"February 1992, Roach travelled to Berlin to receive the honorary award of the ""Berlinale Kamera"" for Lifetime Achievement at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival. On March 30, 1992, Roach appeared at the 64th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Billy Crystal. When Mr. Roach rose from the audience for a standing ovation, he decided to give a speech without a microphone, causing Crystal to quip ""I think that's appropriate because Mr. Roach started in silent films."" Hal Roach died in his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, from pneumonia, on November 2, 1992, at the age of 100 years. He"
"Hal Roach Harold Eugene Roach Sr. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, and actor from the 1910s to the 1990s, best known today for producing the Laurel and Hardy and ""Our Gang"" film comedy series. Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York, the grandson of Irish immigrants. A presentation by the great American humorist Mark Twain impressed Roach as a young grade school student. After an adventurous youth that took him to Alaska, Hal Roach arrived in Hollywood, California, in 1912 and began working as an extra in silent films."
"new generation of comedians and celebrities including Dick Cavett, Jerry Lewis, Peter Sellers, Marcel Marceau, and Dick Van Dyke. Laurel lived until 1965 and survived to see the duo's work rediscovered through television and classic film revivals. He died on February 23 in Santa Monica and is buried at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California. Laurel and Hardy's films included a supporting cast of comic actors, some of whom appeared regularly. The duo's famous signature tune, known variously as ""The Cuckoo Song"", ""Ku-Ku"" or ""The Dance of the Cuckoos"", was composed by Roach musical director Marvin Hatley as the"
"(with Vivendi as the current home video output partner). In that same decade, a new incarnation of Hal Roach Studios (operated by the Roach Trust) was established, and today this new version of the company has released classic films on DVD, many of which are from Roach's own archival prints of his films, while others are public domain titles mastered from the best available 35 mm elements. Hal Roach Harold Eugene Roach Sr. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, and actor from the 1910s to the 1990s, best known today for"
"of Hal Roach Studios, where he shot several Laurel and Hardy films (""Dirty Work"", ""Sons of the Desert""). In his later career, he worked in both film and television, in TV series such as ""Lassie"" (73 episodes, 1958–1960), ""The Outer Limits"" (25 episodes, 1964–1965), ""H.R. Pufnstuf"" (17 episodes, 1969–1970), ""Taxi"" (59 episodes, 1980–1983), before retiring in 1984. He was married to actress Pauline Curley from 1922 until his death. They had two sons, cinematographer Kenneth Peach, Jr., and Martin Peach, who worked as a key grip on the Disney television series, ""Wizards of Waverly Place"" and a daughter Pauline A."
"and re-branded for television as ""The Little Rascals"". He thus became one of the first significant film producers to venture into television. In 1955, Roach sold his interests in the production company to his son, Hal Roach Jr., and retired from active production. Unfortunately, the younger Roach lacked much of his father's business acumen and soon lost the studio to creditors. It was finally shut down in 1961. For two more decades, Roach Sr. occasionally worked as a consultant on projects related to his past work. Extremely vigorous into an advanced age, Roach contemplated a comedy comeback at 96. In"
"work with. Dressing room arguments were common between the two; it was reported that producer Joe Rock paid her to leave Laurel and to return to her native Australia. In 1925, Laurel joined the Hal Roach film studio as a director and writer. From May 1925 until September 1926, he received credit in at least 22 films. Laurel starred in over 50 films for various producers before teaming up with Hardy. Prior to that, he experienced only modest success. It was difficult for producers, writers, and directors to write for his character, with American audiences knowing him either as a"
"Laurel and Hardy (TV series) Laurel and Hardy is an American animated television series and an updated version of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's comedic acts by the animation studio Hanna-Barbera from Hal Roach. A total of 156 shorts were made, each having its own opening and closing wrap-arounds, to make them easy to air in syndication. In a majority of the cartoons, after Laurel and Hardy get into a mess of trouble, almost each one of them ends with Laurel whimpering in a high register. As both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy had died by the time of this"
"had married twice, and had six children, eight grandchildren, and a number of great-grandchildren. Roach outlived three of his children by more than 20 years: Hal Jr. (died in 1972), Margaret (died in 1964), and Elizabeth (died in 1946). He also outlived many of the children who starred in his films. Roach is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, New York, where he grew up. The 14.5 acre (58,680 m²) studio once known as ""The Lot of Fun"", containing 55 buildings, was demolished in 1963 (despite tentative plans to reopen the facilities as ""Landmark Studios""), after one last movie, ""Dime"
"Marvin Hatley Thomas Marvin Hatley (April 3, 1905 – August 23, 1986), professionally known simply as Marvin Hatley, was an American film composer and musical director, best known for his work for the Hal Roach studio from 1929 until 1940. Hatley wrote many of the musical cues appearing in the ""Our Gang"", ""Laurel and Hardy"", and ""Charley Chase"" films. His most memorable composition is ""Dance of the Cuckoos"" (also known as ""Ku-Ku"", or ""The Cookoo Song""), which serves as Laurel and Hardy's theme song. He was also the ""player piano"" (performing off-screen) in ""The Music Box"" (1932). His work in"
"Richard C. Currier Richard Carlton ""Dick"" Currier (August 26, 1892 – December 14, 1984) was an American film editor known principally for his work at Hal Roach Studios. Currier was born in Denver, Colorado. From 1920 to 1932 he was the head of the editing department at Hal Roach Studios. His contract ensured that his name appeared as editor on nearly every Hal Roach film released while he was head of the department, though the actual work was often done by other people. Most of the Laurel and Hardy films released by the company during this period were actually edited"
"Laurel and Hardy's films ""Way Out West"" and ""Block-Heads"" earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Score. In 1939, Hatley was fired from the Roach studio. At the insistence of Stan Laurel, however, he did return to score one final Laurel & Hardy film, ""Saps at Sea"". Hatley went on to become a lounge pianist, and often remarked that he earned more money in that career than during his days at the Roach studio. Marvin Hatley was a native of Reed, Oklahoma. He died on August 23, 1986 in Hollywood, California. Marvin Hatley Thomas Marvin Hatley (April"
"1984, 92-year-old Roach was presented with an honorary Academy Award. Former ""Our Gang"" members Jackie Cooper and George ""Spanky"" McFarland made the presentation to a flattered Roach, with McFarland thanking the producer for hiring him 53 years prior. Gang member Ernie Morrison was amongst the crowd and started the standing ovation for Hal Roach. On 21 January 1992, Roach was a guest on ""The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson"", just days after his 100th birthday, where he recounted experiences with such stars as Stan Laurel and Jean Harlow; he even did a brief, energetic demonstration of a hula dance. In"
"Pryde"" (1925), ""Half a Man"" (1925). Laurel next signed with the Hal Roach studio, where he began directing films, including a 1926 production called ""Yes, Yes, Nanette"". He intended to work primarily as a writer and director. Oliver Hardy, another member of the Hal Roach Studios Comedy ""All Star"" players, was injured in a kitchen mishap in 1927, and Laurel was asked to return to acting. Laurel and Hardy began sharing the screen in ""Slipping Wives"", ""Duck Soup"" (1927), and ""With Love and Hisses"". The two became friends and their comic chemistry soon became obvious. Roach Studios' supervising director Leo"
"heavily on traditional tourist imagery of Ireland and on Irish jokes. Several of his shows have been released on cassette and CD, and they are popular with tour bus drivers in several English-speaking countries who play them to passengers to help pass the time between destinations. After suffering from a long bout of ill health, Roach died on 28 February 2012. The following month, RTÉ broadcast a tribute to Roach in one of its graveyard slots, a repeat airing of a programme from the ""That's Entertainment"" series first broadcast in 1972. Hal Roach (comedian) Hal Roach (4 November 1927 –"
"a freshness and spontaneity lacking in the typical mainstream Hollywood cinema. He was not the only director of his time to work this way: fellow comedy directors Gregory La Cava, Howard Hawks and George Stevens – the last also a Roach graduate – were known for their use of improvisation on the set. French director Jean Renoir once paid the great tribute of saying that ""Leo McCarey understood people better than any other Hollywood director."" Leo McCarey died on July 5, 1969, aged 70, from emphysema. He was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. His younger"
"Hal Roach Studios The Hal Roach Studios was formed in 1920 and it was known as ""The Laugh Factory to the World"". The studio was located at 8822 Washington Boulevard, Culver City. The 1930s was the golden era for the Roach studios with a star line-up that included some of the most popular comedians around: Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chase, Our Gang, Thelma Todd and Zasu Pitts. In April of 1959, the Hal Roach Studios was closed due to bankruptcy under the management of Hal Roach’s son. Hal, Sr. came back to try and get the studio rolling again, but"
"broadcast of the BBC-TV show ""Face the Music"", and in December 1954 on NBC's ""This Is Your Life"". They also appeared in a filmed insert for the BBC-TV show ""This Is Music Hall"" in 1955, their final appearance together. The pair contracted with Hal Roach, Jr. to produce a series of TV shows based on the Mother Goose fables in 1955. According to biographer John McCabe, they were to be filmed in color for NBC, but the series was postponed when Laurel suffered a stroke and required a lengthy convalescence. Later that year while Laurel was recovering, Hardy had a"
"""To Be or Not to Be"", and ""Royal Wedding"", his last film before his death in 1953. However, Finlayson is most remembered for his work at the Hal Roach Studios. In the mid-1920s, Roach attempted to make a top-billed star out of Finlayson, but the effort was unfocused and he never caught on. The next step came in 1927 when the ""All-Star Comedy"" series gave Finlayson equal billing with up-and-coming co-stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, comedian Edna Marion, and others; some studio publicity even referred to Finlayson, Hardy and Laurel as a ""famous comedy trio"". But Roach staff producer"
"Laurel and Hardy provided a filmed insert in which they reminisce about their friends in British variety. They made their final appearance on camera in 1956 in a private home movie, shot by a family friend at the Reseda, CA home of Stan Laurel's daughter, Lois. It contains no audio and is three minutes in length. In 1956, while following his doctor's orders to improve his health due to a heart condition, Hardy lost over . However, he suffered several strokes that resulted in the loss of mobility and speech. Despite having a long and successful career, it was reported"
"grew by indirection. In 1926, both were part of the Roach Comedy All Stars which was a group of actors of similar standing who took part in a series of films. Quite unwittingly Laurel and Hardy's parts grew larger while those of their fellow stars diminished because Laurel and Hardy were considered to be great actors. Their teaming up was suggested by Leo McCarey who was their supervising director from 1927 and 1930. It was during this period that McCarey and Laurel jointly devised the team's format. McCarey also influenced the slowing down of their comedy to a more natural"
"2"", another in their MOD DVD-R series, which contained the remaining twelve Chase shorts. Charley Chase Charley Chase (born Charles Joseph Parrott, October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940) was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director best known for his work in Hal Roach short film comedies. He was the older brother of comedian/director James Parrott. Born Charles Joseph Parrott in Baltimore, Maryland, Charley Chase began performing in vaudeville as a teenager and started his career in films by working at the Christie Film Company in 1912. He then moved to Keystone Studios, where he began appearing in"
"Hal Roach (comedian) Hal Roach (4 November 1927 – 28 February 2012) was a prominent Irish comedian. He spent over 60 years in show business, and was featured in the ""Guinness Book of Records"" for the longest-running engagement of a comedian at the same venue: 26 years at Jury's Irish Cabaret, Jury's Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin. Born John Roach in Waterford, where he attended the Manor C.B.S., school, he began his career after winning a local talent competition as a boy soprano. He initially toured with an illusionist and specialised in magic, but later moved to comedy. A typical Hal Roach"
"included 68 episodes in English with French subtitles. Laurel and Hardy (TV series) Laurel and Hardy is an American animated television series and an updated version of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's comedic acts by the animation studio Hanna-Barbera from Hal Roach. A total of 156 shorts were made, each having its own opening and closing wrap-arounds, to make them easy to air in syndication. In a majority of the cartoons, after Laurel and Hardy get into a mess of trouble, almost each one of them ends with Laurel whimpering in a high register. As both Stan Laurel and Oliver"
"quartet. Roach's final performance was at the 50th anniversary celebration of the original Massey Hall concert, with Roach performing solo on the hi-hat. In 1994, Roach appeared on Rush drummer Neil Peart's "","" performing ""The Drum Also Waltzes"" Parts 1 and 2 on of the 2-volume tribute album during the 1994 All-Star recording sessions. In the early 2000s, Roach became less active due to the onset of hydrocephalus-related complications. Roach died in Manhattan in the early morning of August 16, 2007. He was survived by five children: sons Daryl and Raoul, and daughters Maxine, Ayo, and Dara. Over 1,900 people"
"fame or possibly Roy Seawright, who was head of the Hal Roach animation department. Flying Elephants Flying Elephants is a two-reel silent film from 1928 directed by Frank Butler and produced by Hal Roach. It stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as a pair of battling cavemen. The film takes place in the Stone Age, where the King of the cave people declares that all the males between 13 and 99 years of age must find a female mate or face banishment. Hardy starts looking for a wife and in the scene it says ""anyones will do"" but is constantly"
"on a kinescope and later released on home video. Partly due to the positive response from the television broadcast the pair was renegotiating with Hal Roach, Jr. for a series of color NBC Television specials to be called ""Laurel and Hardy's Fabulous Fables"". However, plans for the specials had to be shelved as the aging comedians continued to suffer from declining health. In 1955, Laurel and Hardy made their final public appearance together while taking part in the program ""This Is Music Hall"". This was a BBC Television program about the Grand Order of Water Rats, a British variety organization."
"Leroy Shield Leroy Shield (October 2, 1893 – January 9, 1962) was an American film score and radio composer. Shield was a native of Waseca, Minnesota. Around 1922, he became a staff musician for the Victor Talking Machine Company (which later became RCA Victor), where he composed and conducted on-air music, and provided piano accompaniment on hundreds of popular and USF (US domestic foreign language) Victor recordings. He also worked part-time for the Hal Roach film studio, composing countless background themes that became associated with such Roach comedy stars as Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, ZaSu Pitts and Thelma Todd,"
"pace. After teaming up they played the same characters for 30 years. Although Hal Roach employed writers and directors such as H. M. Walker, Leo McCarey, James Parrott and James W. Horne on the Laurel and Hardy films, Laurel would rewrite entire sequences or scripts. He would also have the cast and crew improvise on the sound stage; he would then meticulously review the footage during the editing process. By 1929 Laurel was the head writer and it was reported that the writing sessions were gleefully chaotic. Stan had three or four writers who joined in a perpetual game of"
"interview he had consulted with the Big Networks executives regarding the proposal and Procter & Gamble were interested as well. At the time of his death, aged 78, Rauch was married to concert pianist Israela Margalit. The couple lived in New York City. Vice President, Daytime Programs, CBS Vice President, Programs - East Coast, CBS (1970-1972) ""Texas"" ""Another World"" ""One Life to Live"" ""Santa Barbara"" ""Guiding Light"" ""The Young and the Restless"" Paul Rauch Paul Rauch (1930 – December 10, 2012) was an American television and film producer. Rauch's work was primarily in American soap operas. Rauch's earlier jobs included"
"Paul Rauch Paul Rauch (1930 – December 10, 2012) was an American television and film producer. Rauch's work was primarily in American soap operas. Rauch's earlier jobs included Vice President, Programs-East Coast for CBS, Supervising Producer for Procter & Gamble, and Music Critic for an English-language edition of the Japanese ""Yomiuri Shimbun"", a job he held in his mid-twenties. In 2009 Paul Rauch was named “The Greatest Daytime Producer of All Time” by TV Guide Canada, while he served as co-executive producer of the #1 daytime show ""The Young & the Restless"". Rauch also produced the feature films ""Lover's Knot"""
"Sam Lufkin Samuel ""Sam"" William Lufkin (May 8, 1891 – February 19, 1952) was an American actor who usually appeared in small or bit roles in short comedy films. Born in Utah, Lufkin spent most of his career at the Hal Roach Studios where he made over 60 films. In over half of these, he appeared alongside Laurel and Hardy, again mostly in small parts, but occasionally in more substantial roles, such as an irascible cop (""The Music Box""), or an irate motorist (""Two Tars""). After Laurel and Hardy left Roach in 1940, the grim-faced Lufkin mostly appeared in further"
"'n' Andy"", ""The Life of Riley"" and ""The Abbott and Costello Show"". By 1951, the studio was producing 1,500 hours of television programs a year, nearly three times Hollywood's annual output of feature movies. Recognizing the value of his film library, the visionary Roach began in 1943 licensing revivals of his sound-era productions for theatrical and home-movie distribution. Roach's films were also early arrivals on television. His Laurel and Hardy comedies were a smashing success in television syndication, as were the Our Gang comedies originally produced from 1927-1938, for which in 1949 Roach had bought back the rights from MGM"