Herb Kane
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TCM Archives - The Laurel and Hardy Collection
Studio: Warner Brothers
Year: 1933 & 1935
Rated: Not Rated
Film Length: 90 & 80 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Standard
Audio: DD Monaural
Color/B&W: B&W
Languages: English & French
Subtitles: English, French & Spanish
Genre: Comedy
MSRP: $39.98
Package: Two discs in a three panel Digipak with a cardboard slipcover case
The Feature:
In TCM Archives: The Laurel And Hardy Collection, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Hollywood’s most-beloved comedy appear on DVD in a new release built around two of their best, but rarely seen, feature films. The slapstick team’s The Devil’s Brother (1933) and Bonnie Scotland (1935), both newly restored from original nitrate film elements and includes a second disc with a bevy of bonus features. Previous TCM Archives sets have featured, The Lon Chaney Collection, The Buster Keaton Collection and The Garbo Silents and have all proven to be worthwhile for fans of classic film.
As TCM host Robert Osborne introduces the films, he states, “there were a lot of comedy teams over the years, but Laurel and Hardy was the best of them all.” One of the greatest and most prolific of the comedy teams consisted of British born, slender Stan Laurel and the intolerant but corpulent, Oliver Hardy. They were first purposely teamed together toward the close of the silent era by producer Hal Roach in the slapstick film Slipping Wives (1926). Director Leo McCarey at Hal Roach Studios recognized their potential as a team and capitalized on their contrasting, disparate physical differences (Stan: the "thin" man and Oliver: the "fat" one - each with derby hats) and classic recurring gestures (bewildered head-scratching, neck tie-fiddling, eye-blinking and baby-like weeping). They were among the few actors who successfully made the transition from silents to talkies.
Although Laurel and Hardy worked together as a successful comedy team for more than 20 years (and were precursors of the 50s team, Abbott and Costello), they were not equal partners - Stan considered himself the creative force and "brains" of the team. Their dozens of short films and twenty-seven feature-length films were produced over three decades (the 20s to the 40s), including such film classics as Sons of the Desert (1933) - arguably their best film, Way Out West (1937), The Flying Deuces (1939), and A Chump At Oxford (1940). One of their funniest skits includes the move of a piano up a set of stairs in The Music Box (1932). Laurel and Hardy's last Hollywood film was The Bullfighters (1945).
The team’s modus operandi consisted of situational gag mishaps or incidents to trigger chaos and personal jeopardy, usually with the dignified, yet pomposity of Ollie trying to succeed and boast, only to be frustrated, exasperated and sabotaged by the simple-mindedness, childishness and brainlessness of Stan. Audiences were amused by their endearing qualities of naïveté, clumsiness, innocence, and stupidity as they sunk deeper and deeper into trouble – though the critics were rarely as receptive.
The Devil’s Brother (1933) (aka... Fra Diavolo)
This rustic film, set in 18th-century Italy, starts with operatic singing and a tale about how Marquis de San Marco, aka Fra Diavolo (played by Dennis King) swindles the rich. While rich ladies like Lady Pamela Rocburg (played by Thelma Todd) fall for his charms but weep over their losses, men set about to find the Marquis and other robbers. Meanwhile the blundering “Stanlio” and “Ollio,” themselves victims of robbers, decide to rob the rich and give to the poor. This is where the charm of The Devil’s Brother begins as Laurel and Hardy add their characteristic and trademarked antics they’re known for to this film.
The buffoons are so inept they end up giving their first victim their own money when they try to rob him. Upon meeting Diavolo, he hires them to go after Lady Rocburg’s jewels. This of course, turns into another chaotic episode. Laurel and Hardy set the tone for their musical romps to come (The Bohemian Girl, Swiss Miss, Babes in Toyland) with this delightful comic interpretation of the 1830 Auber operetta, “Fra Diavolo.”
Bonnie Scotland (1935)
When Mr. Stanley MacLaurel (Stan) learns that he has inherited the MacLaurel estate in Scotland, he and his companion Mr. Hardy (Ollie) respond in kind. Upon arrival things aren’t so cut and dry. Actually the estate has been left to Lorna MacLaurel (played by June Lang), who is too young to inherit it, so she’s assigned, under the guardianship of Col. Gregor McGregor (played by Vernon Steele), who is presently on military duty in India. Stanley learns that his inheritance is not an estate, but a set of bagpipes and a snuffbox. Without money to return home, pay their inn bill, or even eat, the men accept an offer, but end up in the wrong place and find themselves enlisted in the army and headed to India.
Lorna MacLaurel’s beau, Allan (played by William Janney), is missing her by now, so he too enlists and joins Stanley and Ollie on the boat. Once in India, he’s heartbroken to learn that Lorna and Gregor are engaged. Allan gets arrested and asks the guys to take Lorna a note, but it gets intercepted by Col. McGregor who sends them to Sergeant Finlayson (played by James Finlayson). McGregor’s sister Lady Violet Ormsby (played by Anne Grey) is doing everything she can to keep Allan and Lorna apart so her brother can inherit Lorna’s money. Meanwhile Stanley and Ollie are up to their usual shenanigans, which doesn’t please Sergeant Finlayson. He sends them off to impersonate officers at the palace of Mir Jutra to foil a murder plot, which is exactly what they. The love triangle ends rather abruptly, but is really only a plot device to showcase more of Laurel and Hardy’s endearing comedy.
As for the packaging, this two disc set comes in a uniquely thin - three panel Digipak with a cardboard slipcover case. Now the bad news; the single plastic panel in the center houses BOTH discs which overlap each other, therefore forcing you to remove the top disc in order to get to the bottom. While the packaging itself is attractive - it's not very practical. The use of two slim keepcases or a double Amaray would have served this set much more effectively.
The Features:
The Devil’s Brother 4/5 - :star::star::star::star:
Bonnie Scotland 3.5/5 - :star::star::star:
Video:
Both features are presented here in the standard AR’s of 1.33:1 and both look terrific. Bonnie Scotland fares a little better in terms of the overall presentation, but L&H fans are going to be – and should be - pleased with these. Black levels with BS were a bit deeper although in terms of contrast, was also just a tad lighter and brighter.
Image definition was fine and what we would expect from films of this period. There is a fair amount of grain, particularly with TDB but not an amount that ever becomes annoying or distracting.
While there is still a fair amount of shimmer and jitter (presumably due to shrinkage issues), these look much better than I anticipated in this manner. There are also signs of scratches, blemishes, dust and dirt, but again – and considering the age of the films, I was most impressed by the appearance of these films. Again, BS looks slightly cleaner and slightly more stable – however both are excellent. The only note of interest is the windowbox that appears around the opening credits of The Devil’s Brother which quickly dissolves when the actual film begins.
Video:
The Devil’s Brother 4/5 - :star::star::star::star:
Bonnie Scotland 4.5/5 - :star::star::star::star:
Audio:
Not much to say with regards to the audio portion of the tracks here. What hinders many of these vintage films is a predominant amount of hiss. Thankfully, such is not the case here. While a slight amount of hiss is present and noticeable, never does it become a distracting factor. As an aside, the cleanup of such hiss does not appear to have affected the overall fidelity of the tracks (i.e. doesn’t sound muffled or compressed at all).
Dialogue was usually always bold and intelligible becoming only slightly edgy during some of the zanier or more hectic moments. There is really nothing to discuss in terms of depth or punch as the tracks are about as basic as we would expect – with very little complain about. And considering the age of the films, and the limitations of the period, we couldn’t ask for anything more.
Audio:
The Devil’s Brother 4/5 - :star::star::star::star:
Bonnie Scotland 4/5 - :star::star::star::star:
Special Features:
While the majority of special feature material has been reserved for Disc Two, the set looks like this:
Disc One:
[*] Both films include Commentaries by Laurel and Hardy aficionados Richard W. Bann and Leonard Maltin. Both men work well together and talk about everything from the titles, to the locations where the films were made as well as other tidbits relating to the production histories. Their knowledge about Laurel and Hardy is fantastic, but they also share a lot about other characters such as Thelma Todd in The Devil’s Brother and Mary Gordon, who plays Mrs. Bickerdike in Bonnie Scotland and made more than 300 films. On top of the commentaries, disc one has an introduction by TCM's Robert Osborne as he sets the films up nicely, offering a brief smattering of trivia before the films. I could listen to this fella all day talk about film (2:45).
[*] The Theatrical Trailers also appear for both films and are in fair condition - although the Bonnie Scotland trailer is in better shape. A comparison of the trailers to the feature films should serve as substantive proof of the effort these films were afforded. Duration 2:44 (The Devil's Brother) and 2:28 (Bonnie Scotland).
Disc Two:
[*] The meat and potatoes of the supplements is an informative documentary entitled, Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story which is based on Leonard Maltin's book, "The Great Movie Shorts". Chevy Chase narrates a selection of shorts including clips from Bugs Bunny, the Little Rascals (Our Gang), The Three Stooges and many other slapstick comedy routines of the period. Chase talks about early filmmakers such as Mack Sennett, whose voice is actually played during some segments. Other voice clips include Harold Lloyd and Hal Roach. Hal Roach took the shorts like the Our Gang films and turned them into his niche, which lasted for many years. Some of the cast from the Our Gang comedies is included in this reel. A superb feature which fans of L&H will enjoy. Duration: 86:03 minutes.
[*] Up next is a vast assortment of Laurel and Hardy Cameo Appearances in films and shorts. Many of these are rarely seen including a scene from the lost Technicolor film The Rogue Song.
- The Hollywood Revue of 1929 - Magic Act Segment a young Jack Benny introduces Laurel and Hardy who go through a magic comedy routine. (6:22)
- The Rogue Song (1930) The only surviving footage (Stan and Laurel and an uninvited guest) from this “lost film”. Rough in terms of appearance but appreciated nonetheless. (1:39)
- Hollywood Party (1934) Main title/Doorbell Skit (4:11)
- Hollywood Party (1934) The Egg Skit (4:41)
- Pick A Star (1937) The Introduction (00:40)
- Pick A Star (1937) Mexican Tough Guy Segment (3:46)
- Pick A Star (1937) Dueling Harmonicas Segment (4:41)
The condition of the shorts in terms of A/V varies greatly as we might expect, with the rare footage from The Rogue Song faring the worst. However, all of these show better than expected.
Full marks for an outstanding ensemble of special features.
Special Features: 5/5
:star::star::star::star::star:
**Special Features rated for the quality of supplements, not the quantity**
Final Thoughts:
While the two MGM feature films offered up here with the latest TCM Archives Collection might not be considered “top-tier Laurel and Hardy” by diehard aficionados, there is enough of the duo’s endearing brilliance that shines through, making the set a worthwhile venture.
Considering how many of us remember the God-awful presentations of these old L&H features (a point which might even be as synonymous with the comedy team as much as the memory of their films themselves), fans are going to be pleasantly surprised with the A/V presentations. On top of that, the set contains a surplus of healthy supplements, all of which complement this wonderful collection. If you’re a fan of the early comedy team, you’ll want to add this collection to your cart next week.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 (not an average)
:star::star::star::star:
Highly Recommended…!
Release Date: April 18th, 2006
