MR. LAUREL AND MR. HARDY

By John McCabe

The first comprehensive book on the team, and still an essential addition to any Laurel and Hardy library. You won't find gossip or scandal here; McCabe calls his book "an affectionate biography," which it is. McCabe, one of the founding members of the Sons of the Desert organization, befriended both Stan and Babe during one of their British tours in the early '50s, and a great deal of the information in Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy is culled from McCabe's interviews with the team. Owing to the death of Babe Hardy soon after he became acquainted with McCabe, many of the chapters detailing Hardy's life are presented in the form of letter exchanges between McCabe and Hardy's widow, Lucille. As Stan lived to see the book's first printing, McCabe's extensive interviews with him allow for Stan's story to be told in straightforward prose. Still the best source for information regarding their early lives and pre-team careers. - JL