World of Laurel and Hardy: Talkie title cards (1929-1940)

Welcome to my second installment of L&H miscellany. This time I've compiled the title cards of every talking picture L&H starred in from their first Roach talkie "Unaccustomed as We Are" to their last Roach feature, "Saps at Sea." Alas, you're not going to find the original circus design for "The Chimp" here, nor the original cards for "Their First Mistake" or "One Good Turn." I simply don't have them but more often than not, the original card simply no longer exists and collectors will most likely have to put up with the Film Classics' version of "Come Clean" forever. I apologize for the lack of quality on certain frames, a lot of these were done with a low quality VCR several years ago and I cannot improve them currently.

The origination of most of the "Dance of the Cuckoos" audio clips will be known instantly by L&H buffs, but the first one is worthy of further description. It comes from the first film to use the "Cuckoo" music, "Night Owls." As Randy Skretvedt explained in his masterwork, most copies open with the instrumental portion of "Honolulu Baby" from "Sons of the Desert" which apparently was done by Film Classics (so they not only slaughter original titles; we can accuse them of messing with the audio tracks as well!). The domestic print of "Night Owls" no longer has its original music, but luckily the Mexican version still does! Thanks to "Ladrones," we can hear the earliest (and roughest) version of "Dance of the Cuckoos."

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Laurel
• and
• Hardy
• Hal
• Roach
• titles

[Bixfan78]

Hi, Chris--this is a very nice compilation of titles, and thanks muchly for calling my book a "masterwork"! I'm working on the third edition now, and it'll likely be quite a bit bigger than the previous two. All the best--Randy Skretvedt

[chrisivision07]

Wow, we have a true celebrity in our midst! Thanks for the info about the 3rd edition, I'm really looking forward to it. I wasn't actually aware of your book originally until you made an appearance on KTLA. But yeah, your book is the first and best comedy film book I ever made my dad buy for me and I have constantly been reading it ever since. In your introduction you mention L&H buffs watching the films over and over even though we know all the gags and I feel much the same about your book.

[dieprinzregenten]

ist doch nur werbung

[dagosliv]

you forgot, Honolulu Baby, beggining of one of their Talkie shorts, don't remember which one

[louisa1832]

This was a great labor of love on your part and I enjoyed every second of it. The information is fascinating, too! Thank you!

[Jamtns]

Chris do you happen to have that tinkling piano music when the Chimp is dancing in the bedroom in front of L&H? Could u post it please?

[LonesomePine369]

@AlexMarsden13 this is only 1927 - 1940 so the FOX and MGM and atoll arent here