Stan Visits Olga in Grantham in 1927

Up to mid-1927, Stan had been quite successful in the American film industry, starring in a number of short silent comedies and a few pre-teaming Laurel & Hardy silent shorts which included Duck Soup, Slipping Wives, Love `em and Weep, and Why Girls Love Sailors. In July 1927, Stan returned to England for a brief vacation to visit his father, Arthur Jefferson. He also went to Grantham to visit Olga and see her on the stage at the Grantham Theatre Royal. The story of this visit is recorded in ` Grantham Connections` by Jim Allen:-

"He stayed at the George Hotel on that occasion, venturing out along the High Street to the Picture House Cafe to take tea with Olga. Or so he intended. Such was the commotion caused by a quickly gathering crowd that by the time Stan had signed autographs and chatted to many of his fans and well-wishers, it was decided that the wisest course of action would be to return to The George."

(Second Hundred Years) (Call of the Cuckoos)

Sadly, no photos of this visit seem to exist. However, if they did, then it would have captured Stan with short hair. His red hair had been severely cropped for the L&H prison based film The Second Hundred Years and for their guest appearance in Call of The Cuckoos, which had both been filmed in the weeks before Stan left for the UK.

Meanwhile, Oliver Hardy was on a belated honeymoon vacation in Cuba with his wife Myrtle. Both Stan & Ollie returned to the Hal Roach Lot in early August to film HATS OFF and the start of a permanent Laurel & Hardy partnership that was to make film history throughout the 1930s and early 1940s.

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