"DANCE OF THE CUCKOOS" LAUREL & HARDY

"THE DANCE OF THE CUCKOOS" - MARVIN HATLEY

Aside from "Smile When The Raindrops Fall", there was one other musical bright spot in the early days, and that, of course, was the introduction of the Laurel and Hardy theme song, known variously as "The Dance of the Cuckoos" or more simply "Ku-Ku". Though it is one of those songs that seems to have always been around, like "Happy Birthday" or "Auld Lang Syne", it was actually written in 1928 by Thomas Marvin Hatley. Born in Reed, Oklahoma on April 3, 1905, Hatley could play almost any musical instrument by then time he entered his late teens, Though he did take some music lessons, mostly he just learned through osmosis.

While attending UCLA in California, Hatley found work at KFVD, a radio station located on the Hal Roach Studios lot. He wrote the simple and endearing "Ku-Ku" as a radio time signal. Stan Laurel heard the song one morning and thought it would be a perfect way to start the Laurel and Hardy pictures. In later years, Hatley and Laurel shared an interpretation of the theme - the main melody represented Oliver Hardy, dominant and commanding "like a bugler in the army". The bottom melody, consisting of two repeated "coo coo" notes signified the "not very bright" Stan Laurel. The dissonant clash of the two parts playing against each other is what makes it funny, according to Hatley.

The first short for which it was used is now believed to have been Night Owls, and for the next decade, with only a few exceptions, every Hal Roach Laurel and Hardy film began with the instantly infectious "Ku-ku".

Hatley became musical director at Roach, writing background themes, specialty numbers and, in the late thirties, composing full scores for the feature films. Hatley was also the music "special effects" man, called on to play an instrument offscreen whenever needed, such as when Stan plays the tuba in SWISS MISS (1938). Hatley also provided the piano sounds for The Music Box (1933).

As well as being invaluable during production, Hatley was often on call in between scenes. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy both loved music, as did fellow Roach comedian Charley Chase and director Leo McCarey. In between takes, any combination of these stars would get together and sing old songs, while Hatley provided accompaniement on piano, guitar or whatever other instrument was handy. Given the charm and quality of the Boys' singing found in WAY OUT WEST, Below Zero and other films, as well as all those marvelous musical scenes in many Charley Chase shorts, it is heartbreaking that these informal sessions were never recorded on film.