Oliver Hardy

Oliver Norvell Hardy (January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American film actor. With Stan Laurel, he formed half of perhaps the most famous comedy partnership in film history, Laurel and Hardy.

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Hardy was born Norvell Hardy in Harlem, Georgia. In his first film, Outwitting Dad (1914), Hardy chose to be billed as O. N. Hardy, taking his father's first name as his own. From that time, he referred to himself as "Oliver Norvell Hardy," and eventually became most commonly known as simply Oliver Hardy, despite the fact that he never legally added "Oliver" to his name.

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He was nicknamed 'Babe;' according to Hardy himself, from asking a barber for a shave as a child and the barber slapping a little powder on his face and saying, "That's it, Babe, you're clean." His widow is credited in saying in a 1980s interview included in the television broadcast Laurel and Hardy, Together Again, Hardy picked up his nickname from an Italian barber patting him on the cheek and saying "That's nice-a-bab-y!" The name stuck. Hardy was even billed as Babe Hardy in early films. So well known was Hardy by this nickname, that in some of the duo's first silent films, Laurel can be seen mouthing the word "Babe" when calling out to Hardy.

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For details of Hardy's career see the Laurel and Hardy article.

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January 18: January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 347 days remaining (348 in leap years)...

1892: 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar)....

August 7: August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. There are 94 days in North Hemisphere summer, South Hemisphere winter. The Northern Hemisphere is considered to be halfway through the summer on August 7....

Oliver Hardy related Images and Photos (experimental)

Pardon Us Oliver Hardy Stan Laurel 1931	Another Fine Mess Oliver Hardy Stan Laurel 1930	Another Fine Mess Oliver Hardy Stan Laurel 1930	Bonnie Scotland Oliver Hardy June Lang Stan Laurel on Window Card 1935
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy: Big Business 1929	Sons of the Desert Oliver Hardy Stan Laurel 1933	The Flying Deuces Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy 1939	Babes in Toyland From Left Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy 1934
Sons of the Desert Mae Busch Stan Laurel Dorothy Christy Oliver Hardy 1933	Oliver!	Oliver!	J.J. Hardy