In this book, Simon Louvish traces the early lives of Stanley Jefferson and Norvell Hardy and the surrounding minstrel and variety theater, which influenced all of their later work. Louvish examines the rarely seen solo films of both our heroes, prior to their serendipitous pairing in 1927, in the long-lost short Duck Soup. The inspired casting teamed them until their last days. Both often married, they found balancing their personal and professional...

Louvish looks afresh at this classic comedian and his most recognizable character, the Tramp, charting the tale of the Tramp himself and weighing the relationship between the Tramp, his creator, and his worldwide fans.