PROMOTIONAL PANDEMONIUM! - SELLING STAN LAUREL AND OLIVER HARDY TO DEPRESSION-ERA AMERICA: BOOK ONE - THE HAL ROACH STUDIOS FEATURES

Even though they were born on different sides of the Atlantic, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were magically drawn together to form one of the most memorable comedy double acts to ever grace the silver screen. To celebrate their joint legacy, which ran from 1927 to 1955, Richard S. Greene has written a heartwarming book that explores the many ways they were sold to American audiences. His book, 'Promotional Pandemonium! - Selling Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy to Depression-Era America: Book One - The Hal Roach Studios Features', also contains more than seven hundred and fifty rare and compelling images of newspaper advertisements, film posters, lobby cards, publicity stills, magazines, and other forms of promotional material that showcase Laurel and Hardy's time with Hal Roach. What now follows is a selection of these images I was kindly allowed to share. Please enjoy.

A film poster promoting Laurel and Hardy's first feature-length film, 'Pardon Us'. Released in 1931, it was directed by James Parrott and spoofed the 1930 prison drama, 'The Big House', starring Chester Morris and Wallace Beery.

The film poster for Laurel and Hardy's second feature-length film, 'Pack Up Your Troubles', which was released in 1932 and co-directed by George Marshall and Raymond McCarey. They made this film just before embarking on their summer tour of New York, the UK, and Paris.

A film poster promoting Laurel and Hardy's third feature-length film, 'The Devil's Brother'. Released in 1933, it was co-directed by Hal Roach and Charles Rogers and based on Daniel Auber's 1830 comical operetta, 'Fra Diavolo'.

The film poster for Laurel and Hardy's fourth feature-length film, 'Sons of the Desert', which was released in 1933 and directed by William A. Seiter. In 2012, this film was deemed 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant' by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

The cover of '1000 New Jokes' magazine, featuring Laurel and Hardy wearing outfits from their 1934 film, 'Babes in Toyland'. The magazine was published by Dell Publishing roughly nine months before the release of the aforementioned film, specifically, in February 1934.

The film poster for Laurel and Hardy's fifth feature-length film, 'Babes in Toyland', which was released in 1934 and co-directed by Gus Meins and Charles Rogers. The film was loosely based on the 1903 operetta of the same name created by Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough, itself inspired by the characters from the Mother Goose nursery rhymes.

A promotional photo for Laurel and Hardy's sixth feature-length film, 'Bonnie Scotland', showing the duo wearing the appropriate military uniforms. The film was released in 1935 and directed by James W. Horne.

A film poster promoting Laurel and Hardy's eighth feature-length film, 'Our Relations'. Released in 1936, it was directed by Harry Lachman and based on the 1931 short story, 'The Money Box', written by William Wymark Jacobs.

The film poster for Laurel and Hardy's ninth feature-length film, 'Way Out West', which was released in 1937 and directed by James W. Horne. A scene from this film was recreated in the 2018 biopic, 'Stan & Ollie', starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly.

A film poster promoting Laurel and Hardy's tenth feature-length film, 'Swiss Miss'. Released in 1938, it was directed by John G. Blystone and originally supposed to be shot in color, but that idea was quickly scrapped due to the additional costs.

The film poster for Laurel and Hardy's thirteenth feature-length film, 'Saps at Sea', which was released in 1940 and directed by Gordon Douglas. It marked the duo's last film produced by Hal Roach Studios, as well as the last film to feature Ben Turpin and Harry Bernard.

'Promotional Pandemonium! - Selling Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy to Depression-Era America: Book One - The Hal Roach Studios Features' is an informative book written by Richard S. Greene and published by BearManor Media. It comes with a foreword penned by the American film and music scholar, Randy Skretvedt, and you can purchase a copy via Amazon by clicking here.

*** Please Note: The feature‑length films mentioned only focus on those Laurel and Hardy made for Hal Roach Studios