One day a year thousands of comedy fans descend upon the town of Harlem for a festival honoring a native son. Many of them return year after year.
Phillip Jones, a ventriloquist, musician and actor, performed at his 18th Oliver Hardy Festival Oct. 2. Jones is an imitator of Hardy’s comedy partner, Stan Laurel, and travels from Columbia annually to participate in the festival. He performs with his puppet Lil Oliver.
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“I absolutely love it,” said Jones. “What keeps me going is people’s smiles. I love to see people that look like they’ve got something on their mind, and I say something funny or silly, and if I get them to smile, I’ve done my job.”
The Oliver Hardy Festival returned with gusto after a one-year hiatus on Saturday. The annual Harlem festival boasted the expected massive turnout, with vendors and food trucks galore along the streets, children and families wandering about, and acts performing on the stage in front of the Harlem Library throughout the day.
Businesses along Louisville Street set up booths to heartily take their part in one of Harlem’s signature community celebrations. Maggie Jayne’s Snoballs & Italian Ice of Appling had a food truck camped out; Revival Wrestling held matches for onlookers next to where Main Street Treats hosted patrons from all over along Louisville Street. Monte Olivo’s Italian & Mexican Restaurant extended its wares with a tent and Bubbles or Not Diving Shop had a scuba dunking booth on display.
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The crowds were as plentiful as anticipated, and among the shining features of the day was the flood of curiosity and appreciation that swooped upon the Harlem Museum and Welcome Center. The museum is open throughout the week, but the spirit of the day takes over as visitors line up to sign the guestbook and see not only the history of this small but storied town, but to learn more about the town’s most famous native, Oliver Hardy, who was born in the town in 1892.
“I think it’s important to celebrate the legacy that Oliver and Stan left,” said Andrew McMahon, director of the museum. “A lot of times, when you have a celebrity with the ilk of someone like Oliver, you almost have a duty as their hometown or their birthplace to celebrate that person.”
The festival gives place not only for Harlem residents to pay homage to the vaudeville-era comedy star, but for fans of all ages, backgrounds and locations as well.
Jones is a longtime fan of Laurel and Hardy. For years, he heard he resembled the thin Englishman, Stan Laurel. He and a friend who was said to resemble Hardy used to perform sketches together imitating the duo until Jones’ friend passed away. Since then, Jones has performed with his custom-made puppet.
Miles and Vanessa Wade went to the festival dressed as Oliver Hardy, complete with bowler hats and mustaches.
“She’s a big fan,” said Miles Wade about his wife Vanessa. “She dressed me up today and said, ‘hey, we’re going out!’”
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Miles Wade, a soldier stationed at Fort Gordon, and Vanessa Wade, who is from Italy, made their first visit to the Oliver Hardy Festival this year.
“I’ve watched their comedy since I was little,” said Vanessa Wade. “I’ve loved it so far.”
Lenny Dave, a comedy historian and humorist, traveled from Lake Worth, Fla. to lecture in two presentations in the museum’s movie theatre about Laurel and Hardy, their influence on comedy and the stories of great comedians of earlier eras.
“My passion is in sharing stories of the lives and the careers of the great comedian of yesteryear, in film, radio, television and radio,” said Dave.
Dave first held his presentations at the Oliver Hardy Festival in 2019. He found out about it through his research, traveled to Harlem and spoke with McMahon in order to participate.
Dave’s presentation spoke not only of Laurel and Hardy, but of other significant comic figures such as Red Skelton, Jack Benny and Lucille Ball. He also included an exposition on some of the basics of comedy, such as incongruity and character familiarity. He cited Laurel’s slight build, soft-spoken and giddy nature, contrasted with Hardy’s larger size, loudness, bombast and arrogance, and how this was a key to their impactful comedy act.
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“To see young people respond positively even though they don’t know who these people were, that’s the staying power that some of these greats had,” said Dave. Their material was so timeless, solid and family-oriented.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
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