Moronika
General Boards => Stooges DVD/VHS/Home Video => Topic started by: falsealarms on November 18, 2020, 08:19:22 PM
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Flicker Alley is releasing a set of early solo films with Stan Laurel or Oliver Hardy.
Seems like an interesting set. Has anyone seen any of these shorts before? List below...
https://www.flickeralley.com/classic-movies-2/#!/Laurel-or-Hardy-Early-Films-of-Stan-Laurel-and-Oliver-Hardy/p/256746838/category=20414531
DELUXE 2-DISC BLU-RAY EDITION
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER ONLY
RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 12TH, 2021
Laurel or Hardy: Early Films of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy traces the roots of the legendary comedy duo by offering fans a two-disc set of 35 newly restored films starring either Stan Laurel or Oliver Hardy—all produced before the two genius talents ever joined forces.
Laurel and Hardy became cinematic legends together, but before they were ever hauling pianos or throwing pies as a hilarious and unforgettable comedic duo, each had to develop as an individual artist and performer. Laurel or Hardy: Early Films of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, as proudly presented by Flicker Alley, the Library of Congress, and Blackhawk Films®, offers fans new and old the rare opportunity to track the early solo careers of two comedy icons. Featuring all new 2K restorations sourced from materials contributed by archives and collectors around the world, this comprehensive 2-disc Blu-ray collection features 35 films and includes new scores from some of the best silent film composers working today.
Arthur Stanley Jefferson comes from the British vaudeville scene, and was at one time Chaplin's understudy. Oliver Norvell Hardy, a comedian born on film, worked steadily for years in Hollywood and built his notoriety in over 300 roles. Although the two had different styles and came from distinct backgrounds, they followed similar creative paths, each marked with trials, errors, successes, and the occasional strokes of genius. Along the way, they made millions of people laugh, offering ample evidence of the incredible individual talents that would eventually merge together to create one of the greatest comedy duos in all of film history.
Stan Laurel Films:
Bears and Bad Men (1918); The Egg (1922); A Weak-End Party (1922); The Pest (1922); When Knights Were Cold (1923); The Handy Man (1923); Pick and Shovel (1923); Collars and Cuffs (1923); Gas and Air (1923); A Man About Town (1923); The Whole Truth (1923); Brothers Under the Chin (1924); Zeb Vs. Paprika (1924); Wide Open Spaces (1924); Detained (1924); Twins (1925); Pie-Eyed (1925)
Oliver Hardy Films:
Mother's Baby Boy (1914); The Servant Girl's Legacy (1914); An Expensive Visit (1915); A Lucky Strike (1915); The New Adventures of J. Rufus Wallingford: The Lilac Splash (1915); The Serenade (1916); Hungry Hearts (1916); The Candy Trail (1916); The Chief Cook (1917); Hello Trouble (1918); Married to Order (1918); He's In Again (1918); The Rent Collector (1921); The Bakery (1921); The Show (1922); Rivals (1925); Wandering Papas (1926); Say It With Babies (1926)
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Image Gallery — Slideshow presentation featuring photographs from the Library of Congress collections.
Collector’s Edition Souvenir Booklet — Limited edition booklet with film notes from film historian Rob Stone, as well as notes on the restoration from Lobster Film’s Serge Bromberg.
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Uh, yeah, this is a no brainer. Time to lighten up the bank account.
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Uh, yeah, this is a no brainer. Time to lighten up the bank account.
Are you familiar with any of these films? I suppose it doesn't matter with a set like this, but my interest is piqued too. New film discoveries can be a lot of fun. Their careers prior to their run together is an area I haven't dived too much into yet.
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Are you familiar with any of these films? I suppose it doesn't matter with a set like this, but my interest is piqued too. New film discoveries can be a lot of fun. Their careers prior to their run together is an area I haven't dived too much into yet.
Most of them, no. The great thing is I have two sets of pretty extensive Stan Laurel solo collections (the Slapstick Symposium DVDs) and there seems to be very little repeat. I’d have to double check, but out of that list of films, the only one I know off the top of my head I definitely have is Zeb Vs. Paprika.
Of the the Ollie films, the majority are not familiar titles and the ones that are happen to be Larry Semon films. I’m sure the prints here are much better than the run down copies I have.
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That sounds like a good collection. I believe I heard about this in a Laurel and Hardy podcast. I know Oliver Hardy mostly played a supporting actor before the team, so I'm hoping he is prominently featured in this.
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Wow, that trailer shot of Stan Laurel is pretty cruel! Stan electrocutes a man to death, and laughs about it! It's actually funny.
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I think this saw an early release on French DVD earlier this year. Great to see a set-in-stone U.S. release date.
One of the more notable inclusions here is BROTHERS UNDER THE CHIN, which I believe was the only lost film of Stan's second round of solo Roach work (1923-24) for a long time. Of his first round of solo Roach work (1918-19), I think two of the five are still missing.
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Has anyone gotten this yet? Would be curious to hear of any thoughts.
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Has anyone gotten this yet? Would be curious to hear of any thoughts.
According to Amazon, my copy is arriving on Wednesday.
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Interesting podcast about this release:
https://anchor.fm/laurelandhardyblog/episodes/Bonus-Blogcast---Laurel-OR-Hardy-Blu-ray-Release-with-Rob-Stone-epq03c
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Interesting podcast about this release:
https://anchor.fm/laurelandhardyblog/episodes/Bonus-Blogcast---Laurel-OR-Hardy-Blu-ray-Release-with-Rob-Stone-epq03c
I’ll try to listen to that this weekend. I have been busy and only have watched the first three shorts so far. They look as good as can be expected and the Larry Semon that opens the set is hysterical.
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Just got through the entire set - it’s awesome. The Laurel disc compliments the Hardy disc very well. Since Laurel was the star in all but one of these films, (if I’m not mistaken) you really see him through different phases, blossoming into what he would become with Ollie. I like the one reelers he did at Roach where he’d have a set up like a laundromat, a mine, or an orange grove and just build crazy slapstick off of it. Good stuff. With Hardy, he starts as a star and becomes a supporting player so we get more of a variety of comic styles. Charley Chase, Billy West and Larry Semon feature prominently on the Hardy disc and it’s a pleasure to watch.
As hinted at in the podcast linked above, this set compliments the DVD sets released by Lobster roughly 15 years ago. I think there are only three or four repeats and that’s only because of either better restorations or more footage, I gather. So yes, a really awesome set overall.
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Just got through the entire set - it’s awesome. The Laurel disc compliments the Hardy disc very well. Since Laurel was the star in all but one of these films, (if I’m not mistaken) you really see him through different phases, blossoming into what he would become with Ollie. I like the one reelers he did at Roach where he’d have a set up like a laundromat, a mine, or an orange grove and just build crazy slapstick off of it. Good stuff. With Hardy, he starts as a star and becomes a supporting player so we get more of a variety of comic styles. Charley Chase, Billy West and Larry Semon feature prominently on the Hardy disc and it’s a pleasure to watch.
As hinted at in the podcast linked above, this set compliments the DVD sets released by Lobster roughly 15 years ago. I think there are only three or four repeats and that’s only because of either better restorations or more footage, I gather. So yes, a really awesome set overall.
Would you put any of these solo Laurel / Hardy shorts among the best silent shorts you've seen from the teens-mid 20's?
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Would you put any of these solo Laurel / Hardy shorts among the best silent shorts you've seen from the teens-mid 20's?
They’re very good. I don’t know about among the best, but very good. The Hardy and Laurel shorts with Semon are among the best from a spectacle point of view. The Clyde Cook short Hardy is in that Laurel directs has a great train chase at the end. Like I mentioned above, the Laurel Roach one reelers tend to stand out for their use of rooms and props for creating funny slapstick.
These shorts for the most part are very entertaining, without comparing them to others.
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They’re very good. I don’t know about among the best, but very good. The Hardy and Laurel shorts with Semon are among the best from a spectacle point of view. The Clyde Cook short Hardy is in that Laurel directs has a great train chase at the end. Like I mentioned above, the Laurel Roach one reelers tend to stand out for their use of rooms and props for creating funny slapstick.
These shorts for the most part are very entertaining, without comparing them to others.
What was the interior packaging like for this?
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Fascinating entry from locations expert John Bengston: https://silentlocations.com/2021/02/06/incredible-new-laurel-or-hardy-film-collection/
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What was the interior packaging like for this?
Like this
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Like this
Thanks. I hate seeing the discs put like that - almost bad as stacking. Ideally, one hub would be on each side of the inner case. The booklet looks nice, though.
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I think Laurel’s When Knights Were Cold is one of the top five best silent comedies I’ve seen, even in it’s truncated form. And The Chief Cook certainly deserves some kind of award for Best Semi-Nude Bathtub Scene by an Actress in a Silent Comedy.
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I think Laurel’s When Knights Were Cold is one of the top five best silent comedies I’ve seen, even in it’s truncated form. And The Chief Cook certainly deserves some kind of award for Best Semi-Nude Bathtub Scene by an Actress in a Silent Comedy.
Yes, there’s the brief bathtub nipple shot. I insist there’s one in Keaton’s ONE WEEK as well.
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I think Laurel’s When Knights Were Cold is one of the top five best silent comedies I’ve seen, even in it’s truncated form. And The Chief Cook certainly deserves some kind of award for Best Semi-Nude Bathtub Scene by an Actress in a Silent Comedy.
...and WHEN KNIGHTS WERE COLD, that’s the one where they do the horse chase Monty Python style before there was Monty Python. Yes, that is a good one.
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One of the earlier Laurel shorts, I forget which one, has one of the most jaw dropping racist signs. They’re selling “nigger toes.” I had to rewind the screen and pause to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. I looked the term up, apparently an old fashioned alias for Brazilian nuts.
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One of the earlier Laurel shorts, I forget which one, has one of the most jaw dropping racist signs. They’re selling “nigger toes.” I had to rewind the screen and pause to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. I looked the term up, apparently an old fashioned alias for Brazilian nuts.
That one caught my eye too! I also promptly googled it, and up came the Brazilian Nuts descriptors! Which short it came from also escapes me at the moment.
This set is a treasure, and I really need to get back to viewing more titles! I haven't even reached the Babe Hardy featured shorts, yet!
CHEERS! [pie]