8mm Forum: Laurel and Hardy on Starline Movies

This is topic Laurel and Hardy on Starline Movies in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010911

Posted by Phil Slater (Member # 2388) on 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.

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on 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.

Posted by Mike Newell (Member # 23) on August 22, 2016, 03:16 PM:

It's the opening from Chumps at Oxford. Starline was a title name for Mountain / Portland.

Posted by Paul Browning (Member # 2715) on 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.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on August 22, 2016, 03:21 PM:

If only you had acquired some RKo shorts - Cheers, Shorty

Posted by Mike Newell (Member # 23) on August 22, 2016, 04:39 PM:

Is this the digest link for Chumps at Oxford

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mptkDL73VQ

Posted by Phil Slater (Member # 2388) on August 22, 2016, 05:30 PM:

Yes, that's it. It's the first 15 minutes of A Chump At Oxford

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on 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.

Posted by Mike Newell (Member # 23) on 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

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on 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.

Posted by Mike Newell (Member # 23) on 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?

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on 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?

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on 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.

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on 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 by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on 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.

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2