A Lot of Fun Tidbits #1 "It's Just That Gemini" - Harry Langdon on Astrology

When you're conducting biographical research, you often come across funny little tidbits of information you'd never usually find. One of my favourite tidbits so far is that Harry Langdon was a believer in astrology - so much so, in fact, that he held his and Stan Laurel's star sign, Gemini, responsible for their career choices.

In an article published in The Star Tribune following the announced pairing of Harry Langdon and Oliver Hardy for their historical dramatic comedy Zenobia (1939), Harry explained that both he and Stan Laurel are Geminis, and that he believed this is why they felt so similarly about their careers.

When asked by reporter Harold Hefferman what his thoughts were regarding Laurel and Hardy's split, and his subsequent pairing with Hardy, Harry responded;

 "You see, we (Harry and Stan) were both born under that horrible sign...it has worked the same catastrophes on both of us. When they asked Stan why he was walking out on a $200,000 deal here, he couldn't give a reasonable excuse. Just said he was sick and tired of everything. I know how he feels. It's just that Gemini, I tell you."

Harry Langdon and Stan Laurel's birth dates were just a day apart - with Harry's being on June 15th, and Stan's being on June 16th. 

Stan Laurel could allegedly also be pretty mystical - apparently telling his wife Ruth that he believed in reincarnation, as well as allegedly believing that his original name, 'Stan Jefferson', was unlucky due to its containing 13 letters.

Written and researched by 

Holly Foskett