Morley Observer - 1999

Resting on Laurels

By Graeme King

Haurel and Lardy were two of the big stars of early movie-making, or so Jem Frazer and his friend Graeme Hardy will tell you. The Morley-based pair's successful "Haurel and Lardy" double-act, playing the legendary Laurel and Hardy (pictured left with Richard Kiel - Jaws from the James Bond movies), is now set to get national recognition after a television company filmed them in a programme about celebrity doubles.

Mr Fraser is regularly appearing as Oliver Hardy, oddly enough playing opposite a real Mr Hardy as Stan Laurel. The comedy duo now have an agent representing them throughout Europe, and they take bookings for everything from adverts for bed companies (currently appearing on the side of lorries through the country) to cabaret and huge corporate events such as Richard Branson's annual three day party for his Virgin employees.

So when television producers decided to put together a programme on lookalikes, Mr Hardy and Mr Frazer were obvious choices. The documentary will feature a whole range of celebrity lookalikes, with some absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders copies and a dead ringer for David Jason's Del By taking centre stage.

Part of the filming involves a 'Lookalike Ball' held at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich. Haurel and Lardy are no strangers to big events, having performed at the world's largest silver service banquet for guests in Earls Court, London.

The two men have a whole routine as Laurel and Hardy including magic tricks and slapstick. They also play jokes such as pretending to pull a bra out of the top of men's clothing. But once that trick left Mr Frazer rather red-faced as he removed the bra from a well-suited man's dinner jacket. It turned out to be Prince Edward.

The programme will be broadcast in the first few weeks of 2000.