As an adult, comedian Stan Laurel (1890-1965) lived in the United States. As a boy, he lived in Northeast England, the son of a prominent theatrical producer. This groundbreaking biography examines Laurel’s family background, his formative years, and his struggle to establish his show business career. Throughout his life, Stan retained the emotional bonds forged in his youth, sporadically returning to his home town of North Shields. Describing Stan Laurel’s key role in making his films with longtime teammate Oliver Hardy so successful internationally, the book also analyzes how Stan’s earliest life experiences are often echoed in those films. Included is a selection of photographs relevant to Laurel’s boyhood, many related to recurring themes in the Laurel and Hardy comedies. An appendix lists the theatres played during the team’s three tours of the United Kingdom between 1947 and 1954.