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Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer and film director, most famous for his role in the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy.〔"Obituary." ''Variety'', 3 March 1965, p. 69.〕 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.〔〔McCabe 2005, p. 143. Robson, 2005 Retrieved: 18 June 2012〕 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. Following his comedy partner's death in 1957 Laurel officially retired from the screen. In 1961, Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his pioneering work in comedy. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. In a 2005 UK poll to find the ''Comedians' Comedian'', Laurel and Hardy ranked top among best double acts and seventh overall.〔 In 2009, a bronze statue of the duo was unveiled in Laurel's hometown of Ulverston, Cumbria.〔 ==Early life== Arthur Stanley Jefferson was born in his grandparents' house on 16 June 1890 at 3 Argyle Street, Ulverston, Lancashire (now Cumbria), England.〔Midwinter, Eric. ("Laurel, Stan". ) ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,'' 2006. Retrieved: 20 March 2010.〕 He had two brothers and a sister. His parents, Margaret (Metcalfe) and Arthur Jefferson, were both active in the theatre and always very busy. In his early years, the boy spent much time living with his grandmother Sarah Metcalfe.〔 He attended school at King James I Grammar School, Bishop Auckland, County Durham〔("Plea to save Stan Laurel's school." ) ''The Laurel & Hardy Forum''. Retrieved: 20 March 2010.〕 and the King's School, Tynemouth. He moved with his parents to Glasgow, Scotland, where he completed his education at Rutherglen Academy. His father managed Glasgow's Metropole Theatre, where Laurel began work. His boyhood hero was Dan Leno, one of the greatest British music hall comedians.〔 At the age of 16, with a natural affinity for the theatre, Laurel gave his first professional performance on stage at the Panopticon in Glasgow where he polished his skills at pantomime and music hall sketches.〔Bowers 2007, pp. 143–147.〕 In 1910, with the stage name of "Stan Jefferson", he joined Fred Karno's troupe of actors, which also included a young Charlie Chaplin. The British music hall nurtured him, and for some time, he acted as Chaplin's understudy.〔〔 Chaplin and Laurel arrived in the United States on the same ship from Britain with the Karno troupe〔 and toured the country. From 1916 to 1918, he teamed up with Alice Cooke and Baldwin Cooke, who became lifelong friends. Amongst other performers, Laurel worked briefly alongside Oliver Hardy in a silent film short ''The Lucky Dog'' (1921). This was before the two were a team.〔 It was around this time that Laurel met Mae Dahlberg. Around the same time he adopted the stage surname of Laurel, at Dahlberg's suggestion. The pair were performing together when Laurel was offered $75 per week to star in two-reel comedies. After the making of his first film, ''Nuts in May'', Universal offered him a contract. The contract was soon cancelled during a reorganisation at the studio. Among the films Dahlberg and Laurel appeared in together was the 1922 parody, ''Mud and Sand'', of which a short clip can be seen at the left. By 1924, Laurel had given up the stage for full-time film work, under contract with Joe Rock for 12 two-reel comedies. The contract had one unusual stipulation, that Dahlberg was not to appear in any of the films; Rock thought her temperament was hindering Laurel's career. In 1925, when she started interfering with Laurel's work, Rock offered her a cash settlement and a one-way ticket back to her native Australia, which she accepted.〔Bergan 1992, p. 33.〕 The 12 two-reel comedies were ''Mandarin Mix-Up'' (1924), ''Detained'' (1924), ''Monsieur Don't Care'' (1924), ''West of Hot Dog'' (1924), ''Somewhere in Wrong'' (1925), ''Twins'' (1925), ''Pie-Eyed'' (1925), ''The Snow Hawk'' (1925), ''Navy Blue Days'' (1925), ''The Sleuth'' (1925), ''Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde'' (1925), ''Half a Man'' (1925). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Stan Laurel」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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