I can't wait for the complete box set with that ADDED EXTRA SHORT! only available on the COMPLETE BOX SET down the road!...fell for that with the 3 Stooges individual DVD sets and then Box set with that bonus disc! Ain't it great they way they treat us FANS?!
There are technically 4 groups of shorts. The Pathe silents, the MGM silents, the Hal Roach/MGM talkies and the MGM talkies. The Genius set only has the Hal Roach/MGM talkies, of which there are 80. Most of the Pathe silents are in the public domain. The MGM silents are still under copyright. The MGM talkies are those later films with Froggy and Robert Blake. Years ago, a company did try to put out a silents collection, aiming for 32 Pathe shorts. Unfortunately they were entangled in some type of lawsuit and it all fell apart. There is a German DVD set of the MGM silents, but I believe it is now out of print. It was missing 8 of the films, due to them being lost or unavailable. The main problem with a set of silents is that the source material is hard to come by. It's doubtful that 35mm prints exist anymore for some of the films. Most of what you see on Youtube is from 16mm home movie releases of the films, most of which are typically incomplete versions and of poor quality.
There are 221 films total, including 88 silent shorts (66 originally released by Pathe and 22 originally released by M-G-M), 80 Hal Roach talkie shorts plus one feature-length film released by M-G-M, and finally 52 M-G-M produced shorts with no Roach involvement. Some of the silent shorts are lost. Others exist in incomplete form. There was a set of the M-G-M released silent shorts (at least those that are extant) issued in Germany (Region 2). There have been attempts to get the Roach-Pathe silent shorts out (most of which are public domain) but so far, nothing comprehensive. I am glad they are trying to restore these further, though it's kind of a "Catch 22" since this current project is attempting to definitively restore them, yet that costs money and it seems they'll be coming out in dribs and drabs. Meanwhile, there is a set of the 80 Roach talkie shorts (which also includes a few silents) and separately, Warner Archive has released the feature film "General Spanky" and a complete set of the 52 M-G-M talkie shorts. So at least the talkies are all out there for those who want them.
I'd buy Volume 2 if it comes to fruition, as the episodes with Miss Crabtree, Farina and Chubby are my favorites.
ClassicFlix update - February 8, 2021 a Sneak Peek at Volume 2 Short In-Progress Restoration of... "SCHOOL'S OUT" (1930)
Man times have changed...child abuse as comedy!?! But the audio seems a bit rough, probably not finished cleaning up yet. Picture looks nice!
It's up on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/The-Little-Rascals-Blu-ray/dp/B08VR9FGKK $40 for 11 shorts...
Or you can buy it for $27.99 direct from the source - The Little Rascals - The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 1 (Blu-ray) - ClassicFlix
ClassicFlix update - February 22, 2021 a Sneak Peek at Volume 2 Short In-Progress Restoration of... "Pups Is Pups" (1930)
Volume 2 in June! JUNE: The Little Rascals - The ClassicFlix Restorations, Vol. 2 - ClassicFlix Remastered, uncut and beautifully restored, now you can see The Little Rascals like never before! With restorations so glorious, it will be like watching these iconic shorts for the first time! In Hollywood, the Hal Roach Studio was unofficially known as the "Lot of Fun", employing such mirthmakers as Laurel & Hardy and Charley Chase. But many of the company's most popular comedy shorts starred an aggregation collectively known as "Our Gang", a series whose premise was captivatingly simple: showcase a motley group of scruffy but lovable kids whose antics were easily identifiable to moviegoing audiences. The series, later re-titled "The Little Rascals" for TV syndication, got its start in 1922 during the silent era, and transitioned to sound by the end of the decade. Early "talkies" in the franchise like Teacher's Pet (1930), School's Out (1930) and Love Business (1931) would prove to be some of their finest -- all of which are included in this volume and continue to entertain subsequent generations of classic movie devotees. The Little Rascals - The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 2 contains the next 11 Our Gang sound shorts produced by Roach at the dawn of the "talkie era": Pups is Pups (1930) to Dogs is Dogs (1931) -- with each short newly scanned and restored from original Hal Roach 35mm film elements. A must-have for any true Our Gang fan, Volume 2 features the talents of Jackie Cooper, Allen “Farina” Hoskins, Mary Ann Jackson, Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins, Norman "Chubby" Chaney, Dorothy De Borba, Matthew "Stymie" Beard, as well as June Marlowe as the unforgettable Miss Crabtree. SHORTS 1930: Pups is Pups Teacher's Pet School's Out 1931: Helping Grandma Love Business Little Daddy Bargain Day Fly My Kite Big Ears Shiver My Timbers Dogs Is Dogs Comparison old DVD to new restoration:
Thank God they're not releasing these sets years apart (Are you listening Paramount? *cough* I Love Lucy *cough*).
ClassicFlix update - March 9, 2021 a Sneak Peek of another In-Progress Restoration of... "Spanky" (1932) As can be seen in the clip, the original 35mm nitrate film elements used for this short are in incredible shape. Upon completion (scheduled for Volume 3), this short will look absolutely stunning!
I HIGHLY recommend the two CDs released by The Beau Hunks, who transcribed the original Roy Shield music using period instruments. This Dutch band plays them perfectly. The first CD is called Little Rascals Music and the second is called On To The Show. Both released by Koch Screen.
Thanks for the suggestions, Alan, but I'd really prefer the scratchy, original soundtrack. (Ah well, one can dream...)
