Laurel and Hardy, also known as Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, were one of the most iconic comedic duos in the early days of Hollywood. Their unique comedic style and hilarious on-screen performances continue to entertain audiences around the world. Stan Laurel, born in 1890, started his career in British music hall before moving to the United States in 1910. He began working in silent films and collaborated with various comedians and directors in the early years of his career. However, it was his partnership with Oliver Hardy that catapulted him to stardom. Oliver Hardy, born in 1892, had a background in vaudeville and had also worked in silent films before teaming up with Laurel.
Oliver Hardy, born in 1892, had a background in vaudeville and had also worked in silent films before teaming up with Laurel. The duo first appeared together in the 1921 film "The Lucky Dog," but it wasn't until they started working together at the Hal Roach Studios in the mid-1920s that they truly hit their stride. Laurel and Hardy's magic lay in their perfect comedic timing, slapstick humor, and impeccable chemistry.
Lenny Lipton, “Puff the Magic Dragon” Lyricist and 3D Filmmaking Pioneer, Dies at 82
After the huge success of the Peter, Paul and Mary hit, he founded StereoGraphics and developed an electro-optical modulator known as ZScreen.
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Lenny Lipton, who wrote the poem that became the Peter, Paul and Mary hit “Puff the Magic Dragon” and developed technology used for today’s digital 3D theatrical projection systems, has died. He was 82.
Lipton died Wednesday of brain cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his son Noah told The Hollywood Reporter.
While studying engineering as a freshman at Cornell University, Lipton, inspired by a 1936 Ogden Nash poem, “The Tale of Custard the Dragon,” wrote a poem in 1959 on a typewriter owned by another physics major at the school, Peter Yarrow.
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Yarrow discovered the poem — about a boy named Jackie Paper and his imaginary dragon friend in a land by the sea — in the typewriter and years later used it for the lyrics to “Puff the Magic Dragon.”
Yarrow’s Peter, Paul and Mary recorded the song in 1962. It was released in January 1963 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 as one of the folk trio’s most enduring hits.
“Pirates and dragons, back then, were common interests in stories for boys,” Lipton told L.A. Weekly in a 2015 interview. “The Puff story is really just a lot like Peter Pan.”
The tune spawned a 1978 animated CBS special and two sequels, 1979’s Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of the Living Lies and 1982’s Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody, with Burgess Meredith voicing the dragon in all three.
A children’s picture book based on the song has sold more than a million copies and has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
Over the years, Lipton denied that “Puff” was about drugs, a “myth” he said was started by New York newspaper columnist Dorothy Kilgallen.
Yarrow had tracked down Lipton and granted him half the songwriting credit, and royalties allowed him to pursue his interest in filmmaking.
In the Hollywood 3D community, Lipton is known for developing the ZScreen electro-optical modulator — a tool used in digital 3D projection — through his company, StereoGraphics. After StereoGraphics was acquired by RealD in 2005, Lipton continued development of his technology as RealD’s chief technology officer.
Lipton also authored books including 1972’s Independent Filmmaking; 1979’s Lipton on Filmmaking; 1982’s Foundations of the Stereoscopic Cinema; and 2021’s The Cinema in Flux: The Evolution of Motion Picture Technology From the Magic Lantern to the Digital Era.
Born in Brooklyn on May 18, 1940, Leonard Lipton was 8 when his dad gave him a 16-millimeter projector. “It was a toy, but I really understood how it worked,” he said. “I didn’t take it apart as much as I really understood how it worked, so I made other things like it.”
Comic books and 3D movies in the early 1950s got Lipton interested in the stereographic medium, and in the ’60s, he shot several experimental films, including Let a Thousand Parks Bloom, about People’s Park in Berkeley, California.
He served as a production assistant on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), founded StereoGraphics in 1980 and served as a convergence setter for the 3D film Dogs From Hell (1983).
As of 2015, Lipton held 68 patents and had dozens more pending. “The motion picture industry has made billions of dollars from my [ZScreen] invention, and they would be in the red and not the black if I had not done what I did,” he said.
The Smithsonian Institution honored him in 1996 for StereoGraphics’ invention of CrystalEyes, electronic eyewear for computer graphics and video applications such as molecular modeling, aerial mapping and medical imaging. (NASA selected it to remotely pilot the Mars Rovers, and it was used by Lockheed to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.)
In 2011, the International 3D Society (now the Advanced Imaging Society) presented him with its Century Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Survivors include his wife, Julie, and children, Anna, Noah and Jonah.
Immediately after the Peter, Paul and Mary’s recording came out in 1962, Dorothy Kilgallen, who was a columnist in a New York newspaper (it might have been the Daily News) wrote a piece saying that Puff, the Magic Dragon was about marijuana, hah-hah-hah-poke-in-the-ribs. When I was home from school as a kid my mom and I would listen to her on the radio. She had a talk show with her husband Dick. I think the show was called Dorothy and Dick and it was on WOR. The first thing I thought when confronted with her newspaper column was disbelief – how could that nice lady say such a thing? The second thing I thought was: What can you expect from a woman without a chin. She had a receding chin. Kind of nonexistent.
Laurel was known for his child-like innocence and mischievous nature, while Hardy portrayed the stern yet bumbling character. Their contrasting personalities and physical traits complemented each other on screen, creating a comedic dynamic that was unmatched. The duo's most famous works include films like "Sons of the Desert," "Way Out West," and "The Music Box," which won them an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Laurel and Hardy's comedy transcended language barriers and cultural differences, making them international stars. Sadly, both Laurel and Hardy faced personal and professional challenges throughout their lives. They struggled with financial issues, health problems, and the decline of the film industry in the 1940s. Despite these difficulties, they remained dedicated to their craft and continued making films and performing until Hardy's declining health forced them to retire in the late 1950s. Even though Laurel and Hardy's careers thrived during the silent era, they successfully transitioned into the "talkies" and continued to create timeless comedy. Their influence can be seen in later comedic duos like Abbott and Costello and The Marx Brothers. Laurel and Hardy were more than just a comedic act; they were friends and collaborators who brought joy to millions. Their legacy lives on through their films, which are beloved by generations of fans. The magic they created on screen and the laughter they inspired will forever be remembered as a testament to their extraordinary talent and enduring appeal..
Reviews for "The Legacy of Laurel and Hardy: How Their Magic Lives On Today"
1. Emily - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Llaurel and harxdy their lives and magic". The plot was predictable and lacked originality. The characters were one-dimensional and didn't have any depth or development throughout the story. The writing was also quite mediocre, with excessive use of cliches and poorly constructed sentences. Overall, it was a tedious read that left me unsatisfied.
2. Christopher - 1 star - "Llaurel and harxdy their lives and magic" was a complete waste of my time. The story felt disjointed, with abrupt shifts in settings and characters that were confusing to follow. The world-building was poorly executed, leaving me with more questions than answers. The pacing was also extremely slow, and the action scenes were lackluster and unexciting. I struggled to finish this book and would not recommend it to anyone.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I really wanted to like "Llaurel and harxdy their lives and magic", but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The writing style felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the story or the characters. The dialogue was particularly cringe-worthy, filled with cheesy lines and unrealistic conversations. While the concept had potential, it failed to deliver an engaging and captivating narrative that could hold my interest. I was left feeling underwhelmed and disappointed by this book.
4. Michael - 1 star - "Llaurel and harxdy their lives and magic" was a major letdown. The plot was convoluted and messy, with numerous subplots that didn't seem to go anywhere. The pacing was inconsistent, making it hard to stay engaged with the story. The characters were forgettable and lacked any real motivation or purpose. The world-building was underdeveloped, leaving me with a lack of understanding of the setting and its rules. Overall, this book was a chore to read, and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating fantasy read.
5. Rebecca - 2 stars - I found "Llaurel and harxdy their lives and magic" to be a mediocre fantasy book at best. The plot felt derivative and lacked originality, with predictable story beats and tropes. The characters were shallow and lacked depth, making it hard to care about their journey. The pacing was also uneven, with slow moments that dragged on and limited action to keep the story moving. While the writing was decent, it couldn't save this book from feeling like a generic and unmemorable read.