Laurel and Hardy: Year Two, Newly Restored 1928 Silents

[Strumm]

Year two has been announced for October 29th



Laurel & Hardy: Year Two Blu-ray

Release Date: October 29, 2024
Format: Blu-ray
Region: ALL REGION
Directors: Leo McCarey, Clyde Bruckman, Edgar Kennedy, Emmett J. Flynn, James Parrott
Year: 1928
Language: Silent (English Intertitles)
Length: 212 mins.
UPC: 6-17311-68869-0

Originally Posted by Flicker Alley

Announcing the next addition to the Flicker Alley catalog, now available for pre-order: Flicker Alley and Blackhawk Films® present Laurel & Hardy: Year Two, The Newly Restored 1928 Silents, a deluxe Blu-ray 2-disc collection of ten newly restored films that showcase the evolving chemistry of the legendary comedy duo.
We invite you to experience the hilarious follow-up to our award winning set that celebrated the beginnings of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy’s iconic partnership. Laurel & Hardy: Year Two offers ten more newly restored comedy shorts, picking up right where Year One left off.

Following their initial pairing in early 1927, Laurel and Hardy ended their first year on top. Their success moving into 1928 galvanized the efforts of everyone at Hal Roach Studios (including famed director Leo McCarey), who proudly upped their game in support of the winning comedy duo. Whether wreaking accidental havoc as a two-man band, doing battle against one another as millionaire and butler, or even becoming grave robbers for a mad scientist, Laurel and Hardy prove in their second year that they have what it takes to not only win over audiences in the twilight of the silent era, but generate enough momentum to make a successful transition to “talkies” in 1929.

Although their names are synonymous with the very idea of comedy, few of the original negatives for Laurel and Hardy’s early silent work survive, elements only available from scattered sources throughout the world, often in substantially less than pristine shape. It took the team at Blackhawk Films four years to gather all surviving film elements, to meticulously compare them shot by shot, and to complete the best digital restorations possible. Today, these beloved shorts look as new as they did nearly a century ago.

Featuring all new restorations sourced from best available materials contributed by archives and collectors around the world restored by Blackhawk Films® and FPA Classics, this comprehensive deluxe Blu-ray 2-Disc collection features their ten 1928 films as a team and additional films from the Hal Roach Studios that showcase their final solo short film appearances, as well as the shift from silent films to films featuring music and synchronized sound effects.

Shorts on the Laurel & Hardy: Year Two set include:

Leave 'em Laughing
The Finishing Touch
From Soup to Nuts
You're Darn Tootin'
Their Purple Moment
Should Married Men Go Home?
Early to Bed
Two Tars
Habeas Corpus
We Faw Down

Each film features a newly recorded score from some of the best silent film composers working today, including Neil Brand, Antonio Coppola, and Andrea Benz. The release is curated by film historians and Laurel and Hardy specialists; Randy Skretvedt, Dick Bann, Serge Bromberg, and Eric Lange.

BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:

Audio Commentary Tracks – For each film by historians and authors Randy Skretvedt and Richard Bann
Exclusive, Rare Audio – Featuring Anita Garvin, Thomas Benton Roberts, and Hal Roach, from personal interviews conducted by historian Randy Skretvedt
Additional Musical Scores – Alternate audio options, including fully restored original 1928 Vitaphone tracks on Habeas Corpus and We Faw Down
Laurel & Hardy On-Location in Year Two – A video essay by historian John Bengtson on selected location exteriors
Eve’s Love Letters (1927) – One of Stan Laurel’s final solo films, directed by Leo McCarey and written by Laurel himself, from rare 35mm elements
Galloping Ghosts (1928) – Two surviving fragments of a rare solo Oliver Hardy comedy
A Pair of Tights (1928) – A short starring Anita Garvin and Marion Byron, who were teamed to try and replicate the success of Laurel and Hardy
George Mann’s Home Movies – From behind the scenes of Hal Roach Studios, including the filming of Should Married Men go Home?
A Complete, 20-minute Interview – By Tony Thomas with Stan Laurel, recorded in January 1959, the year after Oliver Hardy’s death
Film Specific Image Galleries – Containing original publicity materials, press reviews, and rare production stills
Souvenir Booklet – Containing a new collection introduction by Serge Bromberg and Eric Lange; A look at the supporting players and other creative personnel in the world of Hal Roach Studios by historian Sara Imogen Smith; A new essay exploring the development of the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system in 1928 by Randy Skredvedt; and comprehensive notes on each film