It was to be through Hal Roach that Oliver Hardy would meet Stan Laurel. Prior to this meeting, Hardy played in minor silent movie roles mostly as the bad guy.

Laurel and Hardy had actually worked together on a movie in 1917 called Lucky Dog, but they were not to be paired together until Leo McCarey's short, Duck Soup, in 1927.

Laurel and Hardy were to became one of the most successful film comedy duos in history. Hardy played the arrogant know-it-all, whilst Laurel became easily confused and cried while scratching his head.

They starred in over 100 films together, including 27 feature length movies. Stan Laurel was also a behind-the-scenes creative force, directing many of their adventures. Perhaps their critical high point was an academy award for the short The Music Box in 1933, a hilarious attempt by the duo to deliver a piano up a long flight of steps.

The two stopped making movies in 1945 (we will ignore the disastrous Utopia that they made together in 1950). The two remained popular and performed regularly in Music Hall throughout the world after their movie careers ended. Hardy died in 1957, Stan Laurel in 1965. [Public Domain download links: Flying Deuces]