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News For Nov 2005
STAN LAUREL AND OLIVER HARDY DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
Reviewed by Chris Coffey. This 5 Disc set has been released in the UK by Cinema Club, a budget label that works with BBC Worldwide, who have collected most of these 2003 and 2004 edition prints from Lobster Films, who have done wonders with them. “The Lobster Films library was founded in Paris by French media celebrity Serge Bromberg in 1985. The archive is made up of more than 12,000 hours of moving images. Lobster Films has a visionary preservation programme, saving and preserving film from nitrate deterioration. Beginning with an original print for each subject, each film is restored to remove black lines and dirt and marks. The collection offers all genres of footage from 1905 to 1996, They also record new and sympathetic musical sound tracks where appropriate. This is a collection of 26 shorts, 16 with Stan Laurel on the screen and 11 with Oliver Hardy on the screen. They are spread over five DVDs to ensure good quality. I would urge every Son worldwide to buy this excellent set and add it to their archives, as a worthwhile contribution to fulfilling Article One of the Constitution, “The Sons of the Desert is an organization with scholarly overtones and heavily social undertones devoted to the loving study of the persons and films of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy” . It is selling for £29.99 on amazon.co.uk, an amazing bargain. The review copies arrived the day of our Tent meeting at the Beer Engine. The acid test is the public screening and the response at the meeting was excellent. The quality of the enlarged image was there to see, the new music tracks impressed us, and certainly generated a new interest in the solo works. It helps to have a copy of the book, Laurel or Hardy, by Rob Stone with help from David Wyatt. Oliver is basically a supporting actor in his films. Stan is the headline act in his films and thus gets much more screen time.
OLIVER HARDY - DISC ONE - 1916 to 1925
1) “ONE TOO MANY” In this 1916 Vim Comedy, Babe, in a Plump and Runt comedy with Billy Ruge, needs a fictitious wife and child to deceive a rich uncle. Babe’s wife, Madelyn, appears briefly. The music is by Brian Bennison and the 1998 print is from Film Preservation Associates, Inc.
2) “THE SAWMILL” In this 1921 Vitagraph Picture filmed in a lumber camp about 500 miles north of Hollywood, Larry Semon is the star and Babe the villainous foreman. The music is from Eric Le Guen.
3) “THE SHOW “ Babe appears only briefly in this 1922 Vitagraph comedy, as both the stage manager of the theatre and a member of the audience. The dream sequence of a steam locomotive chase is great fun, but Babe ain‘t in it. Larry Semon is the star. The new music is by Eric Le Guen
4) “ISN’T LIFE TERRIBLE” This 1925 comedy is made by the Hal Roach studios and stars Charlie Chase with a brother-in-law who is Babe. Another familiar face is Leo Willis. Neil Brand provides the new music.
5) “SHOULD SAILORS MARRY” This is a 1925 Hal Roach vehicle for Clyde Cook. Although Babe is hardly in it, our favourite “Tipton Slasher“ is, Noah Young trying to get rid of Clyde Cook, and so is Fay Holderness, who was Mrs Hardy in “Hog Wild” and Mrs Laurel in “Their Purple Moment”. I think she was the only actress to play both. The new music is by Eric Le Guen
OLIVER HARDY - DISC TWO - 1925 to 1927
6) “HOP TO IT” Bell Hop Bobby Ray helps to prevent Bell Hop Babe steal a large bankroll from a guest in this 1925 Arrow picture. The music is by Eric Le Guen
7) “STICK AROUND” Bobby Ray and Babe wallpaper a sanitarium in this 1925 Arrow picture. Babe looked back on this film as a direct precurser to his teaming with Stan Laurel. Babe even has a small moustache and a derby hat. The music is by Eric Le Guen
8) “ALONG CAME AUNTIE” Vivien Oakland is the lead in this 1926 Hal Roach comedy about a wife deceiving a rich aunt about her husbands. Just like Edgar Kennedy in Bacon Grabbers, Vivien has a mechanical dog to deal with bill collectors. The music is by Eric Le Guen
9) “45 MINUTES FROM HOLLYWOOD” Yes, one of the 106. Both Stan and Babe appear in this 1926 Hal Roach vehicle for Glenn Tryon, a country boy visiting the Hollywood of the stars, but the Boys don’t appear in the same shot. Babe has much more screen time, while you need to be quick to spot Tiny Sandford. The music is by Eric Le Guen.
10) “CRAZY TO ACT” This is a 1927 Mack Sennett comedy. Mildred June will only marry Babe if he makes her a film star first, so it’s the story of making a film. No Music or Print credits.
STAN LAUREL - DISC ONE - 1923
1) ORANGES AND LEMONS Stan creates chaos in the citrus groves and the packing plant. The new music is by Neil Brand
2) ROUGHEST AFRICA Stan explores the jungle with Jimmie Finlayson as his cameraman, giving roles to porcupines, an ostrich, an elephant and some lions, in a parody of popular safari films of the time. The music is by Neil Brand
3) FROZEN HEARTS A chance to catch a glimpse of Mae Laurel in this two reeler when Stan, a Russian peasant, and James Finlayson, a Russian general, clash in imperialistic Russia over a peasant girl. There are no music or print credits
4) THE SOILERS. Stan and Fin have an epic battle to gain control of a profitable Alaskan gold mine, a fight recreated by John Wayne and Randolph Scott in the 1942 remake of “The Spoilers” . The new music is by Neil Brand
5) MOTHER’S JOY. Stan is the young heir to Granddad Finlayson, asked to wed a rich heiress, Mae Laurel. Many of the gags turn up again in the Boys’ radio sketch called “The Wedding Party”. The new music is by Neil Brand. STAN LAUREL - DISC TWO - 1924
6) NEAR DUBLIN Everyone indulges in brick throwing as Stan feigns death and James Finlayson is arrested for his murder. The new music is by Neil Brand.
7) ZEB vs. PAPRIKA . The real horse race was between Kentucky Derby winner Zev and Epsom Derby winner Papyrus in 1923. Stan is a jockey and Jimmy Finlayson his trainer. They come to America with an English horse to take on an American horse. The new music is by Neil Brand
8) POSTAGE DUE Stan forgets to put a stamp on his postcard, for which he can be arrested by James Finlayson, so he tries to recover it before he can be caught. No credits
9) SHORT KILTS Feuding families and a double wedding in a Scottish hamlet as Stan wants to marry Fin’s sister and Fin wants to marry Stan’s sister. Leo Willis is Fin’s dad! Neil Brand provides the music.
10) WEST OF HOT DOG Stan left Hal Roach in late 1924 and made films for Joe Rock, of which this is one. Stan is a tenderfoot who heads to the wild west to claim an inheritance. The new music is by Neil Brand
STAN LAUREL - DISC THREE - 1925
11) THE SNOW HAWK Stan becomes a mountie to capture the heart of Julie Leonard, who had to replace Anita Garvin. New music by Neil Brand.
12) NAVY BLUE DAYS It starts with Stan and a similar mountain of laundry as in Flying Deuces. Stan is a sailor chasing a girl in a South American port. Music by Neil Brand
13) THE SLEUTH This is a restoration failure because Serge tried to patch together bits from three different versions, not knowing there was a complete print in the USA of this confusing film. Stan is a detective and Anita Garvin’s scene are disappointingly limited.
14) DR PYCKLE AND MR PRIDE Stan shows his acting skills as Dr Pyckle becomes the naughty and childish Mr Pride. The music is by Neil Brand.
15) HALF A MAN The sixth of the Joe Rock films here. Stan accidentally boards a boat and is shipwrecked to find that, apart from himself, only women passengers made it to the island. The music is by Neil Brand.
16) YES, YES, NANETTE This is a film directed by Stan, which features Jimmie Finlayson as Nanette’s new husband and Babe as her former sweetheart. Neil Brand plays the new music score.
-- Chris Coffey
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