Eddie Laughton (20 June 190321 March 1952) was a British-American film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

and

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

, and is best known for his work with

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

Career

Laughton's family immigrated to the United States in 1909 and settled in Detroit. He started in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

and managed a vaudeville theatre where

Larry Fine Louis Feinberg (October 4, 1902 – January 24, 1975), better known by his stage name Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges and was often called "The Middle St ...

, later of the Stooges trio, once played. The pencil-mustached Laughton was placed under contract by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

in 1935, almost certainly thanks to Fine. Laughton worked at Columbia almost exclusively for 10 years, in features, westerns, short subjects, and serials throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Modern viewers will remember Laughton for his role as "Percy Pomeroy, convict 41144" in the Stooge comedies '' So Long Mr. Chumps'' and '' Beer Barrel Polecats'', or as the happy drunk in '' Loco Boy Makes Good''. Laughton was an excellent utility player, useful in good-guy and bad-guy roles alike. (He and fellow Columbia stock player John Tyrrell shared many scenes.) Laughton was also a convincing dialect comedian, playing a French nobleman in

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

's '' She's Oil Mine'', and an English big-game hunter plastered with pies in the Stooges' '' In the Sweet Pie and Pie''.imdb.com
/ref> In addition to his roles in the Stooge shorts, he traveled with the team between filming schedules, acting as their straight man in personal appearances.

Death

Eddie Laughton died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

on March 21, 1952, just two months after the death of

Curly Howard Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of The Three Stooges comedy team, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and ...

, who died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Both he and Curly were born in the same year; 1903, and were both 48 years old when they died within two months of each other in 1952.

Selected filmography

* '' Three Little Beers'' (1935) * ''

Disorder in the Court ''Disorder in the Court'' is a 1936 short film, short subject directed by Jack White (film producer), Preston Black starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 15th entry in the ...

'' (1936) - Man Sitting by Letterpress (uncredited) * '' A Pain in the Pullman'' (1936) * '' Slippery Silks'' (1936) * '' 3 Dumb Clucks'' (1937) * '' Goofs and Saddles'' (1937) * '' It Happened in Hollywood'' (1937) * '' Cash and Carry'' (1937) * '' No Time to Marry'' (1938) * '' Special Inspector'' (1938) * '' Squadron of Honor'' (1938) * '' We Want Our Mummy'' (1939) - Cab Driver (uncredited) * '' Pest from the West'' (1939) * '' Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise'' (1939) * '' Three Sappy People'' (1939) * '' Beware Spooks!'' (1939) * ''

Scandal Sheet Tabloid journalism is a popular style of largely sensationalist journalism, which takes its name from the tabloid newspaper format: a small-sized newspaper also known as a half broadsheet. The size became associated with sensationalism, an ...

'' (1939) * '' Girls of the Road'' (1940) *'' The Secret Seven'' (1940) * ''

You Nazty Spy! ''You Nazty Spy!'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Jules White and starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges ( Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard). It is the 44th short film released by Columbia Pictures starring the c ...

'' (1940) * '' A Plumbing We Will Go'' (1940) * '' Boobs in Arms'' (1940) * '' So Long Mr. Chumps'' (1941) * '' Dutiful But Dumb'' (1941) * '' Meet Boston Blackie'' (1941) * '' I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island'' (1941) * '' In the Sweet Pie and Pie'' (1941) * '' Across the Sierras'' (1941) * '' Tillie the Toiler'' (1941) * '' Outlaws of the Panhandle'' (1941) * '' The Boogie Man Will Get You'' (1942) * '' Loco Boy Makes Good'' (1942) * '' Cactus Makes Perfect'' (1942) * ''

What's the Matador? ''What's the Matador?'' is a 1942 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges ( Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 62nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starr ...

'' (1942) * '' Parachute Nurse'' (1942) * '' Atlantic Convoy'' (1942) * '' Alias Boston Blackie'' (1942) * '' Stand By All Networks'' (1942) * '' Three Smart Saps'' (1942) * '' Daring Young Man'' (1942) * '' Bullets for Bandits'' (1942) * '' Busy Buddies'' (1944) * '' Sailor's Holiday'' (1944) * '' Idle Roomers'' (1944) * '' Idiots Deluxe'' (1945) - Courtroom spectator (uncredited) * '' Beer Barrel Polecats'' (1946, in footage from ''So Long, Mr. Chumps'', final appearance with The

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

) * '' The Perils of Pauline'' (1947) * '' Chicken Every Sunday'' (1949) * '' Pest Man Wins'' - Lion Hunter (in 1941 footage from '' In the Sweet Pie and Pie'') * '' Sappy Bull Fighters'' - Bullring attendant (in 1942 footage from ''

'')

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Laughton, Eddie 1903 births 1952 deaths English male film actors Deaths from pneumonia in California British expatriate male actors in the United States 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English comedians Eaton family English male comedians Comedians from Sheffield Male actors from Sheffield