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I just looked at the TCM schedule for January and was very excited to see that they are having a couple Hal Roach shorts marathons. Not only are they having Laurel and Hardy and the Little Rascals, but they also are showing 6 of the shorts Harry Langdon made at Roach along with an assortment of Charley Chase, Thelma Todd, Boy Friends, and Taxi Boys mixed in. I am especially excited for the Langdon shorts, which seem fairly hard-to-find.

http://www.tcm.com/schedule/month/?cid=&oid=1/1/2011

4 Tuesday (is all Our Gang)
8:00 PM Helping Grandma (1930)
C-0 mins,
8:30 PM Love Business (1930)
C-0 mins,
9:00 PM Shiver my Timbers (1931)
C-0 mins,
9:30 PM Dogs is Dogs (1931)
C-0 mins,
10:00 PM Free Eats (1932)
C-0 mins,
10:30 PM Hook and Ladder (1932)
C-0 mins,
11:00 PM Free Wheelling (1932)
C-0 mins,
11:30 PM Birthday Blues (1932)
C-0 mins,
12:00 AM Fish Hooky (1934)
C-0 mins,
12:30 AM Forgotten Babies (1933)
C-0 mins,
1:00 AM Mush and Milk (1933)
C-0 mins,
1:30 AM Mike Fright (1934)
C-0 mins,
2:00 AM First Round-Up (1934)
C-0 mins,
2:30 AM Mama's Little Pirates (1935)
C-0 mins,
3:00 AM Little Sinner (1935)
C-0 mins,
3:30 AM Bored of Education (1936)
C-0 mins,
3:45 AM Two Too Young (1936)
C-0 mins,
4:00 AM Glove Taps (1937)
C-0 mins,
4:15 AM Hearts are Trumps (1937)
C-0 mins,
4:30 AM Rushin' Ballet (1937)
C-0 mins,
4:45 AM Fire Fighters (1922)
C-0 mins,
5:15 AM Saturday Morning (1922)
C-0 mins,
5:45 AM Champeen, The (1923)
C-0 mins,

5 Wednesday (is more Our Gang)
6:15 AM Cobbler, The (1923)
C-0 mins,
6:45 AM Pleasant Journey, A (1923)
C-0 mins,
7:15 AM July Days (1923)
C-0 mins,
7:45 AM No Noise (1923)
C-0 mins,
8:15 AM Big Business (1924)
C-0 mins,
8:45 AM Buccaneers, The (1924)
C-0 mins,
9:15 AM Seein' Things (1924)
C-0 mins,
9:45 AM It's A Bear (1924)
C-0 mins,
10:15 AM High Society (1924)
C-0 mins,
10:45 AM Every Man For Himself (1924)
C-0 mins,
11:00 AM Fast Company (1924)
C-0 mins,
11:15 AM Sun Down Limited (1924)
C-0 mins,
11:45 AM Mysterious Mystery (1924)
C-0 mins,
12:15 PM Dog Days (1925)
C-0 mins,
12:45 PM Shootin' Injuns (1925)
C-0 mins,
1:15 PM Official Officers (1925)
C-0 mins,
1:45 PM Boys Will Be Joys (1925)
C-0 mins,
2:15 PM Mary Queen of Tots (1925)
C-0 mins,
2:45 PM One Wild Ride (1925)
C-0 mins,
3:15 PM Good Cheer (1926)
C-0 mins,
3:45 PM Buried Treasure (1926)
C-0 mins,
4:00 PM Monkey Business (1926)
C-0 mins,
4:15 PM Uncle Tom's Uncle (1926)
C-0 mins,
4:45 PM Thundering Fleas (1926)
C-0 mins,
5:15 PM Shivering Spooks (1926)
C-0 mins,
5:45 PM Fourth Alarm !, The (1926)
C-0 mins,
6:15 PM Love My Dog (1927)
C-0 mins,
6:45 PM Olympic Games (1927)
C-0 mins,
7:00 PM Boxing Gloves (1929)
C-0 mins,
7:30 PM Bouncing Babies (1929)
C-0 mins,

11 Tuesday (is Laurel & Hardy)
8:00 PM Thicker Than Water (1935)
C-0 mins,
8:30 PM Short Film: Fixer Uppers, The (1935)
Comedic duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy have a no fail plan to help a jealous wife woo her husband, but somehow things go wrong. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy Dir: Charles Rogers BW-20 mins,
9:00 PM Tit For Tat (1935)
A Laurel and Hardy sequel to Them Thar Hills - they open an electrical repair shop and discover that their neighbor/grocer are the same couple they had a run in with in Them Thar Hills. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Mae Busch. Dir: Charles Rogers. BW-19 mins, TV-G
9:30 PM Short Film: Live Ghost, The (1934)
A sea captain hires comedic duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy to trick sailors into working on his supposedly haunted boat. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy Dir: Charles Rogers BW-20 mins,
10:00 PM Them Thar Hills (1934)
When they go to the mountains for a rest to cure Ollie's gout, the two accidentally get high on moonshine dumped into the well by local moonshiners trying to evade the law. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Mae Busch. Dir: Charles Rogers. BW-20 mins,
10:30 PM Going Bye-Bye! (1934)
C-0 mins,
11:00 PM Oliver the Eighth (1934)
C-0 mins,
11:30 PM Dirty Work (1933)
C-0 mins,
12:00 AM Busy Bodies (1933)
C-0 mins,
12:30 AM Midnight Patrol (1933)
C-0 mins,
1:00 AM Short Film: Me and My Pal (1933)
A groom and his best man get preoccupied with a jigsaw puzzle on their way to the wedding. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson. Dir: Lloyd French, Charley Rogers. BW-20 mins,
1:30 AM Twice Two (1933)
C-0 mins,
2:00 AM Short Film: Towed in a Hole (1932)
Comic legends Laurel and Hardy decide to go into the fishing business for themselves. Trouble ensues when they must fix up dilapidated boat bought from a junk yard. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy Dir: George Marshall BW-21 mins,
2:30 AM Short Film: Their First Mistake (1932)
After adopting a baby to save his marriage, a man discovers his wife has left him. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Mae Busch. Dir: George Marshall. BW-21 mins,
3:00 AM Short Film: Scram! (1932)
Two vagrants ordered out of town take up with a drunken tycoon. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Richard Cramer. Dir: Ray McCarey. BW-20 mins,
3:30 AM Short Film: County Hospital (1932)
A hospital visitor wreaks havoc during a routine visit. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Billy Gilbert. Dir: James Parrott. BW-19 mins,
4:00 AM Short Film: Chimp, The (1932)
A jealous husband thinks two tenants sneaking a pet chimp into their apartment are carrying on with his wife. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Billy Gilbert. Dir: James Parrott. BW-25 mins,
4:30 AM Music Box, The (1932)
Two men running a moving company have to get a large piano up a daunting flight of stairs. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Billy Gilbert. Dir: James Parrott. BW-29 mins, TV-G
5:00 AM Short Film: Helpmates (1932)
A married man has to get his house back in order before his wife returns. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Bobby Burns. Dir: James Parrott. BW-21 mins,
5:30 AM Short Film: Beau Hunks (1931)
After being dumped by his girlfriend, "Jeanie-Weenie," Oliver makes Laurel join the Foreign Legion with him. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy BW-37 mins,

12 Wednesday (more Laurel & Hardy)
6:15 AM Short Film: One Good Turn (1931)
Two vagrants try to repay the kindly old lady who helped them. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Mary Carr. Dir: James W. Horne. BW-21 mins,
6:45 AM Short Film: Our Wife (1931)
A man tries to help his best friend elope. Dir: James W. Horne. BW-21 mins,
7:15 AM Short Film: Laughing Gravy (1931)
Roommates try to hide a dog from their grouchy landlord. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charlie Hall. Dir: James W. Home. BW-31 mins,
8:00 AM Short Film: Chickens Come Home (1931)
A man risks his marriage to help his best friend deal with blackmailers. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Thelma Todd Dir: James W. Horne BW-30 mins, TV-G
8:30 AM Short Film: Be Big! (1931)
Two married men feign illness so they can ditch their wives and attend a lodge party. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Anita Garvin. Dir: James Parrott. BW-28 mins,
9:00 AM Short Film: Another Fine Mess (1930)
Two vagabonds move into a deserted mansion and pretend to be its owners. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Thelma Todd. Dir: James Parrott. BW-28 mins, TV-G
9:30 AM Laurel-Hardy Murder Case, The (1930)
A fishing trip leads Laurel and Hardy to a mansion where a murder has been committed. Cast: Frank Austin, Stanley Blystone, Robert 'Bobby' Burns. Dir: James Parrott. BW-30 mins,
10:00 AM Short Film: Hog Wild (1930)
Two friends try to install a radio antenna, with disastrous results. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Fay Holderness. Dir: James Parrott. BW-19 mins,
10:30 AM Below Zero (1930)
C-0 mins,
11:00 AM Short Film: Brats (1930)
Two fathers try to spend a quiet night despite their raucous offspring. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy. Dir: James Parrott. BW-21 mins,
11:30 AM Short Film: Blotto (1930)
Stan steals his wife's secret bottle of liquor so he can have a wild night out at the Rainbow club with Ollie. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy BW-26 mins,
12:00 PM Short Film: Night Owls (1930)
Two vagrants try to help a police officer save his reputation. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Edgar Kennedy. Dir: James Parrott. BW-21 mins,
12:30 PM Hoose-Gow, The (1929)
C-0 mins,
1:00 PM They Go Boom (1929)
C-0 mins,
1:30 PM Perfect Day (1929)
C-0 mins,
2:00 PM Men O' War (1929)
C-0 mins,
2:30 PM Berth Marks (1929)
C-0 mins,
3:00 PM Unaccustomed As We Are (1929)
C-0 mins,
3:30 PM Come Clean (1931)
C-0 mins,
4:00 PM Any Old Port ! (1932)
C-0 mins,
4:30 PM Short Film: Pardon Us (1931)
Selling homemade beer lands a two friends in prison together. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, June Marlowe. Dir: James Parrott. BW-55 mins,
5:30 PM Pack Up Your Troubles (1932)
Two World War I veterans try help a comrade's orphaned daughter find her family. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Don Dillaway. Dir: George Marshall, Ray McCarey. BW-66 mins, TV-G
6:45 PM Short Film: Bohemian Girl, The (1936)
Two pickpockets raise a stolen child, not realizing she's royalty. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Thelma Todd. Dir: James W. Horne, Charles Rogers. BW-71 mins, TV-G

18 Tuesday
1:00 AM Skirt Shy (1929)
C-0 mins,
1:30 AM Head Guy, The (1930)
C-0 mins,
2:00 AM The Fighting Parson (1930)
Cast: Dir: C-0 mins,
2:30 AM Big Kick, The (1930)
C-0 mins,
3:00 AM Shrimp, The (1930)
C-0 mins,
3:30 AM King, The (1930)
C-0 mins,
4:00 AM First Seven Years, The (1934)
C-0 mins,
4:30 AM Pups is Pups (1930)
C-0 mins,
5:00 AM Short Film: WHISPERING WHOOPEE (1930)
Charley hires three "party girls" to help him land a business deal. Cast: Charley Chase, Thelma Todd Dir: James W. Horne BW-21 mins, TV-G
5:30 AM FIFTY MILLION HUSBANDS (1930)
C-0 mins,

19 Wednesday (Charley Chase, Todd/Pitts, Boy Friends comedies)
6:00 AM Short Film: HIGH C'S (1930)
An entertainer serving in World War I puts music before military service. Cast: Charley Chase, Thelma Todd, Carlton Griffin. Dir: James W. Horne. BW-29 mins, TV-G
6:30 AM PIP FROM PITTSBURG, THE (1931)
Charley agrees to go on a blind date to a dance to help out his friend. Concerned it will be a big disaster like his last blind date Charley tries to be as off putting as possible and goes all out trying to make himself look bad. He is rude to her on the phone, refuses to shave, wears his friend's old suit and even eats garlic. Unfortunately for him, however, his date turns out to be the lovely Thelma Todd. Cast: Charley Chase; Thelma Todd Dir: James Parrott BW-21 mins, TV-G
7:00 AM ROUGH SEAS (1931)
WWI dough boy Charley Chase attempts to return home from France on a troop transport ship with his girlfriend and pet monkey, both of whom are not allowed on board. This short makes excellent use of Chase's musical talent. Cast: Charley Chase, Thelma Todd Dir: Charles Parrott BW-27 mins,
7:30 AM PANIC IS ON (1931)
Charley Chase's comedic skills as an actor are well displayed in this short with various vignettes including Charley reading a paper while collecting several over-the-shoulder readers. Charley also tries to thwart a thief trying to take money from his wealthy girfriends father. Cast: Charley Chase, Charlie Hall Dir: James Parrott BW-20 mins,
8:00 AM Short Film: TABASCO KID, THE (1932)
Charley must defend the ranch from an infamous bandit in order to impress his boss' daughter. Cast: Charley Chase, Billy Gilbert Dir: James W. Horne BW-21 mins,
8:30 AM FALLEN ARCHES (1933)
C-0 mins,
9:00 AM NATURE IN THE WRONG (1933)
Charlie Chase wants to marry wealthy Muriel but her Mother won't allow it until he can prove his family history. Another suitor of Muriel's tricks him into believing he is a descendant of Tarzan and he begins to behave thusly. Cast: Charley Chase, Nora Cecil Dir: Charles Parrott BW-18 mins,
9:30 AM FOUR PARTS (1934)
C-18 mins, , CC
10:00 AM Public Ghost No. 1 (1935)
C-0 mins,
10:30 AM Life Hesitates at 40 (1936)
C-0 mins,
11:00 AM WHAT PRICE TAXI (1932)
C-0 mins,
11:30 AM TAXI FOR TWO (1932)
C-0 mins,
12:00 PM Wreckity Wrecks (1933)
Cast: Dir: C-0 mins,
12:30 PM THUNDERING TAXIS (1933)
C-0 mins,
1:00 PM TAXI BARRONS (1933)
C-0 mins,
1:30 PM RUMMY, THE (1933)
C-0 mins,
2:00 PM BIGGER AND BETTER (1930)
The boys take summer jobs in a department store so they can make money and meet girls. The jobs do not turned out as planned. Cast: Mickey Daniels; Grady Sutton; David Sharpe; Mary Kornman Dir: Edgar Kennedy C-20 mins,
2:30 PM DOCTOR'S ORDERS (1930)
The "boyfriends" stage a phone car accident so the girls will have to nurse them back to health. The girls catch on right away and give the boys a run for their money. Cast: Mickey Daniels; Grady Sutton; David Sharpe; Mary Kornman Dir: Arch Heath BW-21 mins,
3:00 PM Short Film: LOVE FEVER (1931)
Hal Roach's comedy team the Boy Friends find themselves in trouble with their girlfriends when they attempt to save an actress rehearsing her lines. Cast: The Boy Friends, Thelma Todd Dir: Robert McGowan BW-20 mins,
3:30 PM Short Film: AIR TIGHT (1931)
Hal Roach's comedic team, The Boy Friends, try their hand at flying a glider but might want to stick to driving a car instead. Cast: David Sharpe, Gertrude Messinger Dir: George Stevens BW-17 mins,
4:00 PM Short Film: YOU'RE TELLING ME (1932)
Hal Roach's comedy team The Boy Friends take up a friend's invitation to stay with him in the city. Cast: Mickey Daniels, Gordon Douglas Dir: Anthony Mack, Lloyd French BW-19 mins,
4:30 PM Short Film: CATCH AS CATCH CAN (1931)
ZaSu Pitts is a hotel phone operator who finds love in a wrestler with a little matchmaking help from friend Thelma Todd. Cast: Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts, Big Boy Williams Dir: Marshall Neilan BW-20 mins, TV-G
5:00 PM Short Film: ASLEEP IN THE FEET (1933)
Comedic duo Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts try their hand at being charitable by working at a dance club to raise money for a friend. Cast: Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts Dir: Gus Meins BW-19 mins, TV-G
5:30 PM Short Film: Bargain of the Century (1933)
Hal Roach's comedic duo Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts find themselves in a jam once again when they are the cause of a police officer losing his job. Cast: Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts Dir: Charley Chase BW-19 mins, TV-G
6:00 PM Short Film: BACKS TO NATURE (1933)
In this Todd/Kelly short, Patsy and Thelma try to brave the great outdoors. Cast: Thelma Todd, Patsy Kelly Dir: Gus Meins BW-19 mins,
6:30 PM TOP FLAT (1935)
In this Todd/Kelly short, Thelma tries to convince Patsy that she's struck it rich. Cast: Thelma Todd, Patsy Kelly Dir: William Terhune BW-19 mins, TV-G
7:00 PM At Sea Ashore (1936)
C-0 mins,
7:30 PM Hill-Tillies (1936)
C-0 mins,

They are also showing the Roach Topper films and some Hal Roach TV programs like Buster Keaton's Silent Partner.

That looks like pretty nearly all of the L&H talkie shorts! Let us hope and pray and pray and hope the whole schmear will be released in a pristine DVD version WITH CAPTIONING right after this broadcast!

Jim

Holy cow!! Not sure if my DVR can handle it all. Looks like I better schedule some vacation days.

I see they're doing the Taxi Boy shorts, doubtless in an effort to demolish the concept that all Hal Roach shorts are funny.

Bob

It certainly is good to see the Laurel & Hardy material back on the small screen. Let's hope that someone has invested some time and money into restoring these classic shorts, as best as can be done at this point. And I also hope this means these shorts may soon be available on Region 1 DVD's for viewing in America.

It looks like TCM is showing the three-reel version of Laughing Gravy, with its 31-minute running time. While it's neat to see what the original concept looked like, I have to admit that I probably like the shorter version better anyway. SETH

sethb wrote:It certainly is good to see the Laurel & Hardy material back on the small screen. Let's hope that someone has invested some time and money into restoring these classic shorts, as best as can be done at this point. And I also hope this means these shorts may soon be available on Region 1 DVD's for viewing in America.

Given the fact that TCM has been running Hal Roach shorts since 2005, with no DVDs in sight, and the fact that TCM does not own the DVD rights in any event, I think it is safe to say that a DVD release is not very likely. The video transfers are the same ones that have circulated for many years.

Which editions (and scores) are the silent Our Gang shorts?

Jim Roots wrote:That looks like pretty nearly all of the L&H talkie shorts! Let us hope and pray and pray and hope the whole schmear will be released in a pristine DVD version WITH CAPTIONING right after this broadcast!

I'm wondering the same thing about the screening of all the silent Our Gang shorts on one of those days. Could this mean the long awaited Laughsmith set is finally on the horizon?
And what about the Milestone Charley Chase collection? Didn't I see someplace on the 'net that this, too, was finally coming out?

I can't wait until January to watch these--I did not know they even existed. Are the full releases of these shorts available on DVD anywhere?

azjazzman wrote:Given the fact that TCM has been running Hal Roach shorts since 2005, with no DVDs in sight, and the fact that TCM does not own the DVD rights in any event, I think it is safe to say that a DVD release is not very likely. The video transfers are the same ones that have circulated for many years.

What got my hopes up was that TCM did release an L&H package a few years ago ("The Devil's Brother," "Bonnie Scotland" and a collection of clips). Maybe lightning will strike twice? SETH

sethb wrote:What got my hopes up was that TCM did release an L&H package a few years ago ("The Devil's Brother," "Bonnie Scotland" and a collection of clips). Maybe lightning will strike twice?

The films released in that set are owned by Warner. The Laurel & Hardy films scheduled on TCM are owned by RHI, Inc.

All L&H films owned by Warner have been released on DVD either all or in part.

Six out of the eight Langdon shorts he made for Roach will be shown.

Gary J.

gjohnson wrote:Six out of the eight Langdon shorts he made for Roach will be shown.

I'm really looking forward to these. I want to see if The King is as horrible as I remember.

Among the L&H talkie shorts I was happy to see COME CLEAN & ANY OLD PORT. When the shorts were syndicated back in the late 80's, these two were missing from the package, at least where they ran here.

Jim Reid wrote: I'm really looking forward to these. I want to see if The King is as horrible as I remember.

It will be as you remember it. Harry still spends half-a-reel thrashing about when a mouse takes refuge in his bedclothes. But on the other hand, Thelma is a real hot patootie.

nice that they're running CHICKENS COME HOME, but sad they're not running the Spanish-language Politiquerías.

IIRC, it ran on one of the old AMC festivals in the early 90s but doubt it's been on TV since then, which is a pity.

Jim Reid wrote:

gjohnson wrote:Six out of the eight Langdon shorts he made for Roach will be shown.

I'm really looking forward to these. I want to see if The King is as horrible as I remember.

I'm really excited for these also...have they ever been shown on TV? I assume that Sky Boy (1929) and Hotter than Hot (1929) --both with Thelma Todd--are not being shown because the soundtracks are lost? Of course this is old information I found online and they may have been found in recent years.

For the record, two of the Roach Langdons mysteriously turned up on Canadian (cable) TV a few years ago, SKIRT SHY and THE HEAD GUY, along with the first All-Talking Roach All Star short, HURDY GURDY.