Beginning as a 7-year-old in the early eighties (shut the fuck up, boomer – I still look younger than you), I’ve consistently had a bit of a personal connection with Laurel and Hardy. I’ve always been a huge fan of all of the classic comedy teams – Three Stooges, Abbott & Costello, ZaSu Pitts/Thelma Todd, The Little Rascals, The Marx Brothers… I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of an era in which it was pretty common for shorts to be shown prior to the features in the tiny movie theater where I grew up. It was also common to not want to arrive to your seat before the lights went down for fear of seeing what you’re ACTUALLY going to be sitting in, but I digress from this digression.
While Stan and Ollie were my favorite, it was a bit of a complicated relationship. They could always make me laugh, but at the same time, something about the speed of their hand-cranked film, combined with the 4th wall breaking glances, man-child antics, and low key theme music that slightly creeped me out. To make matters worse, I would often stay for the weekend at my grandparents’ house and, in the room in which I slept, there were two ceramic statues of the boys on the floor across from the bed. I became convinced that, as I slept, they’d creep an inch or two closer to my bed each time I woke up in the night (hey, I was a dumb kid and I guarantee you that your dumb kids are thinking something equally dumb right now – I know mine is). It didn’t matter, though – I couldn’t get enough! When my grandparents passed away years later as I was an adult, the only inheritance I insisted upon was that pair of statues. Unfortunately, they were only able to find Ollie in storage, but he still sits in my study to this day looking worse for wear, edging his way ever closer to my desk as I write this very review.
I’ve collected the various shorts and films over the years in pretty much every format imaginable – VHS, Laserdisc, DVD… you name it, I bought it. I’ve also made it a point to attend several L&H festivals over the years in the interest of recreating that theatrical experience that I loved as a kid, one of which I was fortunate enough to curate and host myself. All that to point out how excited I am to report that the boys haven’t looked this good since their original release in the 20s and 30s. This set is sourced in brand new 2K and 4K transfers from the best available 35mm prints from around the world. Let’s take a look at what’s included:
Disc One:
· Sons of the Desert – feature film
· The Battle of the Century – silent short
· Berth Marks – short (containing both the 1929 and 1936 soundtracks)
Disc Two:
· Brats – short (containing both the 1930 and 1937 soundtracks)
· Hog Wild – short
· Come Clean – short
· One Good Turn – short
· Me and My Pal – short
Disc Three:
· Helpmates – short
· The Music Box – short
· The Chimp – short
· County Hospital – short
· Scram! – short
· Their First Mistake – short
· Busy Bodies – short
Disc Four:
· Way Out West – feature film
· Towed in a Hole – short
· Twice Two – short
· That’s That – outtake reel
Okay, now that the arbitrary list is out of the way, let’s look at some of the biggest highlights for me:
- Sons of the Desert – arguably the greatest of their feature-length efforts. Full of laughs and probably most storied of their longer pieces. It even inspired the name of a series of fan clubs across the nation. This is probably the one feature they made that never felt a bit padded to hit the requisite 75-minute running time.
- Battle of the Century – the only silent short on the set and one that most thought they’d never get to see. A bit of an L&H holy grail that has been painstakingly recreated after having previously believed to be lost. Almost like 2 shorts pressed together, this one ends in one of the greatest pie fights ever committed to celluloid. Seriously – this one was a blast.
- Brats – certainly one of their odder shorts, this one features the boys playing themselves and their own infant sons who might be even more trouble than their fathers. A great time and somehow possibly even more surreal than their typical outing. This was also my first time hearing the alternate 1937 soundtrack.
- Helpmates – this one has probably always been my favorite. A very simple story – Ollie wakes up after a crazy night of debauchery only to find out that his wife will be home in a few hours. He calls upon Stan for help in cleaning up the disaster zone that used to be his house. This one really gives Laurel a chance to shine in several really solid solo bits.
- The Music Box – if you know Laurel and Hardy at all, this is the one you know. Without a doubt their most famous flick and the recipient of the first-ever Oscar for short film, this one is a hoot. Again, not complex – as deliverymen, the duo must find a way to push a piano up some stairs, and not their best, but there are worse legacies to have.
- County Hospital – this one features a signature bit that I won’t spoil here, but if you’ve seen the recent biopic, Stan & Ollie, you’ve seen it lovingly and very impressively recreated by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly, albeit as much older versions of the pair.
- Way Out West – the other feature film represented here. Not necessarily top tier Laurel and Hardy (the full-length films never were), but it features perhaps their most charming and endearing moment – the soft shoe dance routine to the tune of “At the Ball, That’s All” manages to be both life-affirming and hilarious at the same time. This one will also be familiar to viewers of the aforementioned Stan & Ollie from 2019 (a very sweet and highly recommended film, by the way).
- That’s That – another rare gem that had previously only been something of legend. A fun outtake reel created specifically for Stan’s birthday. I believe this has never made an appearance on home media of any kind. It was certainly a first for me!
Honestly, I could have named a dozen more and you’re sure to have your own list (although, if it doesn’t contain Helpmates, it doesn’t count).
So, what exactly makes this pair so special when placed amongst the myriad of other comedy teams of the time period? Of all the groups, nobody perfected the art of the short better than these guys (let’s face it – outside of the Marx Brothers and, to a lesser extent, Abbott and Costello, none of them ever really nailed the feature film world). They were a bit of a best of all worlds – the physical shenanigans of The Stooges (not Iggy), the verbal dexterity and fun wordplay of Abbott & Costello and The Marx Brothers (without ever really feeling that they were breaking into signature routines), the sweet naivete of Our Gang, the charm and wit of Charley Chase, the down-on-their-luck stories of Joe McDoakes, and the occasional stunt work of Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd (although, generally with stunt doubles).
More so than any of the other groups, they also made just about the perfect pairing. They were each other’s contradiction in many ways – besides the obvious physical aspect of their size difference, they also combined Stan’s gentle and graceful British rascal with the mostly jovial, but generally short-fused southern drawl of the Georgia native Ollie. They could slap, kick, and hit with the best of them, but a wiggle of Ollie’s tie followed by Stan fiddling with his hat or crying into the camera, along with extended reaction shots from both that always reminded you that you were watching something just a bit more special. There were always explosive bouts of violence and chaos, but they were always tempered with a sweet disposition and warmth that was always both expected and a complete surprise. It was that juxtaposition that made them endlessly watchable.
Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn’t just the titular fellas that made these films so great. Grouped with solid direction and inventive writing (largely the work of Stan himself), along with creative editing and that damned theme tune (“Dance of the Cuckoos” which is both an earworm and a bit of an addition to the creepy vibe I got as a child) really made the art of escalating bad circumstances into pure comic science. Sure, the plots weren’t usually particularly involved, often focusing on a bit of minutia, but they were never really the point anyway. Additionally, you’d be hard-pressed to find better-supporting players. In particular, the women were given much meatier and stronger roles than most of the other “He-Man Women Haters Clubs” would provide. Yet another way the guys were ahead of their time. Even the text following the opening credits informing the audience of the trouble that the boys were about to get into was always cleverly written and good for a chuckle.
They also proved to be a massive influence on so many artists formed in their wake. From the more obvious choices like I Love Lucy, Looney Tunes, and Cheech & Chong, to slightly less conventional fans like Mark Hamill, Peter Sellers, and Ricky Gervais (let’s be honest – Tim and Jim wouldn’t even know how to look knowingly and disapprovingly into the camera if Stan and Ollie hadn’t done it first). Many of the most used plotlines in the television sitcom schtick were direct mirrors of L&H plotlines. They beat Seinfeld to the punch on extracting humor from the mundane and should have copyrighted the act of stretching a gag far beyond its normal breaking point before Seth MacFarlane ever got his meaty, animated paws on it and ruined it. Heck, even Homer Simpson’s “D’oh” came from L&H (look it up!).
If much of this seems to be less about the specifics of this set itself versus the virtues of the title performers, well you’re right. But, you’re also wrong (you seem to do that a lot). Because the majority of their work featured here is in the form of short films, what I love about the boys and their work is precisely what I love about this set as well. Plot synopses just don’t seem necessary and wouldn’t do it justice. Watch The Music Box, Busy Bodies, or Helpmates and you’ll be ready for more.
I’m no video or audio expert (I prefer to smell my way to HD), but I can say that, as someone that has seen these works in endless formats (as long as your definition of “endless” is about 6 or 7) over the years, I can say that they have never looked or sounded better. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of work was put into this and I cannot wait to rewatch these through the projector to recreate that theatrical experience. Please note – none of the stills featured in this review represent the actual image quality from these blu rays in any way whatsoever. Check out these clips for an actual representation:
Extras are spread out across all four discs. Pretty much everything here is given a commentary track by a couple of Laurel and Hardy historians (always one at a time, never together) – Randy Skretvedt and Richard Bann. Incredibly informative and often pretty personal, these are well worth a listen, particularly those by the enthusiastic Skretdvedt. In something not often seen, several of these tracks actually run a good deal past the running time of the shorts themselves, as they have not yet run out of information to pass on and they continue right along with a backdrop of stills. Speaking of stills – these discs feature the goldmine of photos, posters, candid shots, promo snaps, and even vacation pics… you name it, it’s in here. I’m not typically a huge fan of these types of extras, but I scrolled through all 2,500 or so and really had fun doing so (this was made easier by the fact that a large portion of them are featured over other extras).
In addition, there are quite a few audio-only interviews with the people on the frontlines for these shorts – supporting actors/actresses, editors, technicians, composers… they’re all represented here. Even Hal Roach himself and Oliver Hardy’s widow put their time in. These interviews all warrant a listen and never overstay their welcome (none of them reach the 10-minute mark, with most of them being under 5). Luckily, there are also a few on-camera interviews from some of the same people that run a bit longer and were conducted by Randy Skretvedt back in the early 80s. A much shorter, but really fun interview also features Oliver being charming and slightly coy in a chat from 1950. I would have loved more of this.
This is all rounded out by a series of trailers and a very interesting and rare silent promo (The Tree in a Test Tube) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture featuring the boys speaking out on the virtues of wood. If you weren’t aware of the existence of wood before, you sure will be after this. You may even want to buy some. Before Ren & Stimpy reminded us that it’s better than bad, it’s good with their “The Log Song,” Laurel and Hardy made sure we never forget wood. Wood. There are also a couple of non-extras listed as extras (special thanks pages and several screens of text describing the multiple books that Randy Skretvedt has written on his favorite duo).
Obviously, as with anything, it can’t all be good. Considering the over 100 films that they made over the years, this is a pretty small sampling (I mean, no Big Business, Tit for Tat, or Beau Hunks?!?!?). Presumably, the hope is that sales of this set will determine if more will follow, but I can’t help but feel that another five or so shorts would have really helped this one not feel quite so slight. What’s here is great, but, in particular, I hope to see more of their silent films represented on (hopefully) future sets – no one made the leap from silent to talkies better than these guys, but those silents need more love. In addition, I’d say that the menus are a bit clunky and tedious (how has this art not yet been perfected?) and the couple of commentaries by Richard Bann, while quite informative, are a bit on the dull side. Sure, you’ll get a lot out of them, but they occasionally sound as if someone is reading from Wikipedia (I don’t, for a second, believe that he was, but I DO believe that he pre-wrote everything he was going to say, which doesn’t always make for the most engaging commentary). Fortunately, the majority are done by Randy Skretvedt.
All in all, I was incredibly happy when I received this set. I began this review with my grandparents dying, so why not end with more bereavement? At the beginning of 2019, my dad had an accident and ended up in hospice with a pretty grim diagnosis for his future. Like his parents, he helped continue the fostering of my love for Stan and Ollie – he rented them for me on VHS every chance that he could get. Heck, just before his accident, I even convinced him to travel with me to San Antonio for a Laurel and Hardy film festival. If you knew my dad, and there’s no reason to believe that you did (you liar), you’d know that getting him to leave the house was a chore. So, to get him to leave the city was a gargantuan task. But, he did it to share what we didn’t realize at the time would be our final experience together with Laurel and Hardy. Months later, as I sat with him in hospice for weeks, I decided to take a much-needed break for myself and finally go see that new biopic of Stan & Ollie just before it left theaters, knowing nothing much would change in just a couple of short hours. I exited the screening to several voicemails that in my short time away, I had missed my dad’s passing. I regretted it, but I also feel like he would have been pissed if I hadn’t gone. That story was deep as fuck, but at least it allowed me to ensure that this review had a higher body count than the first 4 Friday the 13th films. And, isn’t that what any review should strive for? Highly, highly recommended.
Jason Howard