Topic: Elusive Laurel and Hardy dvds..

[ThumpTheShoes]

Does anyone here have a copy of the Spanish dvd release of "De Bote en Bote", L&H's phonetic version of "Pardon Us"? I seem to have missed this one when it went on sale for 27 and 1/2 minutes back in 2008 or so. It was part of a 12 disc set called "Laurel and Hardy: La Coleccion Definitiva", and it supposedly has the best copy of that film to date.

I'd be interested in either a copy of the single disc or just buying the whole 12 disc set if someone wanted to get rid of it?

Or maybe a dub of the TCM airing?

Got a lot to trade for, including the rare Agee set of Laurel and Hardy's "Lost" films (includes the otherwise unreleased "Cuckoo" documentary).

Thank y'all!

[Mark The Shark]

I would like to have this too. I stumbled on it almost by accident once a few years ago when I found a listing for it on some website from Spain, and when I discovered it, it was already sold out.

Did this air on TCM? If it did, I missed it. I know it was shown on American Movie Classics back in the 1990s, only one time if I remember correctly. Not only that, IIRC it didn't run at the time it was scheduled, it was delayed that night (or I messed up, which is more likely). And this was back in the VHS days, so I attempted to "time-record" it and messed up.

I know the fire scene from the ending was included as an extra somewhere, I think on the German DVD set.

One odd thing I remember: I picked up a VHS copy of this many years ago from A-1 Video (run by Alex Bartosh). The transfer was OK, not great, and had the A-1 Video logo in the corner throughout. But this really threw me: the print used had Film Classics titles with the plaque, with "Stan Laurel y Oliver Hardy." This means at some point in time (1940s?) this was either re-released by Film Classics or was going to be re-released; either way, they made a reissue intro for it. But weren't those Spanish Hal Roach films found in a vault at M-G-M in the 1980s?

I'm still not clear on why this didn't make the "Essential Collection." I vaguely recall reading some cryptic comments about some kind of legal issues. Maybe this came from some other source different from the "usual suspects?"

[ThumpTheShoes]

I'm still not clear on why this didn't make the "Essential Collection." I vaguely recall reading some cryptic comments about some kind of legal issues. Maybe this came from some other source different from the "usual suspects?"

Space issues. The set had been planned, and to add "De Bote en Bote" would have meant another disc and more expense. The fire scene was restored to "Pardon Us" in  the Essential Collection with some new dubbing and music added to pad the edit, and included as a separate 1-reel extra in the German, 21 disc set.

I actually did try to order the A1 video, but they ignored my inquiries. I'm guessing that whole outfit is just gone by now.

I've have run across the 29-disc, Planet Deagostini dvd set which includes "De Bote en Bote", but only from Portuguese-based merchant sites that don't make life easy and use PayPal. That mega-set falls under the names Laurel Y Hardy, Gordo Y Flaco and Bucha e Estica Coleção (collection).

Maybe it'll turn up again one day on EPay. A crap-quality file is available on archive dot org, so that's good enough for the interim.

[metaldams]

These foreign language versions have some interesting stuff at times.  I remember the Spanish version of CHICKENS COME HOME being an hour long and having some strange and entertaining variety show type stuff, and I think Symona Boniface pops up in one of these that I recall, I want to say the Spanish version of BLOTTO.  She sits down on a wet seat and gets her dress all wet.  Don't have much to add on the Spanish PARDON US other then to say I would love to see it.

Going through those early shorts yesterday, I was reminded of that existing reel of NOW I'LL TELL ONE.  I have been doing research and can't seem to find it on DVD.  Do any of you guys know if it's been released?

[Mark The Shark]

These foreign language versions have some interesting stuff at times.  I remember the Spanish version of CHICKENS COME HOME being an hour long and having some strange and entertaining variety show type stuff, and I think Symona Boniface pops up in one of these that I recall, I want to say the Spanish version of BLOTTO.  She sits down on a wet seat and gets her dress all wet.  Don't have much to add on the Spanish PARDON US other then to say I would love to see it.

Going through those early shorts yesterday, I was reminded of that existing reel of NOW I'LL TELL ONE.  I have been doing research and can't seem to find it on DVD.  Do any of you guys know if it's been released?

IIRC it came out on an internet-only DVD from an outlet called LOOSER THAN LOOSE, run by someone from the Sons Of The Desert organiztion. Don't know if it's still available.

[metaldams]

IIRC it came out on an internet-only DVD from an outlet called LOOSER THAN LOOSE, run by someone from the Sons Of The Desert organiztion. Don't know if it's still available.

Oh, yeah, I remember that company, though I never bought anything from them.  I'll have to look that DVD up, thanks.

[BeAStooge]

Oh, yeah, I remember that company, though I never bought anything from them.  I'll have to look that DVD up, thanks.

Dave Stevenson closed "Looser Than Loose" effective 12/31/14. 

All LTL titles were professionally transferred from the best available 16mm prints, and were rights-cleared.  Unfortunately, too many took advantage by duplicating his discs and selling on the grey-market.

[metaldams]

Dave Stevenson closed "Looser Than Loose" effective 12/31/14. 

All LTL titles were professionally transferred from the best available 16mm prints, and were rights-cleared.  Unfortunately, too many took advantage by duplicating his discs and selling on the grey-market.

Ah, too bad! Thanks for the tip.  I'll look around anyway and if I see a good price on the used market one of these days, I'll bite.