Topic: NEWS: Thelma Todd & Zasu Pitts: The Hal Roach Collection 1931-33

[falsealarms]

A complete "restored" collection of Hal Roach shorts starring Thelma Todd & Zasu Pitts is set to be released on DVD on Oct. 9, 2018.

It's coming out through Kit Parker Films. That's the same company that produced the recent Charley Chase Roach set.

I'm told the Todd/Pitts set includes films from 1931-33, not 1931-32 as currently listed on Amazon. That should be corrected soon.

PRE-ORDER: https://amzn.to/2M3u3U0

These sexy, pre-code two-reel comedies showcasing Thelma Todd's timeless beauty and impeccable comedic ability. that wowed audiences during the Depression, tickling their funny bones as well. The vivacious, talented, and lovely Thelma Todd was Hal Roach's top female comedian, who in her short 29-year lifetime graced over 100 films. This collection brings together all of the films from her collaboration with Zasu Pitts, a veteran character actress with wonderful comedy timing and delightful comedic gestures who proves a fine comic foil for the blonde beauty.

These two-reel short comedies also feature the wonderful Hal Roach stock company of comedians: Billy Gilbert, James C. Morton, Charlie Hall, Anita Garvin, Bud Jamison, and others, as well as special collaborations with other top Hal Roach stars like Laurel and Hardy and Charley Chase.

The shorts:

1931: Let's Do Things, Catch-As Catch-Can, The Pajama Party, War Mamas, On The Loose

1932: Sealskins, Red Noses, Strictly Unreliable, The Old Bull, Show Business, Alum and Eve, The Soilers, Sneak Easily

1933: Asleep In the Feet, Maids a La Mode, The Bargain of the Century, One Track Minds

Bonus features include:

Stills and poster gallery, Restored from the original negatives, Commentaries by Richard M. Roberts, Randy Skretvedt, Brent Walker and Robert Farr

[Umbrella Sam]

I wonder if it’s just a coincidence that this company and the other company decided to release their DVD sets in the same year?

[metaldams]

Pre ordered, and great news!

[falsealarms]

Here's a nice review of the upcoming set:

https://thrillingdaysofyesteryear.wordpress.com/2018/09/26/thanks-to-you-skies-are-blue/

[metaldams]

Amazon just shipped my copy today, I'll be pitching in my thoughts soon.

[falsealarms]

Amazon just shipped my copy today, I'll be pitching in my thoughts soon.

Look forward to it.

My set surprisingly came Sunday. I was stunned to see it - it shipped Friday with an expected Tuesday delivery.

Of the 17 shorts in this set, I think I've seen only maybe 6 before. I've watched the first two, LET'S DO THINGS and CATCH AS CATCH CAN. Both were new to me. I don't usually prefer the Roach three-reelers but LET'S DO THINGS works pretty well. There's some song and dance to pad the run time but it's mostly fun song and dance. Thelma really shines in the short. She has a particularly fun scene while out on a double date with ZaSu.

CATCH AS CATCH CAN is a slight step down but it's still a fun short capped by a night at the fights. There's some nice bits while Thelma and ZaSu are in the crowd. Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, perhaps best known here for working with Shemp in the Glove Slingers series, co-stars as the wrestler. Billy Gilbert has a nice turn as the ring announcer.

The shorts on this set were digitally restored from the original negatives by the highly respected Paul E. Gierucki and Cinemuseum. The first two shorts looked and sounded quite good other than a few blink and you miss it blackouts in CATCH AS CATCH CAN.

[falsealarms]

I've finished the Pitts-Todd from Sprocket Vault. Some thoughts...

Overall, the hits comfortably outnumbered the misses. Of the 17 shorts on the set, I thought only three really missed the mark for one reason or another... pacing, bad story, bad acting or a combination. War Mamas (1931), Pajama Party (1931) and Red Noses (1932) didn't do much for me. Red Noses was particularly bizarre. They even break out vibrators! Besides those three, everything else was at least decent with most being better than that.

There were a few instances of really blatant rear projection work - arguably worse than what you see in Laurel & Hardy's County Hospital - but it doesn't detract from the fun too much.

The Jules White directed Show Business (1932) was a fun short. But the remake, A Pain in the Pullman (1936), was a tad better. The supporting cast was stronger in the remake. The roles Monte Collins and Anita Garvin had in the original were done a bit better by Bud Jamison and James C. Morton in the remake. Plus, Hilda Title added another element of fun to Pullman.

By the late 1932 releases, the Pitts/Todd series had really found its sweet spot on a consistent basis. The last five shorts released - The Soilers, Sneak Easily, Asleep in the Feet, Maids A La Mode, The Bargain of the Century and One Track Minds - rate among the best of the 17 shorts on the set. Asleep in the Feet and The Bargain of the Century can compete with any two-reeler of the period. Todd has some outstanding facial expressions/reactions in Asleep in the Feet. Bobby Burns gets a larger than usual role in Sneak Easily and does quite well with it.

The quality of their final shorts makes one regret the series didn't keep going but the Todd-Kelly shorts are a lot fun in their own right. Todd and Pitts or Todd and Kelly are kind of like the Stooges with Curly or the Stooges with Shemp. You can't lose with either.

Bret Wood has a nice article on the Todd-Pitts pairing at TCM. Of note, the Pitts/Todd "grossed an average of $71,139.36, which was neck-and-neck with Charley Chase, and significantly out-performing the Our Gang films." More can be read at https://bit.ly/2JbbTza.

The audio/video quality is very strong across the board. On The Loose (an early highlight) and The Soilers in particular look like they were shot last week.

This set is basically a dream come true for fans of two-reel comedies. To think we've gotten a set of Roach Chase shorts and all the Todd-Pitts-Kelly in the first 10 months this year is amazing. Keep it coming.....

[metaldams]

Did you say......vibrators?  I've seen some interesting pre-code stuff in my day, but that might win the prize.

You really wet my appetite for this, False.  My copy did arrive, and starting November I shall dig in.  Delaying it because of my goal to juggle 31 horror films in October along with the World Series.  A Jules White directed PAIN IN THE PULLMAN precursor also sounds fascinating!

[falsealarms]

You have more willpower than I do if you've been able to keep yourself from delving into the set.

Here's a fascinating find - it's only a few seconds at the end, but a radio announcement of Thelma Todd's death: https://soundcloud.com/vitaphone/04-rose-bowl-todd-transcription

[Umbrella Sam]

You have more willpower than I do if you've been able to keep yourself from delving into the set.

Here's a fascinating find - it's only a few seconds at the end, but a radio announcement of Thelma Todd's death: https://soundcloud.com/vitaphone/04-rose-bowl-todd-transcription

Interesting find. Did they usually announce celebrity deaths on radio back then, or was Todd so popular that it was one of the few deaths they felt was worth mentioning?

[falsealarms]

Interesting find. Did they usually announce celebrity deaths on radio back then, or was Todd so popular that it was one of the few deaths they felt was worth mentioning?

I'm not an expert on such things but would guess breaking news like celebrity deaths did often merit an announcement.

[Tony Bensley]

What strikes me odd about this recording is the Tournament of Roses Parade is a New Year's Day thing, but Thelma Todd was found dead December 16.

CHEERS! 

[falsealarms]

DVD Talk review, which accurately refers to the set as an "absolute must."

https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/73426/thelma-todd-zasu-pitts-the-hal-roach-collection-1931-33/

[metaldams]

Working my way through the shorts and commentaries (I watch the commentaries right after the shorts), and am enjoying the heck out of it.  Some shorts are great, some are just OK, all are interesting.  I wonder if Zasu influenced Olive Oil in any way.  Her voice and mumblings are similar and I individually like both her and Thelma as characters.  Both were established before teaming up, Zasu to the point where she worked with Erich Von Stroheim in GREED.  That's decidedly not a comedy and what I'm most familiar with that Zasu was in before watching this set.

There is the whole masculine/feminine debate and whether girls doing this slapstick works the same way as say, Laurel and Hardy.  I'm kind of on the fence about it as to the humor, but as actresses, they sure volunteered to do it.  Still, something like ON THE LOOSE combines the slapstick with them still being young girls being taken out by guys, which works quite well.  A short like THE OLD BULL could be done by any male comedy team.

The last short I've watched as of this writing is SHOW BUSINESS, the aforementioned original version of A PAIN IN THE PULLMAN which I think every Stooge fan should see.  Back to the masculine/feminine thing.  There's no part like Curly flirting with a sleeping Phyllis Crane, but Curly also didn't get a mistaken identity dress leading into a negligee scene like Thelma Todd either, thank God.    Didn't Thelma wear the same thing in Keaton's SPEAK EASILY?  The fact I'm pondering such a thing is good for my next trip on the couch. . Anywho, Anita Garvin is a lot of fun in an over the top role and being a Jules White film, we get a monkey and Monte Collins.

Cool set so far!

[falsealarms]

Working my way through the shorts and commentaries (I watch the commentaries right after the shorts), and am enjoying the heck out of it.  Some shorts are great, some are just OK, all are interesting.  I wonder if Zasu influenced Olive Oil in any way.  Her voice and mumblings are similar and I individually like both her and Thelma as characters.  Both were established before teaming up, Zasu to the point where she worked with Erich Von Stroheim in GREED.  That's decidedly not a comedy and what I'm most familiar with that Zasu was in before watching this set.

There is the whole masculine/feminine debate and whether girls doing this slapstick works the same way as say, Laurel and Hardy.  I'm kind of on the fence about it as to the humor, but as actresses, they sure volunteered to do it.  Still, something like ON THE LOOSE combines the slapstick with them still being young girls being taken out by guys, which works quite well.  A short like THE OLD BULL could be done by any male comedy team.

The last short I've watched as of this writing is SHOW BUSINESS, the aforementioned original version of A PAIN IN THE PULLMAN which I think every Stooge fan should see.  Back to the masculine/feminine thing.  There's no part like Curly flirting with a sleeping Phyllis Crane, but Curly also didn't get a mistaken identity dress leading into a negligee scene like Thelma Todd either, thank God.    Didn't Thelma wear the same thing in Keaton's SPEAK EASILY?  The fact I'm pondering such a thing is good for my next trip on the couch. . Anywho, Anita Garvin is a lot of fun in an over the top role and being a Jules White film, we get a monkey and Monte Collins.

Cool set so far!

I also thought of Olive Oyl with some of Zasu's mumblings and mannerisms. In a short later on the set - probably the best one on it - you'll be thinking of another 1930s cartoon character with Zasu.

Of the shorts you've watched so far, which ones do you think were great and just OK?

[metaldams]

I also thought of Olive Oyl with some of Zasu's mumblings and mannerisms. In a short later on the set - probably the best one on it - you'll be thinking of another 1930s cartoon character with Zasu.

Of the shorts you've watched so far, which ones do you think were great and just OK?

I watched these shorts in pretty quick order one time for the first time, so I wouldn't say I have them individualized in my head yet.  If I don't mention a short, just call it middle of the pack.  As of this writing, I've watched all the 1931 and 1932 shorts.

I may end up agreeing with you that the shorts get better.  ALUM AND EVE was pretty high energy and the whole idea of being mistaken as a mad dog in a hospital chase has FROM NURSE TO WORSE written all over it.  THE SOILERS is excellent.  Love Thelma and Zasu as overzealous salesgirls and James C. Morton and Bud Jamison are both awesome here.  As I mentioned, I really enjoy ON THE LOOSE and WAR MAMAS is an early example of when the men still did more slapstick.  I think CATCH-AS-CATCH-CAN is a good comedy but much of the short focused on other characters - it's as if they didn't know what to do with Thelma and Zasu yet.  THE OLD BULL was a weaker one, especially the ending.

As far as RED NOSES, I was completely distracted by the fact Thelma was obviously not wearing a bra.  I have never seen an old Hollywood starlet flaunt her looks in as many films as Thelma, and it's not like she had to do that to get by, she definitely had a lot of talent.  But hey, sex sells, and Roach and Thelma knew that.

[metaldams]

Finished the set, very enjoyable!  Looking forward to the future Charley Chase volumes.

I have seen Zasu Pitts in something else....MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH.  I haven't seen it since it was in TCM when W.C. Fields was star of the month, which was around 2000 or 2001....a real long time ago.  A melodrama with bits of comedy thrown in and since I have it on DVD in an 18 film Fields set and am fresh off a Zasu run, I'm plenty due for another viewing.

[falsealarms]

Finished the set, very enjoyable!  Looking forward to the future Charley Chase volumes.

I have seen Zasu Pitts in something else....MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH.  I haven't seen it since it was in TCM when W.C. Fields was star of the month, which was around 2000 or 2001....a real long time ago.  A melodrama with bits of comedy thrown in and since I have it on DVD in an 18 film Fields set and am fresh off a Zasu run, I'm plenty due for another viewing.

What did you think of ASLEEP IN THE FEET? Personally, it's my pick for the set's best though there are several other good choices as well. The short is just so much fun, and you have to love Zasu channeling Betty Boop with the Boop Boop a Doop's.

You can see Pitts in IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD - her last film role.

[metaldams]

What did you think of ASLEEP IN THE FEET? Personally, it's my pick for the set's best though there are several other good choices as well. The short is just so much fun, and you have to love Zasu channeling Betty Boop with the Boop Boop a Doop's.

You can see Pitts in IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD - her last film role.

Very good short.  Nice seeing Spanky.  CHOO-CHOO! might be my favorite Our Gang film, so seeing a very young Spanky on a train is cool.  Love the Von Stroheim parody, Thelma getting upset with him before she realizes she needs to impress him for her career, and Billy Gilbert.  Billy Gilbert in general is in a ton of these shorts and it's so fun watching him explode.  LOL

Just random, and it's been years since I've seen it, but if you've never seen Joe E. Brown's BROADMINDED, hunt it down.  It's got Brown, Thelma Todd, Marjorie White, and a fresh from Dracula Bela Lugosi doing comedy really well.  Gotta love that cast, though 1935 wasn't kind to the ladies.

[Umbrella Sam]

I wonder if Zasu influenced Olive Oil in any way.  Her voice and mumblings are similar and I individually like both her and Thelma as characters.

What did you think of ASLEEP IN THE FEET? Personally, it's my pick for the set's best though there are several other good choices as well. The short is just so much fun, and you have to love Zasu channeling Betty Boop with the Boop Boop a Doop's.

You can see Pitts in IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD - her last film role.

Mae Questel, the voice of Olive Oyl, often said that she based her voice off of Pitts (Questel was also the main voice for Betty Boop). Zasu also appeared with Buster Keaton in at least one TV appearance, on an episode of SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE.

Does anyone know if Pitts liked doing comedy? She seemed to be a natural at it judging from the few films I’ve seen her in, though I am aware that she had some dramatic parts in Erich von Stroheim films early in her career.

[falsealarms]

Vanity Fair with a really well done piece on the release:

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/11/thelma-todd-zasu-pitts-female-comedy-team-old-hollywood?fbclid=IwAR3aKiszLhsM_YAHQYsA2OC3ArYzqpL7MOqRmk0EeVVZcpOH8-TjDytjOj0