Lights, camera and plenty of action

Stan Laurel, named Arthur Stanley Jefferson, was born in Ulverston, England, in 1890. The son of a theatre owner and actress, the young Stan spent his youth in England before moving to Glasgow in the early 1900's. In Glasgow, he completed his education and began working for his father in the box office of the Metropole Theatre.

One of the most popular theatres in Glasgow at that time was the Panopticon. The venue was a cross between a theatre, side show and museum and was owned by AE Pickard. He was a millionaire business genius with a zany sense of humour. Originally from Bradford, Pickard moved to Glasgow in 1904, where he quickly gained a reputation for his eccentricity. In his theatre, he would sit at the top of a ladder at the side of the stage throwing nails at disorderly members of the audience. Sometimes he would stand with a long pole with a hook on the end and if the act was not good enough, he would hook them off by the neck! The audience loved this. The Glasgow audience had a notorious reputation for being the most difficult in the country.

The chance to perform

In 1906, at the tender age of 16, Stan asked Pickard for a chance to perform in front of the intimidating Glasgow audience. Pickard obliged.

His father Arthur Jefferson recollected that first night:

"Stan's number, billed as an 'extra turn', went up. On he came wearing a pair of baggy patched trousers (new trousers of mine, cut down, patches added) and also my best frock coat and silk hat. He did his act, the details of which I cannot now remember and he got a very good reception. He scored a genuine success, finishing up to loud laughter, applause and even shouts of 'Encore!' The shouts brought him back and he beamed the now popular Laurel smile, but, in bowing his acknowledgements, he spotted me!"

It all started in Glasgow

After this success, Stan went on to join a succession of travelling groups, including the aptly named Fred Karno's Barmy Army, where he was understudy to none other than Charlie Chaplin. In 1910 the troupe went to America where Stan, like his father, began to write his own material. He eventually joined Hal Roach studios and co-starred with his alter ego, Oliver Hardy in A Lucky Dog (1921). The rest, as they say, is history. Laurel and Hardy went on to make over one hundred much loved films and it all started in a small theatre in Glasgow!

Pots and Pans

With the benefit of hindsight, Stan's future success might not have come as such a surprise. The very same stage and the very same Friday night amateur spot that launched his career did the same for many of Stan's contemporaries. Comedians Harry Lauder, Jack Buchanan and Jack Milroy all made their debut at the Panopticon, or Pots and Pans' as it became known locally. So too did Cary Grant, albeit in an unlikely guise as a dancing stilt-walker!

Cinema City

Glasgow's love of the cinema goes back almost to the start of film making itself. Films were shown in circuses, ice rinks, churches and warehouses. The first purpose-built Glasgow cinema, The Electric Theatre, opened in Sauchiehall Street in the city centre in 1910.

Heralded as the Cinema City', Glasgow's picture houses provided growing audiences with the quintessential great escape from their day-to-day lives. Outside, the cinemas boasted stunning facades, while inside patrons could marvel at mosaic floors, chandeliers and the grandest of staircases. Legendary Hollywood stars like Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo and Clark Gable had the venues full to capacity regularly.

With over 130 cinemas, Glasgow has more per person than any other city outside America. Glasgow continues to be the home for the stars of film and TV. Edinburgh may have its Sir Sean Connery and Ewan McGregor, but the modern generation of Glaswegian screen stars includes Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid from the Harry Potter films), Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting), John Hannah (The Mummy), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings) and Craig Ferguson, host of America's Late Late Show.

Sometimes, of course, it's the city itself that's the star. Over the years, Glasgow has provided a remarkable backdrop for over 100 films and continues today to be a powerful force in the British film industry. The Glasgow Film Office is the city's strategic agency for film and high value television. In the last 3 years alone, they have seen 20 films produced here, not to mention numerous television drama series.

Top Ten Holiday Destination

Some of the beautiful venues and theatres must have contributed to Glasgow's appearance in Frommer's Travel Guide. The latest edition lists Glasgow among the Top Ten of the world's most interesting, affordable destinations for 2006. The only European destination listed, Glasgow is described as being cosmopolitan and modern, with a happening nightlife and radiant architecture. In addition, the New York Magazine has rated King Tut's in the world's top 10 list of must-see places for travellers in 2006. The Glasgow music venue helped propel rock band Oasis to stardom. Magazine bosses insist that King Tut's is as hip as New York's club scene. In their Bliss List for 2006 they urge readers to, "Discover the new Franz Ferdinand at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow. The city is ground zero for the post-punk revival." Cond Nast Traveler, one of the world's top holiday magazines, also placed Glasgow second only to London, in a list of top tourist destinations.

Stan Laurel took his first comedy steps on a Glasgow stage. Since the early 1900's the city has blossomed into a leading arts and multi-cultural capital. Future plans include the 350m upgrade of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. Once complete, Glasgow will be able to boast the largest entertainment venue in Scotland. It will join the world's tallest cinema (Cineworld), Scotland's largest screen (the IMAX at Glasgow Science Centre) and Britain's most successful art house cinema (Glasgow Film Theatre). With a burgeoning arts and cultural sector, Glasgow's future looks bright.