Laurel & Hardy (Sons of the Desert/The Music Box/Another Fine Mess/Busy Bodies/County Hospital)

Product Description

Sons of the Desert
The boys sneak off to a convention, telling their wives that Ollie requires a restful cruise to Hawaii to recuperate...but all is not peaceful when the suspicious wives discover the ship sank.
The Music Box
The Laurel & Hardy Moving Company struggles to deliver a piano to a house at the top of an insurmountable staircase. Winner of a 1932 Oscar for Best Comedy Short.
Another Fine Mess

Stand and Ollie hide from the police in the seemingly safe confines of a deserted mansion, that is until some tenants show up! Ollie must pretend to be the owner while Stan becomes both the butler and the maid!
Busy Bodies
Being employed as carpenters, Stanley and Oliver stumble through a hilarious parade of self-inflicted mishaps, only to retreat hastily...and drive their car into a band saw.
County Hospital
Oliver is peacefully recovering from a broken leg, when Stan decides to bring him a present of hard-boiled eggs and nuts. That's not all he delivers, however, and proceeds to almost destroy the place and the people in it.

SPECIAL FEATURES :

Hal Roach Tribute

Laurel and Hardy Biographies

Tent Society

Photo Montage

Location Tour: Then and Now

Hal Roach Movie Mogul

King of Laughter Tribute

Scene Selects

System Requirements:
Running Time: 159 Minutes

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

For one-stop convenience, you can't beat this handy compilation of Laurel & Hardy classics. Although it's modestly priced and packaged, this DVD packs plenty of extras along with Stan & Ollie's finest feature and several of the comedy duo's best-loved "talkie" shorts. Sons of the Desert (1933) is the crown jewel in any L&H collection, and with Charley Chase as their stellar comedy costar, the boys reached the pinnacle of their unique partnership, playing a pair of Fez-wearing "Sons of the Desert" sneaking off to a convention in Chicago, but their wives discover the ruse with hilarious results. For L&H fans, it simply doesn't get any better than this, although 1932's "The Music Box" shares equal status--and a 1932 Oscar® for Best Comedy Short--in the L&H pantheon. The remaining shorts on the disc ("Another Fine Mess," "Busy Bodies," and "County Hospital") were produced during the prime of Stan & Ollie's sound-era success (1930-33), each boasting their own timeless bits and flawless routines. Abundant laughs are virtually guaranteed.

Most of the bonus material pays tribute to legendary comedy producer Hal Roach, who first partnered Stan & Ollie in 1926. A film-clip tribute includes interviews with comedy greats like Mel Brooks and Steve Allen, and on-screen articles explore Roach's career in greater detail. A "then and now" photo tour provides an historic tour of Roach Studio locations in Culver City, California, and text biographies are provided for Roach, Laurel, and Hardy. In addition to the films themselves (which never looked or sounded better), these extras make this Laurel & Hardy DVD a perfect choice for old and new fans alike. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie.......2007-07-04

A classic fun show to watch!Laurel & Hardy (Sons of the Desert/The Music Box/Another Fine Mess/Busy Bodies/County Hospital)

Laurel & Hardy.......2007-05-15

Being an avid fan of Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy down through the years, I really appreciated the Digitally Remastered versions of "Sons Of The Desert", "The Music Box", "Another Fine Mess", "Busy Bodies" and "County Hospital." The feature film "Sons Of The Desert" is one of my absolute favorites of their collected full length works. It is only rarely that one views a modern comedy of the quality these two portrayed.

the best of laurel and hardy.......2007-03-20

perfect dvd for laurel and hardy fans filled with some of the best films they made.

Laurel & Hardy DVD.......2007-02-22

Great buy. I already had these on VHS and am glad to have them now on DVD. Good quality as well.

Funny, Funny Stuff!.......2007-02-14

I had forgotten just how good this comedy team was. It's been years since I've seen their films and this DVD brought back some warm memories. 'The Music Box' is my all time favorite. This DVD was a very worthwhile purchase!

Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 2 (A Haunting we Will Go / Dancing Masters / Bullfighters)

Average customer rating:

ANOTHER PRECIOUS RARITY
Stronger than the previous Fox set
A WORTHWHILE COLLECTION
Laural And Hardy Collection Volume 2
Stan & Ollie always Great

Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 2 (A Haunting we Will Go / Dancing Masters / Bullfighters)
Starring: Laurel & Hardy
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000G6BLHE
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Description

Episode Description: The Laurel & Hardy Collection Volume 2 contains 3 classic comedies A-Haunting We Will Go, Dancing Masters, and Bullfighters. These titles are all available for the first time on DVD in a slipcase for $34.98 & $46.98.

Disk 1: A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO (1942) *Full Frame Feature **Commentary by Randy Skretvedt **Movietone News **Theatrical Trailer

Disk 2: THE DANCING MASTERS (1943) *Full Frame Feature **Commentary by Scott MacGillivray **A Ship's Reporter **Grand Hotel: The 1932 Laurel & Hardy Tour **Trailers

Disk 3: BULLFIGHTERS (1945) *Full Frame Feature **Commentary by Scott MacGillivray **Laurel & Hardy: The Fox Years **Trailers

Customer Reviews:

ANOTHER PRECIOUS RARITY.......2007-03-16

After purchasing this DVD set,I can safely say that I've seen all of Stan and Ollie's post Hal Roach features.Including their two MGM films,Air Raid Wardens and Nothing But Trouble,and their last real doozy,Utopia.

My favourite film in this set would be The Dancing Masters.Like Jitterbugs before it,we see much more of Stan and Ollie.Plus I found this film to be even funnier than both Jitterbugs and The Big Noise.My favourite scene is the bus ride.I couldn't stop laughing at Oliver going down that rollercoaster.

Stronger than the previous Fox set.......2007-02-05

I found the films contained in this set to generally be funnier and stronger than the ones on the first volume. While it's true that L&H's career after they left Hal Roach is kind of hit and miss, it's not true that everything they did after 1940 is horrible and deserves to be dismissed out of hand without letting the viewer judge for oneself or without a modern critical re-evaluation of these films. I wish more people would realise that these films are *different* than their Hal Roach films, not inferior per se. They actually have many very funny moments and some pretty decent scripts, if one can get past the popular misconception about them being unwatchable garbage.

'The Bullfighters' (filmed in late 1944 but released in 1945) is easily the strongest of the three. Its strength is due in no small part to how they finally had gotten a sizeable amount of creative control back by this time, and how Stan wrote and directed (without credit) at least two of the scenes. It also seems like one of their Hal Roach films, and they seem far more in character than they do in some of the other Fox films. The boys are private detectives who go to Mexico in search of a woman nicknamed Larceny Nell, but after failing to arrest her, in one of the scenes Stan wrote and directed, they find themselves having to hide from Richard Muldoon, a man they sent to prison years ago. They believed Muldoon was a murderer, but it turned out that he was innocent and the real criminal confessed. Stan is able to hide his true identity because he looks exactly like Don Sebastian, a matador whose arrival in town is delayed due to troubles with his passport, but Ollie has more trouble avoiding running into Muldoon. The only real fault I could find with this film is that it ends without resolving the subplot about Larceny Nell, like that part of the plot was developed and then just dropped. This film is only an hour long, so it's not like it was anywhere near running overtime and had to be ended right then.

'The Dancing Masters' (1943) is the second-best film on here. It also helps that some of the scenes are remakes of scenes in some of their earlier films, such as the auction scene in 'Thicker Than Water' and the idea of insuring Stan so that they can collect a lot of money on his injury, which was a big part of the plot in 'The Battle of the Century.' It's hysterically funny throughout, and for once the subplot featuring a young couple doesn't really drag the story down, as it does in some of their other Fox films. This film also features a young Robert Mitchum in a minor role as one of the men who sells them the insurance policy, and the always wonderful Margaret Dumont as the mother of their friend and student Trudy. Here the boys are dancing teachers, with Stan once again in drag when he teaches his class (although unlike the other times when he dressed in drag in their films, here he's not pretending to be a woman and isn't wearing a wig). Although they're really behind on their rent and other living expenses, they're hopeful that Trudy's boyfriend Grant will come through for them when they get rich on his inventions, in particular a very potent ray gun intended for use against the Nazis. Things are complicated because not only does Trudy's father hate Stan and Ollie, he also hates Grant and is hoping Trudy will marry a young man more to his liking, Wentworth Harlan. Though this film is also very funny, I was rather disappointed by how it seemed to end rather abruptly, with not a lot of resolution to most of the plotlines.

'A-Haunting We Will Go' (1942) is the weakest film on here. Stan and Ollie have just been thrown out of jail and are ordered to leave town very soon, or else, and think they've found an easy way out when they see a newspaper advertisement for someone to travel to Dayton, Ohio, all expenses paid. They run terrified when they find out this means travelling with a coffin with a corpse (so they think) inside, but go back and say they'll do it when they see a cop. Little do they know that they've just gotten mixed up with a bunch of gangsters and con men, nor that their coffin gets mixed up with a coffin to be used by Dante the Magician in his upcoming show. On the train to Dayton, they get swindled some more, but Dante comes to their rescue and befriends them, asking them to assist in his upcoming show. The gangsters of course discover they've gotten the wrong coffin, and go to Dayton to confront them and to try to get their living cohort out of that coffin before their criminal plan is discovered. This film just doesn't have a lot of flavor in it, and the boys seem more like supporting characters than the leading comedians at times. It's also not consistently funny, though there are some very funny scenes in it. As with other of their weaker Fox films, they just seem out of character, indistinguishable from any other comedians, and worse yet not only aware of their stupidity but also the brunt of a bunch of jokes and comments from other characters about how stupid they are. They're supposed to be dumb, but in a sweet endearing way, like two overgrown little boys, not constantly being made fun of and swindled by nearly everyone in their path on account of it.

Extras include audio commentaries, trailers, their 1943 Technicolor short 'Tree in a Test Tube' (which is available on several other releases), a short interview with Ollie on the 1950s program 'A Ship's Reporter,' a mini-documentary on the boys' years at Fox, footage of Fox Movietone News, and two silent 1932 newsreels featuring their visit to England. These two newsreels are also available on the Kino release of 'The Flying Deuces,' but here I found them much more enjoyable and lively because they actually had a soundtrack, instead of being pure silence. While this isn't a release I'd recommend to new or casual fans, overall the films are funnier and stronger than the ones on the previous volume.

A WORTHWHILE COLLECTION.......2007-01-15

LAUREL & HARDY WERE THE GRANDEST OF ALL COMEDYTEAMS THROUGHOUT THE 1930'S.
AND ALTHOUGH THEIR WORK ON THESE LATER FILMS PALE IN COMPARISON TOO THE WORK THEY DID SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER,IT IS OF INTEREST TO ANY FAN OF THEIRS
TO HAVE THIS COLLECTION ALONG WITH THE FIRST VOLUME AS A GENTLE REMINDER
THAT BEFORE ABBOTT & COSTELLO OR EVEN MARTIN & LEWIS CAME ALONG,STAN &
OLLIE MADE THE WHOLE WORLD LAUGH.ALL SIX OF THESE LATER MOVIES CAPTURE THE
EMBODIEMENT OF SIXTEEN YEARS IN MAKING FILM COMEDIES AT THE HAL ROACH STU-
DIOS.A LOT OF FAMILIAR ROUTINES ARE CRAMMED INTO THESE LATER TWENTIETH
CENTURY FOX FILMS AND WE GET A LITTLE TASTE OF WHAT CAME BEFORE.EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A FAN I BELIEVE THAT THESE FILMS HAVE MORE THAN COMEDY APPEAL
JUST LIKE ANY OLD FILM WE HAVE A CHANCE TO REVISIT ANOTHER PLACE IN TIME.

Laural And Hardy Collection Volume 2.......2007-01-11

Excellant Quality and very fast safe & secure service,that i can recommend to anyone.

Stan & Ollie always Great.......2007-01-03

These may not be their best movies; but as a collector, I had to have this. I was pleasantly surprised. The movies hold up and the extras were great. If someone could only fing 'The Rogue Song' my collection would be complete.

Laurel & Hardy II (Way Out West / Block-Heads / Chickens Come Home)

Average customer rating:

Laurel & Hardy II review.
"Two Gloriously Funny Men"
Funny
Two Classic Comic Actors in Three Classic Comedies
Block - Heads

Laurel & Hardy II (Way Out West / Block-Heads / Chickens Come Home)
Starring: Stan Laurel , Oliver Hardy , Elizabeth Forrester , James Finlayson , and Gordon Douglas
Director: James W. Horne , and John G. Blystone
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00079I006
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Product Description

Way out west (1937)
while trying to deliver the deed for valuable gold mine to the daughter of a dead prospector, stand and Ollie run into her evil guardian, who wants to keep the gold mine for himself. One of Laurel & Hardy s funniest full- length feature film and their only western spoof!

Block-Heads(1938)
Stan and Ollie are first seen as soldiers with the AEF in France in 1917. Stan receives orders to stay in the trench and guard his post while the rest of the company makes a sweeping attack. Time passes indeed, 20 years go by and Stan is seen still faithful to his charge. Stan is finally told that the war is over; he returns home and is reunited with Ollie. It is immediately evident that Stan has not changed, and he is still as big a blockhead as he used to be.

Chickens Come home
Ollie, running for mayor, is blackmailed by an old flame. Illie agrees to meet both his old girlfriend and his wife at the same time. Stan gets cough in the middle and unbridled commotion results.

Critical Acclaim

Way out west 1938, Nominated for an Oscar®

Best music, Score

Block-heads 1939, Nominated for Oscar®

Best Music, Original Score

System Requirements:

Running Time 150 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

The combination of choleric, combustible Oliver Hardy and mild, perpetually helpful Stan Laurel sustained dozens upon dozens of comedies, including the popular Way Out West. What makes this hour-long feature stand out is not just the physical hijinks (of which there are plenty), but the moments of surprising elegance, like a supple soft-shoe duet accompanied by what can only be called cowboy doo-wop. The plot concerns keeping the deed to a gold mine out of the hands of a greedy saloonkeeper (frequent comic foil James Finlayson), but it's just a pretext for gleeful slapstick orchestrations. Laurel & Hardy II also includes the underrated Block-Heads, another hour-long feature which starts out in the trenches of World War I and ends in a 13th floor apartment in New York; domestic strife and even lost limbs become fodder for jokes, yet the movie never feels cruel or ghoulish. It's the lightheartedness of their brutal mishaps that marks their success. Both features are from the late 1930s. An additional short from 1931, Chickens Come Home, features Hardy running for mayor and trying to squelch his past indiscretions, with Laurel as his right-hand man. No matter the circumstances, they wear bowler hats; wherever they go, madcap devastation follows. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Laurel & Hardy II review........2007-08-05

I think that these three movies were some of their best comedy. The pictures were good quality. However there was one slight problem: the speech and the lip motion were not quite in sync with each other on some DVD players. The sound was very good.
Thank-you.
Dorothy Fabi.

"Two Gloriously Funny Men".......2007-06-01

Laurel & Hardy still remain the greatest comedy team of all time . Their material stands the ' test of time" hmdodd/ highland twp, mich

Funny.......2007-04-14

I liked the whole DVD but I was hooked after watching Stan Laurel getting tickled in one of the scenes in Way out West, say no more, just watching Stan in that scene had me in stitches. I have always liked Laurel & Hardy and I would like to own more of these DVD's.

Two Classic Comic Actors in Three Classic Comedies .......2007-03-10

Not much more than the three titles here - the "extras" aren't much - but here we have very fine DVD pressings of top drawer L & H. Some lesser known Stan & Ollie flicks from the non-independent, large-scale studios in the following decade have been released recently, and though they have historical significant and some sporadic fun (if you can supress your "couda-shoulda" button), they only emphasize the often brilliant and heartwarming stuff which really made them famous. We have three examples here: a 1937 trip out West, about one hour long, yet absolutely loaded with inventive gags (though a midnight attempt to hoist Ollie to the second floor of Finlayson's Saloon is badly dragged out) and clever dialogue. Ofcourse, the performances are great, and in Way Out West have the added dimension of music and "magic". While Hardy tries to plot out the rescue of a young lady and her deed to a goldmine, Laurel constantly befuddles his partner with all kinds of reality manipulations - like using his thumb as a lighter!
The next year, they produced a partial remake of their very first "talkie" - it's fun to compare Unaccustomed As We Are from '29 to Blockheads. The later film is far better and contains much pathos. Hardy's wife, who starts off her day reminding her husband that he forgot their anniversary, then returns to find old buddy Stan lounging about, delivers an incredible, drammaticly schizophrenic display - one of the great moments in comedy history. Ultimately, it is typical L & H - Ollie's new found respectability is torn asunder by the well-meaning but completely incompetent Stan, who wrecks his car, his apartment...and his marriage. By the end of the film he flees with his friend from his home and a violent neighbor who believes he is a filanderer.
The 1931 short-subject is an hilarious work - again Ollie is on the threshold of true acceptance in high society, until Mae Busch shows up to upset his political plans, his marriage, and Stan himself in a wild wrestling match outside of her hotel suite. This is perhaps her sexiest performance - and her attitude is all business - she wants her share of the success. Her acting is bit more nuanced than usual - she projects admiration and revulsion of Hardy at the same time.
Side note: I've read of the Spanish-language version of this film and hope that it can become available through this company.

Block - Heads.......2007-02-19

I (Jim McCutcheon) saw this film way back in the 50's and it cracked me up. I have hankered for it for some time and althouh I have matured somewhat (68years) still found if highly amusing, and thanks to Amazon, now have a copy for myself.

I would class it as one of Laurel and Hardy's better efforts.

Cheers,
Jim.

Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 1 (Great Guns / Jitterbugs / The Big Noise)

Average customer rating:

Fives stars for entire disk content!
A MUST SEE FOR LAUREL & HARDY FANS
The Legends of Comedy are Back with New Material!
crumbs from the laurel and hardy table
These films are not that bad!

Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 1 (Great Guns / Jitterbugs / The Big Noise)
Starring: Stan Laurel , Oliver Hardy , Doris Merrick , Arthur Space , and Veda Ann Borg
Director: Malcolm St. Clair , and Monty Banks
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000E6ESF8
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Amazon.com

Though Laurel and Hardy fans will attest to the relative weakness of the three films included in this Gift set, Great Guns, Jitterbugs, and The Big Noise, the films still brim with classic Stan and Ollie antics, and more intriguingly, serve as historical markers of American Wartime Cinema. These post-Hal Roach, Twentieth Century Fox releases offer, even in the liner notes, information about how the film industry was influenced by World War II. Great Guns' plot most directly refers to the war, showing what happens when the Army recruits two clowns. Gunpowder gags, planes dropping flour bombs, and physical comedy inside the barracks, involving cots, dangling light bulbs, and mess kits abound in this film that hopefully entertained soldiers. Jitterbugs, the funniest film in the set, provides comedic escape from hardship by constructing a plot based on a dislike for gas rationing. In Jitterbugs, Stan and Ollie, stars of the Zoot Suit Band, encounter a scam artist who allegedly can turn water into gasoline with an invented pill. Together, the three men swindle their ways into absurd situations, culminating in hilarious scenes of Stan disguised as a wealthy elderly lady who at one point declares, to a bunch of gangsters, that she's feeling "quite gay." Clever double-entendres, subtle wordplay, and co-star Vivian Blaine make this film wonderful. A documentary entitled "Revenge of the Sons of the Desert," about Laurel and Hardy fan clubs and conventions, shows how the wacky spirits of Stan and Ollie live on into the present day. True, these three films may not be their strongest, but they defined comedy during some of America's grimmest times. --Trinie Dalton

Description

Episode Description: Disc 1 "Big Noise": Rating: NR Audio: English: Mono & Stereo Subtitled: English and Spanish Special Features: Commentary by Randy Skredvedt, Photo Gallery, Theatrical Trailer, Laurel and Hardy Theatre: Bullfighters Theatrical Trailer, Great Guns Theatrical Trailer, & The Dancing Master Theatrical Trailer

Disc 2 "Great Guns": Rating: NR Audio: English: Mono & Stereo Subtitled: English & Spanish Special Features: Commentary by Randy Skretvedt, Photo Gallery, Opening the Freemont Theatre Movietone News, Theatrical Trailer, Laurel and Hardy Theatre: Big Noise Theatrical Trailer, Bullfighters Theatrical Trailer, & Jitterbugs Theatrical Trailer

Disc 3 "Jitterbugs": Rating: NR Audio: English: Mono & Stereo Subtitled: English & Spanish Special Features: Commentary by Randy Skretvedt, Photo Gallery, Inauguration of the Railway Movietone News, Theatrical Trailer, Laurel and Hardy Theatre: Big Noise Theatrical Trailer, Bullfighters Theatrical Trailer, & Great Guns Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Fives stars for entire disk content!.......2007-05-25

These are not the very best Laurel and Hardy movies but they are not really bad either. They are different. If they had started as a team making these movies we would never have known about all their best work and we'd be satisfied with these films as they are.

Each of these three movies I enjoyed watching. The picture and sound quality are superior to many of the other Laurel and Hardy videos available.

The extra features are a bonus too. I especially liked the audio commentaries by expert film historians.

I highly recommend this collection to ture Laurel and Hardy fans!

A MUST SEE FOR LAUREL & HARDY FANS.......2007-03-16

Many of these post Hal Roach films I'd never seen before.That's why I just had to get this DVD set.I'm always fascinated to see anything from Stan and Ollie that I've never seen before.
Great Guns and Jitterbugs are the only two I haven't seen before in this set.I especially like Jitterbugs.Definetly one of their better 40s films.Vivia Blane is a beautiful singer.Plus Stan and Ollie themselves are seen a lot more in this film than in most of their much later features.

The Legends of Comedy are Back with New Material!.......2006-11-09

I'm a very enthusiastic fun of the great comedy team Laurel&Hardy. I search any release that come out of the legendary team of the silver screen. When I purchased the 21 dvd box set "Laurel&Hardy Collection" two years ago, I thought that almost all of the movies were included in this collection. Eventually, I realized that most of the movies from 1940s and some of the 1930s movies were not considered in this collection. Fortunately, I came across this new collection of their films which were missing in the 21 dvd collection. The three movies in "Laurel&Hardy Giftset Volume 1" are the movies made in 1940s. Though they seem a bit aged(Laurel) in some particular scenes, they still do a fantastic job. I think every Laurel&Hardy fun or simply the fun of classical comedies should get this "Laurel&Hardy giftset". "Laurel&Hardy Giftset Volume 2" has already come out and I also recommend you to get that one too. Great! I've collected almost every film of the great comedy team by purchasing these two new giftset releases.

crumbs from the laurel and hardy table.......2006-11-04

As a life-long fan of Stan and Ollie, I continue to be depressed at the relative absence of the availability of their classic works on DVD. Except for the thrown-together Hallmark volumes which , for the most part, use poor dupes of 35mm material and for Turner's L&H "collection" with FRA DIAVOLO and BONNIE SCOTLAND, two of their weakest Roach films, their is nothing readily available to show the genius of these two timeless performers. The continued release of the weak - and frequently execrable - films for Fox and MGM in the 40s will only cause the unititiated to think L&H are nothing beyond two aging, unfunny knockabouts.
Although the Fox/MGM films might have a place on the shelf of a completist, they are really just depressing. Why does not UNIVERSAL, who releases the ENTIRE body of their Roach work from 1927 -1940 release this massive and impressive set state-side?

These films are not that bad!.......2006-10-13

It seems like so many people have said that L&H's post-1940 films are awful for so long that even people who don't have any familiarity with them believe it, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sure they'll never compare to their earlier glories like 'Pack Up Your Troubles' or 'Way Out West,' nor to any of their short subjects, but they really shouldn't be compared because they're in two very different categories. People should see them as what they are, not what they're not. And wouldn't one rather see L&H in a less brilliant vehicle than see the kind of stuff that passes for comedy today?

'Great Guns' (1941) can feel like a big let-down, since this was their first Fox film after so many wonderful years at Hal Roach, and the drop-off in quality is stunning. However, it does manage to deliver enough funny lines and gags to make this picture worthwhile. It may not be as funny or as classic as their earlier glories, but it's still entertaining regardless. Great scenes include Stan and Ollie's attempts to serve themselves lunch at the dining hall, Stan stuffing their pet crow down the back of Ollie's pants when they're in formation, and the neverending plank of wood Stan carries during one of their military exercises. Though this film was made somewhat prior to the U.S. entering WWII, it does seem to be anticipating that possibility, what with the "Isn't the Army great and fun?" theme, kind of making it into a subtle propaganda picture in case the U.S. really did join the war. And it's painful to see how Fox just didn't understand Stan and Ollie's characters, making them aware of their dumbness, servile, not wanting to better themselves and rise above being servants, people who know their place and don't mind it. Stan's stupidity and Ollie's weight are made into cruel needless joke after cruel needless joke as well. Before, part of the joke was that Ollie was quite a big boy, but that he was so graceful in spite of it, and that Stan was in a special childlike world of his own, which Ollie often brought him out of with a choice word or look. They're also kind of pushed into the background in favor of the boring would-be couple, more like supporting characters. There's also a badly dated scene where Sgt. Hippo (whom I thought looked like Bob Hope) has his face blackened by exploding tobacco, and Stan and Ollie pretend to not recognise him, with lines like "Look, they've assigned us a porter." Then their commanding officer comes in and yells at Hippo, asking him, "What are you trying to do, put on a minstrel show?" They never would have used this kind of cheap racial humor at Hal Roach!

'Jitterbugs' (1943) also has secondary characters assuming more importance in the plotline, though Stan and Ollie seem more their old selves in this picture, getting to have more of the main action instead of being pushed to the sideline in favor of some boring young couple and the villains, coupled with superfluous musical numbers (rather like what happened to the Marx Brothers in their MGM films). It's also a lot funnier than 'Great Guns.' Added bonuses are the scene where Ollie has to pretend to be a Southern colonel (he does it so well and convincingly, doubtlessly because he was a Southerner himself) and the scenes where Stan pretends to be Emily Cartwright. It's always a riot to see Stan in drag, and he also gets to use his real British accent, which is an added bonus. Probably one of their best Fox films, even though it might not be quite up to their old snuff.

'The Big Noise' (1944) suffers from being uneven. A lot of the best scenes and gags are remakes of things from earlier shorts and features (such as 'Oliver the Eighth,' 'Berth Marks,' 'Habeas Corpus,' and 'Wrong Again!'), but they never really go anywhere. The plot had a lot of potential, but just wasn't executed very well. It also suffers from, once again, secondary characters assuming too much importance. And the ending just occurs out of nowhere and leaves more questions than answers; additionally, Stan and Ollie would have never dropped a bomb on anyone on purpose, even in wartime, back at Hal Roach. They just weren't that type of people. Of their WWII-themed films, I actually much prefer the also-reviled 'Air Raid Wardens.' However, I don't think this film is as awful as its reputation; it's certainly not what I'd consider their worst feature.

Extras include trailers, audio commentaries, photo galleries and press materials, newsreels about Fox Movietone News, and a short documentary on the Sons of the Desert, the worldwide L&H fan society. Overall, this isn't something I'd recommend to a new or casual fan, but it's a must-have for more seasoned fans. These films are better than their reputation (one should form one's own opinion about them instead of just parroting the popular wisdom; that's like letting other people do your thinking for you), and it's great to see that they've been given the deluxe treatment, restored, and released on DVD. Hopefully people with open minds will be able to make up their own minds about their merit and worth, even to consider a critical re-evaluation of them.

Average customer rating:

Inferior DVD presentation, there are better copies out there.
Very good, maybe neccessary
March of the Wooden Soldiers
Good Experience
A great Holiday Movie Classic

March of the Wooden Soldiers
Starring: Richard Alexander , Frank Austin , Billy Bletcher , Henry Brandon , and Baldwin Cooke
Director: Charley Rogers , and Meins, Gus
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000JZHK
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Amazon.com

The most lavish feature built around Laurel and Hardy, 1934's March of the Wooden Soldiers is also the most bizarre. Opening unpromisingly with one of several mawkish numbers derived from Victor Herbert's musical Babes in Toyland, the antics of toyshop laborers Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee are worked into a scenario midway between Lewis Carroll and the Brothers Grimm. Nursery-rhyme characters come and go in a surreal fantasy, with the evil Mr. Barnaby threatening to evict Widow Peep from her shoe unless he receives her daughter Bo in marriage. The movie culminates in a full-scale invasion of Toyland by the yeti-ish Bogeymen and their defeat by the 100 six-foot wooden soldiers which Stan and Ollie have built by mistake. Henry Brandon gives a characterful performance, while 1930s child star Charlotte Henry is an appealing heroine. Directors Gus Meins and Charles R. Rogers milk the slapstick to an increasingly unnerving degree. Reputedly Hardy's favorite among the double act's features, March of the Wooden Soldiers emerges now as their most audacious screen appearance. --Richard Whitehouse

Customer Reviews:

Inferior DVD presentation, there are better copies out there........2007-07-13

Skip this version, there is a better RESTORED version that offers the film in both B&W & Colorized versions:

March of the Wooden Soldiers

See the excellent reviews about that restoration.

Very good, maybe neccessary.......2007-06-08

Laurel and Hardy DON'T need to be in colour, they are perfect in B&W, however this is the one film that might be the exception. Even in B&W you can tell how glorious the film would be if the backgrounds and characters were in colour - and it works. It won't change your life but will make a brilliant film that bit better, and different.

March of the Wooden Soldiers.......2007-03-21

Just as I expected it would be. Great find!

Good Experience.......2007-03-09

The delivery of the merchandise was timely the picture clarity and product is excellent for a classic DVD. The overall experience was great!!!

A great Holiday Movie Classic.......2007-02-27

I remember this movie on TV every Thanksgiving when I was a kid. For some reason they stopped showing it in the mid 80's - to early 90's it has become a forgotten classic. Though I am not a fan of colorization for old B/W movies, I really like this version. It is very well done the colors do not look fake and bring out the details of the film which one could not always see in B and W. This movie color or Black and White is a true wonder to see. It is a gift from the not so distant past. The back drops and props bring in memories of the grand old amusement parks like Coney Island, or roadside America and The late Great Danbury Fair in CT. Full of fantasy and bewitching fun. Laurel and Hardy bring a magic to this film that should be seen by all. Buy it it is great for the kids and for the whole family

First Kings of Comedy Collection ("The Golden Age Of Comedy" and "When Comedy Was King")

Average customer rating:

First Kings of Comedy Collection ("The Golden Age Of Comedy" and "When Comedy Was King")
Starring: Stan Laurel , Oliver Hardy , Charlie Chaplin , Ben Turpin , and Charley Chase
Director: Robert Youngson
Manufacturer: Genius Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000UAE7K4
Release Date: 2007-10-16

Description

The First Kings of Comedy Collection is a hilarious, joyous, and timeless tribute to the era of silent slapstick comedy and all the uproarious comedians who built the comedy genre. The collection consists of two great feature-length compilations, The Gol

Laurel & Hardy - Air Raid Wardens / Nothing but Trouble

Average customer rating:

Laurel & Hardy - Air Raid Wardens 1943 / 1944 Nothing but Trouble
Great B&W flicks with very good DVD quality.
GOOD FOR SOME LAUGHS
U.K. buyers - this L & H DVD plays on R.2 coded machines!
Five stars for releasing these to DVD: this pre-release review just mentions the content

Laurel & Hardy - Air Raid Wardens / Nothing but Trouble
Starring: Stan Laurel , Oliver Hardy , Edgar Kennedy , Jacqueline White , and Stephen McNally
Director: Edward Sedgwick , and Sam Taylor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000HWZ4CU
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Description

Whether serving their country in wartime or serving multicourse mealtime mayhem, Laurel and Hardy serve up laughs in this classic twofer. First, the nation calls out in its hour of need, Stan and Ollie answer...and Uncle Sam changes his mind. Rejected by the military, our heroes become Air Raid Wardens. Lights-out laughs include a donnybrook with slow-burn comic Edgar Kennedy and a run-in with a nest of spies. In Nothing but Trouble, the boys fuss and finagle as World War II-era domestics who rally 'round an exiled boy king when danger arises. Sam Taylor, co-director of Harold Lloyd's famed hanging-from-the-clock-high-above-city-traffic movie Safety Last!, guides this romp that includes a gem of a ledge-hanging sequence. Hold tight for fall-down funny fun.

Customer Reviews:

Laurel & Hardy - Air Raid Wardens 1943 / 1944 Nothing but Trouble.......2007-08-28

A duble treat from Comedy .. Immortals Laurel and Hardy ! Whether serving their country in wartime or serving multicourse maeltime mayhem , Laurel ( Stan Laurel 1890-1965) and Hardy ( Oliver Hardy 1892-1957) serve up laughs in this classic twofer . First , the nation calls out in its hour of need . Stan and Oliver answer .. amd Uncle Sam changes his mind . Rejected by the military , our heroes bacome AIR RAID WARDENS. Lights-out laughts include a donnybrook with slowburn comic Edgar Kennedy (1890-1948) and run-in with a nest of spies . in NOTHING BUT TROUBLE the boys fuss with finagle as World War II-era domestic who rally'round and exited boy king when danger arises . Sam Taylor (1895-1958), co-director of Harold Llyoyd's (1893-1971 famed hanging-the-clock-high-above-city-traffic movie (Safety Last , 1923) ! Guides this romp that includes a gem of ledge-hanging sequence . Hold tight for all-down funny fun . High Quality Transfer .

Great B&W flicks with very good DVD quality........2007-01-23

Both movies on DVD are fine showings of Laurel's and Hardy's talents. As always there is plenty of laughs and stants. Even my 7-year old daughter was laughing to tears. The quality of DVD - audio and video - is excellent, and maybe there are not too many extras, the movie itself is very satissfying. Highly recommended for Olie and Stan buffs and new-comers.

GOOD FOR SOME LAUGHS .......2006-12-17

This is a pretty good effort for a Warner home video dvd release.You get two Laurel & Hardy feature films on one single sided disc with nice artwork.Considering that these films are over 60 years old the audio & video quality is surprisingly good.If you're a fan of Laurel & Hardy, this dvd is definitely for you.This is good clean fun from one of the best comedy teams ever.

U.K. buyers - this L & H DVD plays on R.2 coded machines!.......2006-12-15

The most important information for U.K. buyers here is that this Air Raid Wardens / Nothing But Trouble Laurel and Hardy DVD plays on region 2 coded machines without any problems whatsoever.

The picture quality is fantastic and movie trailers are also included - so buy with confidence from Amazon.com!

Five stars for releasing these to DVD: this pre-release review just mentions the content.......2006-09-18

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy made two feature films for M-G-M in the 1940s, which were overlooked when the rest of the team's M-G-M output was released to DVD earlier this year. These two films are often missing pieces in a Laurel & Hardy fan's collection, and having them both on one disc is a convenient and economical way to enjoy them.

AIR RAID WARDENS and NOTHING BUT TROUBLE have more heart than usual for wartime L & H comedies, and the scripts paint the "Stan and Ollie" characters as being conscientious underdogs instead of oblivious idiots, for a welcome change. Most fans' basic complaint is that both films use M-G-M's inflexible formula for comedy, as repeatedly applied to Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers: the comedians reach a humiliating "low point," when things can't get any worse, only to bounce back to triumph and vindication. Be prepared for some scenes where Stan and Ollie are greatly humbled by a depressing turn of events. Good, straight acting by the leads, but not typically found in a Laurel & Hardy comedy.

AIR RAID WARDENS (1943) has our heroes trying to help their community in wartime by putting up posters (messily), attending a town meeting (distractingly), administering first aid (disastrously), asking Edgar Kennedy to please turn off his house lights (unsuccessfully), and finally foiling an enemy sabotage plot (and very successfully). A huge box-office hit in 1943 and a real "audience" picture: for best results watch this one with some friends.

NOTHING BUT TROUBLE (1944) has Stan and Ollie as the world's worst butler and chef, from a long line of bad butlers and chefs, who steal a lion's lunch, preside over Mary Boland's important dinner party with their usual aptitude, try to protect an exiled boy king from political assassins, and wind up being forced onto a window ledge high above the city streets (very well staged).

The "serious" plots weigh these films down at times, so try not to pay too much attention to them and concentrate on the L & H gags instead. The team's timing and comic skills are most of the show here, overcoming M-G-M's relentlessly stately pacing. Print quality should be outstanding, based on the usually impeccable M-G-M vault elements.

Average customer rating:

Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20's
Starring: Stan Laurel , Oliver Hardy , Charley Chase , Max Davidson , and Edgar Kennedy
Director: Robert Youngson
Manufacturer: Televista
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000TLO5U6
Release Date: 2007-09-11

Average customer rating:

The Laurel & Hardy Collection by Laurel & Hardy
I think it is agood product.
Stan & Ollie DESERVE MORE THAN THIS!!!
Not the best of Stan and Ollie
All collection

The Laurel & Hardy Collection
Starring: Laurel & Hardy
Manufacturer: PASSPORT VIDEO
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009W0W7
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Product Description

Born in the 1900's, the haunting and timeless comic antics of one og the greatest comedy film duos in history makes film fans laugh aloud more than fifty years after their last onscreen pairing.

Five disc set includes:
Utopia
Flying Deuces
March of the Wooden Soldiers
Be Big1
The Lucky Dog
This is Your Life
Laurel and Hardy at the Movies

System Requirements:

Starring Arthur Stanley Jefferson and Oliver Norvell Hardy

Running time: 5 hours 47 minutes

Customer Reviews:

The Laurel & Hardy Collection by Laurel & Hardy .......2007-05-15

Weak collection. Please do not buy it!

I think it is agood product........2007-04-11

The product is good,but I would be more impress if it could show all the short series as well.The cmplete whole package.

Stan & Ollie DESERVE MORE THAN THIS!!!.......2006-03-08

Avoid this cheapo release of these great film! subpar prints..certainly NOT from original 35mm elements..wait for the good one to come out down the road!

Not the best of Stan and Ollie.......2005-12-02

Go to Amazon.uk and you will find the whole Laurel and Hardy collection (all together or as seperates). There are 21 DVDs in a classy collectable box (DVD 21 is a documentary about the two). The quality is brilliantly restored and has colourised versions as well (may appeal to younger ones).

All the best are here (including early silent ones, extended versions and even some in other languages), apart from The Flying Deuces (made at another studio - MGM I think) and a few of the lesser quality ones (post 40's) which are not as good anyway.

The only problem is that they are Region 2 (PAL) so you may need to get a multiregion DVD player and television that can play PAL.

The cheap DVDs you see around do not contain any of their better stuff (particularly the Hal Roach shorts of around 1930-1940 or the feature films such as Blockheads, Way Out West or Sons of the Desert) but any Laurel and Hardy is worth getting.

The colourised versions are 'television friendly' i.e. with cuts here and there - but it is worth watching them to see Stan's bright red hair and some of the colour tones of the time. However, the black and white versions are by far the best, with clear sharp images (restored) and they remain uncut (Laughing Gravy is on twice, one is extended and has the original ending - a rather grimmer ending at that!).

All collection.......2005-09-24

I am very satisfy with the product. Nice quality both video and audio, and the customer service is fine.

TCM Archives - The Laurel and Hardy Collection (The Devil's Brother / Bonnie Scotland)

Average customer rating:

Hey Hallmark, this is how you do it....
Give us more, TCM...
THE DUO AT THEIR BEST
On Yonder Rock Reclining......
Laurel, Hardy, and MGM ==Possible Spoilers in this review==

TCM Archives - The Laurel and Hardy Collection (The Devil's Brother / Bonnie Scotland)
Starring: Stan Laurel , Oliver Hardy , Dennis King , Thelma Todd , and James Finlayson
Director: Hal Roach , Charley Rogers , and James W. Horne
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000E1MXTQ
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Product Description

They were one of the movies' most successful and best-loved comic duos, probably because their irresistible slapstick antics were underscored by an indomitable optimism. Beginning with shorts made at the Hal Roach Studios, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy struck a universal chord by sharing a contentious yet benign friendship that always survived whatever indignities their mutual bumbling brought upon them.

This TCM Archives two-disc collection focuses on the team at their zenith during the sound era and spotlights two features produced by Roach for MGM. The Devil's Brother (1933) (also known as Fra Diavolo) is a laugh-filled adaptation of the Auber operetta in which "Stanlio" and "Ollio" tangle with a notorious robber baron. The delightful Bonnie Scotland (1935) is a misadventure that takes the boys to Scotland and India.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Unlike many silent screen comedians, Laurel & Hardy made a seamless transition to talkies, and this TCM Archives double-feature showcases some of their funniest work from the early 1930s. As always, TCM/Warner has packaged this must-have set for true film buffs: The prints are pristine, image quality is crisp and clean, sound quality is the best available (allowing for some hiss and minor drop-offs due to the age of the soundtracks), and bonus features have been chosen with care and authority, including several highlight excerpts from Laurel & Hardy short subjects. While continuing to enjoy their priceless partnership with producer Hal Roach, Stan & Ollie were at their sound-era peak in The Devil's Brother (1933), a hilarious adaptation of the Auber operetta Fra Diavolo (also the film's alternate European title), in which "Stanlio" and "Ollio" find themselves entangled in the exploits of the Marquis de San Marco, a notorious singing bandit named "Fra Diavolo" (played with adequate panache by Dennis King) who's set his sights on the lovely Lady Pamela (played by '30s screen queen Thelma Todd). Plots in Laurel & Hardy films are almost always perfunctory, but this is one of the better ones, lending Stan & Ollie ample opportunity to cut loose with Roach-invented gags and trademark slapstick. The highlight has to be Stan's drunken laughing fit, a miraculously sustained bit of hilarity (with Ollie eventually joining in) that's absolutely infectious and irresistible--it's impossible to watch without laughing right along with Stan.

Bonnie Scotland (1935) finds L&H in Gunga Din territory (or if you prefer, The Lives of a Bengal Lancer) as they arrive in Scotland hoping to collect "MacLaurel's" inheritance, only to end up recruited into a Scottish infantry regiment in the Indian desert. The comedy is mildly compromised by a standard-issue romance plot involving costars June Lang and William Janney, but whenever Stan and Ollie are onscreen, the laughs are consistently plentiful and timelessly entertaining. Adding expert context to the comedy, audio commentaries by film historians and lifelong L&H fans Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann are packed with knowledgeable information out each film, the careers of the cast members, working methods at Hal Roach studios, shooting locations, and fascinating anecdotal details (such as the fact that long-time L&H supporting player James Finlayson was the direct inspiration for Homer Simpson's beloved exclamation, "D'Oh!" on TV's long-running animated sitcom The Simpsons. The package is rounded out by "Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story," an excellent TCM feature-length documentary, narrated by Chevy Chase, that extensively chronicles the many varieties of short subjects produced during the 1930's and '40s--essentially an extension of Vaudeville and newsreels that gave rise to many of Hollywood's finest performers during the golden age of the studio system. All in all, this is a perfect DVD set for longtime Laurel & Hardy fans, or newcomers to their classic brand of comedy. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Hey Hallmark, this is how you do it...........2007-07-03

Turner did an excellent job with this. The prints are beautiful, and the second disc contains clips that would be difficult to find otherwise. lnstead of sticking us(L&H's loyal and knowledgeable fanbase)with a careless,sub-par product, they have put together an outstanding collection. lf you're on the fence or don't know about L&H, then don't be afraid to start here. Well worth it.

Give us more, TCM..........2007-06-25

These are perfect, gorgeous prints. Excellent indexing, too! Although amazon.co.uk offers a 21-DVD set of "remastered" L&H films (almost their complete Hal Roach oeuvre), the prints are not at all good like the ones on these DVDs. So we are all still waiting for a truly decent set of "The Complete L&H" to come out. I do highly recommend this release.

Devil's Brother is self-recommending, and if you've ever been a little embarassed by HOW dopey Stan can be, here he shows how clever and physically deft he is.

There is more controversy over Bonnie Scotland. This much-criticized film is actually filled with good things: it has an absolutely darling June Lang in the subplot; it has L&H stepping blithely into the picture to the tune of a village blacksmith inadvertently pinging away the Koo Koo theme on his anvil(!); Ollie sneezing the water out of a stream; L&H setting their bed on fire (and Ollie as well); a warm and memorable shot of L&H and William Janney jaunting off to a big adventure; a "musical mirage" (with Marvin Hatley!); Stanley readjusting the march-step of an entire regiment; a delightful and satisfying L&H dance, complete with a good comic ending; one of the most heart-tugging goodbyes ever committed to film, but which is so funny you can't cry; and a spectacular ending with pandemonium overtaking all.

Critics write that the romantic subplot is left unresolved, but the resolution is so obvious that I never questioned it as a kid, and still don't. My only criticism is that the secondary story is not happy, and I wish its scenes were shorter. But it does add to the continuity and dramatic arch of the movie. A little editing could make this a classic.

The second DVD has hard-to-find L&H excerpts from 3 non-L&H films of the 1930s, and they're all good. My only gripe here is that the very last and important few seconds of the Banditos clip from Pick A Star is cut out. I also wish that instead of a boring documentary, they had included the Stolen Jools, and the entire re-edited version of Pick A Star, which was released in the 1950s as A Day at the Studio, and which is supposed to be a pretty good tightened-up version. But this second DVD is a bonus, anyway, so it doesn't reduce my star-rating.

THE DUO AT THEIR BEST.......2007-04-02

THIS IS LAUREL AND HARDY AT THEIR BEST,THE DANCING IN BONNIE SCOTLAND IS BY FAR THE FUNNIEST THING I HAVE SEEN. IF YOU WANT TO LAUGH GET THIS DVD.

On Yonder Rock Reclining.............2007-01-19

Laurel & Hardy are at their best in these two Hal Roach comedies. Behind teh subplots, and inconsistent plot lines of lovers, devils brothers, and thieves, Laurel & Hardy are at their magical best. Their scenes in both "The Devil's Brother" and "Bonnie Scotland" are filled with the charm and wit that made these comedians the best in their business.

Warner Brothers has definitely scored high for me. The extras filled in this DVD include scenes from the various cameos they were in, as well as the only color extract known from "The Rogue Song." Truly a treat for all Laurel & Hardy fans.

My only with is that Halmark would get on the bandwagon and release the rest of the films that they own. Even Fox and MGM have now released their Laurel & Hardy movies (which were post-1940, and not the team's best films either).

Laurel, Hardy, and MGM ==Possible Spoilers in this review==.......2006-11-19

Way back in the 80's there were only two Laurel & Hardy movies to be found on video tape; "Utopia" and "Flying Deuces", both released by a multitude of cheapy video companies. And then finally MGM/UA home video released a third, "Bonnie Scotland". This would be followed by CBS/FOX's Playhouse Video released a couple of their 20th Century Fox movies, and Nostalgia Merchant did us all a favor and released 9 volumes of their sound shorts ( one volume more and they would have completed the task ) as well as several of the Hal Roach L&H feature films.

It wasn't long before MGM /UA realized that L&H sold well on video. And it was just their luck that they had the video rights to 2 of their movies. So in the 90's "Bonnie Scotland" was re-released marked down from $70 to $20, an "The Devils Brother" was also given a release at the same price. These movies made such a profit that MGM/UA continued to release any L&H movies they could get their hands on.

As it turned out, Laurel & Hardy had made two movies for MGM studios after they split with Hal Roach studios. "Air Raid Wardens" and "Nothing But Trouble", while the stronger of their post Roach movies, were still regarded to be substandard. Ultimately that did not stop MGM/UA from releasing them, or putting such phrases as "..hilarious..." and "...laughed packed 1944 film".

MGM/UA continued to try to milk the L&H cash cow dry with two more video releases; "Laurel & Hardy's Laughing 20's" and "Hollywood Party". The former was another Robert Youngson composite movie released by MGM that is best remembered for preserving most of the pie fight from "Battle of the Century". The later was a 1934 MGM all-star disaster that featured Laurel & Hardy in only a few segments. But that did not stop MGM/UA from prominently featuring Laurel & Hardy on the videos box.

It would have been nice if MGM had continued and paid for the rights to release several other L&H movies, but at the time they were only interested in releasing the movies they already owned the rights to. Now nearly 15 years later Warner Home Video is once again re-releasing the MGM owned Laurel & Hardy movies on DVD. While this set only contains their two Roach features, good sales could see the re-release of all the MGM owned material. ( I would actually like to see a DVD release of "Hollywood Review of 1929" as I am also a Buster Keaton fan. The only other release of this movie on home video was part of an expensive Laser disc set with a lot of other early musicals I was not interested in. )Hopefully this could also result in a release of other Laurel & Hardy movies through Warner & TCM.

As for the movies in this set, they are not the best that Laurel & hardy had to offer. At the time "The Devils Brother" was made Hal Roach felt that they had to beef up the feature films with what was selling tickets at the time, namely romance and music. As in movies like "Swiss Miss",
"Bohemian Girl", and even "Babes in Toyland", a sub plot revolving around a romance between two characters tends to take over the movie. As do singing numbers that do not involve Laurel or Hardy. They are by no means marginalized as Abbot & Costello were in many of their films, but the padding is still obvious. However, since Stan and Babe had less to do with the film it gave them more time to work out the gags in their individual scenes. And The Devils Brother does offer up a few comedy gems such as the "Earsy-Kneesy-Nosey" game ( which, by the way, quickly became a fad shortly after this film was released )

The plot is simple. L&H play Stanlio and Ollio, two failed bandit's in Europe around the 1700's. They are forced into service with Fra Diavalo, a notorious leader of a gang of bandits, after Stanlio and Ollio attempt to rob them. Disguising himself as a nobleman, Fra Diavalo infiltrates the home of Lord Rocburg and woos his wife in order to locate his money. A second sub plot is introduced where if Captain Lorenzo cannot capture the bandit Fra Diavalo he will never be able to marry his true love. Throughout the movie Laurel & Hardy are forced to help Fra Diavalo in his plot, but at the same time are interested in turning him in for the reward. Eventually they end up getting both Fra Diavalo and themselves caught and nearly shot by a firing squad. That is until Stanlio causes a distraction that allows them all to escape.

Bonnie Scotland, besides its name, barely takes place in that country. Stan & Olly travel to Scotland for a reading of a will where they are only left a snuff box. They end up enlisting in the Scottish army and for the bulk of the movie are in India. The sub plot here is one of Laurels relatives, Laurena MacLaurel, is brought to India by her guardian, and her boyfriend enlists in the same regiment as Stanly & Olly to be with her. In the end of the movie the subplot is abandoned without resolution as Stanly, Olly, and the boyfriend are all sent on a mission to infiltrate some insurgents. As they are about to be killed Stanly knocks over some bee hives which aids in their escape, but also sends swarms of bees to sting ev