9 0 9 , ▁La ure l ▁was ▁employed ▁by ▁Britain ' s ▁leading ▁comedy ▁im pres ario ▁Fred ▁Kar no ▁as ▁a ▁supporting ▁actor , ▁and ▁as ▁an ▁under stud y ▁for ▁Charlie ▁Chap lin . ▁La ure l ▁said ▁of ▁Kar no , ▁" There ▁was ▁no ▁one ▁like ▁him . ▁He ▁had ▁no ▁equal . ▁His ▁name ▁was ▁box - office ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁La ure l ▁left ▁England ▁with ▁the ▁Fred ▁Kar no ▁Tr oupe ▁to ▁tour ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁La ure l ▁had ▁expected ▁the ▁tour ▁to ▁be ▁merely ▁a ▁pleasant ▁interval ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁London ; ▁however , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁remain ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁La ure l ▁was ▁te amed ▁with ▁Ma e ▁D ahl berg ▁as ▁a ▁double ▁act ▁for ▁stage ▁and ▁film ; ▁they ▁were ▁living ▁as ▁common ▁law ▁husband ▁and ▁wife . ▁The ▁same ▁year , ▁La ure l ▁made ▁his ▁film ▁debut ▁with ▁D ahl berg ▁in ▁N uts ▁in ▁May . ▁While ▁working ▁with ▁Ma e , ▁he ▁began ▁using ▁the ▁name ▁" St an ▁La ure l " ▁and ▁changed ▁his ▁name ▁leg ally ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁D ahl berg ▁demanded ▁roles ▁in ▁his ▁films , ▁and ▁her ▁temp est uous ▁nature ▁made ▁her ▁difficult ▁to ▁work ▁with . ▁D ress ing ▁room ▁arguments ▁were ▁common ▁between ▁the ▁two ; ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁producer ▁Joe ▁Rock ▁paid ▁her