Posts: 161
From: Norwich, United Kingdom
Registered: Jan 2011
posted August 22, 2016 03:03 PM
I was recently given a collection of super 8 film and amongst them was a mint condition 400 ft sound film called HOME HELPS starring Laurel and Hardy, released by Starline Movies. Its the first time I have come across this company and wonder what else they released. Does anyone know anything about them? What else did they release in super 8 sound?
As for HOME HELPS, does anyone know what the real title is? L and H go into an employment agency to find work, and ovehear the receptionist taking a call from someone looking for a maid and butler, so dress up and apply for the job.
The picture quality is remarkably good compared to Walton and Blackhawk releases. Sharp, good contrast and a very clear soundtrack. The box would suggest a standard 8 silent film but this one is super 8 sound.
Posts: 1628
From: Savage, MN, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted August 22, 2016 03:13 PM
I know that title is not home helps I just cannot think of the title of that one my mind is a blank perhaps shorty knows off the top of his head.
-------------------- jim schrader "Let's see “do I have that title already?"
Posts: 1006
From: West Midlands United Kingdom
Registered: Aug 2011
posted August 22, 2016 03:20 PM
It sounds like the storyline for "another fine mess ", James Finlayson plays an aristocrat called "buckshot" but olly gets his wrong, plumbtree, appletree, and figleaf.
Posts: 1423
From: Weymouth,Dorset,England
Registered: Oct 2012
posted August 23, 2016 01:56 AM
It's The start of Chumps at Oxford. But can be confused with Another Fine Mess because the beginning is the similar in as much that they take the part of butler and maid in both films.
Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003
posted August 23, 2016 02:12 AM
You obviously haven't watched Chumps at Oxford too much Terry. It was a routine they repeated a number of times from Duck Soup onwards and no that is not the Marx Bros movie
Posts: 1423
From: Weymouth,Dorset,England
Registered: Oct 2012
posted August 23, 2016 02:24 AM
Mike - I've already edited my post. Chumps is one of my favourite L&H films but I haven't watched it for a while and you're right they repeat scenarios in many of their films ( something Carlie Chaplin critisised them for ) and it is easy to confuse their films because of it. Thanks for correcting me.
Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003
posted August 23, 2016 04:25 AM
Not an issue Terry. They did repeat routines many times and for some reason the dinner party scene before pre bank sequence isn't one that people remember. Did Walton edit the feature release to exclude this scene and was this 400 something that could be edited into the release?
Posts: 1423
From: Weymouth,Dorset,England
Registered: Oct 2012
posted August 23, 2016 06:30 AM
I can't really answer that Mike. I only have the full feature on 16mm which of course includes the scene mentioned in the start of this thread. There was a link added to a post on this thread that doesn't work for me. I don't know if other members have encountered this problem, but for some reason the links added to a post sometimes don't work. Is this something that is peculiar to ipads or is it more general?
Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012
posted August 23, 2016 11:24 AM
Not sure if Starline were before Mountain Films. Also Heritage Films were like pre Mountain. One thing the L & H films released by them were complete. The features from Walton were all edited to 6 reels, 3 x 400ft.
-------------------- I love the smell of film in the morning.
posted August 28, 2016 03:52 AM
The part 3 (reels 5 & 6 of original feature) of Chumps at Oxford I bought from CHC is a Starline films release. That reel part works well as an self-contained extract too.
posted August 28, 2016 02:32 PM
There is an 42 minute American release of Chump At Oxford that is a streamliner, and a 63 minute that was produced for foreign markets..
After the original 42 production had ended, Hal Roach returned to the studio afterwards, and filmed additional scenes to the streamliner because it was more desirable for foreign markets. There are different takes in the bank sequence between the two films that are evident in the Blackhawk Films editions.
-------------------- Isn't it great that we can all communicate about this great hobby that we love!