The
beloved slapstick comedy due Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy, best known to the
film world as Laurel & Hardy, remain two titanic icons of laughter. And yet for decades, their illustrious
filmography consisting of dozens of short films as well as features have remained
in less than stellar condition over the years.
Given the time between the films’ inception and now, left to wear and
tear against natural elements, it’s understandable trying to bring these comedy
classics to a newer generation of viewers is something of an uphill
battle. For the longest time the only
viable option to view many of the Hal Roach library of Laurel & Hardy
shorts was through the expansive 2011 10-disc DVD boxed set known as The
Essential Collection which offered the remastered shorts in varying quality.
This
week, however, that will change with the upcoming Kit Parker Films and MVD
Entertainment 4-disc blu-ray set Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations. Though not possessing all of the short films
in the previously released The Essential Collection DVD box, this newly
rendered boxed set produced with the help of the UCLA Film & Television
Archive as well as the Library of Congress offers a handful of their most
beloved shorts restored in 2K or 4K respectively from original 35mm nitrate
prints. The end result offers some of
the dynamic duo’s most beloved films as you’ve never seen or heard them
before! Simply put, this treasure trove
of Stan & Ollie shorts are offered in arguably the best looking and
sounding versions possible.
Some
of the shorts such as the Academy Award winning The Music Box, arguably
their most well known short of the two trying and failing miserably to deliver
a surprise piano birthday gift, I’ve been watching on VHS tape since I was 5
years old. Having seen many of the
shorts on this set countless times, watching them in this new Definitive
Restorations set was a revelation.
While some of the shorts like Helpmates tend toward the blurry
side of things based on the sources available, others like The Music Box and
Hog Wild look like they were shot yesterday. Dialogue and foley effects are exceptionally
clearer now as well, in a way eliminating the patina of being an older film and
taking you the viewer on a trip back through time.
The
4-disc blu-ray set doesn’t simply offer these films in stellar new editions. The set itself is packed to the gills with hours
upon hours of exclusive bonus features and archival materials not seen for
nearly a century. Each short comes with
its own set of production gallery photos, deleted scenes, differences in
release versions and publicity materials.
Also included are Super 8 Kodachrome
film interviews with cast members as well as Oliver Hardy himself. Alongside it are plentiful audio interviews
with the principal players and producers including legendary producer Hal
Roach.
Though
only a fraction of their extensive filmography, Laurel & Hardy – The Definitive
Restorations is a great starting point both for newcomers as well as
longtime fans of the duo. If nothing
else, this has to be what might become one of many Laurel & Hardy blu-ray
disc sets offering viewers some of the comedy team’s finest moments. There’s more to unveil eventually but for now
what’s in the Definitive Restorations set will keep fans busy for
awhile. If you’re as die hard of a fan
as I am of these two, going back to my childhood, this blu-ray set is an
essential pickup for cineastes and fans of old-fashioned slapstick comedy. A strong contender for one of the very best
blu-ray disc releases of 2020!
--Andrew Kotwicki
