Editing Laurel and Hardy (section)

===Final years===
Following the making of ''Atoll K'', Laurel and Hardy took some months off to deal with health issues. On their return to the European stage in 1952, they undertook a well-received series of public appearances, performing a short Laurel-written sketch, "A Spot of Trouble". The following year, Laurel wrote a routine titled "Birds of a Feather".<ref name="McCabe398">{{harvnb|McCabe|1975|p=398}}</ref> On September 9, 1953, their boat arrived in [[Cobh]] in Ireland. Laurel recounted their reception:

{{blockquote|The love and affection we found that day at Cobh was simply unbelievable. There were hundreds of boats blowing whistles and mobs and mobs of people screaming on the docks. We just couldn't understand what it was all about. And then something happened that I can never forget. All the church bells in Cobh started to ring out our theme song "Dance of the Cuckoos" and Babe (Oliver Hardy) looked at me and we cried. I'll never forget that day. Never.<ref>{{cite web |last=Baker |first=Glenn A. |title=History's harbour |url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/historys-harbour-20110310-1bpeu.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=March 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110225757/http://www.smh.com.au/travel/historys-harbour-20110310-1bpeu.html |archive-date=January 10, 2012 |access-date=April 16, 2012}}</ref>}}

[[File:Laurel and Hardy This is your Life.jpg|left|thumb|Laurel and Hardy on NBC's ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]'', December 1, 1954]]

On May 17, 1954, Laurel and Hardy made their last live stage performance in Plymouth, UK at the [[Palace Theatre, Plymouth|Palace Theatre]]. On December 1, 1954, they made their only American television appearance when they were surprised and interviewed by [[Ralph Edwards]] on his live NBC-TV program ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]''. Lured to the Knickerbocker Hotel under the pretense of a business meeting with producer [[Bernard Delfont]], the doors opened to their suite, #205, flooding the room with light and Edwards' voice. The telecast was preserved on a [[kinescope]] and later released on home video. Partly due to the broadcast's positive response, the team began renegotiating with [[Hal Roach Jr.]] for a series of color [[NBC|NBC Television]] specials, to be called ''Laurel and Hardy's Fabulous Fables''. However, the plans had to be shelved as the aging comedians continued to suffer from declining health.<ref name="McCabe398"/> In 1955, ''TV Guide'' ran a color spread on the team with current photos. That year, they made their final public appearance together while taking part in ''This Is Music Hall'', a [[BBC Television]] program about the [[Grand Order of Water Rats]], a British variety organization. Laurel and Hardy provided a filmed insert where they reminisced about their friends in British variety. They made their final appearance on camera in 1956 in a private home movie, shot by a family friend at the Reseda, California home of Stan Laurel's daughter, Lois. The three-minute film has no audio.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rascher |first=Matthias |title=1956 Home movie: Laurel & Hardy together for the last time |url=http://www.openculture.com/2011/05/1956_home_movie_laurel_hardy_together_for_the_last_time.html |website=Openculture.com |date=May 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212004159/http://www.openculture.com/2011/05/1956_home_movie_laurel_hardy_together_for_the_last_time.html |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref>

In 1956, while following his doctor's orders to improve his health due to a heart condition, Hardy lost over {{convert|100|lb|kg st}}, but nonetheless suffered several strokes causing reduced mobility and speech. Despite his long and successful career, Hardy's home was sold to help cover his medical expenses.<ref name="Lawrence" /> He died of a stroke on August 7, 1957, and longtime friend Bob Chatterton said Hardy weighed just {{convert|138|lb|kg st}} at the time of his death. Hardy was laid to rest at Pierce Brothers' [[Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery|Valhalla Memorial Park]], North Hollywood.<ref>{{harvnb|Smith|1984|p=191}}</ref> Following Hardy's death, scenes from Laurel and Hardy's early films were seen again in theaters, featured in [[Robert Youngson]]'s silent-film compilation ''[[The Golden Age of Comedy]]''.

For the remaining eight years of his life, Stan Laurel refused to perform, and declined [[Stanley Kramer]]'s offer of a cameo in the 1963 film ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]''.<ref name="Bowen">{{cite web |last=Bowen |first=Peter |title=Stan Laurel dies |url=http://www.focusfeatures.com/article/stan__laurel_dies |website=Focus Features |date=February 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211214415/http://www.focusfeatures.com/article/stan__laurel_dies |archive-date=December 11, 2013 |access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref> In 1960, Laurel was given a special Academy Award for his contributions to film comedy, but was unable to attend the ceremony due to poor health. Actor [[Danny Kaye]] accepted the award on his behalf.<ref>{{cite web |title=Letters from Stan.com 1961 |url=http://www.lettersfromstan.com/stan_1961-04.html |website=The Stan Laurel Correspondence Archive Project |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211123240/http://www.lettersfromstan.com/stan_1961-04.html |archive-date=December 11, 2013 |access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref> Despite not appearing on screen after Hardy's death, Laurel did contribute gags to several comedy filmmakers. His favorite TV comedy was [[Leonard B. Stern]]'s ''[[I'm Dickens, He's Fenster]]'', co-starring [[John Astin]] and [[Marty Ingels]] as carpenters. Laurel enjoyed the Astin–Ingels chemistry and sent two-man gags to Stern.

During this period, most of his communication was in the form of written correspondence, and he insisted on personally answering every fan letter.<ref name="Bowen"/> Late in life, he welcomed visitors from the new generation of comedians and celebrities, including [[Dick Cavett]], [[Jerry Lewis]], [[Peter Sellers]], [[Marcel Marceau]], [[Johnny Carson]], and [[Dick Van Dyke]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Fine Mess Maker at Home |url=https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/the-fine-mess-maker-at-home/ |website=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122073048/https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/the-fine-mess-maker-at-home/ |archive-date=January 22, 2019 |access-date=January 29, 2019}}</ref> Jerry Lewis offered Laurel a job as consultant, but he chose to help only on Lewis's 1960 feature ''[[The Bellboy]]''.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

Dick Van Dyke was a longtime fan and based his comedy and dancing styles on Laurel's. When he discovered Laurel's home number in the phone book and called him, Laurel invited him over for the afternoon.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dick Van Dyke finds his life reflects Stan Laurel's |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-07-19-1991200181-story.html |website=The Baltimore Sun |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017185707/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-07-19-1991200181-story.html |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |access-date=October 16, 2019}}</ref> Van Dyke hosted a television tribute to Stan Laurel the year he died.

Laurel lived to see the duo's work rediscovered through television and classic film revivals. He died on February 23, 1965, in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]] and is buried at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn–Hollywood Hills]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{harvnb|Smith|1984|p=187}}</ref>