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LAUREL and HARDY - The U.S.
Tours
by "A.J"
Marriot
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"LAUREL and HARDY - The U.S. Tours" is the story of two men who, in their formative solo years, struggled as unknown acts in Vaudeville; rocketed to stardom as the world's favourite film comedians; then returned to the stage to eke out a living in their twilight years.
Although scores of books have been written about Laurel & Hardy, in this latest book, "The US Tours," the reader will get to see, for only the second time, the real human beings behind the screen characters of "Stan and Ollie." (The first time being the author's first work: "LAUREL & HARDY - The British Tours.")
The reader will first meet the skinny English stage comic and the large American singer in 1910, and learn how they came to meet up at the Hal Roach Studios; where, through a process of almost "natural selection," they gradually metamorphose into the screen's funniest comedy couple.
But then the book takes an unexpected route. Instead of following the comedy double-act through the making of their films, we are led into a parallel world of public appearances, theatre tours, guest appearances, award ceremonies, wartime fund raising tours, and troop shows at Army and Navy bases.
LAUREL & HARDY - The US Tours |
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The book is richly illustrated with rare photos, route maps, adverts, and show bills. |
The author totally blows away the accepted accounts that all Laurel and Hardy did during their filmmaking days was go from their homes, to the studio, and back again. Revealed for the first time ever are scores of previously unknown appearances; including numerous trips from the West to the East coast; three junkets to Mexico, three major U.S. city-to-city stage tours, and even a tour of Caribbean islands, which finds the two comedians clocking up thousands of air miles as first-time flyers
On the journey we meet a whole constellation of Hollywood stars who work with, or come to see, Laurel and Hardy - including Cary Grant, Judy Garland, James Cagney, the Marx Bros., Claudette Colbert, Olivia de Havilland, Merle Oberon, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and even Charlie Chaplin. These two humble men also befriend a future President of the U.S., and are invited to tea at the White House.
Along the way we are introduced to the comedians' many wives, and suffer with them through divorces before they finally find matrimonial harmony. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are shown to be extremely talented performers, but poor businessmen. But through their decline and failing fortunes we witness the vulnerability of these two men, for whom the love given them by the public is their only comfort after the media had turned its back on them.
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy emerge as warm, lovable, gentle men, whose only mistake was to come into films in its infancy, and stay on past the decline of their format of film comedy. The reader will experience their every highlight and emotion throughout their long partnership.
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THE BOOK
"LAUREL and HARDY - The US Tours"
A5-size format. Paperback
Total Word count = 126,000 Total Page Count = 432
The book will be released in early December 2011
Illustrated with over 200 photographs of Laurel and Hardy on tour, all of them rare, many of them previously unpublished. Contains informative route maps, mileages, schedules, and modes of transport, which will take the reader along on the journey. Also contains lists of every act the Boys appeared with, along with the name of the show, the venue, and the date - and includes descriptions of the different sketches they performed.
The book "LAUREL and HARDY - The US Tours" takes us on a wonderful journey, which all readers will love to follow.
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HOW TO BUY
TO PAY by PAYPAL in STERLING, US DOLLARS, OR EUROS, use this link:
For buyers in the UK who wish to send in a CHEQUE, payable by a UK bank, use this link:
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LAUREL and HARDY - The US Tours
What they said:
I just needed to tell you how utterly wonderful "Laurel and Hardy: The US Tours" is. It really is a superb piece of work. Trevor Hancock.
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Hey A.J., I'm 3/4 through your book, and am loving every page. Really wonderful stuff which blows the doors off a lot of traditional perceptions and beliefs. Chris Seguin, Toronto, Canada
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LAUREL & HARDY: THE U.S. TOURS is a remarkable book. You have done so much incredible research! Many thanks! Lou Sabini, Stamford, Ct. US
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I was really amazed at all of the research that you did to fill in a missing chapter on the boys. Great Work, John Richter, Hanover, Pa. US
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I've just received my copy of your new book about Laurel & Hardy's US Tours - and, as it turns out, so much more. After spending only a few minutes with it, I can see it warrants a BRAVO! Thanks for the great service you've done for all of the Boys' true admirers. Randy Skretvedt, Buena Park Ca. US.
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Yet another extraordinary literary tribute by "A.J" Marriot to the greatest comedy team of all time. It is a fascinating chronicle of the lesser known history of The Boys and chock-full of interesting information and photographs - some of which has never been published before. I congratulate AJ on a job well done! Tyler St. Mark. Beverly Hills, Ca. US.
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I must say, it was great fun. The book has lots of good information - but also you write with such good humor that it was a most enjoyable read. Jeff Donaldson, Green Valley, Ca. US
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Very impressive and very, very interesting. What a work ! It is a true tour de force. Congratulations. Jean-Luc Vandiste, Savigny, France
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No brickbats here just - pure admiration for the research and care gone into the publication. I love the illustrations being scattered throughout the book at suitable places. And what photographs, so many completely new to me. As they usually show the boys clowning around they are also very happy pictures. I read the book with a smile on my face. The humour with which you tell their story even extends to the captions ("The dead Parrott fish sketch" indeed!) and I found the design with the little cars, trains and buses particularly delightful. Your three L&H books and the Chaplin tome now have pride of place on my bookshelf. Keep writing! Phil Key (former arts editor Liverpool Daily Post for 40 years.)
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Your book is tremendous, it's colossal, it's stupendous. I laughed - I cried. I expected newspaper accounts, but you found images of the Boys in every aspect of their career and personal life. Things that I did not know! You wove together all the missing pieces of the puzzle with your most welcome observations and wit, that shows your knowledge of the subjects. Your sense of humor is apparent and most welcome. You stitched together all the elements to make this a most welcome book. Again, congratulations A.J. Sincerely, Bill Cassara, Rancho Cucamonga, Ca. US
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I'm speechless about all the new information that you assembled. Michael Ehret, Marburg, Germany
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You have done a very fine job of tracking down, documenting - and illustrating - many quite arcane activities. It all greatly contributes to our knowledge of, and affection for, two delightful gentlemen. Bob Dickson, Los Angeles, Ca. US
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A fabulous book, which I will read over and over again. Great job! Scott Rungren, St. Louis, Mo. US.
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THE AUTHOR
In 1987, after fifteen years as a professional comedian, "A.J" Marriot turned his hand to writing; clocking up several TV credits in the process, for such performers as Russ Abbot, Gary Wilmot, and Brian Conley.
Concurrently, he applied his considerable knowledge of Laurel and Hardy into writing and publishing the book "LAUREL and HARDY - The British Tours" - a six year labour of love, which attracted buyers from more than twenty-five countries.
What they said:
This book is a must for theatregoers weaned on the music halls, as they will revel in the wealth of theatrical detail recorded. (WORDS & MUSIC)
.. it certainly is required reading, not only by Laurel and Hardy fans, but anyone interested in the British Variety theatre. (BIRMINGHAM POST)
The author's research is staggering, but from it Laurel and Hardy emerge as kind, sensitive men, always ready to spend time with their fans. (GRANTHAM JOURNAL)
All fans of Laurel and Hardy will relish this meticulous, wonderfully
researched book... and learn in the process about the vanished variety stage
and the pleasure it brought to us all in the days before
television.
(GRIMSBY EVENING TELEGRAPH)
LAUREL & HARDY MAGAZINE
"A.J" Marriot has been a member of the "Laurel & Hardy Appreciation Society" since 1981, where his presentations have been the highlight of many a Convention. In 2001 he took over as Editor and Features Writer of the quarterly fanzine "The Laurel & Hardy Magazine" - which has the largest circulation of all the numerous Laurel & Hardy magazines, worldwide.
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"The Lighter Side of LAUREL & HARDY"
In 2009, Marriot was commissioned to write "The Lighter Side of LAUREL & HARDY" a 'bookazine' which was sold as an "exclusive" through WH Smith. Having sold out within weeks, it was reprinted, and sold through Sainsburys, where it again sold out within weeks. A third reprint, through "The Works" chain of stores, saw it sell out for a third time. A fourth reprint saw it come out as a boxed-set through British Home Stores (BHS), and yet a fifth reprint has now been re-released through WH Smith. (October 2011)
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"CHAPLIN - Stage by Stage"
Following a further six years of dedicated research and writing, Marriot's next self-publication was "CHAPLIN - Stage by Stage" - the only one of four hundred books on Chaplin to deal exclusively with Charlie's fourteen years of stage-work, before going into films. The book was given considerable plaudits by Chaplin biographer - David Robinson; biographer and TV producer - John Fisher; and actor and theatre reviewer Simon Callow.
I'm much enjoying Chaplin on Stage: impossible to understand him
or his career without it. A real treasure.
(Simon Callow - THE GUARDIAN)
It really is the single most massively researched book in Chaplin
literature.
(David Robinson - official Chaplin biographer)
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All enquiries to the Author:
"A.J" Marriot
20, Oughton Close Hitchin, Herts. SG5 2QY.
Email: ajmarriot at aol dot com
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Click here to email me: "A.J" Marriot
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