Dodd acclaims comic legends; Bronze statue unveiled to Laurel and Hardy.Byline: MIKE HORNBY HUNDREDS of people gathered to see Ken Dodd Kenneth Arthur Dodd OBE (born 8 November 1927, in Knotty Ash, Liverpool), better known as Ken Dodd, is a veteran English comedian and singer, famous for selling over 100 million records, his buck teeth, frizzy hair, feather duster (or "tickling stick"), and his catchphrases, unveil a statue of fellow comedians Stan Laurel Noun 1. Stan Laurel - United States slapstick comedian (born in England) who played the scatterbrained and often tearful member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1890-1965) Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel, Laurel and his sidekick Oliver Hardy yesterday . Doddy, who ar rived with Stan and Ollie look- alikes in a vintage Model T Ford, said he was " tickled" to do the honouSrs. He said Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy, American film comedy team. The duo consisted of Stan Laurel, 1890–1965, b. Ulverson, England, whose real name was Arthur Stanley Jefferson; and Oliver Hardy, 1892–1957, b. Atlanta, Ga. were the "most famous, most loved and most fabulous" comedy duo in the history of showbusiness. "Laurel and Hardy made the world laugh. They were the kings of comedy," he said. Money for the pounds 60,000 statue was raised by The Sons of the Desert, the international appreciation society of Laurel and Hardy. And Eric Woods, from Widnes, represented the "Sons" at yesterday's ceremony. He said donations towards the cost of the statue were made by fans from across the world. He added: "The magic of Laurel and Hardy was that they portrayed two ordinary guys who were just trying to make their way in life. "Life gave them a few knocks but they picked themselves up and tried again. "There is a little bit of Stan and Ollie in all of us." The "Sons" chose the statue of Laurel and Laurel Hardy leaning against a lamp-post to be placed in Laurel's hometown of Ulverston, Cumbria. It is in the town's County Square where Stan brought Ollie in 1947, and the famous duo waved from the balcony of the Coronation Hall to a huge crowd of fans below. After the bronze sculpture was unveiled, the crowd sang the Laurel and Hardy tune, We Are The Sons of the Desert, from the movie, Sons of the Desert. The statue was designed and created by artist Graham Ibbeson, who said it "uplifted his soul". Stan was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson, in Ulverston's Argyll Street, in June, 1890, and remained there until he moved to North Shields, Tyneside, at the age of seven. He met Ollie in 1926 when both were working at the Hal Roach Studios, in Hollywood. In a partnership lasting 31 years, Stan and Ollie appeared together in 106 short films and motion pictures, spanning the silent era until the 1950s. The duo captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. early cinemagoers with their slapstick slapstick Comedy characterized by broad humour, absurd situations, and vigorous, often violent action. It took its name from a paddlelike device, probably introduced by 16th-century commedia dell'arte troupes, that produced a resounding whack when one comic actor used it to mishaps. Their career together ended in 1956 when Ollie, who was born in Georgia, US, suffered a heart attack and died a year later. Laurel was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Oscars in 1961, and died in 1965.. CAPTION(S): A young fan of Laurel and Hardy at the unveiling ceremony Comedian Ken Dodd unveils a bronze statue in memory of Laurel and Hardy in Ulverston, Cumbria |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion