The event is to celebrate the 70 years since the release of Should Married Men Go Home - the first film to be branded "Laurel and Hardy".

"Forget Chaplin, Stan was the greatest" - Buster Keaton

What is universally acknowledged is their influence on 20th century comedians. It is often said the comic duo put the slap in slapstick.

As a further tribute to the pair, comedians from Frank Skinner to Ronnie Corbett will attend a première screening in London of Way Out West, Stan Laurel's favourite film.

The public will also have a chance to see the classic western spoof as well as favourites such as Sons of the Desert, Helpmates and their Oscar-winning short Music Box when they go on general release from 4 September.

Ten specially restored video titles will be released later in the week to tie-in with the anniversary celebrations.

Comic appeal

Laurel and Hardy films conjure up scenes of custard pie battles and the eternal struggle of life's unfortunates trying to make a quick "buck".

But despite their inevitable failure, the harshest words that ever crossed the pair's lips was "tarnation".

Their comic genius has provoked reactions as broad as "they hit each other and fall over a lot" to Buster Keaton's epitaph: "Forget Chaplin, Stan was the greatest."

Keaton firmly believed the little guy was the more talented of the duo.

Their pairing some say was fate. Oliver Hardy injured himself whilst cooking a leg of lamb and was unable to act in a film so Stan stepped in to take over his role.

Hal Roach, the producer at the time, noticed the potential to form a comic duo and the rest is history.

Rod Lewis : "They have humour that everyone can relate to"

Competition from larger commercial studios forced the pair to sign to 20th Century Fox in 1940 which was their undoing. In 1950 Stan and Ollie made their last film together, Atoll K, which was a commercial flop.

According to Marion Cubin, curator at the Laurel and Hardy Museum, Cumbria, if Hal Roach hadn't nurtured the comics' careers, one-liners such as Stan's "You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil should be lead" would never have been heard.

Hardy actually said: "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten us into"

Their influence has even been acknowledged by the Labour Party. Campaign ads depicted John Major and Kenneth Clarke as Stan and Ollie to highlight the claim that Britain had sunk to 21st place in a "world prosperity league" under Conservative rule.

Way Out There

The spirit of "The Boys" is being marked in a variety of ways across the globe.

Rod Lewis : "The statue will be a tribute to Laurel and Hardy"

Rod Lewis, President of The Sons of the Desert, the British arm of the international fan club, is fervently campaigning to erect a "fitting memorial", in Stan's birthplace of Ulverston, Cumbria.

In the USA film maker Larry Harmon is also on a mission. Having snapped up the rights to Laurel and Hardy's likenesses, he will fulfill a lifetime's ambition and recreate a film called For Love or Mummy - The new adventures of Laurel and Hardy.

Rather than employ two unknown actors to impersonate the duo, he will introduce the new characters as their nephews.