8mm Forum: Big Business (Laurel & Hardy) 1929 Blackhawk

This is topic Big Business (Laurel & Hardy) 1929 Blackhawk in forum 8mm Print Reviews at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 24, 2008, 07:14 PM:

I haven't done a review for a good while, and I was watching my super 8 print of this again, and I laughed just as hard!

This was one of Laurel and hardy's last silent shorts, and would certianly rank among the lads absolute best, silent or sound, and that says a lot.

Luearel and hardy, this time around are Christmas tree salemen, (out of season, of course; it's the boys way of "getting ahead" of the competition).

(By the way, this is the same apartment complex that Laurel and hardy live in, in "Sons Of The Desert", look at it carefully!)

The first house they go to is less than receptive. Our hero's are undaunted, and thier next perspective customer is none other than the hot tempered, ever reliable James Finlayson, (at his absolute best in this short).

James doesn't want a tree. The lads feel that they just need to sell a little harder. James not only isn't buying, but begins a tit for tat fight against our boys that escalates to outrageously hilarious results. Our lads, piece by piece, demolish James's house. James, on the other hand, piece by piece, demolishes the lads car AND thier stock, which leads to the funniest moment in this classic short (in my opinion), when James in an apparently mad rage, wrestles on the ground with a tree that he is ripping apart limb by limb. It is priceless!

A cop eventually gets involved, noticing the ever larger crowd of on-lookers. The lads unfortunately get on the cops bad side,(which is never too hard for our boys!).. Fade out.

This print by Blackhawk is hard for even them to top. I have both the early standard 8mm edition from Blackhawk AND an early super 8 copy from, yep, Blackhawk. How do you identify an earlier super 8 copy from Blackhawk? As a general rule, the image on film will have the darkened image, that you would see on the opposite edge, encroaching on the sprocket area.

The image is incredibly sharp for even Blackhawk's Laurel and hardy's. This doesn't show a shade of being dupey. The film grain is very clean and the contrast to this print is magnificently balanced, with every grey tone really registering.

I understand that Blackhawk re-released this short in they're last days during either the early or later 1980's and it's supposed to be quite good. I'll still stick with this beautiful early super 8 print.

Even people who are not into silent films, can't help but laugh at this film. If you don't have this film yet in your collection, except no substitutes! Get a Blackhawk print of this, but make it an early super 8 or standard 8mm print!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on October 28, 2008, 06:11 PM:

Hi Osi,

Yes, this is an excellent one! I love the mileage they got of Stan getting the tree and then his coat and then the tree again caught in Mr. Finlayson's front door!

Is your Super-8 print one of the ones that Blackhawk furnished with a Music track? I have this on "Two Tars" and "You're Darn Tootin'" and it really livens up the show. Unfortunately the music is a lot the same so you can't run them together.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on October 29, 2008, 10:30 AM:

The score on BUSINESS is so appropriate and effect just perfectly

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 29, 2008, 07:24 PM:

Well, it certianly sounds like someone has the silver box scored versions of "Big Business".

How does the picture look?

Posted by Mike Tynus (Member # 1108) on October 30, 2008, 04:10 AM:

I have a pre-silver boxed Blackhawk print that they added library music (possibly "Major Moods") and fx to in 1977.
The picture quality is excellent and the music fits perfectly with the action and elevates the humor in some scenes.
I've never seen the silver boxed version with the Vitaphone score.
I did see Hal Roach on "Late Night with David Letterman" years ago telling the account of how the crew went to the wrong address and wrecked the wrong house (there was no one home, yet). And the woman of the house fainted at her first sight of it. But Stan recounted that the home belonged to a Roach employee. So who knows?

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 30, 2008, 03:06 PM:

Very interesting information Mike ... love to hear that Vitaphone score!

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on October 31, 2008, 08:06 PM:

BUSINESS wasn't released with a Vitaphone track, only a beautifully arranged Gaylorde Carter score - Really magnificent and appropriate - I have alot of the silver-boxed ones

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on November 01, 2008, 10:01 AM:

Joe,

Could you verify about the silver box quality of those late Blackhawk releases?

It seems like they're Super 8 releases went a little downhill in the late 70's with the switch to a different film lab, but I've heard that the silver box editions, across the board, were superior.

Any comment?

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on November 01, 2008, 12:15 PM:

New negs. equals choice prints, and you never go wrong with silver medallion prints - Very sharp

Posted by Mike Tynus (Member # 1108) on November 01, 2008, 01:06 PM:

Joe,
No wonder I've never seen it! [Smile]

But thanks for verifying that it is not a Vitaphone track. I've always seen it referred to that way in various posts and sales ads. I'd love to hear that Carter score as well!

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on November 01, 2008, 10:51 PM:

It's nice to hear that Blackhawk went out on top, in matters of quality. Even in they're waning years, they're bad quality was above others best quality!

Now, lets go out and sell some Christmas Trees!

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on November 10, 2008, 05:11 PM:

....For anyone that might know this, the Italian IE released a version of Big Business-a very slightly abridged one,only with very minor details cut-. The score and effects they put in that version is very good to my opinion and,although I've also got the Blackhawk one,I enjoy more that IE version. Whoever happens to have that rare one would know what I'm saying...although it's a bit of nostalgia for me too,as it was one of my first buys back that hot summer of 1983,only 25 years ago....

Posted by Zechariah Sporre (Member # 2358) on January 05, 2013, 07:59 PM:

I have a Blackhawk Films green box copy which I hear aren't supposed to be usually as nice however my print is extremely sharp. I had even got a pink box copy at one point and watched them one after the other and decided to keep my green box one. I have to agree with others that it has a great sound track. This has to be one of my favorite of their silent films. Great slapstick humor and they don't even weary me with repeated humor. It's enjoyable from start to end. I heard they planned to continue more gags at futher homes but they just got going at Finlayson's home and never made it on.

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on January 06, 2013, 05:07 PM:

FYI -- Blackhawk released 2 versions of this title. The one with the music soundtrack (and restored original titles) is from the European negative taken from different camera angles. The music, howevere, is not a Gaylord Carter score, as mentioned above. The one with all Blackhawk main titles is from the American version with preferred camera angles.

Posted by Joseph Randall (Member # 4906) on December 27, 2016, 08:39 PM:

I just ran my Blackhawk print -- American version -- and while nice and sharp, it is printed a bit dark. My Blackhawk European version has superior picture quality.

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on December 27, 2016, 09:13 PM:

Osi... Who is Luearel?

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on December 28, 2016, 12:16 PM:

Twin brother of Laurel. [Smile]

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