Laurel & Hardy: The Silent Years 1929

This is an absolute delight for all LAUREL & HARDY fans, with nine silent shorts all made in 1920 and, if it weren’t enough of a treat already, the Limited Edition 2-disc Blu-ray set comes with a plethora of bonus material, including more short films and documentaries!

While the selected films mark the duos’ final silent shorts together, two sound versions are also included and there are different scores to choose from. 
We start with the hilarious LIBERTY, with various clips introducing us to historical examples of the meaning of‘Liberty’ before another example of the word sees Laurel and Hardy, in full prison clobber, on the run and chased by the law! Minutes later, their cronies wait in a getaway car in which our duo change into civilian clothes but daft as they are, they chuck the striped prison attire out of the car window (and with it the wrong trousers), only to attract the attention of a passing policeman on his motorbike… Thus begins a madcaps odyssey, which sees them encounter various other coppers, while Ollie accidentally trips over a record player displayed outside a music shop, breaking countless shellac records in the process. That’s nothing compared to Stan, who, in order to evade another policeman, hides behind a seafood crate when a live crab finds its way up Stan’s trousers… In their attempt to shake off the law and change into decent trousers, they somehow manage to get into a lift at a construction site and Ollie, accidentally pushing the lever, sends the lift high up to the top floor of an unfinished building. Somehow, they have the insane idea to change trousers on the actual scaffold, and never mind Stan’s vertigo. The live crab is now also on the loose and makes it even more difficult for our duo to remain on the scaffold…

Equally hilarious is WRONG AGAIN, in which Laurel and Hardy are employed as stable grooms and are excited upon learning that a $5,000 reward is offered for a horse called Blue Boy (their employer’s horse no less!), with the money waiting for the person who brings Blue Boy to its owner… hello? Of course, the Blue Boy in question is not their employer’s horse but refers to the famous oil painting by English artist Gainsborough, which had been stolen from the house of its ultra-wealthy owner (Dell Henderson). The usual mayhem ensues when Stan and Ollie bring the horse to the millionaire’s house…
In THAT’S MY WIFE, Stan is forced to dabble in a bit of cross-dressing when Ollie finds himself in trouble with his wife (Vivien Oakland) after inviting Stan ‘round his house and she makes him choose between her and the guest. The missus walks out nonetheless and that’s extra bad news, namely when Ollie’s uncle Bernal (William Courtiright) arrives with the prospect of some money for him. Eager to meet Ollie’s wife, Stan now has to pose as the wife (oh, those spindly legs) and of course, the evening goes tits-up when the trio go out dining….

A wonderful example of the utter destructive chaos Laurel & Hardy plots are known for is BIG BUSINESS and as so often, it benefits from an inspired collaboration with Laurel and Hardy regular James Finlayson, who sometimes plays their friend and at other occasions their foe. Here, he plays the foe but let’s start at the beginning: Stan and Ollie are employed as doo-to-door Christmas tree salesmen in sunny California. Who in their right mind would employ the pair for any job to begin with? After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to sell Christmas trees to various folk, they ring the doorbell when another would-be-customer (Finlayson) opens and just like the previous would-be-customers, is equally not in the slightest bit interested. Desperate for a sale, the duo resort to desperate measures in the hope to change the customer’s mind. Unfortunately, it all goes beyond pear-shaped (perhaps pine cone-shaped would be more appropriate) and the situation escalates to an extent which leads to the destruction of the would-be-customer’s house and the destruction of Stan and Ollie’s car…
In UNACCUSTOMED AS WE ARE, Ollie invites Stan ‘round his house with the promise of a sumptuous dinner, though Ollie’s wife (Mae Busch) is irritated by fusspot Stan’s demands and leaves the house in protest. Ollie is now tasked with whipping up a gourmet meal but finds himself at a loss. Cue for attractive neighbour Mrs. Kennedy (Thelma Todd), who’s ushered in to save the meal. Of course, when a remorseful Mrs. Hardy is about to return, a panic-stricken Ollie hides Mrs. Kennedy in a trunk in order to avoid an embarrassing misunderstanding. Trying everything to avoid Mrs. Hardy from opening the trunk, Ollie declares he’s about to leave her for good and head off to South America, but when hot-headed and jealous police officer Mr. Kennedy (Edgar Kennedy) returns, it leads to all sorts of shenanigans. Oh dear! 

DOUBLE WHOOPEE (also silent and sound) is a riotous caper taking place in a swank hotel, in which a Prussian Prince (Hans Joby) and his Prime Minister (Charley Rogers) are expected to arrive any minute. What an unfortunate coincidence that Stan and Ollie happen to arrive at the same time, about to begin their new employ of doorman and footman respectively. It goes without saying that both the Prince and Prime Minister won’t forget their stay in the hotel in a hurry… The short also features a little cameo by Jean Harlow, whose dress gets caught in a cab door without her noticing it, tearing the lower part of the dress from the rest.
In BERTH MARKS (a sound film), Stan and Ollie are two Vaudeville musicians on a sleeper train to Pottsville, where they are scheduled for a performance. How did you guess it’s not going to happen…The idea of Stan and Ollie as bailiffs is utterly absurd, but this is precisely what they are in BACON GRABBERS, in which they are employed as so-called ‘repossession men’ in the employ of the local sheriff’s office. They are tasked with repossessing a radio owned by a Mr. Kennedy (Edgar Kennedy again), who hasn't paid any instalments in eight years. Of course, it all ends in unspeakable fiasco!
Finally, in ANGORA LOVE, a wandering goat becomes so attached to the calamity-stricken duo, it follows them around wherever they go, resulting in Stan and Ollie taking the animal back to their flat while making sure the landlord won’t discover the goat. It doesn’t take long before the usual mayhem ensues, and it’s not he goat’s fault!

Nine hugely entertaining capers and even more enticing bonus material on Disc 2. The 2-disc set is presented in a O-card slipcase complete with collector’s booklet. It’s the ultimate Laurel & Hardy fix!