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Picture Show Annual 99 LAUREL AND HARDY Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, who are one of the most famous comedy teams in film history, first met on the set of a Larry Scmon comedy. They had no thought of partnership then but later during a picture starring Theda Bara the idea took root. After playing in Hollywood for some time, they parted, Laurel to return to England, Hardy to go to Cuba. In 1926, they had both returned to the film city and, meeting on Hollywood Boulevard, speculated as to their chances of acting together. Three weeks later they were playing together in the Hal Roach comedies that have made them famous. Both stars before their motion picture careers had had stage experience. Stan Laurel, who is an Englishman, was one of the original cast acting with Charlie Chaplin in " A Night in a Music Hall." In 1910, the sketch was booked for America, and when the tour was finished Stan Laurel and Chaplin both left it for Hollywood, to try their luck in films. Oliver Hardy at the age of six was a well-known boy soprano on the stage. A few years later, having grown much heavier, he joined a famous minstrel troupe. After a few years of this, the chubby comedian made his first film appearance in one-reel comedies made by the old Lubin company in Florida. Later he did drama with Earle Williams, but, returning to Hollywood, signed the contract as supporting comedian for Larry Semon, little knowing that it would result in his partnership with Stan Laurel and fame for both of them. THE TWO BLACK CROWS MORAN AND Mack were famous here long before they appeared in talkies, through their irresistibly funny gramophone records, and their season in London. Charles Mack is the lazy, deep-voiced one. and he is the permanent member of the partnership. The Morans are many, for Charlie Mack, when he engages an actor to play with him, changes his name to Moran for stage purposes. Therefore, although there have been many different men in that part, the name has always remained the same. George Circe, with whom he is seen here, is the Moran of " Why Bring That Up ? " the first talkie made by the " Two Black Crows." He was born in the middle of the Mississippi floods in 1881, at Elwood, Kansas. After being a factory painter, and working in soap, harness and sweet factories, he began his theatrical career by running errands for the manager of the local theatre, and was given the part of Sambo in " Uncle Tom's Cabin." Following this, he appeared as a clown, and on a vaudeville tour, met Charlie Mack. Charlie Mack was born at White Cloud, Kansas, and educated in Washington. As an engineer and electrician he went behind scenes at the theatre, and his gift for easy gag ' humour, combined with his desire to act, decided him to leave his wires and batteries and accumulators and valves and go on the stage. He wrote his own sketch and did eight turns a day for a salary of just under three pounds a week. This first venture proved successful, however, and he decided to take a partner. Thus started the Moran and Mack team, but it was not until much later that it became so famous. In fact, it was London's wild enthusiasm about their act that brought them to the notice of the American public.