Dan Leno's Influence on Laurel and Hardy

Music Hall and Pantomime star Dan Leno is considered by many to be one of the greatest comedians in history - and given that both he and his work are still discussed and celebrated to this day, that seems an entirely plausible credit. Despite having died in 1904, his mark and impact on culture continues to be acknowledged and celebrated. 

Today (20/12/24), on the 164th anniversary of his birth, I'll be diving a little into the impact he had on the films of Laurel and Hardy. 

Stan Laurel (credits/owners unknown) and Dan Leno (The Victoria & Albert Museum)

Laurel, who was raised in a British thespian family, had admired Leno since boyhood and is known to have frequently discussed him in letters and conversations throughout his life. It's worth nothing that Stan Laurel likely wasn't the only Leno fan behind Laurel and Hardy - his close friend and right-hand man Charles Rogers was also raised in a British thespian family, and Hal Roach had observed that Rogers would frequently discuss and refer to British pantomimes in his work as a writer at the studio. Dan Leno has long been famously associated with pantomimes through his being a renowned pantomime dame - and, given that Rogers spent much of his childhood in London and its theatre world, he could potentially have even watched a Leno pantomime himself. To some degree, the work and associations of Leno would have been present in each man's mind as they went about their creative process.

The first similarities you may notice between Laurel and Leno by just looking are the similarities in their facial expressions. Leno's distinctive cheery smile is one of the most visually identifiable things about him - and the same, of course, goes for Stan Laurel. 

            

Beyond this, Laurel had also observed that he admired Leno's ability to be "droll and ridiculous and pathetic at the same time", and that he enjoyed the "subtle madness" that British comics, including Leno as an example, had. Each of these aspects can be seen woven very clearly into the character Laurel portrays on film (who, it goes without saying, is somewhat ridiculous and pathetic) and Laurel and Hardy films in a wider sense. 

The two key stylistic components of Dan Leno's 'subtle madness' were his nonsensical dialogue, and his simple plots and scenarios that utilised the humour within every day people and situations. The same, again, can be said of Laurel and Hardy. 

Hal Roach had expressed that the films at his studio, especially when compared to the simple slapstick plots of other prior and contemporary comedies and comedy studios, 'had stories, and tried to work out funny situations'. Stan Laurel had also described the Laurel and Hardy films as having an 'an element of sympathy and simple truth'. Who better would there have been for Laurel to refer to as an inspiration in developing truthful and funny situations and stories than his boyhood hero who was known for doing the very same?

The influence of Leno on Laurel is perhaps most definitively seen when you compare their dialogue.

Take some lines and quotations of Leno's - for instance;

"If you've never been there, go again."

"Now in the first place, when you visit the Tower of London, it's free - but you have to pay a shilling to go in."

"Ah! What is man? Wherefore does he why? Whence did he whence? Whither is he withering?"

And some of Stan Laurel's;

"You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead."

"I was dreaming I was awake, and I woke up and found myself asleep."

"You know, I'm not as dumb as you look."

There is a very notable similarity between Leno's delightfully absurd and surreal language and Laurel's.

Dan Leno recording a comedy sketch.

If you'd like to hear some more of Leno's quirky humour, you're in luck! Leno recorded several of his acts, and many of them have been uploaded to Youtube. Here are a couple of my personal favourites;

The Tower of London/The Beefeater

Mrs Kelly

My Wife's Relations

You can also read a whole book of Leno's humour (Dan Leno - Hys Booke Written By Himself) for free on the Internet Archive!

https://archive.org/details/danlenohysbooke00leno

Dan Leno - Hys Booke Written by Himself. Available for free on The Internet Archive.

I have also seen others compare the physical resemblance that Laurel and Hardy as a team have to Dan Leno and his frequent pantomime collaborator Herbert Campbell - and although this is near definitely coincidental, it is certainly there! You may also note the very Laurelesque crying expression on Dan Leno's face.

Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell Cigarette Card - Property of The National Portrait Gallery, UK

Whilst Dan Leno's influence and reputation widely lives on directly through his own fantastic work and merit, I think it's more than fair to say it has also lived on indirectly through his influence on the films of Laurel and Hardy - and, so in a sense, also in the work of all those who Laurel and Hardy have subsequently influenced. Both Dan Leno and Laurel and Hardy have left a huge mark in the annals of comedy and entertainment history - and their ongoing influence and legacy in both industries is the best and most undeniable testament to their talents and timelessness.

Written by 

Holly Foskett

Works cited (in order):

'Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies' by Randy Skretvedt (Hal Roach on Charles Rogers quotation)

'Laurel & Hardy' by John McCabe, Richard W Bann, and Al Kilgore (Stan Laurel quotation)

'Stan and Ollie; The Roots of Comedy' by Simon Louvish (Hal Roach quotation on comedy style)

'An Interview With Stan Laurel' by Larry Goldstein - Intro Magazine, January, 1962.