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Post by moriarty on Mar 6, 2007 11:23:45 GMT
 Jean Darling in the 1920s Jean Darling (born Dorothy Jean LeVake on August 23, 1922) is a former American child actress who was a regular in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1927 to 1929. In 1926 at the age of four, Jean got her big break when she passed her screen test and was accepted for a part in the Hal Roach Our Gang series. By that stage her name had been changed to Jean Darling. Jean appeared in 35 Our Gang films during this period. She is also the last surviving cast member of the silent era version. Jean continued to appear in films after leaving the gang, including an appearance in Laurel & Hardy's 1934 adaptation of Babes in Toyland and as the young Jane in Jane Eyre (1934). A round of stage and radio shows followed. Stage shows involved up to seven shows a day. It was punishing schedule for a fourteen-year-old. And that was not taking into account her educational studies. Jean began to study singing, and in 1940 she was given a scholarship by the New York Municipal Opera Association. She turned down an offer to play alongside Mickey Rooney in one of the MGM "Andy Hardy" movies. Instead, she went on Broadway, making her debut in the musical "Count Me In" in 1942. Jean's stage career hit a real high when she landed the role of Carrie Pipperidge in the original Broadway production of "Carousel" in 1945. Jean appeared in 850 consecutive performances, setting a record for a singer. Her role as Carrie helped her with parts for radio and TV in the 1950s and Jean hosted her own television show for NBC in New York City, ‘A Date With Jean Darling’. Her daily TV show for women, ‘The Singing Knit-Witch’, was aired on KHJ-TV in Hollywood Jean married Reuben Bowen whose stage name was ‘Kajer the Magician’ and they had one son Roy. Since 1974 Jean has been living in Dublin where she has written mystery stories and has had over 50 short stories published in the Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Whispers. As "Aunty Poppy" Jean read stories, which she wrote herself, on RTE radio and TV. She has also written plays for radio and has worked as a journalist. Biography for Jean Darling advertisement Mini biography Having toured the world with husband, Kajar the Magician's Show 'Magicadabr', Jean Darling settled in Dublin and became an author of dozens of short mysteries for Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Shyne Mystery Magazines and Horror Fantasy for Whispers Magazine, etc. In 1980 she became Aunty Poppy (named for her home State flower) writing and telling over 450 children's story on both RTE radio and TV. Jean has also written several radio plays broadcast on RTE. Trivia Her husband, Reuben Bowen, was once billed as "Kajar, The Magician." In the late 1970s, Jean appeared on Saturday morning television as the presenter of "Auntie Poppy's Story Time" on Irish television programme "Anything Goes". She also told children's stories on Irish radio in the same period. |
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Post by Stan Butler on Mar 6, 2007 11:30:05 GMT
You forgot to say how much of a flirt with the fellows she is these days! I know, I've met her! ;D
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Post by moriarty on Mar 6, 2007 11:30:09 GMT
John Wood (II)
Trivia
Sued Stan Laurel and his stunt double, Ham Kinsey, claiming back injuries after Laurel and Kinsey threw him in the ducking pond on the set. The lawsuit specified $40,500 in damages, but was settled out-of-court.
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Post by moriarty on Mar 6, 2007 11:34:15 GMT
Trivia
As with many other comedy teams of the day, such as The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy used their real names in their films. (Although Stan usually shortened Oliver to "Ollie" on-screen)
Throughout Laurel and Hardy's career, the driving force behind the team was Laurel, who wrote the scripts and frequently produced (and sometimes directed) the films, and always insisted on being paid twice as much as Hardy.
Part of Laurel and Hardy's on-screen appearance called for their faces to be filmed flat, without any shadows or dramatic lighting. To recall the traditional appearance of clowns, both comedians wore a light pancake makeup on their faces, and Roach's cameramen, such as Art Lloyd and Francis Corby, were instructed to light and film a scene so that the comedians would be "washed out". Art Lloyd was once quoted as saying "Well, I'll never win an Oscar [for Laurel and Hardy cinematography], but I'll sure please Stan Laurel."
Laurel and Hardy's famous signature tune, known as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Waltz of the Cuckoos", was composed by Roach musical director Marvin Hatley as the on-the-hour chime for the Roach studio radio station. Laurel heard the tune on the station, and asked Hatley to use it as the Laurel and Hardy theme song. In Laurel's eyes, the song's melody represents Oliver Hardy's character (pompus and dramatic), while the harmony represents Laurel's own character (somewhat out of key, and only able to register two notes: "coo-coo"). The original theme was first used in Night Owls (1930), and was later re-recorded in 1935 with a full orchestra.
The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is known as "The Sons of the Desert", after a fraternal society in the film of the same name. It was founded in New York in 1965 with the sanction of Stan Laurel.
Ulverston, the place of Stan Laurel's birth, now hosts the Laurel and Hardy Museum. Another Laurel and Hardy Museum is located in the place of Oliver Hardy's birth, Harlem, Georgia.
In a 2005 poll, The Comedian's Comedian, the duo was voted the seventh greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders, making them the most popular double act on the list.
In the 1980s, many of the duo's short films were colorized for re-release. Because the original films were filmed in black and white, very few people knew that Stan Laurel actually had red hair, and so he is depicted as having brown hair in colorized shorts released by Hal Roach Studios. Interestingly enough, both colorized versions of March of the Wooden Soldiers have Laurel's correct hair color.
Stan Laurel reportedly grew to hate the "crying" routine that he used when Oliver Hardy would berate him for his incompetence, but the showman in him compelled him to keep using it, because he perceived that the audience expected it.
Oliver Hardy's catchphrase is often misquoted as "Well, there's another fine mess you've gotten me into". The quote is "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into." Another Fine Mess was the title of one of their short films from the 1930s. In a turnabout to this, Chickens Come Home had Ollie impatiently say to Stan, "Well...." with Stan responding, "Here's another nice mess I've gotten you into."
The song, "Trail of the Lonesome Pine" is the biggest posthumous hit by an artist not making No.1. It is also the first after-death success for a duo. The song made No.2 in the UK charts in December 1975.
In 2006, BBC Four showed a drama based on Laurel meeting Hardy on his deathbed and reminiscing about their career called Stan (Website).
A little known American Vaudeville team from the early 20th century known as "Zuhn & Dreis" may have been the source of Laurel and Hardy's on stage persona - here is a photo of "Zuhn & Dreis" - [1]
Laurel and Hardy make an appearance as Roman legionaries in the Asterix comic, Obelix and Co. (Source:The complete guide to Asterix by Peter Kessler ISBN 0-340-65346-9)
Josh Ritter, an American folk singer, references the comedy duo in the songs "Girl in the War" and "Thin Blue Flame" both released on the album The Animal Years.
Noted American illustrator, Maurice Sendak, who grew up watching Laurel and Hardy films, has used Oliver Hardy's image at least twice. First, in triplicate, in his classic picture book, "In The Night Kitchen" and more recently in "Brundibar," written by Tony Kushner.
Gilligan and the Skipper of Gilligan's Island were presumbly modeled after Laurel and Hardy. In fact, the Skipper (played by Alan Hale, Jr.) frequently hit Gilligan with his cap when Gilligan did or said something dumb. This was done occasionally by Laurel and Hardy, with Hardy hitting Laurel with his hat, in their shorts and films. Hale admitted in interviews that he also used Oliver Hardy's technique of looking directly into the camera as if to say to the viewer (as Hardy did) "do you believe what I have to put up with?" after his partner said or did something ridiculous.
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Post by moriarty on Mar 6, 2007 11:35:52 GMT
You forgot to say how much of a flirt with the fellows she is these days! I know, I've met her! ;D thought id leave that one to you also i thought it would give you the oppertunity to post the pic i took of the two of you together at the harday |
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Post by The Collector on Mar 6, 2007 13:11:26 GMT
They made a lovely couple
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Post by Stan Butler on Mar 6, 2007 13:56:00 GMT
thought id leave that one to you also i thought it would give you the oppertunity to post the pic i took of the two of you together at the harday They made a lovely couple Actually, it was a threesome.....   |
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Post by larffalot on Mar 6, 2007 16:16:46 GMT
Re Moriarty's fact file on Laurel and Hardy. The actual title of the theme tune is Dance of the Cuckoos. There is another Laurel and Hardy Museum in Solingen, Germany. Stan was employed at Roach as a director and gag-writer, as he was still under contract to Joe Rock, who had copyrighted a series of Stan Laurel Comedies, which were still being released. Stan was married to four different women, with seven marriage ceremonies as he remarried one he had divorced, there were fears another marriage was not legal and another marriage was blessed in a Russian Orthodox service. He also kept a mistress for most of his life. Ollie was married three times and had a mistress. Stan was also responsible for editing the films, often working through the night and arranging re-shoots. A number of the films were remade in Spanish and German, Stan and Ollie reading phonetically from cue cards. Ollie was a champion
golfer, invited to turn pro at one stage of his life, but at the height of his fame. Stan and Ollie did most of their own stunts, including the"high and dizzy" scenes in Liberty and the pickaxe action in The Hoose-Gow, during which Ollie needed four stitches in his derrie-aire. The tear in his jeans is visible in the film. Stan said his favourite L & H film was The Devil's Brother, and Ollie's was Babes in Toyland, both costume films and not the usual dungarees and bowler hats. Ollie was normally about 26 stone and reached 30 stone in later life. He was ordered to los weight, which he did, 10 stone in a year, but suffered a paralysing stroke soon afterwards, which resulted in 10 months' total incapacity before his death on August 7 1957.
Stan was a diabetic and had a lot of eye trouble and a minor stroke. from which he made a full recovery. He died suddenly of a heart attack on February 23 1965. He had two children, Lois, who is still hale and hearty, and a son who died at nine days. His birthplace, 3 Foundry Cottages (now called Argyle Street) still stands in Ulverston, and Ollie's birthplace in Harlem, Georgia, was demolished, but the is a plaque there in his honour. The laundry standing partly on the site is called Ollie's Laundry.
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Post by larffalot on Mar 6, 2007 16:20:11 GMT
Trivia Gilligan and the Skipper of Gilligan's Island were presumbly modeled after Laurel and Hardy. In fact, the Skipper (played by Alan Hale, Jr.) frequently hit Gilligan with his cap when Gilligan did or said something dumb. This was done occasionally by Laurel and Hardy, with Hardy hitting Laurel with his hat, in their shorts and films. Hale admitted in interviews that he also used Oliver Hardy's technique of looking directly into the camera as if to say to the viewer (as Hardy did) "do you believe what I have to put up with?" after his partner said or did something ridiculous. Alan Hale's father, Alan Sr. appeared as the head waiter at Denker's Beer Garden in Our Relations. |
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