This is topic Films Of Laurel and Hardy in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.
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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on January 05, 2007, 11:36 PM:
Would anyone like to make a guess as to the following titles
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Posted by Robert Wales (Member # 502) on January 06, 2007, 12:29 AM:
A CHUMP AT OXFORD, SWISS MISS, HOG WILD, WRONG AGAIN,THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on January 06, 2007, 12:24 PM:
Spot on Robert
Here are a some more stills from the past
Liberty 1929
Leave Em Laughing 1928
Two Tars 1928
Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on January 06, 2007, 04:31 PM:
Graham,
This is a neat thread.
Just the picts alone
tell a glimpse of the story,
and it made me chuckle.
Michael
Posted by Peter Richards (Member # 738) on January 06, 2007, 04:38 PM:
Whats the one called when they were delivering a piano and had to get it up a huge flight of steps and they kept messing up and it would go flying back down.
I have not seen that one in years and always made me chuckle
hmmm,i'd like to get that one on Super 8
Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on January 06, 2007, 04:41 PM:
Peter,
It is The Music Box.
Be sure you find the
3 reel version which
runs close to 30 minutes.
Michael
Posted by Peter Richards (Member # 738) on January 06, 2007, 04:46 PM:
Thanks Michael,i'll be lookin' out for this one ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
Great thread,keep it going
Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on January 06, 2007, 05:19 PM:
Great views there guys on perhaps the greatest comdey duo ever.Andy.
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on January 06, 2007, 08:37 PM:
Michael
here are a couple more
Liberty 1929
Bonnie Scotland 1935
Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on January 07, 2007, 12:08 AM:
Graham,
Bonnie Scotland was programed
on Turner Classic Movies
Cable TV program recently.
I can't say if it was a mediocre
print or if the broadcast had
some intentional interference
because Turner has released a
double DVD set for sale of
Bonnie Scotland and The Devils Brother.
Anyway, as many times as I have seen
Bonnie Scotland, not to mention that
I have the Red Fox Print on 8mm,
(it has the complete MGM titles)
and a 16mm print too, which is
not as complete -
there I am watching it on TV.
It just delights me, and my wife
is yelling in the background
Can you clean-up around here?
You've got that, and seen it already!
Oh, honey it's almost over and it's
getting to the end soon.
I find the film Hilarious!
In that shot from Liberty,
I can just feel Stanley
holding onto dear life
by pulling Ollie's neck tie.
These two are always
going down, although they have
us soaring with laughter.
Incidentally, Blackhawk put
out two different sound versions
of Liberty in Super 8.
The first release has excellent
quality with Blackhawks own
wonderful sound track.
The latter release had the original
scored Vitaphone track with Sound
effects.
As good as they are, I remember
that the earlier print had improved
grading / timing with rich
theatrical quality, and the soundtrack
in some parts was improved over the
Vitaphone track.
The one aspect of the Vitaphone track
is that it has a montage in the beginning
with some patriotic music, and the chase
music,follows the mood in the film.
I wish that I held onto the earlier
sound version because it was worth
while.
Last but not least, it's always best
to watch the boys with a crowd and to
let loose and laugh out loud.
Michael
Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on January 07, 2007, 12:28 PM:
I have to agree with everything said about L & H. As much as I love and respect Chaplin, Keaton and the other greats, the very ordinariness of the situations in Laurel and Hardy's films always made for hilarious scenes out of next to nothing. I just got 'Blotto' in 16mm and the way Stan 'milks' the scene with the fake telegram delivery to himself is just genius.
I wish more younger folks would give such films a chance; they truly are timeless.
Best,
Claus Harding.
Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 07, 2007, 02:59 PM:
Claus,
It's all how they are raised:
My little boy is 8 months from Kindergarten and one of his favorites is "The Pianyo Movie" ("The Music Box").
My wife showed him a toy Piano in a catalog and asked "would you like to have that?". He said "Yes! I can push it up the stairs and let it slide back down!".
(My goodness! Have I so warped my only son???)
He's one of few in his demographic that knows the difference between a "Movie" and a "Video" as well.
Posted by Chris Quinn (Member # 129) on January 07, 2007, 03:11 PM:
My teenage son loves them too and that just shows how timeless they are. Gods of comedy that we will never see the like of again.
Chris.
Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on January 07, 2007, 07:49 PM:
Claus,
Speaking of the Blotto,
I love the moment when
Stan picks up the news paper
and is stumped by the type font
on page one.
It is not malicious, but his
reaction is genuine and funny.
Agreed, Chaplin had his
moments, but Stan and Ollie
never revealed their acting
abilities.
It was always seamless and
perfectly timed.
Michael
Posted by Peter Richards (Member # 738) on January 12, 2007, 01:10 PM:
I thought of another L&H that i would like to track down but the story is very vague but i remember it being winter and very cold outside,not sure if they were having trouble with there landlord but i remember Stan ended up hiding in a water barrel outside and drank the entire barrel.
I remember it being hilarious when he emerged,but i can't remeber the name of it.
Hopefully it will jog someones memory
It's a pity they don't show L&H on the T.V much these days ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on January 12, 2007, 01:20 PM:
Peter
Was that the one where Stan and Olly were down and outs, perhaps during the depression, and they knocked at the kitchen door of a house and asked the lady for food. She said "do you like cold rice pudding?" and when they said "why, yes Mam"! she said "well it's still hot at that moment, so come back in a couple of hours"!
I remember seeing that as a child and thinking it hilarious!
Mike ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on January 12, 2007, 06:21 PM:
Peter,
The title of the
L&H comedy short
when Stan drinks the
barrel of water is:Below Zero.
The Boys sing the song
In the Good Old Summertime.
The knocking on the door,
sounds as if it is from
One Good Turn.
But the rice pudding line
I don't remember. But it sure
sounds funny.
[ January 12, 2007, 11:31 PM: Message edited by: Michael De Angelis ]
Posted by Peter Richards (Member # 738) on January 12, 2007, 07:26 PM:
Many Thanks for that
I might go on a L&H rampage,any other must have shorts??
Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on January 12, 2007, 11:30 PM:
Well Peter,
That is an interesting question.
The first L&H collectables
in my library were:
L&H Murder Case,
Brats,
Busy Bodies,
Hog Wild and
The Music Box
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on January 13, 2007, 01:40 PM:
Peter
One other worth getting is "Two Tars" I have it as a Blackhawk Super8 400ft release. The print isn't the greatest but the content certainly is, still well worth having not sure if Two Tars was released by any other distributor with better print quality. Another little gem from Walton is "No Flys On Us" 200ft.
Graham
Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on March 08, 2007, 11:14 PM:
Laughing Gravy. For heaven's sake, all of you should have Laughing Gravy in your collection. I love it to death.
Posted by Joerg Polzfusz (Member # 602) on March 09, 2007, 04:07 AM:
Hi,
approx. 10-15 years ago several L&H-films got restored by the Kirch group and re-released in German cinemas. While watching those versions I noticed a lot of missing scenes in L&H Super8-/16mm-prints, e.g. "Big Business": All Super8-/16mm-prints that I've seen so far (UFA, Blackhawk, ...) start with L&H arriving at James Finlayson's house. But the restored version showed L&H unsuccessfully trying to sell their trees at at least one other house. Of course this longer version makes more sense since it's easier to understand why L&H are so frustated and already upset before meeting Mr. Finlayson.
The same applied to some other L&H short films (even though I forgot the other missing scenes): the Super8/16mm-prints always seemed to lack 1 to 2 minutes... .
And I haven't seen the extended version of "Pardon Us" on Super8/16mm as well.
Why is this? And are the missing scenes available as an "option" to be spliced into the shortened versions?
Jörg
Posted by Chris Smith (Member # 132) on March 09, 2007, 05:38 AM:
Hi Joerg,
I was rereading Randy Skretvedt's excellent Laurel and Hardy book just last night, and he mentioned, coincidentally on "Big Business", that most studios shot at least two camera negatives for silent films. This provided an original for the domestic (US)market and an original for the European market, as there was no adequate "copying" film stock yet available. "Prints from Big Business have many noticable differences." This may account for some of the variations you note. Also, Roach showed his comedies to a "preview" audience at a theatre--based on their reactions, the films would be reedited--a clipped scene here, extra scenes added, etc. I often wondered if the European prints were shipped out before the reediting took place.
Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 09, 2007, 05:51 AM:
My Blackhawk S8 "Big Business" (1x400') starts with the boys trying to sell their trees to a woman, and then to a door with a "no soliciting sign", which hides an arm and hand holding a hammer which hits Hardy on the head...twice!
-after that they move over to James Finlayson's.
I guess I'm at least closer to having the full deal!
Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on March 09, 2007, 08:25 AM:
I also have the BIG BUSINESS opening where they try selling trees elsewhere, it makes it all the more enjoyable with that delightful score Blackhawk added on and is timed beautifully - I fortunately have the LIBERTY Viataphone-scored version and it is a bit washed out though still very good - As a Son of the Desert member, I'm still after about a dozen of the sound shorts, yes Jan, I DO need LAUGHING GRAVY - They were my Mom's favorite, and were THE finest double-act to come out of film - Shorty
Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on March 09, 2007, 05:50 PM:
Jan,
Great to see you posting again.
I love the scene in Big Business
when they fail to make a sale,
and then they get back into the
car and start it up but only to
turn the corner and stop and at the
house that is next to the one that
they just had left from.
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 09, 2007, 08:21 PM:
Just for completelness, I would love to find a copy of "Atoll K"
(also called "Utopia") It was the last film the two made and granted, it's certianly not prime Laurel and Hardy), there's a lot of dubbing in it from the foreign actors, but there are some good moments. ( A little editing would help the picture as well).
I have seen prints of this on Super 8 out there, and even though it's a lacklustre L&H film, it still gets top dollar,
(no doubt, mostly because of it's rarity on Super 8mm)
Posted by Joerg Polzfusz (Member # 602) on March 11, 2007, 05:44 PM:
Thank you very much for the info. Sounds like the Blackhawk's version of "Big Business" is much longer than the UFA-version (with its terrible German dubbing) then.
BTW: Approx. 10-15 years ago Andec was even selling a colourized print of an L&H-film (I forgot it's name ) for approx. 150DM. Since the film was unstriped + I didn't have much money at that time + I didn't like the colourized versions shown on TV, I didn't bought a print... this was probably a mistake since I haven't seen any colourized Super8-print ever since...
Jörg
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on March 11, 2007, 08:01 PM:
Joerg
I have watched colourized versions of "Way Out West" and "The Music Box" on DVD, thankfully I have never seen it on film, colourising does not look right. I would rather watch a film as it was originally shot, and screened, not artificially modified on a computor.
Graham
Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on March 11, 2007, 10:26 PM:
Agreed,
Colorization has had a
terrible effect on B&W Films.
Joerg,
If you do remember the name of the
colorized 8mm L&H film that Andec released,
please inform us here on the Forum.
Just some background on March of the Wooden
Soldiers is that when Good Times Video
originally released the first colorized
version around 15 years ago,
I was dubious of the content and resentful that
companies were mining gold in
films that were perfectly suited
in B&W.
However knowing that it was Stan's
wish for Babes in Toyland to be
shot in color, I took a chance at the colorized
video version and agreed that it was done very
well at the time. Even better than most
colorized movies.
It was also good to see that
the mouse character that constantly
feuds with the Cat and the Fiddle
is actually Mickey Mouse. Because his
knickers are red with yellow buttons.
Walt Disney's association with the
Boys and Hal Roach was very generous
to the making of this film.
Think about it for a moment,that
every time the Three Little Pigs
are featured, their theme song is
played in the film. Thus,it is without
a doubt this song is copyrighted by
Disney.
Stan and Ollies original characters
were originally to be Simple Simon
and the Pieman, but instead they
became Ollie Dee and Stannie Dum,
as a spin off of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.
In the color '38 Silly Symphony Cartoon
Mother Goose Goes Hollywood
Disney has both Stan and Ollie
as Simon and the Pieman.
This too a Derann release.
Now from what I had learned, there
is recent video colorized release of
March of the Wooden Soldiers that has both the
colorized and B&W versions on a DVD.
Plus, this new release uses an improved
method of colorization that goes beyond
the earlier days of this medium.
Some Three Stooges videos have also been
made with this new process, and the
discs include the B&W original forms too.
If anyone has March of the Wooden Soldiers
and Mother Goose Goes Hollywood on 8mm film,
it make for a nice Film presentation with
invited guests.
Posted by Joerg Polzfusz (Member # 602) on March 12, 2007, 05:38 AM:
If I recall correctly, the film (and the German title) was revering to Sea and/or Sailors, so it's most likely "Saps At Sea" (or "Atoll K", "Sailors, Beware", "Men O'War", "Any Old Port!"... *sigh* too many possibilities!)
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 12, 2007, 09:54 AM:
Hey folks! Did you know that someone is selling an actual 35mm Laurel & hardy short SCRAM on ebay today? (11 hours left, american ebay.)
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on March 23, 2007, 04:47 AM:
Last week a friend of mine very kindly gave me a classic Laurel and Hardy poster collection here is one a "Studio Publicity Shot" did this ever appear in one of there films?
Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 23, 2007, 11:53 AM:
I got a nice Blackhawk print of "Dirty Work" yesterday. The only odd thing I noticed was a bubbling sound during the opening titles behind the theme music. Is this foreshadowing the bubbling in Professor Noodle's lab or is it just something goofy in my sound track?
Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on March 23, 2007, 04:15 PM:
No Steve, the bubbling you hear is part of what the original titles were like; A test tube, or beaker bubbling up and down as the credits rolled - Many of the original titles on many shorts contain inventive creations - The Chimp has clowns turning a trampoline over and back revealing the credits - So, that bubbling is part of a great series of titles, now on 16mm originals and hopefully restored to DVD - Shorty
Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 23, 2007, 05:15 PM:
Very Good, Joe.
Thanks, that makes the print even better!
Funny thing, too! I told my mom about it being a story about two inept chimney sweeps and it reminded her of when two sweeps from the company she did the payroll for ran a huge vacuum cleaner hose down through a basement window and accidentally sucked up (...and destroyed!) an entire load of a client's laundry.
-surely a moment worthy of Stan and Ollie!
(Reality mirrors fiction once again!)
Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on March 23, 2007, 05:25 PM:
Graham,
The studio publicity picture
represents the boys in their
1940 Feature: A Chump at Oxford.
This image was not in either the
42 minute American release or
the 63 minute European release.
However both versions were released
simultaneously.
It is too bad that some of the
beginning animated
title openings had been cut from
the Blackhawk 8mm releases.
Busy Bodies begins with a
Circular Buzz Saw Blade cutting
into the Main titles
transitioning between title cards
with wood chips trailing behind the
blade. Fortunately, the short does end
with this effect in the Blackhawk 8mm prints.
As Shorty Caruso had mentioned, the Dirty Work
titles transition up and down with
the bubble sound effects.
The Midnight Patrol has most of
the Windshield Wiper opening titles intact.
Helpmates had Wallpaper rolling back
between transitions as it peeled away
the layers of a house interior.
The Chimp has two clowns holding a
trampoline hoop, with the center
of the hoop peeling away a transition
to the following title. The sequence ends
as it peels away to expose the first
shot of the story as the camera
moves in on the circus.
The diagonal transiton wipes that
are throughout The Music Box begin
with the MGM Lion, and end
with the final "The End" title.
This is significant
to the aethetics of the story - a
slope which represents those 131 steps.
Many of the introductory gag titles
were also removed when the films
were re-released to theatres years
after the original theatrical runs.
Special thanks to the
British and German DVD companies that released
material that has not been viewed in
many years.
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