pa86 Ponick Laurel and Hardy Collection Barbara Bezat University of Minnesota Libraries

University of Minnesota Libraries Minneapolis, MN 55455

EAD encoding by Barbara Bezat 2007 English Ponick, David and Minette Ponick Laurel and Hardy Collection 1924-1987 University of Minnesota Libraries. Performing Arts Archives, Manuscripts Division [paa] 10 boxes ( 5 cubic feet) Photographic stills, prints, autographed photos, articles, clippings and other memorabilia related to Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (as Laurel and Hardy,) actors and comedians. PA 86 English Mezzanine Administrative Information Use of Materials

The collection is open and available for use by the public; no commercial reproductions available.

See Curator for copyright information.

Preferred Citation

PA86 Ponick Laurel and Hardy Collection, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis.

Acquisition

Dr. David & Dr. Minette Ponick are alumni of the University and taught psychology here. A large part of the collection came from the late actor George Jessel (1898-1981), who sold it in 1972. Jessel owned a photography company that took publicity photos of motion picture productions. The Ponicks acquired the collection from a collector on the West Coast, who had bought the materials from Jessell.

After acquiring the collection, the Ponicks devoted a good deal of time and money to enlarging it until it became quite likely the largest private collection of Laurel & Hardy. They supplied photos to the John Gallos Sunday Comedy Show on WCCO-TV, which featured Laurel & Hardy films. They attended two conventions of the Sons of the Desert (the L & H fan club) in Los Angeles and Chicago and purchased materials as well as collecting the programs and other souvenirs handed out at the conventions. The Ponicks also corresponded with the widows of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and included letters from them in the collection.

All of the material in the collection was photographed by the Ponicks and these prints and negatives were also included in the gift as well as a complete index of the collection. The materials were acquired by the University of Minnesota Libraries in October, 2006.

Processing Information

The collection was processed and the finding aid written by the donors and archives staff.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into the following series:

Laurel and Hardy stills Scripts Autographs Pressbooks Magazines Articles Obituaries Convention Memorabilia Miscellaneous memorabilia Biographical and Historical Note

Stan Laurel was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson on 16 June 1890 in Ulverston, England; died on 23 February 1965.

Oliver Hardy was born Norvell Hardy on 18 January 1892 in Harlem, Georgia; died on 7 August 1957.

Hal Roach paired Laurel with Hardy at the Hal Roach Studios in 1926, as silent films were nearing their end; three of their films employ a comedy device variously known in the comedy vocabulary around Hal Roach Studios as civilized violence, mutual abuse, or reciprocal destruction. Laurel & Hardy adapted with ease to talking in movies. Their voices matched their screen personalities.

Laurel & Hardy also utilized a whole inventory of pantomimic mannerisms, devices and props which distinguished their work: the derbies, the cry, the hairstyles, the long- suffering camera looks, the eye-blink, the back-breaking pratfalls, the white magic, the tie-twiddle. Their active partnership lasted a quarter century.

(Adapted from: Richard W. Bann, a film historian and co-author of "The Little Rascals: The Life And Times Of Our Gang" (New York, 1992) which appeared on the following web site: Laurel and Hardy Official Web Site: http://www.laurel-and-hardy.com/html/home1.html.)

Scope and Content Note

There are about 2440 8 x 10 stills, most in black in white, some in hand-tinted color; 12 scripts (all but one are Xerox copies); 42 autographs on stills, postcards, etc; 6 original pressbooks; 7 film magazines from 1930s containing articles about L & H; 14 color movie posters; 30 articles and clippings; 15 L& H convention memorabilia. About 50 Our Gang/Little Rascal 8 x 10 stills. Some of these actors also appeared in Laurel & Hardy films.

Detailed Contents

An unpublished finding aid containing a detailed list of the materials in this collection is available in the archives.

Laurel and Hardy Stills (Photographs) A CHUMP AT OXFORD A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO A PERFECT DAY AIR RAID WARDENS ANOTHER FINE MESS ANGORA LOVE ANY OLD PORT BABES IN TOYLAND BATTLE OF THE CENTURY BEAU HUNKS BE BIG BELOW ZERO BERTH MARKS BIG BUSINESS BIG NOISE, THE BLOCKHEADS, THE BLOTTO BOHEMIAN GIRL, THE BONNIE SCOTLAND BRATS BULLFIGHTERS, THE BUSY BODIES CALL OF THE CUCKOO CHICKENS COME HOME CHIMP, THE COME CLEAN COUNTY HOSPITAL DANCING MASTERS, THE DIRTY WORK DOUBLE WHOOPPEE EARLY TO BED FIGHTING KENTUCKIAN, THE FINISHING TOUCH, THE FIXERS-UPPERS, THE FLYING DEUCES, THE FLYING ELEPHANTS FRA DIAVOLO FROM SOUP TO NUTS GOING BYE-BYE GREAT GUNS HABEAS CORPUS HALF-A-MAN HATS OFF HELPMATES HOG WILD HOLLYWOOD PARTY HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929 HOOSEGOW JITTERBUGS LAUGHING GRAVY L and H MURDER CASE LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING LIBERTY LIVE GHOST, THE ME AND MY PAL MEN O'WAR MIDNIGHT PATROL MUSIC BOX NIGHT OWLS NOTHING BUT TROUBLE ONE GOOD TURN OUR RELATIONS OUR WIFE PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES PARDON US PERFECT CLOWN PRIVATE LIFE OF OLIVER 8 PUTTING PANTS ON PHILLIP ROGUE SONG SAILORS BEWARE SAPS AT SEA SCRAM SECOND HUNDRED YEARS SHOULD M. MEN GO HOME SONS OF THE DESERT SWISS MISS SUGAR DADDIES THAT'S MY WIFE THEIR FIRST MISTAKE THEIR PURPLE MOMENT THEM THAR HILLS THEY GO BOOM THICKER THAN WATER TIT FOR TAT THIRTY YEARS OF FUN TOWED IN A HOLE TWICE TWO TWO TARS WAY OUT WEST WE FAW DOWN WRONG AGAIN YOU'RE DARN TOOTIN' UTOPIA UNIDENTIFIED HAND TINTS Laurel and Hardy Scripts The Fixer Uppers

Original

23pages

A Chump At Oxford

Copy

20pages

A Perfect Day

Copy

14pages

Beau Hunks

Copy

26pages

Be Big

Copy

26pages

Berth Marks

Copy

7pages

Blotto

Copy

28pages

Bonnie Scotland

Copy

73pages

Brats

Copy

17pages

Men O’War

Copy

11pages

They Go Boom

Copy

12pages

Why Girls Love Sailors

Copy

21pages

Laurel and Hardy Autographs (with others) Darla Hood

8x10still

Conway Barker

1982

Lucille Hardy

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Darla Hood*

8x10photo

Chicago

1978

Marvin Hattley

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Rosina Lawrence

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Ben Price

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Della Lind

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Hal Roach

8x10still

Conway Barker

1978

Rosina Lawrence

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Thomas Benton Roberts

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Hal Roach

FirstDayIssue

Conway Barker

1979

Thomas Benton Roberts

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Lois Laurel

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Lois Laurel

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Stan Laurel

Postcard

Conway Barker

1978

(back side)

Virginia Ruth Laurel

Letter

Conway Barker

1978

(back side)

Stan Laurel

Postcard

Conway Barker

1978

(back side)

Billy Gilbert

8x10still

Neale Lannigan

1975

Billy Gilbert

on paper

Neale Lannigan

1975

Mae Busch

on note card

Hollywood Legends1995

Lucille Hardy Price

personal station

Ponicks home

1974

(back side)

Oliver Hardy

8x10still

Lucille Hardy Price

1974

Stan Laurel

8x10still

Conway Barker

1987

Stan Laurel

4x6photo

Conway Barker

1987

Stan Laurel

Postcard

Conway Barker

1987

Stan Laurel

Postcard

Conway Barker

1987

(back side)

Ida/Stan Laurel

Signed lease

Lynn Pruett

1985

Hal Roach

4x6Card

Lynn Pruett

1985

Anita Garvin Stanley

Official Program

Ponicks

1978

Darla Hood

Chicago 1978

Della Lind Address

(inside page)

Our Gang

8x10still

Hollywood

1980

Eugene Jackson

Jackie Davis

Joe Cobb

Marianne Edwards Provincio

John Guedel

Sunshine Sammy

Marvin “Bubbles” Strin

Sidney “The Woim” Kibrick

Buckwheat**

Our Gang Café

Original Menu

Hollywood

1980

Stan Laurel

1/4Sheet-Color

Hollywood

1980

Laurel and Hardy Press Books Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy

Original

1947 1pg

Crazy World of L and H

Original

1965 5pgs

L and H Laughing 20's

Original

1965 4pgs

Great Guns

Original

1940 1pg

Swiss Miss

Original

1938 16pgs

Men O’War

Original

1929 4pgs

Laurel and Hardy Magazines Classic Pictorial of Screen & Stage

Original

Aug 1924

Headlines

Original

Dec 1977

Motion Picture Herald

Original

13-Jun 1931

Movie Life

Original

Feb 1945

Screen Book

Original

July 1929

Motion Picture Herald

Original

30-Jul 1932

The New Movie Magazine

Original

April 1930

Laurel and Hardy Articles L’Illustrazione Italiana

Cinema Section

11x15

Lost Films of L and H Rediscovered

News 12-18-82

2x11

Here’s How to Tell a Joke in 8 Easy

Portland News

6x8

Lessons: Oliver Hardy & Harry Langdon

Harry Langdon, Shirley Dean

Portland News 1939

5x8

All Portland Awaits “Zenobia”

Portland News 1939

6x9

Laurel by Hardy & Hardy by Laurel

Film Pictorial 9-30-33

8x11

Toyland to be Featured at Broadway

Portland News

Meet Grandniece of Mae Busch

1962 2pg color

5x7

Critic Review: “The Devil’s Brother” 1933

2x7

Laurel & Hardy Get a New Lease

News 6-22-68

2x7

L and H Lead Mother Goose Parade

Daily News 12-13-34

4x9

“The Devil’s Brother”

Publicity Release

10x14

“Swiss Miss”

Portland News

6x6

“Dirty Work”

Film Fun 33-34

7x10

“Zenobia” Hollwood Premiere

Portland News 1939

6x6

“The Bohemian Girl”

News Release 1936

6x6

“Wissen 1st Macht” German

News Ad 1940

5x2

“Les As d’Oxford” French

News Ad 1940

5x2

“The Bohemian Girl”

News Ad 4-36

4x2

“The Bohemian Girl”

News Ad 4-36

4x2

“The Bohemian Girl”

News Ad 4-36

4x2

“The Bohemian Girl”

News Ad 4-36

4x2

“The Bohemian Girl”

News Ad 4-36

4x6

“The Bohemian Girl”

News Ad 4-36

4x6

“Fighting Kentuckian”

The Photoplayer 2-11-50 3x3

Broadway to Film “Zenobia”

Portland News

2x4

“Babes in Toyland”

News Ad 1934

4x8

“Babes in Toyland”

News Ad 1934

8x10

“Rogue’s Song”

Film Fun 3-34

3x5

“Sons of the Desert”

Film Fun 2-34

5x8

Laurel and Hardy Obituaries Stan Laurel is Dead

News 2-23-65

2x20

The Laurel Humor

News 2-23-65

2x9

Stan Laurel’s Death Shows

The Gasette 3-2-65

4x7

Hollywood Neglect

Heart Attack Takes Stan Laurel, 74

News 2-23-65

6x4

Slapstick Star Laurel dies, 74

The Star 2-23-65

5x10

Comedian Laurel Heart Victon, 74

Boston Herald 2-24-65

5x10

Great Comic’s Epitaph: “It’s Been a Great Life”

NY Jrnl American 2-24-65 8x10

Stan Laurel is Dead at 74

NY Herald 2-24-65

7x21

Darla Hood of Our Gang Comedies

Blackhawk Film Digest 79 8x11

Darla Hood

News 6-13-79

2x5

Laurel and Hardy Convention Memorablia Chicago Convention Memorabilia Tag board Hat from Banquet President Carter’s Letter List of L and H Tents 3 L and H Bumper Stickers Large and small commemorative Complete Registration Packet From Soup to Nuts Newsletter Hollywood Convention Memorabilia Complete Registration Packet Convention Postcards Bumper Stickers Official Program Wisconsin Banner Sew on L and H Patches L and H Pins, Key ring Miscellaneous literature Laurel and Hardy Miscellaneous Memorablia 12x16 Hollywood 80 Convention Matted Logo 11x14 L and H Illustrations on board backing Package of numerous L and H news releases Official Escheteon 1973 + 1978 L and H Calendars L and H Deck of Cards Little Big Book 2-L and H Comic Books (Mexico) 2-45rpm Records “Trail of Lonesome Pine” and “The Elopement” 2-Blackhawk L and H films “Double Whoopee” and Tit for Tat” Hal Roach Studio 1930's Letterhead - Original