Editing Laurel and Hardy (section)

==Influence and legacy==
[[File:Laurel and Hardy Silhouette.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Silhouette portrait of the duo in [[Redcar]], England]]
Laurel and Hardy's influence over a very broad range of comedy and other genres has been considerable. [[Lou Costello]] of the famed duo [[Abbott and Costello]] stated, "They were the funniest comedy team in the world."<ref>{{harvnb|McCabe|1983|p=8}}</ref> Many critics and film scholars throughout the years have agreed with this assessment;<ref name="britannica">{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Laurel-and-Hardy |title=Laurel and Hardy |work=Encyclopedia Britannica |date=May 11, 2024 |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref> writers, artists, and performers as diverse as [[Samuel Beckett]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/samuel-becketts-funny-turns/ |title=Samuel Beckett's funny turns |work=The Times Literary Supplement |access-date=January 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117104859/https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/samuel-becketts-funny-turns/ |archive-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref> [[Jerry Lewis]], [[Lucille Ball]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Horowitz |first=Susan |title=Queens of Comedy |publisher=Routledge |year=2012 |isbn=9781136642876 |pages=22, 28}}</ref> [[Peter Sellers]], [[Marcel Marceau]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bearmanormedia.com/another-nice-mess-the-laurel-and-hardy-story-audiobook-by-raymond-valinoti-narrated-by-jack-de-golia |title=Another Nice Mess: The Laurel and Hardy Story (Audiobook) by Raymond Valinoti |work=BearManor Media |access-date=January 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117022407/http://www.bearmanormedia.com/another-nice-mess-the-laurel-and-hardy-story-audiobook-by-raymond-valinoti-narrated-by-jack-de-golia |archive-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref> [[Steve Martin]], [[John Cleese]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Rampton |first=James |title=Arts: What a fine mess they got us in |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/arts-what-a-fine-mess-they-got-us-in-1195310.html |work=The Independent |date=September 1, 1998 |access-date=January 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117064719/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/arts-what-a-fine-mess-they-got-us-in-1195310.html |archive-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref> [[Harold Pinter]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Patterson |first=Michael |editor=Brewer, Mary F. |title=Harold Pinter's The Dumb Waiter |publisher=Rodopi |year=2009 |page=249}}</ref> [[Alec Guinness]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.laurel-and-hardy.com/archive/articles/2000-07-auction.html |title=Laurel Letters Sold at Auction |publisher=Laurel-and-hardy.com |access-date=January 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126144943/http://www.laurel-and-hardy.com/archive/articles/2000-07-auction.html |archive-date=November 26, 2011}}</ref> [[J. D. Salinger]],<ref name="Harness2006">{{harvnb|Harness|2006|p=5}}</ref> [[René Magritte]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Laurel and Hardy: Two angels of our time |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/laurel-and-hardy-stan-and-ollie-film-steve-coogan-john-c-reilly-london-film-festival-a8580421.html |work=The Independent |date=January 4, 2019 |access-date=January 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117025142/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/laurel-and-hardy-stan-and-ollie-film-steve-coogan-john-c-reilly-london-film-festival-a8580421.html |archive-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref> and [[Kurt Vonnegut]]<ref name="Harness2006"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Slapstick or Lonesome No More |url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/103/1038795/slapstick-or-lonesome-no-more/9780099842705.html |publisher=Penguin Books |access-date=January 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117063153/https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/103/1038795/slapstick-or-lonesome-no-more/9780099842705.html |archive-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref> have acknowledged an artistic debt.

Starting in the 1960s, the widespread exposure of their short films on television ensured a continued influence on generations of comedians and fans.

===Posthumous revivals and popular culture===
Since the 1930s, the works of Laurel and Hardy have been reissued in numerous theatrical revivals, television airings (particularly on public and cable television), [[16 mm film|16 mm]] and [[8 mm film|8 mm]] home movies, feature-film compilations, and home video. After Stan Laurel's death in 1965, two major motion-picture tributes were released: ''Laurel and Hardy's Laughing '20s'', a compilation of the team's silent-film highlights by Robert Youngson, and ''[[The Great Race]]'' (1965), a large-scale salute to slapstick dedicated by director [[Blake Edwards]] to "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy". The duo were later impersonated by Jim MacGeorge (as Laurel) and [[Chuck McCann]] (as Hardy) in children's television shows and commercials for various products.<ref>{{cite web |last=McCann |first=Chuck |title=Laurel & Hardy Tribute |url=http://www.chuckmccann.net/laurelhardy.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123114045/http://chuckmccann.net/laurelhardy.htm |archive-date=January 23, 2009 |website=chuckmccann.net |date=November 30, 2007 |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref>

Numerous [[colorized]] versions of Laurel and Hardy features and shorts have been reproduced by several studios. The process was introduced in 1983 by Colorization, Inc., in partnership with [[Hal Roach Studios]], then a Canadian concern licensing its name and films. Early efforts included ''Helpmates'', ''Way Out West'', and ''The Music Box'', which were released to television and issued on VHS. Most of the team's sound shorts were ultimately colorized for distribution in Europe. The pixel-based color process and conversion from the American [[NTSC]] system to the European [[PAL]] system often affected image sharpness,<ref name="Tooze">{{cite web |last=Tooze |first=Gary |title=Laurel & Hardy – The Collection (21-disc Box Set) |url=http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews16/laurel_and_hardy_collection_dvd_review.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409083313/http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews16/laurel_and_hardy_collection_dvd_review.htm |archive-date=April 9, 2007 |website=DVDBeaver.com |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref> so since 2011, video distributors have issued the original black-and-white editions.

[[File:Laurel and Hardy Statue.jpg|thumb|left|Statue of [[Stan Laurel]] and [[Oliver Hardy]] outside the Coronation Hall Theatre, [[Ulverston]], Cumbria, England (Laurel's birthplace)]]

There are three Laurel and Hardy museums. One is in Laurel's birthplace of [[Ulverston]], England,<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurel & Hardy Museum: Ulverston |url=http://www.lakedistrictletsgo.co.uk/attractions/attractions_pages/laurel_hardy.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020014930/http://www.lakedistrictletsgo.co.uk/attractions/attractions_pages/laurel_hardy.html |archive-date=October 20, 2007 |website=Lakedistrictletsgo.co.uk |date=June 2004 |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref> another is in Hardy's birthplace of [[Harlem, Georgia]], United States,<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurel and Hardy Museum of Harlem, Georgia |url=http://www.laurelandhardymuseum.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616205039/http://www.laurelandhardymuseum.com/ |archive-date=June 16, 2019 |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref> and the third is in [[Solingen]], Germany.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurel & Hardy Museum Solingen |url=http://www.laurel-hardy-museum.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217163137/http://laurel-hardy-museum.com/ |archive-date=December 17, 2014 |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref>

[[Maurice Sendak]] featured three Oliver Hardy-like bakers in his 1970 Caldecott Medal-winning book ''[[In the Night Kitchen]]''.{{#tag:ref|Sendak described his early upbringing as sitting in movie houses fascinated by the Laurel and Hardy comedies.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lanes |first=Selma G. |title=The Art of Maurice Sendak |year=1980 |publisher=Harry N. Abrams |page=47 |isbn=9780810916005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Salamon |first=Julie |title=Sendak in All His Wild Glory |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/15/books/sendak-in-all-his-wild-glory.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 15, 2005 |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref>|group=Note}} Cut-outs of the duo appear on the cover of ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' (1967) by [[The Beatles]]. In 2005, a Channel 4 documentary, ''[[The Comedian's Comedian]]'', ranked Laurel and Hardy the seventh-greatest comedy act of all time—the highest-ranking double act.<ref name="Cook" />

[[Larry Harmon]] claimed ownership of Laurel and Hardy's likenesses and issued toys, coloring books, and an animated series in 1966, co-produced with [[Hanna-Barbera]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Krurer |first=Ron |title=Laurel and Hardy Cartoons by Hanna-Barbera |url=http://www.toontracker.com/lh-ac/lh-ac.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070530054057/http://www.toontracker.com/lh-ac/lh-ac.htm |archive-date=May 30, 2007 |website=Toontracker.com |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref> Animated versions of Laurel and Hardy also guest-starred in a 1972 episode of ''[[The New Scooby-Doo Movies]]''. In 1999, Harmon produced the direct-to-video feature ''[[The All New Adventures of Laurel & Hardy in For Love or Mummy]]'', starring [[Bronson Pinchot]] and [[Gailard Sartain]] as the nephews of the famous duo.<ref>{{cite web |title=The All New Adventures of Laurel & Hardy in "For Love or Mummy" (1999) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0143096/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726125126/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0143096/ |archive-date=July 26, 2018 |website=IMDb |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref>

The North American rights to much of the Laurel and Hardy library are now owned by [[Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment]], successor to Cabin Fever, RHI, Hallmark, and Sonar. International rights are held by the CCA, while Harmon's estate owns their trademarks and likenesses.

The Indian comedy duo [[Ghory and Dixit]] were often called the Indian Laurel and Hardy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pednekar |first=Aparna |title=Bollywood comedy comes of age |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/brunch-stories/bollywood-comedy-comes-of-age/article1-1125193.aspx |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=July 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923005434/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Brunch/Brunch-Stories/Bollywood-comedy-comes-of-age/Article1-1125193.aspx |archive-date=September 23, 2013 |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref>

In 2011, [[Arte]] and [[ZDF]] co-produced a 90-minute documentary, ''Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives and Magic'', written and directed by German filmmaker Andreas Baum. The film included rare footage, interviews, and photos, and was later released as a 105-minute Director's Cut with 70 minutes of bonus material on DVD.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives and Magic (2011) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1698531/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602023809/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1698531/ |archive-date=June 2, 2019 |website=IMDb |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Laurel and Hardy: A True Love Story – The Shop |url=https://www.laurelandhardyshop.com/shop?lang=en |website=Laurel and Hardy Shop |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref>

In 2024, Baum and co-author Michael Ehret published ''Laurel and Hardy: A True Love Story – The Pictorial History of Stan & Ollie: Their Life and Work'' (Volume 1), a 500-page illustrated book accompanied by a documentary DVD.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurel and Hardy: A True Love Story – The Pictorial History |url=https://the-pictorial-history.com/ |website=The Pictorial History |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref>

===Appreciation society===
{{Main|The Sons of the Desert}}
The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is known as [[The Sons of the Desert]], after a fraternal society in their film [[Sons of the Desert|of the same name]] (1933).<ref>MacGillivray, Scott. [http://sonsofthedesertinfo.com/ "Welcome to Sons Of The Desert."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205061025/http://www.sonsofthedesertinfo.com/ |date=December 5, 2013 }} ''The International Laurel & Hardy Society''. Retrieved: December 7, 2013.</ref> It was established in New York City in 1965 by Laurel and Hardy biographer [[John McCabe (writer)|John McCabe]], with [[Orson Bean]], [[Al Kilgore]], [[Chuck McCann]], and John Municino as founding members, with the sanction of Stan Laurel.<ref>Rense, Rip. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-09-vw-1281-story.html "A fan club just for 'The Boys' : Films: The Sons of the Desert has been meeting since 1965 to honor Laurel and Hardy."]  ''Los Angeles Times'', November 9, 1989. Retrieved: December 7, 2013.</ref> Since the group's inception, well over 150 chapters of the organization have formed across North America, Europe, and Australia. An Emmy-winning film documentary about the group, ''Revenge of the Sons of the Desert'', has been released on DVD as part of ''The Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol.&nbsp;1''.

===Around the world===
Laurel and Hardy are popular around the world but are known under different names in various countries and languages.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Country
! Nickname
|-
| Albania ||"Olio dhe Stelio", "I Holli dhe i Trashi" (''Thin and Thick'')
|-
| Poland ||"[[:pl:Flip i Flap|Flip i Flap]]" (''Flip and Flap'')
|-
| Germany ||"[[:de:Dick und Doof|Dick und Doof]]" (''Fat and Dumb'')
|-
| Brazil ||"[[:pt:O Gordo e o Magro|O Gordo e o Magro]]" (''The Fat One and the Skinny One'')
|-
| Sweden ||"[[:sv:Helan och Halvan|Helan och Halvan]]" (''The Whole and the Half'')
|-
| Norway
|"[[:no:Helan og Halvan|Helan og Halvan]]" (''The Whole and the Half'')
|-
| Spanish-speaking countries ||"[[:es:El Gordo y el Flaco|El Gordo y el Flaco]]" (''The Fat One and the Skinny One'')
|-
| Italy ||"[[:it:Stanlio e Ollio|Stanlio e Ollio"]] also as "Cric e Croc" up to the 1970s
|-
| Hungary ||"[[:hu:Stan és Pan|Stan és Pan]]" (''Stan and Pan'')
|-
| Romania ||"[[:ro:Stan și Bran|Stan și Bran]]" (''Stan and Bran'')
|-
| The Netherlands, Flemish Belgium ||"[[:nl:Laurel en Hardy|Laurel en Hardy]]", "Stan en Ollie", "De Dikke en de Dunne" (''The Fat [One] and the Skinny [One]'')
|-
| Denmark ||"[[:dk:Gøg og Gokke|Gøg og Gokke]]" (Roughly translates to ''Wacky and Pompous'')
|-
| Portugal ||"[[:pt:O Gordo e o Magro|O Bucha e o Estica]]" (''The Fat One and the Skinny One'')
|-
| Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, North Macedonia, Montenegro ||"Stanlio i Olio" ({{lang-cyrl|Станлио и Олио}})
|-
| Slovenia ||"Stan in Olio"
|-
| Greece ||"Hondros kai Lignos" (Χοντρός και Λιγνός) (''Fat and Skinny'')
|-
| India (Marathi) || "जाड्या आणि रड्या" (Fatso and the Crybaby)
|-
| India (Punjabi) || "Moota Paatla" (Laurel and Hardy) (Fat and Skinny)
|-
| India (Telugu) || "Lamboo Jamboo" (లంబూ జంబూ) (Laurel and Hardy) (Fat and Skinny)
|-
| Finland || [[:fi:Ohukainen ja Paksukainen|Ohukainen ja Paksukainen]] (''Thin one and Thick one'')
|-
| Iceland ||| "Steini og Olli"
|-
| Israel ||| "השמן והרזה" (''ha-Shamen ve ha-Raze'', ''The Fat and the Skinny'')
|-
| Vietnam (South) ||| "Mập – Ốm" (''The Fat and the Skinny'')
|-
| Korea (South) || "뚱뚱이와 홀쭉이" (''The Fat and the Skinny'')
|-
| Malta ||| "L-Oħxon u l-Irqiq" ("The Fat and the Thin One")
|-
| Iran ||| "چاق و لاغر" ("The Fat and the Skinny")
|-
| Thailand ||| "อ้วนผอมจอมยุ่ง" ("The Clumsy Fat and Thin")
|}

===Biopic===
A biographical film titled ''[[Stan & Ollie]]'' directed by [[Jon S. Baird]] and starring [[Steve Coogan]] as Stan and [[John C. Reilly]] as Oliver was released in 2018 and chronicled the duo's 1953 tour of Great Britain and Ireland. The film received positive reviews from critics, garnering a 94% "Fresh" rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. For their performances, Reilly and Coogan were nominated for a [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]] and a [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA]] award respectively.