LAUREL & HARDY: YEAR ONE – THE 1927 SHORTS

In 1927 Hai Roach made 14 short comedies that featured Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. When these films started out, they were simply in the cast and were not working as a comedy duo. By the end of the year, they got top billing in the last two comedies and were on their way to becoming the Laurel & Hardy we know and love. Both had been in silent comedies for at least 10 years beforehand and both of them worked in support of Larry Semon, a popular comedian of the late Teens and early 1920s. A couple of those films can be found in Flicker Alley’s earlier LAUREL OR HARDY release which explores the movies that they made on their own. This set, over 5 years in the making, is a much needed update of the old 1993 Hal Roach Studios offerings which were released on 10 DVDs in 1998 by Image Entertainment.

LAUREL & HARDY: YEAR ONE – THE NEWLY RESTORED 1927 SILENTS presents 11 of the 12 comedies along with two earlier films in which L & H also appeared. The films are presented in chronological order so that you watch them go from being supporting players to becoming headliners. It’s a fascinating journey to watch as both men had essentially developed the trademarks and characteristics that we would later associate with L & H such as Stan in crying mode or Ollie staring directly into the camera.  The two earlier shorts are from 1921 (LUCKY DOG) and 1926 (45 MINUTES FROM HOLLYWOOD). Stan has the lead in the former while Ollie has a significant part in the latter. The one lost short is HATS OFF which is a dry run for their Oscar winning sound short THE MUSIC BOX (1932).

The first Hal Roach short in which they appeared was DUCK SOUP where they play vagrants who impersonate a rich homeowner and his servant. They have several scenes together and are close to the later Stan & Ollie characters (they remade it in 1930 as ANOTHER FINE MESS). However in the next 5 shorts, they play a variety of supporting characters. One of them, SLIPPING WIVES, features one time Universal top star Priscilla Dean. In another, DO DETECTIVES THINK?, they dress in their traditional costumes but have different names. In the next two, FLYING ELEPHANTS and SUGAR DADDIES, Stan gets the lion’s share of screen time. Finally in THE SECOND 100 YEARS, they are a true team followed by PUTTING PANTS ON PHILLIP and THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY where they are both top billed.

These restorations were truly a labor of love as it not only involved years of researching various archives to find prints but then they had to be reassembled. In some cases it took as many as 5 different prints to come with one complete short although the average was 3. Most of the films look top notch. Some are even tinted and toned. A couple though are still in rough shape despite every effort made. This is not a criticism but an observation as we are very fortunate to have them at all. It’s especially nice to have CALL OF THE CUCKOO, a Max Davidson comedy where Stan & Ollie join other Hal Roach stars in cameo appearances. Davidson, who was Jewish, specialized in playing Old World Jewish characters. Although described as an Ethnic comedy, there is nothing offensive here. In fact, it’s quite funny.

As is always the case with Flicker Alley, this set comes with a number of informational extras that include commentary for every short, a documentary on the restoration, visiting filming locations as they are (or aren’t) today, and piano scores by several of today’s top silent film specialists. BATTLE OF THE CENTURY gets an ensemble accompaniment. This is the first of an ongoing project by Blackhawk Films and Lobster Films to restore all the Laurel & Hardy silents year by year. Historically this will be the most interesting of the batch as it follows both men from solo players to starring duo. Up next will be 1928 and finally 1929 both of which show L & H continuing to develop their on-air chemistry and creating many classic situations which they would rework in the sound era… I can’t wait.