Born Arthur Stanley Jefferson on 16 June 1890 in Ulverston, England; Stan Laurel was the son of a British entertainer. Having served his apprenticeship in the English music halls, in 1910 he decided to travel to America, as part of the Fred Karno musical-comedy troupe, which also had amongst its ranks the then unknown Charlie Chaplin. It was not until 1926 that he formed his  partnership with Oliver Hardy.

It was very soon realised that this was to be a magical combination. Their early films such as "Should married Men Go Home"  and "You're Darn Tootin" were silent, but unlike many of their predecessors, Stan and Oliver's transition to the talkies only enhanced the duos popularity Probably the most memorable of which was "Sons Of  The Desert". They received recognition in 1932 when they were awarded an Oscar for their short film, "The Music Box" .

Stan relied on a natural innocence, that alongside his  habitually startled look, and occasional defiant responses to his pompous friend, only helped to make the character.  Hal Roach said of Stan "Except for Chaplin, there was no better gagman in the business than Stan Laurel. He could always get the most out of every single gag.". Stan and Oli made their special brand of slapstick look almost effortless, but they were without question two of the most polished professionals of their time.

The pair left the Hal Roach studio and formed their own production company, but were unable to recreate the success they enjoyed under Roach. Stan died in 1965 eight years after his comedy partner, a partnership that had lasted  a quarter of a century.