Time magazine described them as “two of American’s few genuinely creative comedians.” They were introduced to the public in the mid-1920’s by producer Hal Roach. They started in silent film shorts, Duck Soup was first then moving to talkie’s in 1929.
They won an Oscar in 1932 for the film The Music Box, here they lugged a piano up a staircase. A look at their birth orders will unlock the magic of their chemistry for these two very different appearing men.
Laurel and Hardy
Stan Laurel 2/0
Stan Laurel was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Cumbria, England June 16, 1890. His father managed vaudeville theaters, and his mother was an actress. In 1907, working for a theater group, Stan was the understudy for actor Charlie Chaplin.
He was the second of five children. His older brother George was five years older, sister Beatrice was four years younger. This separation in siblings gave Stan a Two/Only Double birth order. The number two birth order does not like to be told what to do and looks to control their own life.
When four of more years separate siblings you add the Only birth order, it magnifies and intensifies this and other second born traits. Stan did most of the writing and was the brain behind the gags. It was always self-deprecating humor not at the expense of someone else.
Oliver Hardy 6/0 = 2/0
Norvell Hardy was born in Harlem, Georgia January 18, 1892. His father died when he was ten months old. His mother was married and widowed three times and had five children and one step child. Norvell was the last and sixth child, He later adopted his late father’s name, Oliver.
As a young child his mother encouraged his singing talent, at age eight he was performing in local minstrel shows. Later, he received professional training at the Atlantic Conservatory of Music. Norvell was four years younger than his older brother.
This gave him the addition of the Only birth order along with his number six. The series of birth order numbers begins again after number four. In this second group of four the six child displays characteristics of the number two from the first group, it’s strength is a little bit diminished, similar to the difference between primary and secondary colors. His 6/0 birth order matches with Stan’s 2/0. He began is acting career in 1915 working for the Lubin Company in Jacksonville, Florida.
Stan and Oliver Together
Their first movie was A Lucky Dog in 1917, in 1926 they were paired in Forty-five Minutes from Hollywood. This is when everyone noticed their chemistry. In comedy timing is everything and they made it look so easy. They made hundreds of films together becoming lifelong friends.
When you find someone with your same birth order the friendship is very easy as you see the world the same way and react to life’s situations similarly. They both had multiple marriages but their friendship outlasted them all. Laurel the slim, sad-eyed mime, and Hardy another master mime with the bowler hat and withering glare. “Now that’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into.” he would say, as Laurel was the butt of all the jokes.
The 2/0 Has Great Endurance
They rose to fame during the Great Depression. Their health worsened as they got older, Hardy due to his obesity, Stan had diabetes, prostate issues and colitis. They had the strength to continue to work.
Their tours were quite physically exhausting. They couldn’t make more movies, instead did tours in England. They never owned their films and didn’t receive income from the reruns. Ollie died in 1957 at age 65, Stan in 1965 at age 74.
Sons of the Desert
As a tribute to their work in 1965 their fans founded, Sons of the Desert, an appreciation society. The membership included Jonathan Winters, Dick Cavett, Dick Van Dyke and Soupy Sales.
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