00 Years Of Hal Roach Studios: Laurel & Hardy, Our Gang and Harold Lloyd Showcased at the Hollywood Museum

The Hollywood Museum unveils its new exhibit, 100 Years of Hal Roach Studios: Laurel & Hardy, Our Gang' and Harold Lloyd in honor of the Hollywood icons centennial, opening to the public from July 5 to August 31. The exhibit contains authentic photos, costumes and props from the rich history of Hal Roach Studios and the legendary talents that emanated from there in the early 1900s. Sons of the Desert, the official International Laurel & Hardy Society, is co-sponsoring the exhibition in conjunction with their national convention, held July 2 to July 6 in the heart of Hollywood. The Hollywood Museum in the Historic Max Factor Building is located at 1660 N. Highland Ave. at Hollywood and Highland.

We are so pleased to honor the 100th anniversary of the Hal Roach Studios with this special exhibit, states Donelle Dadigan, Founder and President of the Museum. Everyone remembers the celebrated comedy team Laurel & Hardy who made famous the phrase Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into,' the legendary appeal of Our Gang' and their famous dog Pete the Pup, and actor Harold Lloyd, one of the most famous and influential comedians of the great silent film era.

Hal Roach's life itself was as colorful as anything ever portrayed on film. In addition to Laurel & Hardy, Hal Roach Studios brought to fame such actors as Harold Lloyd, the Our Gang' kids (later known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals), bombshell actress Thelma Todd, Zasu Pitts and Charley Chase. Other performers who graduated from Roach comedies on their path to stardom were such actors as Jean Harlow, Janet Gaynor, Jean Arthur, Fay Wray, Paulette Goddard and Boris Karloff.

Roach's 1939 film version of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men was possibly his greatest masterpiece, while One Million B.C. was notable for his collaboration with D.W. Griffith. Roach's foray into the genre of screwball comedies created such diverting features as Turnabout and Merrily We Live, while his fast and lively swashbucklers included Captain Fury and Captain Caution. John Wayne, Buster Keaton and John Ford were among the many big name stars and directors who worked on Roach's television shows.

Objects pertaining to Hal Roach include his honorary 1984 Oscar and a Hal Roach Studios camera, while Harold Lloyd items include his makeup case and glasses and rare film posters and photos.

Also featured in the exhibit are Laurel & Hardy costumes including suits worn in the 1945 film The Bull Fighters, coats worn in Jitterbugs (1943), the iconic Fez's worn in Sons of the Desert (1933), Stan Laurel's personal favorite Fedora, as well as props from Sons of the Desert and a flask from The Fighting Kentuckian (1949). A plaque from Lake Laurel & Hardy Fishing Lakes (in Marietta, S.C.) includes its mysterious history offered by the City of Los Angeles archives. Additional Laurel & Hardy ephemeras consist of film posters, rare photographs, scripts, sheet music, scrapbooks, personal photos and letters and Al Hirschfield-designed window cards.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were solo performers who were cast separately in silent films, but within a year after they were fortuitously paired together at the Hal Roach Studios in 1926, they were being touted as the best new comedy team. After working together on silent films and transitioning to talkies, their success spread around the world, and they began making feature films, winning an Oscar for their film short The Music Box (1932).

Sons of the Desert Society is named after the 1933 feature film, said the organizations president, Bob Satterfield, and is devoted to keeping the lives and works of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before the public, with the strong desire to perpetuate their spirit and genius. Each local chapter of the society is called a tent and is named after a Laurel & Hardy film, with tents located all over the United States and many foreign countries.

One will get chills seeing the many treasures of this exhibit in person, comments Satterfield. Observing the Academy Award presented to Hal Roach for his lifetime of achievement, the recently uncovered Lake Laurel & Hardy Plaque from the Hal Roach Studios and Harold Lloyds personal belongings is a dream come true for fans of this era!

Contributors to this exhibit include Dan Bacher, Richard Bann, Maria Carpenter, William Cassara, Amy Condit, Brad Farrell, Rick Greene, Richard Johnson, Chuck McCann, Mike and Carol Nemeth, Dave and Diane Reidy, Tyler St. Mark, Bob Satterfield, Cliff Sawyer and Randy Skretvedt.

For photos from The Hollywood Museums 100 Years of Hal Roach Studios exhibit: Click Here

ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD MUSEUM IN THE HISTORIC MAX FACTOR BUILDING: The Hollywood Museum in the Historic Max Factor Building houses over 10,000 real showbiz treasures and the most extensive collection of Hollywood costumes, star cars, props, posters, photographs and memorabilia in the world with over 100 years of Hollywood history. From Marilyn Monroe's costumes, the official Walk of Fame Exhibit to Hannibal Lecter's jail cell movie set from The Silence of the Lambs, The Hollywood Museum is also home to Max Factor's world-famous makeup rooms where Marilyn Monroe received her famous blonde locks and Lucille Ball first donned her famous red hair. The Hollywood Museum is a 501 (3) non-profit organization.

Located at 1660 N. Highland Ave. (at Hollywood Blvd), Hollywood, CA 90028

Website: http://www.TheHollywoodMuseum.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/TheHollywoodMuseum

Twitter: @HollywoodMuseum

Instagram: @hollywoodmuseum

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