| Hal Roach Legend/Producer |
| When it comes to the top list of powerhouse producers to ever walk the soil of Hollywood, this man is the "it!" Producing 46 films in 1919 alone, and spanning out 882 in his whole carrer, it's not hard to see how he was the "it," in Hollywood film history!! Hal Roach gave the world the genious of Laural and Hardy, and of course who could forget those, Little Rascals (a.k.a. Our Gang). The story starts on a cold January day in 1892. Hal was born Harry Eugene Roach in Elma, New York, on January 14, 1892. As a kid, he was ambitious, a dreamer, but never really followed out what he'd dream up. After holding several odd jobs in New York, and Alaska Roach moved to Hollywood and meandered there until he found himself acting in small comedy bits, and cheap Western films. Roach learned enough from his experiences doing that to produce his own films. It was then he met Harold Lloyd in 1917. Lloyd was an up and coming actor and Roch cast him in most all of his early films. He began producing, directing and writing a series of his own short film comedies. They were kind of cheesy, but exactly what audiences were looking for and an instant success. Roach started his own production company and eventually bought his own studio. By the early 1920s he had eclipsed Mack Sennett as the King of Comedy and created many of the most memorable comic series of all time, even by today's standards!! Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase, and The Little Rascals, were all products of Hal Roach, and business was "goooooood!" He lived in Bel Aire, California, where he reined over his famous Hal E. Roach Studios. He ruled with the same spirit he put out...comedy. Life was fun at the studio and Roach let the employees there be their natural self. Stan Laural once commented...""There just wasn't a nicer job in the world than getting together with a great bunch of people and working your whole day so you could make people laugh I used to love going there every morning, and at night I always hated to leave." In 1922, Roach assmebled an all-star cast of children for a new comedy short called, "Our Gang" (a.k.a. The Little Rascals). This was unique in the idea that noone had ever assembled child actors together for a comedy series before. Roach's theory and approach was that comedians behaved like children, so why not create a comedy about it. It was, like many other things Roach put his name on, a huge success. This was among Roach's proudest achievements and he took great lengths to keep his creative ideas into "Our Gang." In 1926, Stan Laurel presented to Roach what was to be a new comedy sketch called, "Laurel and Hardy." Roach liked the idea, and pattened it. Like "Our Gang," "Laurel and Hardy" took off like a rocket. Roach gave Stan Laurel full reigns over the writing, directing, producing, and editing of the Laurel and Hardy shorts. With Laurel at the helm, and Roach giving it that personal shined touch ... there was no way the show could fail. Hal Roach Studios prevailed over expectations of anyone, including Roach himself. The Studio went on to become a classic in itself. Hal Roach Studios became the first Hollywood motion-picture company to photograph entirely in color, and the only studio at the time devoted to producing films for television exclusively. Hal Roach appeared on David Letterman at the age of 96. He was twice saluted at the Academy Awards, first in 1983 when he won the Lifetime Achievement Award, and a few years later when host Billy Crystal pointed him out in the audience. Roach took a bow from his seat in the audience on the occasion of his 100th birthday, and then unexpectedly began to address the crowd without the aid of a microphone. After moving his lips for several moments, Roach sat down, and from the stage Crystal said, "I think that's fitting, because Mr. Roach started in silent films. Whether Crystal is an ass or a clown for making that staement, I'll let you decide. Hal Roach died of pnemonia on November 2, 1992, never waivering from his commitment to excellence in film. He was 100 years old (and just 2 months shy of 101). R.I.P. Hal!! To visit his grave and leave flowers, click here. TRIVIA: Was a saxophone player, and when, sound was introduced into movies...could frequently be heard in later films playing the sax. quotes: "In those days, there was one secret to making good comedy. If it made the audience laugh, it was a good comedy." "Harold Lloyd was not a comedian. But he was the finest actor to PLAY a comedian that I ever saw." Hal Roach Studios website. |
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