and Hardy Become a Team
Long before the two met, both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy had become established actors in their own right. Working as a writer and director, Laurel had been in 50 films by the time he and Hardy paired. Hardy had appeared in 250 before the two began working as team.
Laurel and Hardy first met on the set of 1921’s, The Lucky Dog. Even though they appear in some scenes together, their characters played independently of each other.
It was on this day in 1927 that the film short, The Second One Hundred Years was released and the two were officially billed as a team. Ollie was 35 years old, and Stanley was 37 at the time. From then on, the two appeared in 107 films created between 1921 and 1951.
Their 1932 film, The Music Box won the first Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Despite being hugely successful, the famous duo only made one TV appearance in America. On December 1, 1954, they were lured to the Knickerbocker Hotel in Midtown Manhattan for a supposed business meeting. Instead, they were surprised and interviewed by Ralph Edwards on his live NBC program This Is Your Life.
After the stunt, the pair had planned to appear on TV regularly in a series of specials for NBC called Laurel and Hardy’s Fabulous Fables. Unfortunately, they had to bow out due to their declining health. Hardy passed away on August 7, 1957. Laurel died on February 23, 1965.
OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY:
1942: Abbott & Costello
Bud Abbot and Lou Costello brought their stage act to radio with The Abbott and Costello Show which aired on NBC before moving to ABC radio in 1947.
1944: Ozzie & Harriet
Real-life couple, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson created the family sitcom, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, for CBS radio before moving to NBC in 1948.
1973: Rose & Harrelson
Radio station WLW recorded a brawl between Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds) and Bud Harrelson (New York Mets) during the National League Championship Series.
1956 – Don Larsen Pitches Perfect Game
It was on this day during Game Five of the 1956 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen threw a perfect game. Not only was this historical event the only perfect game in World Series history, but it was also the only no-hitter of any kind to be pitched in postseason play until Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a no-hitter game on October 6, 2010. Larsen won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award and Babe Ruth Award that same year as well.
Movies Released
- 1940: Too Many Girls
- 1968: Romeo and Juliet
- 1982: My Favorite Year
- 1986: The Color of Money
- 1993: Demolition Man
- 1997: Seven Years in Tibet
- 2010: Life as We Know It
- 2021: No Time to Die
TV Series Debuts
- 1953: Where’s Raymond? (ABC)
- 1958: Bat Masterson (NBC)
- 1972: Hec Ramsey (NBC)
- 1994: The Secret World of Alex Mack (Nickelodeon)
- 1999: Harsh Realm (FOX)
- 2000: Hype (The WB)
- 2014: Somebody’s Gotta Do It (CNN)
- 2020: Connecting…(NBC)
- 2021: Pretty Smart (Netflix)
Famous Birthdays
- 1940: Paul Hogan (actor)
- 1941: Jesse Jackson (activist)
- 1943: Chevy Chase (actor)
- 1943: R. L. Stine (author)
- 1949: Sigourney Weaver (actress)
- 1950: Robert “Kool” Bell (singer)
- 1964: CeCe Winans (singer)
- 1970: Matt Damon (actor)
- 1993: Molly Quinn (actress)
- 1997: Bella Thorne (actress)
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