The accompanying film companion gives an insight into the world of Laurel and Hardy - how they met in the 1920s, and continued to work together for nearly 30 years. You'll also get the low-down on the main feature and supporting shorts, together with the colourful story of Hollywood's golden age.
The films on your DVDs are presented both in the original black-and-white version and in digitally colourised formats wherever possible. Each disc comes with over two hours of viewing time
(1937)
Regarded as the most popular of Laurel & Hardy's feature-length films - not least for the song "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" - Way Out West sees Stan and Ollie visiting Brushwood Gulch to deliver the deed of a gold mine to a poor young woman, only to be deceived by a villainous saloon-keeper.
(1932)
The Music Box - Laurel & Hardy's only Oscar® winning film* - sees Stan and Ollie as handymen delivering a piano up a huge flight of stairs. The Music Box was inspired by one of their earliest comedies as a team, Hats Off. Sadly, no copy of the film is known to survive, but the DVD in this collection includes a selection of stills from the long-lost classic.
* Short subject (Comedy) - Hal Roach, Producer
(1933)
In Sons of the Desert, a classic feature film where the boys are trying to get away from their wives, Stan and Ollie attend the Chicago convention of their lodge, but tell their spouses they are going on an ocean voyage for the sake of Ollie's health - then discover that the ship has sunk.
(1929)
In this silent classic Stan & Ollie are Christmas tree salesmen in California. Business is slow and a simple argument with one grumpy prospective customer escalates from a simple argument into a full scale metal destruction. Stan & Ollie start destroying the customers house and garden, whilst the irate customer reduces their car to scrap metal, all under the disbelieving gaze of a police officer and an assembled crowd.
(1930)
Stanley and Oliver are trying to spend a relaxing night at home playing checkers, but the antics of their mischievous sons keep interrupting their recreation. Exasperated, the fathers send their misbehaving offspring to bed and start playing a furniture-destroying game of billiards. Upstairs, the kids continue to cause a ruckus and leave the bath tub water running full force. Finally, Oliver suggests that if they go to sleep they will be rewarded with a glass of water, and then heads for the bathroom door. This comedy short shows Laurel and Hardy playing dual roles as their own children.
(1932)
Laurel and Hardy are in the fish business, so they decide to drive around town seeing if they can sell any. Stan suggests that they catch their own fish so that they can keep all the profits when selling them on to other people. Ollie likes the idea, so they decide to buy a boat at the junk yard, and try, sometimes unsuccessfully, to fix it up. When the boat is finally fixed up, the whole operation goes south.
(1933)
It's a typical day at the woodshop for Stanley and Oliver, getting jammed in windows, puncturing water pipes, getting stuck to glue brushes, having tiffs with co-workers, and finally getting their car cut if half by a giant band-saw.
(1932)
Oliver's house is in a shambles after a wild party, and his wife is due home at noon. He calls Stanley to help him fix the place up, and they typical catastrophe ensues. Somehow, the pair manage to clean the place up by the time their wives get home. As a finishing touch, however, Stan decides to light a fire in the fireplace, using a can of gasoline to hurry the process along.
