Laurel and Hardy (Pat a Mat?) Museum

In a small, unassuming former bank building in Harlem, Georgia is the Laurel and Hardy Museum. We've been meaning to stop here for years, but we have always been driving by at the wrong time. But last week, we finally got our chance. We were greeted by the museum's docent, a sweet little yankee lady named, Nancy. She is quite possibly the most enthusiastic museum docent I have ever met. She was friendly, knowlegeable, and so eager to please that she not only took our picture, put on our favorite Laurel and Hardy movie for us to watch, but she also made popcorn for us.
Oliver Hardy (the fat one, in case you don't already know) was born in Harlem at the home of his paternal grandparents, to a mother whom I hope he called every day to aplogize to. Oliver weighed in at a hefty 14 pounds (6.4 kilo) at birth! And if that is not a reason to lavish your mother with kindness, generous gifts, and grateful ovations, I don't know what is. But I digress. Norville (his real name) Laurel was actually reared just north of Harlem, in Milledgeville, where his mother (God bless her) ran the Milledgeville Hotel. Local historians in Milledgeville credit Mrs Hardy with the hard work that resulted in the hotel's eventual success and popularity.
As for her son, Norville, well we all know what became of him. After making movies for a time in Florida, he went on to California where he was teamed with Stan Laurel and ended up performing together onstage and in films in which they behave quite a lot like Pat and Mat, but with more violence. Here are a few clips which someone has compiled and put together with music from ABBA. I know how you feel about ABBA, but this is just too too funny not to share.