Biography for
Oliver Hardy More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

18 January 1892, Harlem, Georgia, USA

Date of Death

7 August 1957, North Hollywood, California, USA (cerebral thrombosis)

Birth Name

Oliver Norvell Hardy

Nickname

Babe

Height

6' 1" (1.85 m)

Mini Biography

His Scottish-English parents were never in show business. As a young boy, he was a gifted singer and, by age eight, was performing with minstrel shows. In 1910, he ran a movie theatre, which he preferred to studying law. In 1913, he became a comedy actor with the Lubin Company in Florida and began appearing in a long series of shorts; his debut film was Outwitting Dad (1914); 1914-5 was the "Pokes and Jabbs" series; 1916-8 saw the "Plump and Runt" series, 1919-21 the "Jimmy Aubrey" series, and from 1921-5 he worked as an actor and co-director of comedy shorts for Larry Semon. In 1917, he had played a bit part in The Lucky Dog (1921), starring Stan Laurel. His first two-reeler with Laurel was Forty-five Minutes from Hollywood (1926). Their first release through MGM was Sugar Daddies (1927) and the first with star billing was From Soup to Nuts (1928). Their first feature-length starring roles were in Pardon Us (1931). Their work became more production-line and less popular during the war years, mostly working for Twentieth Century-Fox. Their last movie together was was a French production, Atoll K (1951) aka Utopia (USA). He appeared without Laurel in _Zenobia (1939) co-starring with Harry Langdon, The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) in a semi comedic role as a frontiersman alongside John Wayne and Riding High (1950), in a cameo role, and died seven years later.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan

Spouse

Virginia Lucille Jones	(7 March 1940 - 7 August 1957) (his death)
Myrtle Reeves	(24 November 1921 - 18 May 1937) (divorced)
Madelyn Saloshin	(7 November 1913 - 1921) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Usually played a childishly bossy man who barely tolerated his friend, Stan Laurel, but still valued him as someone to whom he could feel superior. With Stan Laurel, they often had a scene in their films where they would get into a fight with another person that consisted solely of destroying property.The duo would destroy something the opponent values while the opponent looks on and does not resist. When they are done, the opponent does the same to the duo, while they refrain from resisting and so on.

Black hair always combed forward.

The "slow burn" - looking into the camera, often with an expression of exasperatedsuffering over what his on-screen partner had just done.

The tie-twiddle, used to convey a sense of coyness or embarrassment.

Every puddle his character stepped in appeared to be endlessly deep. (He would step into a small puddle and would suddenly be over his head in water.)

Most famous costume was a dark suit, a black necktie, and a dark bowler hat.

A small mustache.

The line, usually directed toward Stan Laurel: "This is another nice mess you've gotten me into!"

Trivia

Related to Captain Hardy (as in "Kiss me Hardy" - Nelson).

Was in over 400 movies.

Best known for his work with Stan Laurel.

Interred at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, California, USA.

Subject of one of five 29¢ US commemorative postage stamps celebrating famous comedians, issued in booklet form 29 August 1991. He is shown with his partner Stan Laurel. The stamp designs were drawn by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. The other comedians honored in the set are Edgar Bergen (with alter ego Charlie McCarthy), Jack Benny, Fanny Brice, and Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.

His favourite pastime was playing golf, which he learned from comedian Larry Semon.

Appears on sleeve of The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.

When Ollie died in 1957, his partner, Stan Laurel, pledged he would never perform again. Despite offers, he never did.

Used Babe Hardy for a screen name until convinced by a numerologist that the longer screen name, Oliver Hardy, would bring him success.

Billy Wilder planned on doing a film with him and Stan Laurel in the 1950s. The film would have opened with each of them sleeping in one of the letter O's of the Hollywood sign. The plot centered on a woman coming between them. The project was aborted owing to Ollie's failing health.

His father, also named Oliver Hardy, was a successful lawyer who died when Norvell, as he was known to his family, was ten months old. At a time when few women had careers, his mother supported the family by running a highly successful hotel.

Despite rumors over the years, he did not die from the effects of obesity--quite the contrary. Dieting on doctor's orders, he took off too much weight too fast, going from 300+ pounds to 150 in a matter of a few weeks, weakening his constitution well past the danger point. It was becoming dangerously underweight in this manner that brought about his final illness and death.

He was voted, along with comedy partner Stan Laurel, the 45th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Laurel and Hardy's films had and still have great success in Italy, where they are known as "Stallio and Ollio". Their voices being dubbed into Italian in a very funny and colorful way accentuates their funny lines.

Laurel & Hardy have been and continue to be very popular in Germany under the name of "Dick und Doof" (Fatty and Stupid).

His voice in the Italian version of Laurel & Hardy shorts and features was that of the great Alberto Sordi.

Entered St. Vincent's Hospital to have his tonsils removed the day after filming wrapped on Babes in Toyland (1934).

Is portrayed by John Fox in Harlow (1965/II)

Laurel & Hardy have been and continue to be very popular in Spain, Mexico and Latin America under the name of "El Gordo y El Flaco" (The Fat One and The Thin One).

Laurel & Hardy have been and continue to be very popular in Hungary under the name of "Stan és Pan".

In 1930, he lived at 621 North Alta Drive in Beverly Hills.

Suffered a severe stroke on 12 September 1956 that left him paralyzed and unable to speak.

He was the only child of Oliver Hardy and his second wife; both of them had two children from an earlier marriage; Oliver had two boys, and his second wife had two girls.

Still popular in Brazil where he and Laurel are known as "O Gordo e O Magro" (Fat and Skinny).

Had a mild heart attack in May 1954.

Was a member of he Lakeside Country Club and a close friend of John Wayne and Bing Crosby.

According to letters written by Stan Laurel, Hardy had advanced cancer at the time of his death from two strokes.

A heavy smoker, Hardy had been suffering from heart problems since the filming of Atoll K (1951), and his weight had ballooned from 250 to 350 lbs.

Personal Quotes

I don't know much, but I know a little about a lot of things.

[explaining his and Stan Laurel's success] The world is full of Laurel and Hardys. I saw them all the time as a boy at my mother's hotel. There's always the dumb, dumb guy, who never has anything bad happen to him, and the smart guy who's even dumber than the dumb guy, only he doesn't know it.

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