Customer Reviews

Laurel or Hardy: The Solo Films of Stan Laurel and Oliver "Babe" Hardy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rob Stone is to be congratulated for taking on the Herculean (and seemingly impossible) task of documenting all of Stan Laurel's and Babe Hardy's solo film appearances. The comedians frequently worked for small studios that are long since gone, and many of the films apparently no longer exist. Stone has done a superb job of detective work and documentation, and leaves open the possibility of further discoveries; indeed, since this book was published, a previously unknown Oliver Hardy film has surfaced! An essential volume for silent film and comedy buffs. And for fans of the boys, this is a great companion piece to both THE MAGIC BEHIND THE MOVIES and FROM THE FORTIES FORWARD.

This eminently affordable 573 page book is meticulously researched and written by an author who knows his stuff. "Laurel or Hardy" is a must have for any fan of the team -- indeed for anyone who loves silent movies. The book is the perfect companion piece to Randy Skretvedt's invaluable "Laurel and Hardy; the Magic Behind the Movies."

To take on the assignment of creating a filmography of Oliver Hardy was a duanting if not impossible task to undertake. But Rob Stone has done it. I would estimate that he has confirmed 95% of Mr. Hardy' films of his early career. To say that this book serves the needs of Laurel & Hardy infophiles is selling it short. It also gives a rich and informative history of silent film comedy making and it's makers, with information of other studios and stars who are not well known. More films and titles are likely to show up making the second edition a must. Bravo. An excellent companion piece for "Laurel & Hardy - The Magic Behind the Movies".

This is indeed, like the other reviewers have stated, the most complete foray into the subject matter to date. It's too bad that the author's abilities at unearthing such treasures were not matched by a very readable writting style. Five stars for effort and material and one star for readability equals a three star rating.

...I have ever read. BEST BOOK EVER!

The authors have done exhaustive research and documented all of Stan Laurel's and Oliver "Babe" Hardy's solo films from before and after their teaming. Each film entry has credits, a sypnosis, commentary, and comtemporary reviews. Also included are newsreel appearances and erroneous film credits. The commentary is very good. This book's only bad point is that the editing is very poor. There are numerous misspelled words and grammatical errors like fragmentary sentences. This book is a must-have for fans of Laurel & Hardy.