born in harlem, georgia, u.s.. his solo career includes the short films outwitting dad (1914), cupid's target (1915), a maid to order (1916), the fly cop (1917), the midnight cabaret (1923), they all fall (1925). he leaps to fame when he formed a duo with stan laurel, they formed the most successful comedy groups of all time. laurel and hardy shot many short films and feature much success hats off (1927), they go boom! (1929). one of his best films was the midnight patrol (1934), where two police officers. and the classics of comedy as sons of the desert (1933), way out west (1937), the flying deuces (1939), saps at sea (1940), are of the best comedy of all time.