8mm Forum: “Unaccustomed as We Are”....SILENT?

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Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 08, 2010, 10:05 AM:

There is yet another silent Blackhawk print of “Unaccustomed as We Are” on E-bay today. This is roughly the fourth one I've seen without seeing a sound print even once!

What is it about this film, that is famous for being Stan and Ollie’s first talkie, that it pops up silent all the time but never with sound?

Are there a herd of silent prints of “Steamboat Willie”, “The Jazz Singer” and flat prints of ”The Robe” to balance out the Universe?

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on March 08, 2010, 01:00 PM:

The discs weren't discovered until late 1979/80 before reconstruction began, Prints were limited, and scarce now to say the least (if not most), same with many other shuch films; shorts, etc

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 08, 2010, 01:37 PM:

Hi Joe,

So you're saying the day one of these shows up with sound it will be like throwing a steak in a tank full of Piranha Fish?

-another Fine Mess!

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on March 08, 2010, 06:46 PM:

No, sound prints of UAWA can be had. I have one.

I'm curious what Blackhawk cut out of the print for the silent version. According to the old catalogues, the length was closer to 300 feet than 400. The pics of the reels on eBay are always less than full, too.

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on March 08, 2010, 10:40 PM:

I was able to see a super 8 sound print some years ago when a friend played it for me and I can say I wasn't terribly impressed. The sound was rather scratchy (probably due to the condition of the discs) and the re-working of the story was better in "Blockheads". In "Blockheads" it literally plays like a 2-reeler and the budget and acting are much improved. It was interesting to see the original in sound, but I wouldn't lose sleep over not being able to own it in sound. The boys have much better shorts in their canon.

Posted by John W. Black (Member # 1082) on March 09, 2010, 12:00 AM:

Hal Roach issued their earliest sound films as sound and silent.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on March 09, 2010, 07:24 AM:

It was their first 'talkie', so mistakes were bound to be (technically anyway) - For the purist, it is a rare one and very desired to complete the run in their sound-short output

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 09, 2010, 07:57 AM:

I have "The Hoosegow" and although it's still a great short, it feels like they are still adjusting to the idea of having the sound track. Ones from a few years later have a much more natural feel.

I guess this one would be much the same.

Along the same lines, I picked up "Putting Pants on Phillip" last year. It is not a Blackhawk. It is technically pretty bad: more than once the frame line rolls up the screen (-brings me back to the days when TVs had a "vertical cont." knob!). However, It is what it is: the very first where L&H were together as a team.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on March 09, 2010, 09:26 AM:

PHILIP was, according to what Stan said, their first official team pairing, though they appeared in a few silents before that somewhat as a team, including my much-wanted Slipping Wives - BERTH MARKS and THEY GO BOOM also tread slowly over technicals in sound recording and adjustment - I feel PERFECT DAY was, as the adjective implies, perfect for 1929 and the start of top films to come - I'm surprised to hear about a non-Blackhawk PHILIP - Who released it?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 09, 2010, 01:54 PM:

I have two "Perfect Day"s, a Blackhawk and a Walton. The Blackhawk is a better print and in better shape. The Walton is a 200 footer and just the part outside where they reduce yet another Model T Ford to scrap metal.

It's a great film! To me it's one of the greatest of their reciprocal destruction stories.

I'm not sure who printed my "Phillip", but remember it being a British company. I found it on the Derann lists last year. I'll have to check when I get home.

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on March 09, 2010, 05:51 PM:

quote:
I was able to see a super 8 sound print some years ago when a friend played it for me and I can say I wasn't terribly impressed. The sound was rather scratchy (probably due to the condition of the discs) and the re-working of the story was better in "Blockheads". In "Blockheads" it literally plays like a 2-reeler and the budget and acting are much improved. It was interesting to see the original in sound, but I wouldn't lose sleep over not being able to own it in sound. The boys have much better shorts in their canon.

I respectfully disagree on several counts.

On my copy, the sound is great for 1929. Very acceptable even compared to later releases.

As far as the content, this is definitely one of the better L&H sound shorts. It has Thelma Todd and Mae Busch doing what they do best -- being sexy and shrewish, respectively. And it has Edgar Kennedy.

It is better than most of their early talkies. And it doesn't seem like a "first" talkie. BERTH MARKS, MEN O'WAR, and THEY GO BOOM are creakier -- if I didn't know better, I would think one of those was their first.

At one point in my lifetime, the soundtrack was considered lost.
The fact that that is no longer the case is an added treat.

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on March 09, 2010, 10:52 PM:

Hi Tony,
This is what's great about this hobby. Everyone gets something different out of each title. I would probably bid if the price was adequate and the sound was rated well - just to have it in the collection.

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