Laurel and Hardy were an English-American comedy double act consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson on June 16, 1890) and American Oliver Hardy (born Norvell Hardy on January 18, 1892). The pair officially teamed in 1927 with the silent short film Putting Pants on Philip, appearing together in 107 films through 1951. Their short film The Music Box won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject in 1932. Beyond their films, the duo recorded music, including their signature theme song “The Dance of the Cuckoos”. In 1975, the compilation album Trail of the Lonesome Pine was released, and its title track “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The official appreciation society, The Sons of the Desert, was founded in 1965. Hardy died in North Hollywood, California, on August 7, 1957, and Laurel died in Santa Monica, California, on February 23, 1965.
