Although his Scottish-English parents were never in show business, as a young boy Oliver Hardy was a gifted singer and, by age eight, was performing with minstrel shows. In 1910 he ran a movie theatre, which he preferred to studying law. In 1913 he became a comedy actor with the Lubin Company in Florida and began appearing in a long series of shorts; his debut film was Outwitting Dad (1914). He appeared in he 1914-15 series of "Pokes and Jabbs" shorts, and from 1916-18 he was in the "Plump and Runt" series. From 1919-21 he was a regular in the "Jimmy Aubrey" series of shorts, and from 1921-25 he worked as an actor and co-director of comedy shorts for Larry Sermon. In addition to appearing in two-reeler comedies, he found time to make westerns and even melodramas in which he played the heavy. He is most famous, however, as the partner of British comic Stan Laurel, with whom he had played a bit part in The Lucky Dog (1921). in the mid-1920s both he and Laurel were working for comedy producer Hal Roach, although not as a team. In a moment of inspiration Roach teamed them together, and their first film as a team was 45 Minutes from Hollywood (1926). Their first release for Roach through MGM was Sugar Daddies (1927) and the first with star billing was From Soup to Nuts (1928). They became a huge hit as a comedy team, and after several years of two-reelers, Roach decided to star them in features, their first of which was Pardon Us (1931). They clicked with audiences in features, too, and starred in such classics as Way Out West (1937), Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (1933) and Block-Heads (1938). They eventually parted ways with Roach and in the mid-1940s signed on with Twentieth Century-Fox. Unfortunately, Fox did not let them have the autonomy they had at Roach, where Laurel basically wrote and directed their films, though others were credited, and their films became more assembly-line and formulaic. Their popularity waned and less popular during the war years, and they made their last film for Fox in 1946. Several years later they made their final appearance as a team in a French film, a troubled and haphazard production eventually, after several name changes, called Utopia (1951), generally regarded to be their worst film. Hardy appeared without Laurel in a few features, such as Zenobia (1939) with Harry Langdon, The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) in a semi-comedic role as a frontiersman alongside John Wayne and Riding High (1950), in a cameo role. He died in 1957. IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan
Movie | Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives and Magic | Self (archive footage) | 2011-12-28 |
Movie | Fragments: Surviving Pieces of Lost Films | Himself (archive footage) | 2011-04-03 |
Movie | A Tribute to Laurel & Hardy | Self (archive footage) | 2011-10-25 |
Movie | Chaplin's Goliath | Self (archive footage) | 1996-01-01 |
Movie | That's Entertainment! III | (archive footage) | 1994-07-01 |
Movie | Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys | Ollie / Fanny / Bert (archive footage) | 1992-04-05 |
Movie | George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey | 1985-03-03 | |
Movie | That's Entertainment, Part II | (archive footage) | 1976-05-16 |
Movie | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | 1975-08-06 |
Movie | 4 Clowns | (archive footage) | 1970-09-01 |
Movie | The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy | 1967-12-01 | |
Movie | The Big Parade of Comedy | Oliver in 'Hollywood Party' (archive footage) | 1964-09-02 |
Movie | Hollywood Without Make-Up | Self (archive footage) | 1963-07-01 |
Movie | Days of Thrills and Laughter | Self (archive footage) | 1961-03-21 |
Movie | When Comedy Was King | edited from 'Big Business' (archive footage) | 1960-03-29 |
Movie | The Golden Age of Comedy | archive footage | 1957-12-26 |
Movie | The Slappiest Days of Our Lives | (archive footage) | 1951-03-23 |
Movie | Utopia | Ollie | 1951-10-17 |
Movie | Riding High | Sucker (uncredited) | 1950-04-12 |
Movie | The Fighting Kentuckian | Willie Paine | 1949-09-15 |
Movie | The Bullfighters | Ollie | 1945-05-01 |
Movie | Nothing But Trouble | Oliver | 1944-12-06 |
Movie | The Big Noise | Ollie | 1944-09-22 |
Movie | Air Raid Wardens | Ollie | 1943-04-04 |
Movie | Jitterbugs | Ollie | 1943-06-05 |
Movie | A-Haunting We Will Go | Ollie | 1942-08-07 |
Movie | The Tree in a Test Tube | Ollie | 1942-11-19 |
Movie | Great Guns | Oliver | 1941-10-10 |
Movie | A Chump at Oxford | Ollie | 1940-01-25 |
Movie | Zenobia | Dr. Henry Tibbett | 1939-04-21 |
Movie | The Flying Deuces | Ollie | 1939-11-03 |
Movie | Swiss Miss | Ollie | 1938-05-20 |
Movie | Hollywood Handicap | Himself | 1938-05-28 |
Movie | Block-Heads | Ollie | 1938-08-19 |
Movie | That's That! | Himself | 1937-01-01 |
Movie | Way Out West | Ollie | 1937-04-16 |
Movie | Pick a Star | Oliver Hardy | 1937-05-21 |
Movie | The Bohemian Girl | Ollie | 1936-02-14 |
Movie | On the Wrong Trek | Cameo appearance (hitchhiker) | 1936-04-18 |
Movie | Our Relations | Ollie / Bert Hardy | 1936-09-15 |
Movie | Early to Bed | 1936-06-05 | |
Movie | Tit for Tat | Ollie | 1935-01-05 |
Movie | The Fixer Uppers | Ollie | 1935-02-09 |
Movie | Bonnie Scotland | Oliver 'Ollie' Hardy | 1935-08-23 |
Movie | Thicker Than Water | Ollie | 1935-03-16 |
Movie | Oliver the Eighth | Ollie | 1934-01-13 |
Movie | Hollywood Party | Ollie | 1934-05-24 |
Movie | Going Bye-Bye! | Mr. Hardy | 1934-06-23 |
Movie | Babes in Toyland | Ollie Dee | 1934-12-14 |
Movie | The Live Ghost | Ollie | 1934-12-08 |
Movie | Them Thar Hills | Ollie | 1934-07-21 |
Movie | Me and My Pal | Ollie | 1933-04-22 |
Movie | Twice Two | Ollie / Mrs. Laurel | 1933-02-25 |
Movie | The Devil's Brother | Ollio | 1933-05-05 |
Movie | The Midnight Patrol | Officer Oliver Hardy | 1933-08-03 |
Movie | Sons of the Desert | Oliver 'Ollie' Hardy | 1933-12-29 |
Movie | Wild Poses | Baby | 1933-10-28 |
Movie | Dirty Work | Ollie | 1933-11-25 |
Movie | Busy Bodies | Ollie | 1933-10-07 |
Movie | The Music Box | Ollie | 1932-04-16 |
Movie | Any Old Port! | Ollie | 1932-03-05 |
Movie | Helpmates | Ollie | 1932-01-23 |
Movie | The Chimp | Ollie | 1932-05-21 |
Movie | Their First Mistake | Ollie | 1932-11-05 |
Movie | County Hospital | Ollie | 1932-06-25 |
Movie | Pack Up Your Troubles | Ollie | 1932-09-16 |
Movie | Towed in a Hole | Ollie | 1932-12-31 |
Movie | Scram! | Ollie | 1932-09-10 |
Movie | The Stolen Jools | Police Driver | 1931-04-04 |
Movie | The Skulls | Señor Hardy | 1931-04-18 |
Movie | Chickens Come Home | Mr. Oliver Hardy | 1931-02-21 |
Movie | Be Big! | Ollie | 1931-02-07 |
Movie | The Chiselers | M. Hardy | 1931-02-07 |
Movie | Playing at Politics | Oliver | 1931-05-01 |
Movie | Pardon Us | Ollie | 1931-08-15 |
Movie | Our Wife | Ollie | 1931-05-16 |
Movie | One Good Turn | Ollie | 1931-10-31 |
Movie | Beau Hunks | Ollie | 1931-12-02 |
Movie | Come Clean | Ollie | 1931-09-02 |
Movie | On the Loose | New Suitor (uncredited) | 1931-12-26 |
Movie | Blotto | Ollie | 1930-02-08 |
Movie | Brats | Ollie Sr. / Oliver Jr. | 1930-03-22 |
Movie | Thieves | 1930-01-07 | |
Movie | Night Owls | Ollie | 1930-01-04 |
Movie | The Rogue Song | Murza-Bek | 1930-01-17 |
Movie | The Night Life | Ollie | 1930-04-19 |
Movie | Night of Goblins | Ollie | 1930-10-16 |
Movie | Below Zero | Ollie | 1930-04-26 |
Movie | The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case | Ollie | 1930-08-08 |
Movie | Another Fine Mess | Ollie | 1930-11-29 |
Movie | Hog Wild | Ollie | 1930-05-31 |
Movie | Shivering and Shaking | Ollie | 1930-04-28 |
Movie | Unaccustomed as We Are | Oliver Hardy | 1929-05-04 |
Movie | Double Whoopee | Ollie | 1929-05-18 |
Movie | Big Business | Ollie | 1929-04-20 |
Movie | Wrong Again | Ollie | 1929-02-23 |
Movie | Liberty | Ollie | 1929-01-26 |
Movie | Berth Marks | Ollie | 1929-06-01 |
Movie | That's My Wife | Ollie | 1929-03-23 |
Movie | Angora Love | Ollie | 1929-12-14 |
Movie | Men O'War | Ollie | 1929-06-29 |
Movie | Bacon Grabbers | Oliver | 1929-10-19 |
Movie | The Hollywood Revue of 1929 | Self | 1929-11-23 |
Movie | They Go Boom! | Ollie | 1929-09-21 |
Movie | Perfect Day | Ollie | 1929-08-10 |
Movie | From Soup to Nuts | Hired butler | 1928-03-24 |
Movie | Flying Elephants | Mighty Giant | 1928-02-12 |
Movie | Leave 'Em Laughing | Ollie | 1928-01-28 |
Movie | You're Darn Tootin' | Ollie, French horn player | 1928-04-21 |
Movie | The Finishing Touch | Ollie | 1928-02-25 |
Movie | We Faw Down | Ollie | 1928-12-29 |
Movie | Their Purple Moment | Ollie | 1928-05-19 |
Movie | Two Tars | Ollie | 1928-11-03 |
Movie | Habeas Corpus | Ollie | 1928-12-01 |
Movie | Should Married Men Go Home? | Ollie | 1928-09-08 |
Movie | Love 'Em and Weep | Judge Chigger | 1927-06-12 |
Movie | Crazy to Act | Gordon Bagley | 1927-05-15 |
Movie | Fluttering Hearts | Big Bill | 1927-06-19 |
Movie | Baby Brother | Ice Man | 1927-06-26 |
Movie | No Man's Law | Sharkey Nye | 1927-05-01 |
Movie | Should Men Walk Home? | Party Guest at Punch Bowl | 1927-01-29 |
Movie | Why Girls Love Sailors | First Mate | 1927-07-17 |
Movie | Two-Time Mama | The Cop (as Babe Hardy) | 1927-01-29 |
Movie | Why Girls Say No | Policeman | 1927-02-21 |
Movie | Duck Soup | Maltravers | 1927-03-13 |
Movie | Slipping Wives | Butler | 1927-04-03 |
Movie | With Love and Hisses | Top Sergeant Banner | 1927-08-28 |
Movie | Hats Off | Ollie | 1927-11-05 |
Movie | Do Detectives Think? | Sherlock Pinkham | 1927-11-20 |
Movie | Putting Pants on Philip | J. Piedmont Mumblethunder | 1927-12-03 |
Movie | The Battle of the Century | Manager | 1927-12-31 |
Movie | Call of the Cuckoo | Asylum Inmate | 1927-10-15 |
Movie | Love 'em and Feed 'em | 'Happy' Hopey | 1927-11-12 |
Movie | The Second Hundred Years | Big Goofy | 1927-10-08 |
Movie | Sailors, Beware! | Purser Cryder | 1927-09-25 |
Movie | Sugar Daddies | Brittle's butler | 1927-09-10 |
Movie | Now I'll Tell One | Policeman | 1927-10-04 |
Movie | Say It with Babies | Hector - the Floorwalker | 1926-05-16 |
Movie | Long Fliv the King | The Prime Minister's Assistant | 1926-06-13 |
Movie | Madame Mystery | Captain Schmaltz | 1926-03-12 |
Movie | Wandering Papas | Camp Foreman (as Babe Hardy) | 1926-02-21 |
Movie | Thundering Fleas | Officer (as Oliver Babe Hardy) | 1926-07-18 |
Movie | A Bankrupt Honeymoon | The Taxi Driver | 1926-02-06 |
Movie | Be Your Age | Oswald Schwartzkopple | 1926-11-13 |
Movie | 45 Minutes from Hollywood | Hotel Detective | 1926-12-26 |
Movie | Along Came Auntie | Mr. Vincent Belcher - the First Husband | 1926-07-25 |
Movie | The Nickel-Hopper | Jazz band drummer | 1926-12-04 |
Movie | Crazy Like a Fox | Charley's Victim (uncredited) | 1926-08-26 |
Movie | Bromo and Juliet | Cab Driver | 1926-09-19 |
Movie | The Joke's on You | Wilbert Perkins | 1925-06-14 |
Movie | Stick Around | Paperhanger (as Babe Hardy) | 1925-03-01 |
Movie | Fiddlin' Around | Theatre manager | 1925-06-14 |
Movie | Hey, Taxi! | A Rival Taxi Driver | 1925-04-01 |
Movie | Isn't Life Terrible? | Remington - the Brother-in-Law (as 'Babe' Hardy) | 1925-07-05 |
Movie | Hop to It! | A bellhop (as Babe Hardy) | 1925-07-01 |
Movie | The Perfect Clown | Babe Mulligan | 1925-12-14 |
Movie | They All Fall | 1925-08-01 | |
Movie | Yes, Yes, Nanette | Her former sweetheart | 1925-07-19 |
Movie | Her Boy Friend | Killer Kid | 1924-09-27 |
Movie | Kid Speed | Dangerous Dan McGraw | 1924-11-16 |
Movie | The Midnight Cabaret | Oliver, an Impetuous Suitor | 1923-05-09 |
Movie | No Wedding Bells | The Girl's Father | 1923-01-09 |
Movie | The Barnyard | Farm Hand | 1923-06-11 |
Movie | Horseshoes | Dynamite Duffy | 1923-12-09 |
Movie | The Gown Shop | Store manager | 1923-08-13 |
Movie | Lightning Love | Oliver, the Other Suitor | 1923-10-22 |
Movie | The Sawmill | The Foreman | 1922-01-01 |
Movie | A Pair of Kings | General Alarm | 1922-06-10 |
Movie | The Counter Jumper | Gaston Gilligan | 1922-12-08 |
Movie | Golf | The neighbor | 1922-09-03 |
Movie | The Bakery | Foreman (as Babe Hardy) | 1921-06-19 |
Movie | The Fall Guy | Gentleman Joe, alias Black Bart (as Babe Hardy) | 1921-07-15 |
Movie | The Rent Collector | The Big Boss (as Babe Hardy) | 1921-05-22 |
Movie | The Bell Hop | Hotel manager | 1921-09-17 |
Movie | The Lucky Dog | Masked bandit who confronts Laurel | 1921-10-01 |
Movie | The Decorator | Babe, a millionaire | 1920-09-03 |
Movie | Squeaks and Squawks | 1920-03-28 | |
Movie | Married to Order | Her Father (as Babe Hardy) | 1920-10-29 |
Movie | His Jonah Day | The Life Saver | 1920-11-26 |
Movie | Dull Care | A Janitor | 1919-10-05 |
Movie | Bungs and Bunglers | Al K. Hall | 1919-11-24 |
Movie | The Stranger | Oliver, the saloonkeeper | 1918-01-01 |
Movie | He's In Again | Head Waiter (as Babe Hardy) | 1918-12-15 |
Movie | His Day Out | Ollie | 1918-01-14 |
Movie | The Rogue | Cafe Owner | 1918-02-14 |
Movie | The King of the Kitchen | A German customer | 1918-10-30 |
Movie | Bright and Early | The Boss | 1918-05-14 |
Movie | The Scholar | The Superintendent | 1918-03-15 |
Movie | The Villain | Nell | 1917-07-14 |
Movie | The Hero | 1917-04-01 | |
Movie | The Chief Cook | Babe (as Babe Hardy) | 1917-09-30 |
Movie | Cupid's Rival | Poor Artist | 1917-07-01 |
Movie | The Candy Kid | Rival Proprietor | 1917-10-14 |
Movie | The Pest | 1917-11-15 | |
Movie | The Hobo | Harold (as Babe Hardy) | 1917-11-01 |
Movie | The Serenade | Plump (as Babe Hardy) | 1916-03-02 |
Movie | One Too Many | Plump | 1916-02-16 |
Movie | The Battle Royal | Plump | 1916-04-12 |
Movie | Hungry Hearts | Plump (as Babe Hardy) | 1916-06-16 |
Movie | Love and Duty | Pvt. Plump | 1916-09-21 |
Movie | The Lottery Man | Maggie Murphy | 1916-06-25 |
Movie | They Looked Alike | Pedestrian | 1915-01-05 |
Movie | An Expensive Visit | Jack | 1915-03-22 |
Movie | Something in Her Eye | The Grocer | 1915-11-09 |
Movie | It May Be You | Paul Simmons | 1915-07-07 |
Movie | The Servant Girl's Legacy | Cy (as Babe Hardy) | 1914-11-27 |
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