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A-1 Video
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LAUREL
& HARDY
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
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Welcome to our prime selection of
material on the greatest comedians of all time. In addition to the classic silents we are
carrying courtesy of the Nostalgia Archive, we also offer some selected talking era
classics as well as the unique Foreign language editions described below. While
listed as VHS or DVD, most are DVD only now as VHS are out of print and listed
as "close-outs". So,
please email with a question on specific features. Don't forget to
check out our complete 16mm listings of Laurel and Hardy classics in our "Other
services" film archive section of the web site.
Also we have a recommended reading section under
way.
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LAUREL
& HARDY |
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AIR RAID WARDENS and
NOTHING BUT TROUBLE |
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A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO Stand and Ollie are vagrants who get a job guarding a "corpse" in transit on a train. The actual "corpse" is a gangster hiding in a coffin to elude authorities. The coffin is mistakenly taken to a theater where Dante the Magician is performing and Stan and Ollie are hired as helpers in the act but murder rears it's head and it turns into a "who done it?" comedy-mystery. B&W / approximately 65 minutes from Fox video.....................................$14.98 |
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The Devil's Brother &
Bonnie Scotland This nice DVD set features two of Laurel and Hardy's best feature-length comedies from their prime era. "THE DEVIL'S BROTHER" features the boys in a comic operetta that also stars Dennis King as a singing bandit who has the boys as his "retinue" while he robs bejeweled beauties like Thelma Todd. In "BONNIE SCOTLAND", they stow away from America to Scotland in order to collect an inheritance for Stan only to wind up in the army as incompetent soldiers fighting moslem terrorists. B&W / approximately 80 minutes each from T.C.M. home video...................................$24.98 |
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THE
FLYING DEUCES |
March of the
Wooden Soldiers (aka Babes
in Toyland) (1934)
Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Johnny Downs,
Charlotte Henry, Virginia Karns, Felix Knight, Henry Brandon, Charley Rogers.
A film not just for children but appealing to the entire family. Backed with
Victor Herbert's unforgettable music score, this adaptation written by Stan
Laurel casts them as toymakers in Toyland (replete with Santa Claus
himself!) with all the Mother Goose characters in a wild story with the evil
Barnaby leading a revolt with the bogeymen against the wooden soldiers who must
save Toyland from invasion. From the Three Little Pigs, Santa Clause, Mother
Goose to many others, this makes a great holiday film tradition!
B&W.........Running Time......approximately 73
minutes................$14.98
Movie Struck (aka Pick a Star)
(1937)
Starring: Patsy Kelly, Jack Haley, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Rosina
Lawrence, Mischa Auer, Lyda Roberti, Lois Wilde. Laurel an Hardy have a couple
of funny scenes playing themselves making a movie with James Finlayson as their
director. The story concerns a gas station owner who tries to help his
girlfriend realize her dream of becoming an actress after she wins a beauty
contest.
(A-596) B&W....... Running Time....approximately 70
minutes ..................$14.98
| Pack Up Your
Troubles
(1932) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Donald Dillaway, Jacquie Lyn, Billy Gilbert, C. Montague Shaw, James Finlayson As W.W.1 soldiers, the boys prove so inept, they are sent on a suicide mission only to accidentally capture an entire German battalion! A casualty of the battle is their friend who leave behind a young daughter whom Stan and Ollie adopt when they can't locate the grandparents. The authorities come after the boys with plans to put the little girl in an orphanage. The chase is on! B&W. Running Time 68 minutes........................................$19.98 |
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Pardon Us
(1931) |
UTOPIA (a.k.a. ATOLL K)
Laurel & Hardy star in this odd combination of political satire and slapstick
comedy. They inherit an island where they think they might reside in comfortable
retirement. Unfortunately, when uranium is discovered, thousands of people flock
there to get in on this potential bonanza. Before long, Laurel and Hardy's
utopian paradise is turned into mob rule and anarchy. They are taken prisoner by
the unruly mob and about to be hanged when fate deals them a saving blow. Or
does it?
(A-124)
B & W ..........approximately 80
minutes.........................................$14.98 + shipping and handling
LAUREL & HARDY
FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSICS
Important Note: These are the officially licenced tapes made available and not the many
pirated versions offered by other "companies". These are actually FILMED IN SPANISH with SPANISH-SPEAKING CASTS including Laurel
& Hardy speaking their lines phonetically in Spanish. The practice of dubbing would
come later when this proved too expensive. Also, there are significant differences in many
of these foreign editions with different gags and even alternate endings. A rare treat for
those Laurel & Hardy admirers who have seen the American versions all these years.
VOL. 1 -
LA VIDA NOCTURNA
This first volume opens with a brief historical narration by Stan Laurel himself telling
how he made these foreign language editions with rare stills and advertising posters to
illustrate. "LA VIDA
NOCTURNA" is an expanded edition of their American comedy "BLOTTO" with some
interesting variations of their nightclub drunk routine plus additional variety acts never
included in the American released version. Mr. Laurel is married and his wife will not let
him go out for an evening with his friend Mr. Hardy. So they concoct a scheme whereby Stan
receives a fake telegram calling him out of town. The plan is that they will steal Mrs.
Laurel's hidden liquor (illegal during this prohibition era time) and have it at a
nightclub. She substitutes a wild concoction in place of the liquor and lets Stan sneak
out! At the nightclub they create havoc and get "drunk" on this non-alcoholic
mixture. They sober up quickly when they discover Mrs. Laurel seated near the in the
nightclub with a shotgun in her possession! Additional clips from other Spanish versions
rounds out this first volume.
(A-101) B&W......approximately 55 minutes................. $19.98 + shipping
and handling
VOL. 2 -
POLITIQERIAS
Roughly translated the title means political hopefuls. An odd mixture of political satire,
vaudeville, and situation comedy it is one of their most taxing comedies due to the large
amount of dialogue they must deliver in Spanish. Ollie is running for mayor of the city.
Stan is his chief aid. An old flame from the past appears in his office to blackmail him
about his previous relationship with her before he was married. At first Ollie tries to
bluff his way out of it by saying he will tell the truth! Of course, reality sets in with
regards to both Hardy's wife and the voters! So Stan is assigned the task of keeping her
busy while Hardy entertains guests at a power dinner at his house complete with hired
entertainers. One of the vaudeville entertainers in the party sequence, Hadji Ali, has to
be seen to be believed! He consumes gallons of water before your eyes then puts out a fire
by spiting out a stream of the water he consumed! The blackmailing woman soon manages to
get to Hardy's house to claim her shake-down money with Stan attempting to pass her off as
his wife! In the true tradition of politics, the lies begin to build one after another
until the whole scheme is exposed in a wild finish! This volume due to the large amount of
dialogue comes with English sub-titles but can be special ordered at no extra cost without
the English sub-titles if desired.
(A-102) B & W ..........approximately 55 minutes............ $19.98 + shipping
and handling
VOL. 3
- NOCHES de DUENDES
A night of terror is the translation of this old dark house murder thriller that combines
two of Laurel and Hardy's comedies to make a feature-length comedy. Incorporating scenes
from "BERTH MARKS" and "THE LAUREL -HARDY MURDER CASE" this
film parodies the old who-done-it mysteries with trap doors, sliding panels, and the usual
suspicious array of characters. As two down and out drifters fishing on a dock, Ollie
reads a legal notice in the newspaper about the heirs to the estate of the late Ebenezer
Laurel which is worth millions. Figuring that Stan is probably the sole heir, they make
their journey to Chicago by train with complications resulting in having to share one
upper berth! Meanwhile, at the old mansion, the police are holding all the heirs since
Ebenezer Laurel was murdered. When Stan and Ollie arrive, they are immediately detained
along with the other relatives and servants until the killer is caught. Assigned a room
for the night, the family members start disappearing one by one! Lots of fun!
(A-103) B & W ..........approximately 55minutes..............$19.98 + shipping
and handling
VOL. 4
- LOS CALAVERAS
Two of Laurel & Hardy's short comedies, "BE BIG" and "LAUGHING GRAVY" are combined to make another
feature length comedy. The boys are about to take the wives on a vacation when they are
called to a testimonial dinner in their honor by their lodge. Ollie fakes an illness with
Stan staying behind while the wives go on ahead. The plan seems fool- proof until the
wives miss the train and return unexpectedly! After the divorce, they room with their
little dog in a boarding house that doesn't allow pets. Keeping the dog quite and out of
sight from the landlord becomes quite an ordeal for the hapless pair of comedians. A
telegram arrives for Stan who inherits money provided he cut off his acquaintance with
Hardy whom the late Uncle blames for his destitute condition. Now Stan must choose between
his friend or his inheritance!
(A-104) B & W .........approximately 65 minutes................$19.98 +
shipping and handling
VOL. 5
-LADRONES & TIEMBLA Y TITUBEA
Offered here are two more Spanish versions of their American comedies known as "NIGHT OWLS" and "BELOW ZERO". In "LADRONES",
the boys are transients co-oped by local cop Edgar Kennedy to fake a break-in on his
police chief's house so he can make an arrest (then fix it for the boys). Naturally
everything goes wrong for Stan and Ollie and they wind up in trouble as does cop Edgar
Kennedy! This Spanish edition contains additional gags not seen in the American edition as
well as a completely different ending! The other comedy,
"TIEMBLA Y TITUBEA" (Below Zero) has the pair as street
musicians in the winter playing for money. They find a wallet and think their troubles are
over only to wind up in trouble again. This film also features additional material never
seen in the American release.
(A-105) B & W
..........approximately 65 minutes................$19.98 + shipping and handling
VOL. 6 -
DE BOTE EN BOTE
The only feature-length comedy they filmed in foreign language editions was "PARDON US". This expensive practice would soon
afterward be abandoned in favor of simple dubbing. Stan and Ollie decide to make their own
beer during the era of prohibition. What they can't drink they decide to sell.
Unfortunately they offer their product to a policeman (I thought he was a streetcar
conductor",Stan laments!) Enjoy their escapades including the rare fire-rescue
sequence that was deleted from the U.S. release is restored here to be enjoyed for the
first time in over sixty years.
(A-106) B & W ..........approximately 65 minutes ............$19.98 + shipping
and handling
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THE MUSIC BOX (1932) Stan and Ollie deliver a player-piano to a home
at the top of the most formidable flight of cement stairs you ever saw! Then their attempts to get it into the house with the owner away are not to be believed! Academy-Award winner for best short subject of 1932. COUNTY HOSPIAL (1932) Stan visits Ollie in the hospital and wreaks havoc on the place getting him and Ollie thrown out! But before leaving, he accidentally sits on a hypodermic needle with a sleeping sedative. Stan tries to drive Ollie home in busy traffic while falling asleep at the wheel! THE LIVE GHOST (1934) Fishing on their day off from the fish processing factory, the boys are recruited to shanghai men for Walter Long's ship, reputedly haunted by ghosts. When a drunken shipmate falls into a vat of white wash, he scare the entire crew into believing in ghosts! TWICE TWO (1933) One of their funniest and most underrated comedies as they play themselves and each other's wives in a domestic farce free-for-all as the anniversary dinner ends in a disaster! (A-821) B&W........ Running Time: 93 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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BRATS (1930)
One of their more beloved comedies as they play themselves and their own
children via trick photography and huge sets for the "children" scenes. It's
hard to tell who the adults are and who are the kids in this comedy classic. BLOTTO (1930) Domesticated Stanley can't get out of the house for an evening with his bachelor pal Ollie because of the wife! He contrives a telegram calling him out of town. The wife overhears and replaces his bottle of whiskey with a bitter concoction that leaves the boys thinking they are drunk at the local nightclub! When she arrives with a shot-gun, they "sober" up fast and are on the run! One of Laurel and Hardy's most character-oriented comedies, their childish attempts to deceive Stan's wife provide both the humor and the motivation of their attempts to play "hooky" from domestic, grown up responsibilities. This plot device was obviously remembered by Jackie Gleason who used the same idea in his "Honeymooners" episode when Ralph and Ed, thinking they are getting drunk on fake liquor, start to act soused! TOWED IN A HOLE (1932) Stan and Ollie are fish vendors who get the idea that if they buy a boat and catch their own fish, they can cut out the "middle man" and the profit would be all theirs. Their attempts to refurbish the broken down boat they purchased at the boat yard comprise the main body of this wonderful comedy that has them playing off each other at many levels with Hardy treating Stan like a problematic child every time Stan does something that cause Ollie more of a set-back ! HOG WILD (1930) Mrs. Hardy wants "to get China" on her new radio and demands that Ollie put up an antenna on his roof. Stan drops by to "help" him and it's one great disaster after another. (A-822) B&W........ Running Time: 90 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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OLIVER THE EIGHTH (1934) Bachelor Barber shop
partners Stan and Ollie write to a personnel column in the newspaper.
Ollie's letter is answered so he prepares to go courting the rich widow only
to find out too late that she's a murderer bent on destroying any man named
"Oliver". When Stan arrives, they both must find a way to survive the night! BUSY BODIES (1933) Stan and Ollie are carpenters at a local lumber yard where they first encounter a co-worker who has no sense of humor or likeability (played by Charlie Hall). After starting a feud with him they start a feud with each other and proceed to make a shambles of the place! Full of great sight-gags and slapstick, Stan and Ollie work, more or less, as a "solo" act with the other characters only appearing near the start and end of the film. THEIR FIRST MISTAKE (1934) By far one of their most bizarre character studies. Ollie is married but likes to go out nights with his pal Stanley. The bitchy Mrs. Laurel (played by the ever popular Mae Busch, doesn't want Ollie associating with him. Ollie fakes a meeting with his boss but the ruse is blown by Stan who is too dumb to pick up on the deception. Stan suggests that they Ollie adopt a baby to keep Mrs. Hardy occupied and they go out and soon return with an infant. But it's too late. Mrs. Hardy sues Ollie for divorce citing Stan as the alienator of affections. Now they have a crying baby to take care of and Stan is almost as big a burden to Ollie as the infant! DIRTY WORK (1933) Stan and Ollie are chimney-sweeps in the house of a crazed scientist who is working on a rejuvenation formula. What he needs is a house-rejuvenation after Stan and Ollie are through! Some of Stan and Ollie's funniest two-man gags occur in this comedy as they basically play the comedy without much interaction with either the scientist or the droll butler who only occasionally shows up in time to get doused with filthy ashes and must leave immediately after his indignation has occurred ("Somewhere an electric chair is waiting" he grumbles) Lucien Littlefield, as the scientist is serviceably eccentric and nutty to give Stan & Ollie a few worrisome looks as they eventually get caught up in his experiment with making living creatures younger. The off-beat ending is another in the list of unusual conclusions that Laurel & Hardy used to set their films apart from the rest of the comedians. (A-823) B&W........ Running Time: 90 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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ANOTHER FINE MESS
(1930) Vagrants Stan & Ollie hide in a mansion unoccupied but for rent. When prospective tenants arrive they must bluff their way through or be arrested. But the real owner returns unexpectedly and the chase is on! Thelma Todd and James Finlayson co-star. COME CLEAN (1931) Stan and Ollie are the domesticated husbands of two very shrewish and suspicious wives. While the Laurels are visiting the Hardys at their apartment, they decide that ice cream would be the ideal treat so off they go for some. On their way back from the ice cream parlor, the boys encounter a woman about to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge into the water. Before they can get to her, she plunges in and the boys rescue her where upon she demands that now that they've saved her they must take care of her as well! "We have wives" Ollie tries to explain but the crazy woman screams her way and follows them back to their apartment where they try and keep her presence known from the wives who can't understand their silly behavior! More silly than usual! This "woman-in -the closet" style of comedy is well played and skillfully timed by Stan and Ollie while keeping their characters consistent as the bumbling dumb husbands who will go to any length to avoid telling their wives what really happened! LAUGHING GRAVY (1931) The boys find themselves in a boarding house where their landlord does not allow pets, especially barking dogs. Stan and Ollie do their best to conceal their little dog, "Laughing Gravy" but the intolerant landlord removes the pooch and puts him out in the cold, snowy night. Angry and heartbroken, Stan and Ollie decide to rescue the freezing pooch and smuggle him back into their room which is on the second story. Windows, chimneys are the only way for the boys to succeed but the disasters pile up on them and they find themselves evicted. Or do they? A fine combination of character study, pantomime and old fashioned slapstick mark this excellent comedy showing once again how Stan and Ollie need only the slimmest of situations to weave a 20 minute laugh fest. ANY OLD PORT(1932) Sailors on leave, Stan and Ollie sign in at "Ye Mariner's Rest". A seedy dive run by Walter Long who forces young Jacqueline Wells (Julie Bishop) to marry him. Stan and Ollie gallantly intervene and incur the wrath of Walter Long. Homeless, they are engaged by an old friend for Stan to fight in a boxing match. Of course, the opponent is Walter Long in a hilarious comic boxing match! (A-00) B&W........ Running Time: 90 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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BE BIG(1930) One of their more underrated comedies, Stan and Ollie are planning a week-end vacation to Atlantic City with their wives when Ollie gets a phone call from his lodge that they are going to be honored in a testimonial for him and Stanley. Not wanting to let the wives know, he feigns illness to send the wives off without him and Stan will stay behind to "take care" of Ollie. This best-laid plan goes awry almost as soon as the wives depart. They miss their train and decide to return home! Ollie gets stuck in a tight boot that belongs to Stan and the pace and tempo of their frenzied attempts to get the boot removed escalate to a wild finish when the wives return to discover they've been tricked! There always seems to be a couple of handy shot-guns around in these situations! NIGHT OWLS (1931) The boys are transients co-oped by local cop Edgar Kennedy to fake a break-in on his police chief's house so he can make an arrest (then fix it for the boys). Naturally everything goes wrong for Stan and Ollie and they wind up in trouble as does cop Edgar Kennedy! A PERFECT DAY (1929) Laurel & Hardy in a silent captioned version of the original talkie. It's Sunday and the Laurels and the Hardys are planning a picnic along with grouchy, gout-ridden uncle Edgar Kennedy. Complications ensue starting with the packing of the food and then a flat tire stalls their departure. With Uncle Edgar's bandaged foot in the way, and a clumsy Stan helping out wit the flat tire, you can imagine Ollie's frustration as they attempt to get going on their picnic. HELPMATES(1931) The morning after a wild party, Ollie asks Stan to help him clean up the mess before Ollie's "charming" wife returns from an out of town trip. Hilarious disasters occur with Stan's "helping" proving Murphy's law is also Laurel & Hardy's Law as well! (A-00) B&W........ Running Time: 90 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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THE FIXER UPPERS(1935) Greeting card salesmen Stan & Ollie help a neglected wife make her husband jealous only to have him challenge Ollie to a duel! Mae Busch is cast in a sympathetic and glamorous role for a change from her usual nasty housewife parts she was generally remembered for. Charles "Ming" Middleton was the tempermental artist who challenges Ollie to a duel. Arthur Houseman is along as the drunk who inadvertently gets them involved in this mess. The final duel is rigged by Mae so Ollie won't get hurt but the ruse is exposed and the chase is on by the furious artist after Ollie with Stan right behind! OUR WIFE(1931) Stan helps Ollie elope with Babe London over the objections of he father, played by James Finlayson. Getting to the Justice of the Peace is an ordeal in itself especially in the tiny car Stan hired to get him, Ollie and Babe into! When they arrive at the Justice of the Peace, it's cross-eyed Ben Turpin who in his own inimitable way manages a surprise conclusion to the ceremony! THEM THAR HILLS (1934) Ordered by Ollie's doctor to take a holiday in the country for his health, Stan and Ollie get involved with some country moon-shiners and a nasty traveler. One of their reciprocal destruction feuds develop into an explosive ending! A sequel was made the following year titled "Tit for Tat". TIT FOR TAT(1935) Stan and Ollie open up an electrical store next to the delicatessen run by their old nemesis from "Them Thar Hills", Charley Hall. The boys try and bury the hatchet by Charlie only wants to use Ollie's skull for it! Another feud ensues! (A-00) B&W........ Running Time: 90 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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ME AND MY PAL(1933) It's Ollie's wedding day and Stan is his "best" man. He brings Ollie a present which is a jig-saw puzzle that Ollie becomes obsessed with to the point of forgetting about his wedding ceremony! This is an expertly devised farce comedy played out with such natural progression that it works perfectly as it builds to a frenzied climax. BELOW ZERO(1930) The depression hits the boys and they are forced to play music in the snowy streets until they find a lost wallet and decide to treat the local cop to lunch. Only after they have enjoyed a sumptuous meal do they discover the lost wallet belongs to the cop who thinks the boys have picked his pocket! THICKER THAN WATER (1935) Ollie and his wife rent a room to Stan who can't seem to keep track of his rent money. Ollie can't keep the finances straight and when they get caught up in the bidding at a local auction, they loose the household savings and the wife is on the rampage! MIDNIGHT PATROL1933) Laurel and Hardy are two of the dumbest, most inept cops you will ever see as they attempt to answer some burglary calls. (A-00) B&W........ Running Time: 90 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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SCRAM(1932) Stan & Ollie testify against murderer Walter Long who grimly takes his life sentence in stride until Stanley indignantly asks the judge "Aren't you going to hang him?". Then he explodes and threatens to escape and get even with them. The boys decide to get out of town but advertise for a traveling companion to help with expenses. Of course, it Longs' girl friend (Mae Busch) and when he escapes from prison, he heads right for Mae's place! ONE GOOD TURN(1931) Down on their luck, Stan & Ollie beg an old lady for some food. When she obliges, they offer to do some work for her. She can't think of anything until Stanley blurts out that Ollie can chop some wood for her. While swinging away, thy overhear what they think is an evil landlord closing her out of her house but it is only a rehearsal for a community theater production going on. The boys unknowing decide to raise some money and the situation goes down hill from there when Stan is falsely accused of stealing money from the old lady. When all is explained and Stanley cleared, he turns on Ollie and gives him a good dose of his own medicine! LAUREL-HARDY MURDER CASE (1930) Old house murder mysteries were so common by 1930 that Laurel & Hardy decided to do a comic send-up with all the cliched dialog and gimmicks that were prevalent in these movies. Here, Stan is supposed to be the heir of Ebenezer Laurel and when they show up at the old mansion it is discovered that the old man was murdered and they along with other family members are held overnight by the police. One by one, the guests begin to disappear. Before long, Stan and Ollie are alone in the house with the killers! MEN O' WAR1929) Stan and Ollie are two sailors on leave who pick up with a couple of girls. They first decide to get a soda at the local fountain but Ollie only has enough to buy three soda so Stan must refuse (they'll share the drink) but Stan can't quite get the hang of the ruse! Later, they rent a row boat but when they keep bumping into other boats on the water, a battle begins in a wild free-for-all! (A-00) B&W........ Running Time: 90 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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BEAU HUNKS(1930) Very underrated comedy often compared unjustly with their later feature "Flying Deuces".Stan & Ollie join the Foriegn Legion to help Ollie forget his crushed love affair with Jeannie Weenie (Jean Harlow's photo is used!). When they arrive, they find every soldier there is mourning over Jeannie Weenie as well and decide to leave but cannot get released. Though a series of circumstances, they wind up defending the Fort against an army of attacking "riffs"! CHICKENS COME HOME(1930) Ollie is running for Mayor only to have an old girlfriend emerge from his past to blackmail him from scandal. If Hardy were a Democrat it would be a resume enhancement, but here he tries to cover keep the blackmailing Mae Busch away with Stan acting as a diversion! A bizarre ending at a dinner party highlights this remake of "Love 'em and Weep". GOING BYE BYE (1934) After testifying against the killer "Butch", the boys must flee town when he escapes to exact vengeance against them. They advertise for a traveling companion to share expenses only to have Butch's girl friend (Mae Busch) be the one to answer the classified ad! BERTH MARKS1929) Stan anfd Ollie are a "big time vaudeville act" attempting to make a play date in Pottsville! Their escapades on the train and in the upper berth where they are crammed into provide the bulk of the action and problems in this comedy. (A-00) B&W........ Running Time: 105 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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THE CHIMP(1932) As incompetent Circus performers they literally bring the house (or tent) down! Stuck with a flea circus and a gorilla named Ethel, they must try and sneak it into a rooming house that doesn't even allow dogs much less gorillas! The landlord's wife is also named Ethel and what he hears going on in Stan & Ollie's room drives him crazy! Some marvelous mime bits between Stan, Ollie and the "gorilla" (played by Charles Gomora. THEY GO BOOM(1929) Virtually a two-man solo comedy, Laurel and Hardy derive most of their laughs from their characterizations combined with some simple sight gags that require expert timing and reactions. With dialogue held to a minimum, they convey most of their humor with their acting abilities. In what little story there is,Ollie has a nasty cold and can't seem to shake his coughs and sneezes. Stan tries several home remedies including hot water bottles (that leak!) and a mustard plaster that winds up in the wrong place on Ollie's anatomy. Their constant disruption of their landlord's sleep brings them threats of expulsion but when the air mattress is flattened, they use the gas line to fill it up with explosive results! UNACCUSTOMED AS WE ARE (1929) This was their first talking comedy after the sound revolution and they deliver a home run. The film begins with a sarcastic swipe at the new medium as they carry on a verbose conversation with neighbor Thelma Todd. They repeat themselves endlessly as if to say "you wanted chatter, you got it!". Stan and his gag men come up with some immediate innovations in sound comedy technique as they incorporate a phonograph record with a domestic argument between Ollie and Mae Busch. They also do an off-screen sound effect as Stan falls down the stairs but you only hear the thumps and crashes while the camera stays trained on Ollie's reaction. Edgar Kennedy is also on hand as the jealous neighbor who is also a cop! THE HOOSE-GOW (1929) Stan and Ollie in are arrested for "watching a raid" on what are probably some boot-leggers and arrive in a paddy wagon at a work camp. Their attempts to escape are thwarted and they settle in digging ditches with picks. They do more damage to their hats and clothes than they do the ground they are supposed to be breaking! When the lunch break comes, they are muzzled out of place at the eating table and a convict sends them to their own private table nearby which, of course, is really the warden's table. After destroying the wardens' lunch, they attempt to get some food from the cook who tells them to get some fire wood for the stove. "The more wood you get, the more you get to eat", the cook says so Stan and Ollie proceed to cut down the tallest tree they can find. Naturally it is one with a guard in it and it lands on the cook's mess tent destroying everything. Back in the trenches, they get into another fight and a hurled pick misses Stan but lands in the radiator of the visiting Governor's auto! Using rice to stop the leak, it boils over and a huge rice-throwing battle ensues! (A-00) B&W........ Running Time: 90 minutes total......................$19.98 |
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MORE LAUREL
& HARDY
LAUREL & HARDY :
THE LEGEND BEGINS
Stan Laurel narrates a historical montage of clips and rare photos telling how he and
Hardy came together as a comedy team. The most complete version of their first comedy
together, "LUCKY DOG" (1922) is
featured here along with an array of clips from their career which spanned over four
decades until ill heath forced their retirement after more than 100 movies together and
countless stage performances around the world. Other titles include a car skit
from "THE STOLEN JOOLS", a miniature
railroad ride in a newsreel, "RAILROAD SCRAPBOOK",
a short army comedy called "ONE SUMMER'S DAY"
and the boys claim an inheritance in "ALL WET".
(A-520) B & W ..........approximately
90 minutes................. $14.98 plus
shipping and handling
|
|
STAN LAUREL AT THE
BEGINNING |
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BABE HARDY; EARLY TRAINING A younger Oliver Hardy is seen in this collection of early comedies where he was cast in the lead role much in the same vein as Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle who was so tremendously popular at the time. "HUNGRY HEARTS" (1915) finds Hardy as a struggling artist who must choose between a rich widow or his girlfriend/model. In "ONE TOO MANY" the familiar theme of having to produce an "instant" family in order to collect an inheritance is used to good effect by an energetic Hardy! Charley Chase co-stars with Babe in "MARRIED TO ORDER" as Babe plays the myopic father of Rosemary Theby .Charley must find a way to get on the good side of father but when her twin brother sends a wire that he's coming home for a visit, father thinks he's going to out-smart his stubborn daughter only to have Charley turn the tables on him and wind up married to her with father as the witness! Billy West frequently used Babe Hardy in his comedies. In "FIDDLIN' AROUND" (1925) Oliver Hardy is a gruff theater manager who does not appreciate Billy's violin-playing. "THE PEST" casts Oliver as a honeymooner at a hotel who can't get any piece and quite with his bride due to Billy's constant interference. In "THE VILLAIN" (1917) Billy is a con-man after the plump farm girl played by Oliver Hardy to quite good effect (again, the Arbuckle-like simulation). Finally, Babe is the face-stuffing foil at the train station diner in the Billy West comedy "THE HOBO". (A-108) B & W ..........silent with music score....approximately 2 hours total..........$9.98 + shipping and handling |
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LAUREL & HARDY
SOLO FLIGHTS
The formative years of the team gives us a unique opportunity to see the development of
their individual styles which blended so perfectly together after their teaming. Here, we
see an early Stan Laurel film entitled "NO PLACE LIKE JAIL" from 1918
which is a slight blueprint for the later Laurel & Hardy comedy of a decade later
known as "THE SECOND ONE HUNDRED YEARS". Stan is also seen in an ensemble comedy
of feuding Scotch families titled "SHORT
KILTS" with the ever-reliable foil James Finlayson as well as Our
Gang members Mickey Daniels and Mary Kornman. Then Oliver Hardy is showcased in some early
comedies including "SOMETHING
IN HER EYE" from Novelty/Mutual Comedies in 1915. This is a typical
rough and tumble slapstick comedy of that period. Contrasting this comedy is the next one
from Lubin Studios in 1914 titled "SERVANT GIRL'S
LEGACY". In this domestic comedy, Hardy is in love with a servant
girl who receives a telegram that she has inherited money, or has she? What is her
attitude towards her suitor, Hardy, now that she's possibly rich? Next, Oliver hardy is a
hassled cab driver with Charley Chase in the Hal Roach Comedy
"BROMO & JULIET" from 1926.
Stan Laurel returns as a resourceful butler in the 1925 comedy
"EVE'S LOVE LETTER". His gags and pantomime rescue
this routine romantic comedy..
(A-109) Black & White..........approximately
1 hour 45 minutes.....$9.98 + shipping
and handling
LAUREL &
HARDY IN THE ROARING 20'S
Classic scenes from their great comedies as a team highlight this assemblage but it is the
individual performances in their pre-team era that is the main focus of this second
volume. In "ALONG CAME AUNTIE"
from 1926, Hardy arrives at his ex-wife's home as a boarder with the current husband
unaware of who he is. Stan Laurel upsets the routine of the local cafeteria when he try's
to get a free meal out of them by sampling everything before deciding to purchase "ze
cup of coffee" in "JUST RAMBLING ALONG".
Getting out of the cafeteria isn't as easy as getting in! Oliver Hardy is an insurance
company doctor who must examine Clyde Cook who is to be bumped-off for the money by a
scheming couple in the 1925 comedy "SHOULD SAILORS
MARRY?". Stan Laurel returns in
"ON THE FRONT PAGE" from 1926. In this roaring 20's era comedy
he plays a whimpering butler who must help his employer from getting his name used in a
scandal sheet newspaper. Another comedy from the same period is next. "THE NICKEL HOPPER" stars Mabel Normand a dance
hall girl who dreams of escaping this ticket-a-dance style of life. Oliver Hardy plays an
energetic drummer in the dance band. One of the writers on this comedy was Stan Laurel who
would also direct Hardy and others in other comedies during this period.
(A-110) B & W..........approximately 2 hours total......$9.98 + shipping and
handling
| VERSATILE LAUREL
& HARDY In the classic era of TV comedians such as Red Skelton and Jackie Gleason, the public became used to comics who could play a variety of characters in different costumes and make-up. Before Laurel & Hardy became famous for their two lovable dumb-bell characters, they played a variety of different parts as well. While Oliver Hardy played mostly villain roles or Arbuckle-like leads, Stan played a more varied amount of characters. "KILL OR CURE" casts Stan as a high-octane salesman who will go to any accommodation to sell his product. This is a fast-paced Stan Laurel quite unlike the slow, deliberate character he created later on .In "SAVE THE SHIP" Stan is a hen-pecked husband living with his wife, mother-in-law, and father-in-law in a tent! On a raft! In the ocean! He even has the proverbial "chicken coop" in back of his tent-home on the raft. Catching his dinner proves to be a struggle that ends explosively! Stan next parodies Victorian melodrama in "NEAR DUBLIN" with the villainous James Finlayson at his worst! A steam cleaning and dry laundry is the setting for some fast-paced sight-gags by Stan in "COLLARS AND CUFFS". Oliver Hardy plays his traditional " heavy" role opposite Billy West in the 1918 comedy "THE ROGUE". Following this heavy role is a lead part for Ollie in the army comedy "LOVE & DUTY" from Vim Studios. Stan does a cameo as a silly Englishman in "SEEING THE WORLD" from 1927. (A-111) B & W DVD silent w/ music score added...approx. 2 hours total...$9.98 plus S & H |
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LAUREL & HARDY LAMPOON
THE MOVIES
The movies have always been the subject of self-parody. Both in terms of genre of movies
such as westerns, costume epics, etc. as well as the subject of movie-making and the
problems associated with the creative process. Laurel & Hardy have done their share in
that department. This compilation features Stan & Ollie both together and separately
in a series of short subjects that poke fun at the movies and Hollywood. In "ROUGHEST AFRICA" from 1923, Stan
Laurel pokes fun and the big game hunter who takes movies of himself on location in the
jungle as he tries to bag the big game. Oliver Hardy co-stars in a romantic art-studio
parody titled "CUPID'S RIVAL" with
Billy West.
Billy is the janitor in a boarding house that has rival artists who paint
portraits of rich people for a living. Oliver Hardy is one of the artists but
his girl is posing for the other artists played by Leo White. The jealous
Hardy disguises himself as a fat rich dowager in order to keep a watchful eye on
his girl. A rare glimpse at Hardy's comic drag routine. Billy disrupts the
proceedings and the paintings get damaged so they employ live models to pose in
the empty picture frames. A drunken Billy doesn't realize it and creates a riot
with everyone about to descend upon him! Stan Laurel returns to lampoon Rudolph Valentino as "Rhubarb Vaselino" in the hilarious bull-fight spoof "MUD
& SAND" from 1922. Oliver Hardy is smitten with Mildred June who
will only marry him if he produces a movie with her in it in "CRAZY TO ACT" from
1927.Finally the boys team up in a comedy where they try to make a western only to have
visitors on the movie set distract the proceedings. Stan and Ollie are knocked
unconscious (how can we tell?) When the wrong props are used! Your guess is as
good as mine what the plot is in the Foreign Legion parody
"UNDER TWO JAGS".
(A-112) B & W ..........approximately 2 hrs..................$9.98 + shipping
and handling
 |
STAN & OLLIE ABOUT TOWN |
| STAN "TEX"
LAUREL & "BAD BABE" HARDY Westerns provided many opportunities for comedians to lampoon the gendre. "THE SOILERS" (1923) is an outrageous parody of the famous Rex Beach story "THE SPOILERS". The slapstick brawl between Stan and villain James Finlayson is occasionally interrupted by one of the screen's first alternate life-style cowboys! Stan Laurel, like Destry finds himself underestimated by his enemies in "WEST OF HOT DOG". Great laughs as Stan inherits a saloon out west with greedy relatives out to make themselves next .Stan Laurel returns in "COWBOYS CRY FOR IT" (a.k.a. Should Tall Men Marry) with Jimmy Finlayson as two inept ranch hands riding to the rescue of the hero and his girl. Oliver Hardy is a burly saloon owner in "THE STRANGER" co-starring Billy West as an unsuccessful gold miner who must survive hunger, an angry jury, and a villainous kid-napping of his girl friend by Hardy. Oliver Hardy returns in a mountain-feud comedy "BATTLE ROYALE". (A-114) B & W ..........approximately 90 minutes ....... $9.98 + shipping and handling |
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NO MAN'S LAW
Oliver Hardy gets a rare opportunity to play a straight villain who is really nasty,
murderous, and evil in this feature length western from 1927. Teamed with fellow villain
Theodore Von Eltz, they attempt to over-take a mine stake of Jimmy Finlayson and his
nubile daughter Barbara Kent. They are out on the desert where there is no law but that of
the gun. Von Eltz is clearly the "good-bad guy" and Oliver Hardy is clearly the
"bad-bad guy" with no redeeming features. The tension builds as both men have
their eyes set on killing the old man and having their way with the girl. "Rex"
the King of the Wild Horses (if he's wild then who named him Rex?) has a prominent part in
the story out-come. Like Rin Tin Tin, things should have turned out for the worse if not
for the noble animal's presence. Shot on location, this out-door adventure holds up quite
well with the western adventures produced by the major studios of the time. Seeing Oliver
Hardy play what is essentially a straight villain part is quite a contrast from his
lovable comic personna. Unfortunately several of his other straight western dramatic parts
made at Fox Studios in the mid-twenties with such stars as Buck Jones are unavailable for
viewing and are probably lost films. This one surviving film gives us an idea of how
Oliver Hardy might have fared as a character actor had he not teamed with Stan Laurel a
year later.
(A-115-E) B & W ..........approximately 65 minutes ............$9.98 + shipping
and handling
  |
THE PERFECT
CLOWN Well, at least he didn't call himself the King of Comedy, but Larry Semon takes us through his usual lively paces of chases and sight gags in the roaring 20's era comedy. Although Oliver Hardy is not the star of this feature-length comedy, he is prominent in it as the angry landlord who tries to collect room and board money from Larry Semon. The boarding house is a frequent venue for comic situations as there are a variety of character types living there and most of them owing money to the ever-persistent land-lord! But Larry manages to elude Hardy and sneak off to work. At work Larry is entrusted with a satchel full of money. A series of robberies in the area make Larry very nervous about carrying around so much cash. One thing leads to another and in the Larry Semon tradition of zany chases, he is on the run from police, crooks, and Oliver Hardy! BONUS SHORTS - Stan Laurel in "TWINS", Oliver Hardy & Bobby Ray in "HOP TO IT", Stan Laurel in "SAVE THE SHIP" (A-116) B & W ..........approximately 2 hours total ..............$9.98 + shipping and handling |
WIZARD
OF OZ
(1925 version)
Oliver Hardy has a prominent role as the Tin Man in this loosely-adapted version of the
Frank Baum story. Larry Semon is the lead character who works on a farm. He is the rival
for Dorothy with Oliver Hardy. The great Sennett comedian Charlie Murray plays the old
medicine show faker who masquerades as The Wizard of Oz. As the movie unfolds Larry and
his sidekick must deal with Royal court intrigue and a mangy lion who seems less than
cowardly! This film was tailored more as a vehicle for Larry Semon's sight-gags and chases
but the flavor of Oz is still present. This film was released at the height of Semon's
popularity in the mid-twenties but was distributed by a company which soon went out of
business. Semon did not get the exposure and circulation necessary to keep him on top of
the heap with other comedians of the day and he soon faded from the scene within a few
years and died in 1928 from tuberculosis. Oliver Hardy, of course, went on to perpetual
fame with Stan Laurel who also worked briefly with Semon in 1918 when Semon was just
beginning his ten year film career.
(A-117)
Color tinted silent w/music score......approx. 75 min..$9.98 + shipping and
handling
| Stan Laurel Arrives; The Joe Rock Studios Vol. 1 |
| The comedies made by Stan Laurel for Joe Rock / Universal Studios are considered among his
best as a solo comedian. Armed with better budgets, longer length, and a producer who had
himself been a starring comedian, Stan expanded his comedic style and characterizations.
There is a movement away from the zany Bugs-Bunny like aggressiveness towards the
childish, innocent in some of his comedies. Such is the case with
HALF A MAN from 1925. Hard times force Stan to be sent away from home by
his parents. Taking a boat cruise, the ship catches fire and passengers are washed ashore
on a deserted island. All the women survive but the only man they find is Stanley who is
not yet ready to be accosted by these man-starved females! Movie parodies were
still a part of Stan's repertoire and by far the funniest he ever did was
DR PYCKLE AND MR. PRYDE. He thoroughly
lampoons not only John Barrymore's brilliant performance but also shows he can
take spectacular pratfalls in his gaging up of the classic Stevenson tale. In
MANDARIN MIX-UP (1924) Stan is adopted by Chinese people and grows up
working in a Chinese laundry. The usual tong-wars erupt with hilarious results and a
surprise ending for Stan! Sherlock Holmes has always been kidded and Stan joins the list
of those like Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. who have lampooned the great detective in this parody
titled "THE SLEUTH" (1925). And finally,
Stan plays duel roles in "TWINS"(1925)
. As a henpecked husband who is "allowed" to go on a business trip by his
jealous wife, Stan runs into his twin brother at the train station who has just gotten
into town to meet his fiancée. Of course the brother who is staying at Stan's house is
mistaken for Stanley in some very incriminating circumstances. Arrested and put on trial
for attempted bigamy, Stan has to act "crazy" and leads the cops on a wild
chase. A tour de Force performance by Stan Laurel! (A-118) B & W Silent with music score added..approx110 minutes..$12.98 + shipping and handling |
 |
| Stan Laurel Arrives; The Joe Rock Studios Vol. 2 |
| This is the second volume of comedies made by Stan Laurel for Joe Rock / Universal Studios.
Like the first volume, they are considered among his best as a solo comedian.
Armed with better budgets, longer length, and a producer who had himself been a
starring comedian, Stan expanded his comedic style and characterizations. There
is a movement away from the zany Bugs-Bunny like aggressiveness towards the
childish, innocent in some of his comedies. Offered here are DETAINED from 1924.
Stan plays an innocent man who is captured by an escaped convict who changes
clothes with him. Naturally, Stan is captured and put in prison in the convicts'
place. Here basically, is a remake of Stan's 1918 Roach comedy "No Place Like
Jail" with some added embellishments. Of course we have the tunneling scene with
a fellow convict, and they manage to escape into the warden's office! There is a
bizarre sequence with Stan narrowly missing electrocution in an electric chair!
Stan is pardoned but still on the run from a suspicious cop!
SOMEWHERE IN WRONG , from 1925 . In
"PIE-EYED" (1925)Stan Laurel is a drunk who first
causes havoc in a jazz speak-easy and gets bounced from the place by the
owner who is a former prize fighter. Through a series of circumstances, Stan
winds up being taken "home" by a cop who delivers Stan to the bed of the
nightclub owner! Many of the gags and plot elements in this comedy would be
incorporated by Stan in the later Laurel and Hardy comedies.
WEST OF HOT DOG, is a cowboy comedy
parody. Stan next stars in "THE SNOW HAWK"
.Here he is employed in a general store in the mountains where women are scarce.
He falls for a girl who has a crush on a fraud who pretends to be a "mountie" to
impress her. As a sailor on leave in "NAVY BLUE DAYS",
Stan attaches himself to a superior officer in an attempt to get invited for
dinner with a tenacity of Bill Murray in "What About Bob" style! A tour de Force performance by Stan Laurel! (A-00) B & W Silent with music score added....$12.98 + shipping and handling |
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HARDY & RAY
Comedy combinations and teams have been around in various forms from the earliest days on
film comedy. While Oliver Hardy usually was cast as a villain opposite a lead comedian, he
occasionally got a chance to team up with a comedian like Bobby Ray for a series of short
comedies. Hardy once described "STICK AROUND"
as a comedy embryonic of his later films with Stan Laurel. Certainly he plays a similar
type of character as the bossy big guy who orders the little guy around and usually gets
the brunt of the consequences! This comedy is often mistaken for another earlier comedy
called "The Paper-Hangers Helper". "HOP TO
IT" casts Hardy and Billy as two hotel bell-hops that are constantly
at odds with each other , their boss, and the hotel guests. Finally, Hardy and Ray star in
"THEY ALL FALL" in which Hardy
manages a theater and Bobby is assigned to post leaflets. Bobby finds a creative way to
get them on peoples backsides by making them slip on a banana peel and having them land on
a pre-glued leaflet. They get up and walk away with these leaflets on their backs as
walking bill-boards!
(A-119) B & W .........approximately 1 hour ........................$9.98 +
shipping and handling
Laurel &
Hardy's Magic Lantern Show
For the Laurel & Hardy completest we've assembled various rare items often not found
in the mainstream video compilations. A rare early television interview with Oliver Hardy
from 1950 is featured as Babe Hardy tells how he and Stan Laurel were teamed and what it
was like making comedies in the golden era of slapstick. Newsreel footage of Stan and
Ollie touring the British Isles in 1932 are shown with narration by Stan Laurel himself on
playing to different audiences in different parts of the world. Coming attraction slides
were a common way to let audiences know what films to look forward to and we've assembled
a collection of these rare hand-painted glass slides as an old fashioned lantern show. To
contrast these slides, we've added movie trailers from their films of the 1930's with
scenes and dialogue to highlight such classics as
"SWISS MISS", "BABES IN
TOYLAND", "PACK UP YOUR
TROUBLES", "SAPS AT SEA",
"CHUMP AT OXFORD", "AIR RAID WARDENS", "THE BEST OF LAUREL & HARDY", "THE GOLDEN AGE OF COMEDY", "WHEN COMEDY WAS KING", "FOUR CLOWNS" and many more. Laurel
& Hardy's only color short, "TREE IN A TEST
TUBE" made for the U.S. Government as a humorous informational film
is featured.
(A-120) Color
& B & W....................approximately 90 minutes...............$14.98 + shipping and handling
THE LOTTERY MAN
(I9I5)
Oliver Hardy's first feature film, previously unknown! Ollie plays a pivotal role in drag
as a maid in a story about a man who auctions himself off as a groom to the highest
bidder!
(A-599-V) B & W silent with music added ............................$9.98 plus shipping &
handling
|
DIRECTED BY STAN LAUREL Stan Laurel narrates the opening segment of this compilation describing how he became a director during a contract dispute between Joe Rock and Hal Roach over his services as a comedian.. Stan was employed as a writer, gag-man and director for other comedians on the Roach lot such as Oliver Hardy, Ted Healy, Mabel Normand, Theda Bara, Lionel Barrymore, and James Finlayson. These comedies ranged from domestic farces to slapstick gag-fests. Photos and film clips detail the working atmosphere at the studio during this busy era. "RAGGETY ROSE" is a Cinderella-type comedy about a poor girl meeting a rich millionaire and the jealous girl friend who tries to get him back. Mabel Normand stars along with Anita Garvin and James Finlayson. In "WISE GUYS PREFER BRUNETTES" Ted Healy (minus his three stooges) stars as a college student who must scheme to rid the school of the stuffy Dean by getting him into a compromising situation. Oliver Hardy is directed by his future partner in "YES, YES NANETTE" as the rival who doesn't let James Finlayson's marriage to his girl keep him from still coming around to cause trouble! "CHASING THE CHASER" has poor Jimmy set up by his suspicious wife with a detective who masquerades as a maid to prove that Jimmy is a woman chaser. "WANDERING PAPAS" stars Clyde Cook as the chef of a logging camp with Oliver Hardy as foreman. A thrilling run-away train finale highlights this comedy with a literal cliff-hanging finish! . (A-121) B & W silent w/music score added...approx 2 hours..$9.98 + shipping & handling |
 |
| STAN & OLLIE On The Job |
| The work place has often been a good setting for fast-paced short comedies. Brilliantly
inventive, these anticipate the zaniness of Tex Avery's animated classics of later years. In "THE NOON WHISTLE",
Stan badgers his foreman with a Bugs Bunny-like tenacity and irreverence. Poor Jimmy
Finlayson never has a chance! Restaurants are always a great source for gags and Stan
makes full use of his opportunities in "SHORT
ORDERS". Not only is he the waiter but he must run to the kitchen and
double as cook! The house building industry takes it on the chin next as Stan stars as "SMITHY". Discharged
from the army, Stan finds work as a carpenter with his old sergeant on hand. Some of the
gags used in this comedy were later adapted by Stan in his comedy with Oliver Hardy
"THE FINISHING TOUCH". The fruit-pickers Union will definitely not approve of
Stan's tactics in "ORANGES AND LEMONS"
with George Rowe and Eddie Baker suffering at the hyperactive antics of Stan Laurel! As a
coal miner, Stan fancies the foreman's daughter but his safety practices leave much to be
desired in "PICK AND
SHOVEL". Oliver Hardy has jobs as well! As a hotel manager he has his
share of troubles with Larry Semon in "THE
BELLHOP" (not to be confused with Hop To It from several years
later). (A-122) B & W ..........................approximately 2 hours total............................$9.98 + shipping and handling |
 |
LAUREL
& HARDY
SILENT
ERA 2-reel CLASSICS
These individual two-reel titles are considered among the
finest and funniest short comedies ever made from the silent period or any era for that
matter. They have been re-constructed and restored carefully and as close to their
original form as possible by Michael Agee. These close-outs are available while supplies
last. DVD compilations due soon!
All titles below sell for $10.00 each (VHS only) + shipping and
handling Quantities limited please list
alternates.
ANGORA LOVE (1929)
The boys are followed by a goat when Stan gives it something to eat. They can't elude it
so they adopt it. Stan and Ollie shelter it in their rooming house against landlord's
"no pet" policy with disastrous results! If the goat's noises don't cause
disruption the goat's odor certainly does so they set out to bathe it! Before long they
are discovered and the great water fight begins!
(A-058) VHS only
|
BACON GRABBERS (1929)with Edgar Kennedy and Jean Harlow As process servers for the sheriff, Stan and Ollie are assigned to collect a radio from Edgar Kennedy whom they must first serve the papers on. Edgar proves to be slippery at receiving the papers with the boys generally winding up handing them to each other! Finally the prevail but Edgar says "Now try and get the radio!". Undaunted, Stan and Ollie attempt entry via a second story window with many humorous situations resulting. (A-354).VHS only |
  |
BATTLE OF THE CENTURY (1927)
Stan is set to fight in a boxing match with Ollie as his ringside manager. After some
comic moments in the ring, he is finally knocked out. Looking for a safer way to acquire
money they get involved with an insurance salesman but a carelessly dropped banana skin
starts one of the most memorable mass pie fights ever filmed! This restoration includes
the comic boxing match with Stan and Noah Young and the great pie fight finale. Most
complete version available.(A-060)
VHS only
|
BIG BUSINESS
(1929) As enterprising Christmas tree salesmen, selling trees in sunny California in July, they encounter a customer who does not like his afternoons interrupted by door-to-door salesmen and the spirit of "peace on earth" turns to a destructive version of "can you top this?" with hilarious results! Perhaps one of Laurel & Hardy's all-time signature comedies, the slow, escalating war of "one-upsmanship" turns into a frenzy of reciprocal destruction of each party's property until they are reduced to exhaustion and tears! The editing and pacing of this classic are only matched by the brilliant timing and performances of Laurel and Hardy and their comic foil James Finlayson. (A-058) VHS only on this title |
|
DOUBLE WHOOPEE (1929)
(silent version with music score & talking version)
Jean Harlow joins Stan and Ollie in this roaring 20's hotel comedy about visiting Royalty
and mistaken identity. As doorman and footman they can't seem to stop bickering over
duties and tips long enough to get the job done correctly. They unintentionally disrupt a
visiting Prince and his staff without even realizing the havoc they caused! When Jean
Harlow arrives and her dress is accidentally torn off by the cab door, things really get
wild!
This comedy was never filmed as a talkie but in the 1960's the Hal Roach Studios hired
actors to lip-synch voices to the film with remarkable results. Add sound effects and a
1920's music track and you have what would pass for a real talking picture! An interesting
experiment and easily one of Laurel and Hardy's best comedies from any period whether it
be the "silent" era or the "talking" era. Both versions on
this one tape.
(A-061) .VHS
only
DUCK SOUP (1926)
This is not to be confused with the later Marx Brothers feature. Stan & Ollie are
tramps masquerading as owners of a mansion! They try to rent it to a visitor and get out
before the real owner returns. When he does they attempt to bluff it out but the local
authorities are also on hand to see to it that they are not able to escape. This film was
later remade by Laurel and Hardy as "Another Fine Mess" four years later as a
talking comedy.
(A-062)
VHS only
DO DETECTIVES THINK? (1927)
A judge is threatened by an escaped killer he sentenced so he hires Stan & Ollie to
"protect" him. The killer arrives masquerading as the butler! Stan and Ollie are
as dense as any detectives could be. The killer keeps on the prowl as the boys don't even
recognize him! Soon, all pretense of masquerade is abandoned and the killer is now on a
rampage after anyone who gets in his way!
(A-063)
VHS only
EARLY TO BED (1928)
Ollie inherits a fortune and hires Stanley as his butler only to play so many practical
jokes on him that Stan loses his temper and quits. Ollie won't let him resign though and
continues to antagonize Stanley. In a rare change of personality, Stanley turns on Ollie
and goes on a rampage of destruction! Ollie soon becomes the next object to Stan's revenge
and must hide from him by masquerading as part of a water fountain statue. All is patched
up between them at the end however.
(A-064) VHS only
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FLYING ELEPHANTS (1927) |
The Finishing Touch
(1928)
Stan and Ollie are carpenters hired to finish a house under construction. They
"finish" it but good! Located across from a hospice sight in a "quiet
zone", their attempts to comply with the "no noise" request by the nurse is
nothing less than a disaster!
(A-298) VHS only
HABEAS CORPUS (1929)
Laurel & Hardy are hired by a mad scientist to
steal a body from a grave yard. Only the police are on to the scheme and send a
detective out to spoil their plans. But Stan and Ollie have difficulties just
getting into the grave yard without making a racket or spoiling the plans! Once
inside, they are accosted by un-seen grave holes, bats and the detective dressed
as a ghost to scare them off! Music score added
(A-069)
VHS only
LIBERTY (1929)
They escape from prison and change into civilian clothes in a cramped auto but, in the
process, get the wrong pants on. They try several times to exchange their pants only to
get caught by curious onlookers! Hiding in an elevator shaft, it takes off for the top of
a sky-scraper under construction 20 stories in the air! Once on top they try to get down
as safely as possible but certain hazzards cause them many a scarey moment! They can't
seem to find any stable place to rest but they finally manage to get down safely!
(A-349) VHS only
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SAILORS BEWARE |
SUGAR DADDIES
(1927)
In this comedy, Jimmy Finlayson is a wealthy playboy who gets into a
blackmailing problem. Stan Laurel is his scatter-brained attorney and Oliver
Hardy is his butler. Together, Stan and Ollie must try and keep their boss from
the scheming blackmailers in a wild chase through an amusement park. From this
thread of a plot comes a series of fun gags and masquerades as Stan tries to
impersonate Ollie's wife with Finlayson bent-over double under a long coat to
act as the legs and sneak by the blackmailers. Try doing this while running
through an amusement park!
Stan is a lawyer who must help James Finlayson from blackmailers.
(A-077) VHS only
| SECOND ONE HUNDRED YEARS
(1927) Laurel and Hardy are cast as two prisoners who decide to disguise themselves as painters in order to escape. The plan works but a suspicious cop follows them as they paint the town-literally! On the run, they must change their disguise but pick the duds of visiting French dignitaries who are on a visit to America to find out how to punish criminals (they still don't know how to). Stan and Ollie wind up at a Governor's party held in the Warden's section of the very prison they escaped from and try to bluff it out in high society fashion! VHS only |
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THAT'S MY WIFE (1929)
Ollie's rich uncle visits thinking he's happily married. But Ollie's wife leaves him and
Stan must masquerade as "the little woman". Getting Stan dressed up is tough
enough but passing him off as the "little Woman" at a local nightclub is
something else. When a jewel thief hides his loot down Stan's dress in back they must try
to shake, rattle and roll it out before the cops think that he is the thief! Hilarious
results!
(A-078)
VHS only
Their Purple Moment
(1928)
Their first venture into domestic comedy with the shrewish wives giving them much to be
afraid of when they step out for a fun evening! Stan hoards money away so he and Ollie can
have a night on the town. Mrs. Laurel gets wind of it and substitutes cigar coupons for
money in Stan's secret stash. At the nightclub they run up the tab only to discover they
have no money! The wives follow them to the nigh club to confront them but they are
already trying to sneak out without getting arrested for not paying their bill!
VHS only
(A-079)
THEY GO BOOM (1929)
Their second talking comedy has them
at odds with their landlord, Charlie Hall, when Ollie's cold causes disruption of the
whole apartment house! Stanley's helpful cold cures do nothing but create more discomfort
for Ollie who is not a paragon of patience! When their air mattress loses air, Ollie tries
to blow it up. But Stan gets the brain storm to use the gas line to fill it! You can
imagine where the film's title came from!
VHS only
(A-081)
TWO TARS (1928)
This may rank as the funniest silent era short
comedy ever made, hands down! Sailors Stan and Ollie are on shore leave. They
pick up a couple of girls and rent a car for
the day. Caught in a traffic jam,
one bump here and one retaliation there leads to the original "road rage"
battle of all-time !
VHS only
(A-080)
UNACCUSTOMED AS WE ARE (1929)
This special version compares both the silent edition as well as the talking version of
this comedy which was their first sound comedy. Ollie brings Stan home for a meal but his
wife, played by Mae Busch, isn't so inclined. An arguement ensues and she storms out. They
attempt to fix the meal themselves with incompetent results to say the least! The neighbor
lady Thelma Todd tries to do a good deed and help these helpless fellows out only to have
her dress set on fire. Thelma's husband, the local cop (played by Edgar Kennedy) returns!
Then Hardy's wife returns!
(A-084) VHS only
WE FAW DOWN (1928)
Another classic domestic comedy where their pantomime, gags and facial expressions carry
the comedy to you! On their way to the theater Ollie stops to help a lady recover her hat
the wind blew off. They never get to the theater which burns to the ground. Returning home
they try to convince the wives they were at the show. But the wives know about the fire
and it isn't long before some real fireworks start!
(A-087) VHS only
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WITH LOVE & HISSES Taken from pristine, previously un-issued pre-print materials, this early Laurel and Hardy Army comedy is seen in it's complete form for the first time in ages. Stanley is a raw recruit who understands nothing about military hierarchy, discipline or drills much to the frustration of his sergeant, Oliver Hardy and the Captain, played by James Finlayson. (A-545 ). VHS only |
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WRONG AGAIN (1929)
Blue Boy (the painting) is stolen. Stan & Ollie who work at the horse stables think
that the race horse "Blue Boy" is what there is a reward for. So, they show up
at the millionaire's home. He yells from upstairs for them to put Blue Boy on the piano
thinking it's the painting! A wild finale!
(A-083)
VHS only
YOU'RE DARN TOOTIN' (1928)
Stan and Ollie are less than
perfect orchestra musicians who disrupt the public band concert and wind up
fired. Turned out into the street by their landlady, they take
up as street
musicians hoping for a few coins in the hat to earn their living. An escalating
feud between them and passers-by makes this one of their funniest and most
memorable reciprocal destruction comedies ever! Soon disrespect escalates
to arguments then pushing and pants ripping & shin kicking! Before long the whole town
is kicking and ripping away!
(A-086)
VHS only
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FRED KARNO'S
LONDON COMEDIANS Billie Reeves Billy Ritchie |
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When
Fred Karno brought his pantomime troupe to America he turned loose a huge
output of classic English Music Hall comedy tradition. All the comedians
learned what Stan Laurel dubbed "Karnoism" in their style. Here is
a collection of silent era comedies.
VOLUME 1 Chaplin's "A NIGHT AT THE SHOW" probably represents some of Karno's live stage show "A Night at the English Music Hall" which featured both Chaplin brothers and Stan Laurel. Stan Laurel is seen in his own drunk role in the comedy "PIE EYED" in which he is a drunk who first causes havoc in a jazz speak-easy and gets bounced from the place by the owner who is a former prize fighter. Through a series of circumstances, Stan winds up being taken "home" by a cop who delivers Stan to the bed of the nightclub owner! Many of the gags and plot elements in this comedy would be incorporated by Stan in the later Laurel and Hardy comedies. Billie Ritchie also stars in "LIVE WIRES & LOVE SPARKS" which show him more in the fashion of the tramp character he claims he originated prior to Chaplin but in a domestic setting of children, wives, jealous husbands and wild chases! Stan Laurel returns in “THE SLEUTH”. One of the hallmarks of English Music Hall comedy is the female impersonation comedy typified in the classic “Charlie’s Aunt”. Stan’s versatility has him doing a drag routine in two sections of this comedy as he also adopts many other disguises as well. Sydney Chaplin, Charlie's older brother was also a member of the Fred Karno Troupe. He is seen in a pair of Keystone comedies from 1915, "GUSSEL'S BACKWARD WAY" and "GUSSEL'S WAYWARD PATH". (A-896) B & W ...silent with music score added ..approximately 2 hours total......$9.98 plus s & h VOLUME 2 Stan Laurel understudied virtually all of the major Karno parts including the drunk. This gave him a versatility unmatched by his contemporaries. Here, Stan parodies John Barrymore's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the spoof "DR. PYKLE AND MR. PRYDE". Chaplin's drunk act was reprised in several of his early comedies. One of them is a virtual solo comedy called "ONE A.M." in which a drunken Charlie, as a night club souse, returns home to encounter many obstacles in his own house". Chaplin returns in "THE CURE" in which he plays another society swell attempting to dry out at a health resort. Billie Ritchie, imitating his imitator, stars in an L.K.O. comedy short where he reprises his role of the tramp he claims he originated in the Karno era before Chaplin adopted it for the movies in "PARTNERS IN CRIME" from about 1914-15 era. Here, Billie plays against a pair of actors who are clearly supposed to be Mabel Normand and Fatty Arbuckle but the heavy-handed direction of infamous Henry "Mr. Pathe'" Lehrman detracts from any resemblance to the real thing. Billy Reeves stars in a pair of Lubin comedies also from about 1915. The first is "A READY MADE MAID". Billie plays a tramp who finds some discarded maid clothing. Needing a job, he puts on the maid's clothes , and with a wig gains employment. The household dinner party turns into a disaster! Billie plays a comic policeman in "A DAY ON THE FORCE". Sydney Chaplin stars in the Keystone comedy from 1915, "GUSSEL'S DAY OF REST" . (A-897) B & W ...silent with music score added ..approx 120 minutes....$9.98 plus s & h |
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This one section is comprised of LASER DISCS. Not DVD or VHS. These long out-of-print Lasers feature a number of titles not available on any current DVD sets. LAUREL & HARDY & FRIENDS Vol. 1- features one of Laurel & Hardy's earliest talking short comedies "THEY GO BOOM" from 1929. Their all-time classic, TWO TARS is also featured with music and effects added to this silent era comedy classic. Also on this volume are two Our Gang-Little Rascals talking era comedies; SCHOOL'S OUT and BEAR SHOOTERS. These were all taken from 35mm master sources and are among the best quality released ever! Approximately 82 minutes total........... $9.98 plus S & H |
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LAUREL & HARDY & FRIENDS Vol. 2- features
one of Laurel & Hardy's first talking short comedy "UNACCUSTOMED AS WE ARE" from
1929. Also, a silent version with titles and music as a comparison for
release to theaters that had not yet been wired for sound. Laurel and
Hardy have a guest appearence in Charley Chase's 1936 comedy short "ON THE WRONG
TREK" with Rosina Lawrence. Laurel & Hardy are seen in their first ever screen
appearence, LUCKY DOG from about 1922. Hal Roach's Little Rascals star in "OUR
GANG FOLLIES OF 1938" |
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LAUREL & HARDY & FRIENDS Vol. 4- features
Stan and Ollie in "EARLY TO BED". Two versions of the Laurel & Hardy classic
"DOUBLE WHOOPEE" with Jean Harlow are here! The original nitrate camera negative
was used in the silent version. Incredible quality! And a 1960's version with
dialogue dubbed and music and sound effects added to simulate a talkie is also
provided! You won't finf this one on any current DVD set! Also Stan Laurel
stars with Lillian Roth and Bull Montana in "ON THE FRONT PAGE" Finally, the
classic Pete Smith short comedy "MOVIE PESTS" is included. |
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LAUREL & HARDY & FRIENDS Vol. 5- features
one of Laurel & Hardy's best pantomime comedies, "WE FAW DOWN" from 1928. Also
Laurel & Hardy guest star with Charley Chase and James Finlayson in the Max
Davidson comedy "CALL OF THE CUCKOO". Stan Laurel stars in a solo comedy
"HUSTLING FOR HEALTH" from 1918. Also included is the Hal Roach featurette
"FIESTA" (also known as "GAEITY") starring Anne Ayers, George Givot and George
Negrete. |
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LAUREL & HARDY & FRIENDS Vol. 6- features
one of Laurel & Hardy's most celebrated silent era comedies, "BATTLE OF THE
CENTURY". The screen's greatest pie fight is staged in this comedy! Next, Laurel
and Hardy must save James Finlayson from blackmailers in "SUGAR DADDIES" with a
wild chase through an old time amusement park. One of Hal Roach;s more
successful features, "TOPPER RETURNS" is showcased in this laser collection. |
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LAUREL & HARDY & FRIENDS Vol. 7- features
Laurel & Hardy as two bumbling detectives sent to guard Judge James
Finlayson from a vengeful murderer in "DO DETECTIVES THINK?" from 1927. The one
of Laurel & Hardy's classic comedies, "BIG BUSINESS" is featured. Stan Laurel in
a solo comedy stars in "ORANGES AND LEMON" from 1923. Edgar Kennedy stars in his
own series comedy "MOTOR MANIACS" from 1946. Leon Errol stars with Veronica Lake
in "THE WRONG ROOM from 1939. Finally, the Hal Roach talkie comedy "MIXED NUTS"
with Jack Barty, Billy Nelson and Nora Cecil. |
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LAUREL & HARDY & FRIENDS Vol. 8- features
Laurel & Hardy as a pair of bumbling carpenters hired to build a house in
"THE FINISHING TOUCH" from 1928. Then Laurel & Hardy cause a traffic jam after
they get dosed with laughing gas at the dentist office in "LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING"
also from 1928. Laurel and Hardy have a guest shot in "THE STOLEN JOOLS" along
with Buster Keaton, The keystone Cops, Joe E. Brown, and many other Hollywood
celebrities. Edgar Kennedy stars in "THE BIG BEEF" and "RADIO RAMPAGE". Charley
Chase stars with Oliver Hardy in "BROMO & JULIET" |
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LAUREL & HARDY DOUBLE FEATURE- |
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LAUREL & HARDY in "MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS"-
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LAUREL & HARDY in "PARDON US" plus "THE CHIMP"
This is an original 3M Laser videoisc from 1985
approx 90 minutes total.........$9.98
LAUREL & HARDY in "THE BOHEMIAN GIRL" plus "THE MUSIC BOX"
This is an original 3M Laser videoisc from 1985
approx 100 minutes total.........$9.98
LAUREL & HARDY in "WAY OUT WEST" plus "BRATS"
This is an original 3M Laser videoisc from 1985
approx 90 minutes total.........$9.98
LAUREL & HARDY in "OUR RELATIONS" plus "LAUREL-HARDY MURDER CASE"
This is an original 3M Laser videoisc from 1985
approx 100 minutes total.........$9.98
LAUREL & HARDY in "A CHUMP AT OXFORD" plus "MEN 'O'
WAR"
This is an original 3M Laser videoisc from 1985
approx 80 minutes total.........$9.98
LAUREL & HARDY in "SAPS AT SEA" plus "OLIVER THE
EIGHTH"
This is an original 3M Laser videoisc from 1985
approx 90 minutes total.........$9.98
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click here for the |
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A-1 Video remembers Jim
Dukas
Laurel and Hardy fans who were members of the
International Sons of the Desert (the official Laurel & Hardy Appreciation
Society) are saddened at the recent passing of one of our charter members
of the founding chapter in New York City, actor Jim Dukas. Many of our
sentiments have been best summed up by this letter from Jack Roth;
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A-1 Video remembers Ronnie
Hazlehurst Ali Stevenson, Manchester, NH, USA |
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&RECOMMENDED
READING:
A-1 Video has no financial interest in the recommended books below. They are
listed as an aid to selection of videos offered above. However, for a listing of books and
other reading material
![[IMAGE]](L&H%20plaque.jpg)
