Oliver Hardy in north Georgia in the 1905 fall semester when he was 13. He had little interest in formal education, although he acquired an early interest in music and theater. He joined a theatrical group and later ran away from a boarding school near Atlanta to sing with the group. His mother recognized his talent for singing and sent him to Atlanta to study music and voice with singing teacher Adolf Dahm-Petersen. He skipped some of his lessons to sing in the Alcazar Theater for $3.50 a week. Hardy began styling himself "Oliver Norvell Hardy", adding the first name "Oliver" as
Vic Oliver "Mr Showbusiness." Oliver played tennis, football and hockey as a youth and became junior tennis champion of Austria in 1914. After arriving in the United Kingdom in 1936, Oliver became a supporter of First Division club Brentford and was vice-president of the club in the early 1950s. He later became president of the Brentford Supporters' Club. Oliver is briefly portrayed in the 2002 film "The Gathering Storm". He was played by Gerrard McArthur. Vic Oliver Victor Oliver von Samek (8 July 1898 – 15 August 1964), known as Vic Oliver, was an Austrian-born British actor and radio comedian. He was