The Life and Times of Laurel and Hardy

by Ronald Bergan

Focuses on the remarkable lives of Stan Laurel, the son of an English theater manager, and Oliver Hardy, a native of Georgia, who teamed up to reach comedy stardom in Hollywood

Hardcover

First published March 1, 1992

About the author

Ronald Bergan is a regular contributor to The Guardian and the author of several critically acclaimed books on film, including biographies of directors Francis Ford Coppola, Jean Renoir, Sergei Eisenstein, and the Coen brothers.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bergan's photo laden 'introduction' of sorts to the entertainment careers of Laurel and Hardy, which only scrapes the service of their years in Hollywood. It does give a bit of insight into their early years, especially Laurel's understudying of Chaplin and Hardy's 'straight heavy' dramatic roles. Worth a read as an introduction to these comedy greats. 4 out of 12, Two Stars.

2010 read

[TriCedratops · Rating 4 out of 5]

What resonates with me most after reading this book is the number of times I caught myself smiling while reading this book and even laughing.

'The Life and Times of Laurel and Hardy' is light on text - making way for a fantastic selection of photos - but provides a sufficient and engaging overview of their personal lives, careers (with and without each other) and synopses of a number of their films. As a quick two-hour read, it's not a good choice for readers seeking an in-depth biography of these comedy legends, but it will absolutely leave you craving a Laurel and Hardy marathon -which is exactly what I will be doing tonight.