Film Forum

Before they were teamed, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy both had thriving film careers. Stan, who had toured with Charlie Chaplin in Fred Karno’s English music hall troupe, headlined in his own series of comedy two-reelers beginning in the teens. Oliver “Babe” Hardy, whose movie career began in 1914, was a “heavy” (movie parlance for “bad guy”) to early comedians like Larry Semon and Chaplin imitator Billy West. This program includes a solo Stan in PIE EYED (1925) and DR. PYCKLE AND MR. PRYDE (1925, one of his many movie parodies) and solo Babe in THE SHOW (1922), with Larry Semon, and ISN’T LIFE TERRIBLE? (1925), with Charley Chase.

Courtesy The Blackhawk FIlms Collection.

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