Laurel and Hardy at Sheffield Empire Theatre in 1952

[Sheffield History]

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy live at The Empire Theatre in Sheffield in 1952

What do we know of their Sheffield performances?

[ollie_varadi]

My Father, Grandfather and Uncle saw them at the Empire in 1952. He said that on the day that he saw them there was a queue from the Empire almost all of the way down to Pond Street, of people hoping to see there Hollywood heroes (Fortunately may Grandfather had purchased tickets so that he sons and himself would have no issue getting in.

When the lights went down ready for Stan and Ollie to arrive on stage, laughter erupted as the audience anticipated what would happen, and the sketch couldn't start until Stan and Ollie could calm them down.

The Hollywood stars didn't let their audience down and one ot the sketches that they performed was called 'A Spot of Trouble'

They resided at the Midland Hotel, next to the Midland Railway Station whilst performing in Sheffield.

They returned to perform at the Empire Theatre again in 1954 where they once again resided at the same Hotel, and the main sketch that they performed was called 'The Driving Licence Sketch'.

They had previously visited Sheffield in 1932 on a promotional tour where they appeared on a balcony of the Cinema House in Barker's Pool where waved to their adoring fans and were apparently mobbed from their arrival in the city, through to their departure - this was 30 years before Beatlemania, and it would seem that the popularity of the worlds best ever comedy double act in Sheffield far outweighed that of the Fab Four.

The photo was taken during one of their later visits  to the City 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[unrecordings]

I do love that photo, and you'd never guess who they were without a clue

I went on a bit of a L&H binge recently after finding a film on the BBC iPlayer - their comedy is timeless. Then I went on to try to locate the ultimate Keystone Cops film - I remember seeing it when I was probably about five or so, no idea what it was called...

[Hopman]

Stan was a great one for collecting autographs, even from the minor supporting acts. Ray Alan, the ventriloquist was surprised at one theatre when he answered a knock on his dressing room door and opened it to find Stan with his autograph book.

[neddy]

I did hear some time ago that Stan Laurel had some family connection to the Parkwood Hotel and a possible visit.