Sunday, January 20, 2019

Laurel and Hardy the Magic When Double Birth Orders Match



Time magazine described them as “two of American’s few 
genuinely creative comedians.” They were introduced to the 
public in the mid-1920’s by producer Hal Roach. They 
started in silent film shorts, Duck Soup was first then moving 
to talkie’s in 1929. They won an Oscar in 1932 for the film  
The Music Box, here they lugged a piano up a staircase. A 
look at their birth orders will unlock the magic of their 
chemistry for these two very different appearing men.

Stan Laurel 2/0
Stan Laurel was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Cumbria, 
England June 16, 1890. His father managed vaudeville 
theaters, and his mother was an actress. In 1907, working 
for a theater group, Stan was the understudy for actor 
Charlie Chaplin. He was the second of five children. His 
older brother George was five years older, sister Beatrice 
was four years younger. This separation in siblings gave 
Stan a Two/Only Double birth order. The number two birth 
order does not like to be told what to do and looks to control 
their own life. When four of more years separate siblings 
you add the Only birth order, it magnifies and intensifies 
this and other second born traits. Stan did most of the 
writing and was the brain behind the gags. It was always 
self-deprecating humor not at the expense of someone else.

Oliver Hardy 6/0 = 2/0
Norvell Hardy was born in Harlem, Georgia January 18, 1892. 
His father died when he was ten months old. His mother was 
married and widowed three times and had five children and 
one step child. Norvell was the last and sixth child, He later 
adopted his late father’s name, Oliver. As a young child his 
mother encouraged his singing talent, at age eight he was 
performing in local minstrel shows. Later, he received 
professional training at the Atlantic Conservatory of Music. 
Norvell was four years younger than his older brother. This 
gave him the addition of the Only birth order along with his 
number six. The series of birth order numbers begins again 
after number four. In this second group of four the six child 
displays characteristics of the number two from the first group, 
it’s strength is a little bit diminished, similar to the difference 
between primary and secondary colors. His 6/0 birth order 
matches with Stan’s 2/0.  He began is acting career in 1915 
working for the Lubin Company in Jacksonville, Florida.

Stan and Oliver Together
Their first movie was A Lucky Dog in 1917, in 1926 they 
were paired in Forty-five Minutes from Hollywood.  This is 
when everyone noticed their chemistry. In comedy timing is 
everything and they made it look so easy. They made 
hundreds of films together becoming lifelong friends. When 
you find someone with your same birth order the friendship 
is very easy as you see the world the same way and react to 
life’s situations similarly. They both had multiple marriages 
but their friendship outlasted them all. Laurel the slim, 
sad-eyed mime, and Hardy another master mime with the 
bowler hat and withering glare. “Now that’s another nice 
mess you’ve gotten me into.” he would say, as Laurel was 
the butt of all the jokes.

The 2/0 Has Great Endurance
They rose to fame during the Great Depression.  Their health 
worsened as they got older, Hardy due to his obesity, Stan
had diabetes, prostate issues and colitis. They had the 
strength to continue to work. Their tours were quite 
physically exhausting. They couldn’t make more movies, 
instead did tours in England. They never owned their films 
and didn’t receive income from the reruns. Ollie died in 
1957 at age 65, Stan in 1965 at age 74.

Sons of the Desert 
As a tribute to their work in 1965 their fans founded,  
Sons of the Desert, an appreciation society. The membership 
included Jonathan Winters, Dick Cavett, Dick Van Dyke and 
Soupy Sales.

For more information about Double Birth orders you will find 
it in my book Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your 
Path Throughout Life by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst. You may also 
contact my website www.mybirithorder.com to receive a 
FREE access code for an audio version of the book. 
Quantities are limited.