Sunday, April 24, 2016

Laurel & Hardy

DVD Cover

After watching several James Bond movies as well as Secret Agent/Danger Man episodes, I felt all "actioned" out. In an effort to lighten the mood, I watched some Three Stooges and Veggie Tales. But I was looking for something different.

One day at the library I found a set of Laurel & Hardy DVD: 5 volumes containing 2 disc each (10 total). They comprised a box set is entitled, "Laurel & Hardy-The Essential Collection-The Sound Shorts and Features from the Hal Roach Library."

Since I was not familiar with Laurel & Hardy, I didn't know what to expect. To my delight, I found them quite entertaining and funny. So funny that I wonder what my neighbors think of all the laughter that they probably can hear.

Note the list below shows several titles in Spanish as well as French. The foreign language versions have Laurel & Hardy actual speaking the dialogue (rather than dubbing); often some of the characters are different as well as the stories. Worth watching!

After I finished the first set (Discs 1 & 2), I watched the next set (Discs 3 & 4). I am now going through Discs 5 & 6. My favorite so far is a takeoff on Beau Geste titled Beau Hunks (a pun on a derogatory term of the time: bohunk - a contemptuous term used to refer to an unskilled foreign born laborer or a rough, stupid person). I watched this version of Laurel & Hardy join the Foreign Legion twice just because it was so entertaining!

The basic plot of many of the films is that Stan Laurel does something that inadvertently causes trouble for Oliver Hardy. Eventually, the exasperated Hardy asks Laurel, "Why don't you do something to help me?" This usually is the start of even further disaster (and hilarity). I often ask God the same question with similar results. I wonder if God watches us and laughs at us the same way we watch these old movies and laugh at the misfortune of the characters. "Ha Ha, I can't believe he just did that."

DISC 1:
  • Unaccustomed As We Are (1929, 21 min.)
  • Berth Marks (1929, 20 min.)
  • Men o' War (1929, 20 min.)
  • Perfect Day (1929, 20 min.)
  • Perfect Day (1936, reissue with musical score)
  • They Go Boom! (1929, 21 min.)
  • The Hoose-Gow (1929, 20 min.)
  • Night Owls (1930, 21 min.)
  • Ladrones {Night Owls, Spanish}(1930, 37 min.)
  • Blotto (1930, 27 min.) 

 DISC 2:
  • La Vida Nocturna {Blotto, Spanish}(1930, 40 min,)
  • Brats (1937, reissue with musical score)
  • Brats (1930, 21 min.)
  • Below Zero (1930 (21 min.)
  • Tiembla y Titubea {Below Zero, Spanish}(1930, 29 min.)
  • Hog Wild (1930, 20 min.){with 2 different commentary tracks}
  • The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930, 31 min.)
  • Nuche de Duendes {The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case & Berth Marks, Spanish}(1930, 50 min.)
  • Another Fine Mess (1930, 29 min.)
+ + + + + + +
DISC 3:
  • Be Big! (1931, 28 min.)
  • Chickens Come Home (1931, 31 min.)
  • Politiquerías {Chickens Come Home, Spanish}(1931, 57 min.)
  • Laughing Gravy (1931, 32 min.)
  • Les Carottiers {Be Big! & Laughing Gravy, French}(1931, 65 min.)

DISC 4: 
  • Los Calaveras {Be Big! & Laughing Gravy, Spanish}(1931, 63 min.)
  • Our Wife (1931, 21 min.)
  • Pardon Us {Feature, extended version}(1931, 71 min.)
  • Come Clean (1931, 21 min.)
  • One Good Turn (1931, 21 min.)
  • Beau Hunks (1931, 38 min.)
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