hib iting ▁a ▁vers at ility ▁in ▁playing ▁hero es , ▁villa ins ▁and ▁even ▁female ▁characters , ▁Hard y ▁was ▁in ▁demand ▁for ▁roles ▁as ▁a ▁supporting ▁actor , ▁com ic ▁villa in ▁or ▁second ▁ban ana . ▁For ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁he ▁memor ably ▁assist ed ▁star ▁com ic ▁and ▁Charlie ▁Chap lin ▁im it ator ▁Billy ▁West , ▁Jimmy ▁A ubre y , ▁Larry ▁Sem on , ▁and ▁Char ley ▁Ch ase . ▁In ▁total , ▁Hard y ▁star red ▁or ▁co - star red ▁in ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 5 0 ▁silent ▁short s , ▁of ▁which ▁roughly ▁ 1 5 0 ▁have ▁been ▁lost . ▁He ▁was ▁rejected ▁for ▁en list ment ▁by ▁the ▁Army ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁size . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁after ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Florida ▁film ▁industry , ▁Hard y ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Mad ely n ▁moved ▁to ▁California ▁to ▁seek ▁new ▁opportun ities . ▁ ▁History ▁as ▁La ure l ▁and ▁Hard y ▁ ▁Hal ▁Ro ach ▁Hal ▁Ro ach ▁has ▁described ▁how ▁the ▁two ▁actors ▁came ▁together ▁as ▁a ▁team . ▁First , ▁Hard y ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁working ▁for ▁Ro ach ▁( and ▁others ) ▁when ▁Ro ach ▁h ired ▁La ure l , ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁seen ▁in ▁v au dev ille . ▁La ure l ▁had ▁very ▁light ▁blue ▁eyes , ▁and ▁Ro ach ▁discovered ▁that , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁technology ▁of ▁film ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁La ure l