Customer Reviews

The Laurel or Hardy Collection

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The first two discs are worth getting even if they are not restored. The third disc has two titles not currently available elsewhere on DVD. The last two discs are just re-releases of Kino & Hal Roach Studios DVDs.

Don't expect the restoration quality of KINO, HAL ROACH STUDIOS or LOBSTER FILMS. To read about Passport's quality track record see their other Silent LAUREL & HARDY COLLECTION on Amazon.com ASIN: B0007X1NWE. They also like to key their package logo on the bottom right of the picture!

I find the Oliver Hardy - Bobby Ray shorts of interest. Bobby is a long forgotten silent comedian who briefly teamed up with Oliver Hardy. This is the team that could have been, but Stan is the much better comedian and it is fortunate for us that things went the way they did.

Here is what is on this box set, the titles will look familiar.

Disc 1
Oliver Hardy in:
THE HOBO (1917) with Chaplin-imitator Billy West ( VHS quality copies are on Alpha's "Early Silent Years" & Brentwood's L & H collection )
THE ROGUE (1918) with Chaplin-imitator Billy West
HER NEARSIGHTED FATHER with Charley Chase.
Stan Laurel in
MIXED NUTS (1924),
JUST RAMBLING ALONG (1918),
WHITE WINGS (1923) ( a poor copy is on Alpha's "Early Silent Films vol.2" )
FRAUDS AND FRENZIES (1918) with Larry Semon.

Disc 2
Oliver Hardy joins Larry Semon in:
THE BELLBOY ( probably 1921's "The Bellhop" ),
THE SAWMILL (1922) ( the restored version is on Kino's "Oliver Hardy Collection" ),
THE BAKERY (1921),
GOLF (1922),
HER BOYFRIEND (1924),
KID SPEED (1924) ( a fair copy is on Alpha's "Early Silent Films vol.1" ).

Disc 3
Stan Laurel stars in
MUD AND SAND (1922) Stan plays Rhubarb Vasolino in a spoof of Rudolph Valentino's Blood and Sand ( also available on Alpha's Early Silent Films vol.4 & Brentwood's L & H collection ),
SMITHY (1924) a forshadowing of L & H's later film 'The Finishing Touch' ( a decent copy is on Alpha's "Early Silent Films vol.3" ),
THE SOILERS (1923) with Jimmy Finlayson, watch for the gay cowboy trying to steal the scenes ( the restored version is on Kino's "Stan Laurel Collection" and Hal Roach Studio's Lost Films of L & H vol.8" ),
PICK AND SHOVEL (1923),
WEST OF HOT DOG (1924) ( the restored version is on Kino's "Stan Laurel Collection" ),
KILL OR CURE (1923).

Disc 4 ( All of these shorts have been previously released & restored by Kino )
Oliver Hardy Supporting Roles
HOP TO IT BELLHOP ( original title "Hop To It" 1925 ) with Bobby Ray ( the restored version is on Kino's "Oliver Hardy Collection" ),
STICK AROUND ( the COMPLETE original 1925 version of the cut down re-release "Paperhanger's Helper" that appears on other collections! ) with Bobby Ray ( The restored version is on Kino's "Oliver Hardy Collection" ),
SHOULD SAILORS MARRY? (1925) with Clyde Cook (the restored versions on Kino's "Oliver Hardy Collection" and Hal Roache's "Lost Films of L & H vol.4").
ISN'T LIFE TERRIBLE? (1925) starring Charley Chase ( the restored version is on Kino's "Charley Chase Collection vol.2" ).
LONG FLIV THE KING (1926) starring Charley Chase ( the restored version is on Kino's "Charley Chase Collection vol.1" ).
CRAZY LIKE A FOX (1926) starring Charley Chase ( the restored versions are on Kino's "Charley Chase Collection vol.1" and Hal Roach Studio's "Lost Films of L & H vol.6" ).

Disc 5 ( These titles have been previously released, most restored by Kino. )
Oliver Hardy supporting roles:
THUNDERING FLEAS (1926) just a cameo in an Our Gang silent comedy (a horrible copy was released on Alpha's "Early Silent Films vol.2),
CRAZY TO ACT (1927) Ollie has very little to do in this romantic comedy (The restored version is on Kino's "Oliver Hardy Collection"),
WANDERING PAPAS (1925) directed by Stan Laurel ( the restored version is on Hal Roach Studio's "Lost Films of L & H vol.9"),
Stan Laurel in:
THE SLEUTH (1925) ( the restored version is on Kino's "Stan Laurel Collection" ),
DR PYCKLE AND MR. PRIDE (1925) a fun parody with Stan in character as Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde ( the restored version is on Kino's "Stan Laurel Collection" ),
Laurel & Hardy cameo:
FORTY-FIVE MINUTES FROM HOLLYWOOD (1926) ( the restored version is on Hal Roach Studio's "Lost Films of L & H vol.6" )
Stan Laurel directs but does not appear in:
CHASING THE CHASER (1925) starring Jimmy Finlayson ( the restored version is on Kino's "Stan Laurel Collection" ).

Final notes: I hope the quality is better than Alpha & Brentwood so that the first three discs will bring upgrades to those duliplicates. I just wish these were available seperately so that I did not have to buy the last two discs of duplicate titles.

These are cheap retreads. They are just a notch above the public domain films of Utopia and Flying Deuces that are everywhere.

Use your money and go to Amazon.co.uk and get the complete collection of remastered shorts and features. Two-reel, three reel, all of them. Get your self a region free player and enjoy these, they are wonderful.

Horrible quality prints of some great shorts that deserve more respect than this. AVOID at all costs. It's products like this that actually steer people away from watching old silent films..horrible quality all around

The nice folks at Passport Video have finally given us a better collection of over 30 Laurel & Hardy silent comedies,but very few fans or critics know that they both actually started out as solo comedians in their own right,especially Stan Laurel who unfortunately never got the tremendous success nor notoriety during his lifetime as a silent screen comedian.This five-disc collection,very nicely packaged in a sturdy double-keepcase,highlights the timeless energy,talent,and hilarity of both Stan and Oliver 'Babe' Hardy's solo efforts prior to teaming back up for good at the legendary Hal Roach Studios.Sure some of the films are not pristinely restored as the Kino "Stan Laurel" or "Oliver Hardy" Slapstick Symposium Series and of course Image's "Lost Films" series,but at under $18.00,you're getting some enjoyable,entertaining,and nearly forgotten rarities that unfortunately today are sometimes impossible to restore due to either rare source materials or even different archival materials outside the U.S. In fact,about 50% of the shorts that've appeared here on all five discs have in fact been made available in restored versions.This collection also includes for the first time ever on a budget release,a decent-looking complete version of Hardy and Bobby Ray's "Stick Around",aka "The Paperhanger's Helper" in which the later reissue title is edited down to one reel and has often been the version released on numerous solo L&H collections over the years,including Passport on their L&H Collection Vol.2 release.
Passport did a good job finding some of the even least-unworst conditioned prints available,but that doesn't nesscessarily mean that they're flawless either.The great news however is that Passport makes available the use of new digitized intertitles on most of the films included here,a rare uncommon factor on many budget company releases that steer away into using the original unrestored,sometimes illegible title cards which is one reason why film buffs shun away from budget releases of silent films to begin with.Unfortunately,some of the lousy-looking,but watchable films included in this set include the Our Gang comedy "Thundering Fleas" (in which Hardy plays a cop in the opening) is in fact perhaps the worst-looking film out of the entire collection as its plagued with high contrast,dirt,speckles,etc.The 1918 Stan Laurel short "Just Rambling Along" was taken from a very good 16mm Blackhawk films print that has a few instances of hypo-deteriation according to the intro title card in that version."45 Mins From Hollywood" is the best-looking one in the set as it might've been taken from the Image transfer,but the actual short itself is terrible to watch and crudely unfunny. One memorable funny moment involves Stan's character (albeit bushy moustache) in bed right in the middle of a bizzare gunfight with a man and a woman.Finally at the beginning of each disc,there's a very brief 30-second intro by L&H historian Rob Stone explaining the series of films included on each disc and the history of both comedians.Each film too has enjoyable music scores throughout.Interestingly,there are several instances of Herbert's "Babes In Toyland" theme,considering that much later on,Stan & Ollie would star in the 1934 classic feature version of "Toyland" that we all know and love !
All in all,this is really not a bad nor horrible collection,but as a longtime supporter to restored films,I would also prefer getting the aforementioned Kino/Image releases as well.As least Passport did a nice job with selecting the watchable,remastered films and also marks for their packaging ! Recommended !

I was wondering if these shorts are remastered or were they transferred from vhs to dvd?? Some of these are already available through Kino on Video and I hope these are digitally remastered because what would be the point in releasing them if the quality isn't any good,right?? Anyway,there are some real funny bits in these shorts and it's great to see them before they became a team...I do recommend this,but let's hope the quality is as good(or better)as the shorts are.....