Laurel & Hardy DVD out today!

Artisan Entertainment and Hallmark, who own the rights to all of L&H's sound-era films, have said that any future DVD installments will hinge on how well this one sells, so let's go out and pick this one up, folks!

The contents:

Sons Of The Desert
The Music Box
Another Fine Mess
Busy Bodies
County Hospital

Bonus features include a brief excerpt from a Hal Roach tribute film and then-and-now still photos of locations used for L&H films. Not much, but hey, it's a start...

 

"The Music Box" has to be the funniest routine ever put on film!

 

How is the quality?
Thanks...

 

I'll be getting this today. It wasn't on any release lists I saw. Thanks for letting us know.

 

I just got mine. $25.00 for five discs. By all means, get this, follow your exhausted ruler.

 

It's $10.63 at Deep Discount DVD with free shipping!

 

So I have now learned. Another fine mess.

 

I don't have a copy yet, but I'm hearing that the main feature was taken from a TV print, complete with the occasional space for commercials, and that the picture quality fades periodically.

Too bad...it's a shame that the L&H catalogue (and the entire Hal Roach library for that matter) isn't in the hands of someone who actually cares about it.

By the way, I'm too lazy to look it up, does Thelma Todd co-star in any of the shorts featured on the DVD?

Addendum: Answered my own question...Thelma's in "Another Fine Mess"

 

Apparently there are much better sources available, if Hallmark was interested in using them. Check out this post on alt.comedy.laurel-hardy by Michael Agee, who's worked with the L&H films extensively over the years:

http://groups.google.com/[email protected]&rnum=25

The truth is, Hallmark isn't interested in the Hal Roach archives that they now own, they really didn't want to bother even putting out this DVD, and really don't want to put out any others. They've stated flat out, if this one doesn't sell X amount of copies, they will release no further L&H or Hal Roach DVD's, then they rushed this one out under the radar, from an inferior print, without any advertising, haven't really bothered trying to get it in the major stores, and pretty much have done everything in their power to insure that it doesn't sell.

 

How are the L&H shorts on the Hal Roach Studios DVDs? Do they only control the silent pics now?

 

Those DVDs that Image put out (Lost Films Of L&H) looked great. They actually put effort into finding good sources.

 

Just read that newsgroup article.

Can't say I'm a big L and H fan...


But what I read was very sad and depressing.


As the author says, "People just don't care"

 

Its so typical. Their Finance Dept comes up with a number, and if they dont sell more than that number, thats it.

It really kills me that there are negatives sitting there that would make a great new digital tranfser and they wont spend the small amount to digitize them with todays quality. awwww crap!

 

I just came home with the Laurel & Hardy DVD and another DVD from Hallmark, Little Rascals Vol 3&4. Both are from the same time period yet the little Rascals disc looks great! I have the other Little Rascals DVD from Hallmark and it looks great too.

Now that I've said all that I must say the Laurel & Hardy disc looks better than I thought it would. It's nothing offensive, not like those horrible Madacy or Goodtimes DVDs. They looked like bad VHS tapes.

 

Thanks Jamie

 

The joke may be on Hallmark: The L&H DVD is selling. #58 on Amazon's sales chart today.

 

#58?!!?! Great news!

I had to go to 5 different places just to find a copy. Suncoast had one for $20. It was in the back room hidden in a box, and this was three days after it was released(!).

Good stuff though. Worth the search.

Anyone know what kind of sales they're looking for?

Anyone know an email address where we can question their quality control?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Bueller?

 

20 bucks is a lot for the L&H Deep Discount had it for 10.50, I think.

 

No doubt!

But at that point I was just happy to find the thing... anywhere.

 

Youre a true fan, yesman!!

 

I'm the best compulsive buyer ever born! You should see me grab stuff in the checkout lines. They call me Quick Draw over at Media Play.

 

I take it you are single like me??

)