The MMOB Daily Quote - Stan Laurel

Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 – February 23, 1965)

When I was growing up, we weren't allowed to watch much TV (no, don't break out the violins or anything) but somehow we still squeezed in an amazing amount of time taking in old reruns of classic shows. Some favorites were Our Gang (which we were brought up thinking was The Little Rascals for "political correctness"), The Three Stooges (in all their different lineups), Abbott & Costello, and Laurel & Hardy. Today's subject of The MMOB Daily Quote is the the somber (and thinner) side of the last of those favorites: Stan Laurel.

Stan and Oliver Hardy began their magical partnership at the Hal Roach studio in 1927. Together, they made 106 short and feature films together until 1951, by which time they were working for Fox Studios. Their slapstick humor and general tomfoolery kept my brothers and I in stitches for many hours, and we'd sometimes attempt our own versions, typically with disastrous results.

In honor of Stan's unique persona and the happiness he brought to my life, here's Stan and Ollie in the 1939 film The Flying Dutchman.



Now, some words of wisdom from a soft-spoken man.

"Another fine mess you're gotten me into."

"I had a dream that I was awake and I woke up to find myself asleep."

"If anyone at my funeral has a long face, I'll never speak to him again."

"If you had a face like mine, you'd punch me right on the nose, and I'm just the fella to do it."

"You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be led."

And today, I'll leave you with a short dialog from one Stan and Oliver's many interactions.

Oliver: You'd better take my temperature.
[pointing]
Oliver: Get that thermometer.
Stan: The what?
Oliver: Thermometer! You'll find it on the shelf.
[groaning]
Oliver: Ooh... ooh... ooh.
Oliver: [as Stan puts it in his mouth] Uh-um.
Oliver: [after Stan has taken his pulse] What does it say?
Stan: Wet and windy.

Cheers! - Jason