From Kit Parker Films comes Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations Volume 2, a two-disc set that contains nine of the comedy teams classic shorts and a trove of extras. The restorations are presented by Jeff Joseph / SabuCat in conjunction with the UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Library of Congress.
Buy Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations Volume 2Disc 1 contains the following shorts:
Men O’ War (1929) is presented in its “original Vitaphone aspect ratio [1.33:1] for the first time since its original release.” One sunny afternoon in the park, the boys as sailors meet two gals. To impress them, they go for sodas; however, they only have enough to pay for three. The plan is for Stan to refuse when Ollie asks if he wants a soda, but when asked, he requests one to Ollie’s great frustration. Later, they take the girls out in a rowboat and all sorts of hysterical chaos ensues as they encounter others on the lake.
Perfect Day (1929) “was photographed in 1.33 Full Aperture aspect ratio. It had been badly cropped” and given a musical score when reissued. It has been restored here with “its original 1929 shooting ratio and original 1929 soundtrack.” Stan, Ollie, their wives, and gout-suffering Uncle Edgar (Edgar Kennedy) attempt to go on a picnic but can’t get out of the neighborhood. The 1937 Reissued version is also available.
Blotto (1930) is shown in its Restored 1937 Version. Married Stan wants to go out with bachelor Ollie. Stan steals his wife’s bottle of booze unaware she replaced the contents yet when at a nightclub they get drunk from it. Before the night ends, Mrs. Laurel arrives with a shotgun. The Silent Version, which was previously considered lost, is available with a loud music accompaniment by Andrew Earle Simpson, as is a voice and effects track.
Also once considered lost, Brats (1930) the Silent Version is listed as a Special Feature. The first minute is “missing due to nitrate decomposition.” The fellas play their own sons and while the wives are away, both pairs get into high jinks around the home. Some scenes were shot and designed to make them appear young and small. Simpson also performed the music here.
Another Fine Mess (1930) Restored Version is a remake of their silent film, Duck Soup (1927). On the run from cops for sleeping in the park, the boys hide out in Colonel Buckshot’s (James Finlay) mansion because he has gone on vacation. When a couple inquires about renting it, Ollie poses as Buckshot while Stan poses as the butler and as the maid. It’s was a good plan until Buckshot returns. There is an option to view with only the voice and effects track.
Disc 2 contains Restored Versions of the following shorts:
Dirty Work (1933) – Stan and Ollie are chimney sweeps and ended up destroying it. They are working at the home of a mad scientist who turns a duck into an egg with his rejuvenation formula. Stan accidentally knocks Ollie into a tub containing the formula and he goes back farther in time than the duck in a funny but unusual gag for them.
Going Bye-Bye! (1934) – The boys testify against Butch (Walter Long) who gets sentenced to life. He threatens to break off their legs wrap them around their necks. They decide to leave town and place an ad to find someone to go with to help with expenses. As fate would have it, Butch’s gal (Mae Busch) answers the ad. Butch escapes, making their reunion inevitable and Butch proves to be a man of his word.
Them Thar Hills (1934) – Ollie suffers from gout. The doctor (Billy Gilbert) suggests time away from the city would do him good, so the boys rent a trailer and head to the mountains. They drink from a well, unaware bootleggers have dumped alcohol into it, and proceed to get drunk. Mr. Hall (Charley Hall) has run out of gas and asks to buy some, which they gleefully oblige. Tired from the walk, Mrs. Hall (Mae Busch) stays behind and requests for a drink of water that leads to her getting smashed. This angers Mr. Hall, which leads to a classic battle between the parties.
In their only direct sequel, Tit for Tat (1935) sees the boys open an new electrical supplies store next to the grocery store of Mr. Hall, who still holds a grudge. A misunderstanding leads to the resumption of their fighting and mutual destruction. There’s a funny running gag of a man stealing from them.
Remastered in 4K from the original 35mm nitrate, the video has been given a 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC
encoded transfer. The shorts show strong blacks and grays. Film grain is apparent as are texture details. The image looks predominantly clean, although some slight vertical scratches can be detected in Blotto. Backgrounds can look soft, particularly in Men O’ War when the gals are first met, and may be a result of DNR as in the liner notes, Joseph talks about software enhancement.
The audio is available in LPCM 2.0 Mono and the shorts certainly show their age as all have varying amounts of hiss. Dialogue is mostly clear but during the beginning of Blotto, the dubbed voices sound flat and almost like there’s echo. The audio is mixed too loud on Another Fine Mess, and the same for Going Bye-Bye! where the opening music and dialogue distort and for Tit for Tat, which suffers the latter.
Extras include audio commentaries by Richard W. Bann for Men O’ War, Blotto, and Another Fine Mess, and by Randy Skrevedt on the other shorts. There are Galleries of archival material for all the shorts, including the French version of Blotto.
Extras on Disc 2 include:
- Trailers for Pardon Us (German Version), Fra Diavolo (British Version),Bohemian Girl, Our Relations, Swiss Miss, and non-Laurel and Hardy picture,There Goes My Heart, which was produced by Hal Roach Studios. Silent outtakes are included for …My Heart.
- Galaxy of Stars (1936 MGM promo film) has the boys dubbed in French to promote the studio’s upcoming films to foreign exhibitors
- Ship’s Reporter (1952) – Laurel and Hardy are interviewed aboard the RMS Queen Mary.
- This Is Your Life: Laurel & Hardy (1954) – the pair appear on the biographical TV show.
- Hal Roach Backlot Interview – Raw footage of an ABC News segment with the producer when the studio lot was up for sale in 1963.
- A full color booklet with photos, production information, and restoration notes.
Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations Volume 2 is both a wonderful addition to any fan’s library and a wonderful introduction to their work as it makes the case why they are arguably the funniest comedy duo in cinema history. The restoration of the video is mostly satisfying. Hopefully, the technology will come along to improve the audio. The extras are informative and entertaining.
