Laurel and Hardy

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are probably the most famous comedy duo in film history.

Trivia

• Part of Laurel and Hardy's on-screen appearance called for their faces to be filmed flat, without any shadows or dramatic lighting, to recall the traditional appearance of clowns. Both Laurel and Hardy wore a light pancake makeup on their faces, and Roach cameramen such as Art Lloyd and Francis Corby were instructed to light and film a scene so that the comedians would be "washed out". Art Lloyd was once quoted as saying "Well, I'll never win an Oscar , but I'll sure please Stan Laurel."
• Their famous signature tune, known as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Waltz of the Cuckoos", was composed by Roach musical director Marvin Hatley as the on-the-hour chime for the Roach studio radio station. Laurel heard the tune on the station, and asked Hatley to use it as the Laurel and Hardy theme song. In Laurel's eyes, the song's melody represents Oliver Hardy's character (pompus and dramatic), while the harmony represents Laurel's own character (somewhat out of key, and only able to register two notes: "coo-coo"). The original theme was first used in Night Owls (1930), and was later rerecorded in 1935 with a full orchestra.
• The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is known as Sons of the Desert after a fraternal society in the film of the same name. It was founded in New York in 1965 with the sanction of Stan Laurel.
• In a 2005 poll, The Comedian's Comedian, the duo were voted the 7th greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders, making them the most popular double act on the list.