Laurel & Hardy: The British Tours - First Edition published 1993 by A.J. Marriot. Autographed and with an inscribed message by the author. The book is very clean, near fine with no foxing.
This book records Laurel & Hardy's tours of Britain, and goes right to the begining with young Arthur Stanley Jefferson - later known as Stan Laurel, and his fledgling career in the tough variety theatres in the UK and his eventual team up with the Karno Company. Karno had a certain Charlie Chaplin leading the comedy, and Stan's understudying (as well as studying the great comedian) was a factor in what made him so great. The book picks up on Laurel and Hardy's supposed relaxing holiday trip to Britain in 1932 and the astonishing reception the two-by then- super stars inspired.
Their next return was in 1947 when they were in finacial need and agreed to a really gruelling variety tour, and continued to tour until 1954.
The book has many rare photographs of Laurel & Hardy in Britain, and as well as listing where they played, gives details of the sketches they performed,press reports and reviews. The huge affection for Laurel & Hardy and their genuine openess with fans and courtesy to fellow performers is reiterated here, but most poignantly are the final chapters where we realize that here were two very ill men trying to make a living when all those faboulous films should have earned them the rest they deserved.
Painstaking research from AJ Marriot gives us a record of Laurel and Hardy in Britain as the event slips out of living memory.
