Laurel & Hardy silent shorts on TCM

[sethb]

Now that "Two Tars" and several other L&H silents are being screened on TCM, is there any hope for their release on DVD?

Unfortunately, I missed out on the opportunity to acquire them when they were being marketed as the "Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy," but they were fairly pricey at the time. SETH

[Jim Reid]

Unfortunately, I missed out on the opportunity to acquire them when they were being marketed as the "Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy," but they were fairly pricey at the time. SETH

Actually, at the time these first came out, internet DVD sellers were pretty coupon crazy. I remember wondering how they were making any money. I got several of the Lost Films discs pretty cheaply. The first time I bought Kino's "The General" on DVD it cost me $2.

[Richard Finegan]

TWO TARS and the other seven silent Laurel & Hardy shorts that were shown on TCM last November are coming on again on Monday morning, April 23, 2012.

[sethb]

Unfortunately, I missed out on the opportunity to acquire them when they were being marketed as the "Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy," but they were fairly pricey at the time. SETH

Actually, at the time these first came out, internet DVD sellers were pretty coupon crazy. I remember wondering how they were making any money. I got several of the Lost Films discs pretty cheaply. The first time I bought Kino's "The General" on DVD it cost me $2.

Well, as the old joke goes, although they lost money on every sale, they made up for it with volume!! SETH

[sethb]

So I got to see TWO TARS on TCM, and of course it was great, just as good as I remembered it.

And just as important, it also LOOKED great. Except for some brief damage or decomposition to the initial MGM logo, everything looked crisp and clean, including what appeared to be the original intertitles.

I also saw credit being given to LOC for the restoration/preservation. It's always struck me as somewhat odd that even though public money is spent to store, restore and preserve titles like this, they are not available for the public to purchase. Hopefully this situation can be remedied going forward. SETH

[WaverBoy]

Pssssst...L&H silent films aren't talkies...I think this post may perhaps be in the wrong forum...

BUT, having said that to satisfy my OCD tendencies, glad to hear these classics were broadcast, and are looking good. I can't wait until all their silent stuff gets the remastered DVD or (hopefully) Blu-ray treatment.

[Danny Burk]

Pssssst...L&H silent films aren't talkies...I think this post may perhaps be in the wrong forum...

Done!

[Kelly]

Well if you intersted if you get ME TV they showing Laurel and Hardy talkies

ME TV is OTA channel not available everywhere they getting there

[Derek Gee]

I also saw credit being given to LOC for the restoration/preservation. It's always struck me as somewhat odd that even though public money is spent to store, restore and preserve titles like this, they are not available for the public to purchase. Hopefully this situation can be remedied going forward. SETH

I've been wondering if TCM had to clear these showings with Richard Feiner, or whether these shorts have fallen into public domain? There's no credit on the restoration titles, and I recall reading that Nostalgia Merchant defended themselves from Hallmark by asking them to prove their chain of title, and Hallmark declined to do so. Perhaps there's a legal issue with the Hal Roach films?

Derek

[M Verdoux]

Perhaps there's a legal issue with the Hal Roach films?

Derek

There certainly is and long has been.