FRECKLED FISH FOUND

Steve Massa, Ben Model and other assorted cinegoons keep poking around the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and those Cruel and Unusual Comedy Boys keep making my day!  Just heard that they have found a fragment of a rare LKO comedy that features Babe Hardy.  FRECKLED FISH was one of the "Charlie of the Orient" films.  Can't wait to see it!!

More of Mr. Hardy

Babe with Buck Jones in THE GENTLE CYCLONE (1926)

Babe in the middle of the fight from

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF J. RUFUS WALLINGFORD (1915)

With Larry Semon from THE AGENT (1922)... I think, you tell me?

Babe and Jimmy Aubrey in THE NUISANCE (1921). 

Guess which of the two is the title character.  If you chose Mr. Hardy you are dead wrong!

HER BOY FRIEND pressbook

Here is the pressbook for HER BOY FRIEND (Educational, 1924) Larry Semon's first short after leaving Vitagraph. Babe, billed as Oliver N. Hardy, is in this one but not highlighted much in the pressbook. Enjoy:

Stan Lobby Cards

So why stop with Babe? Here are some lobby cards of films starring the comedian formerly known as Stan Jefferson.

WHEN KNIGHTS WERE COLD (Metro, 1923)

By the time this film was released Stan had left G.M. Anderson and was over at the Hal Roach Studios filming UNDER TWO JAGS. I really like the Amalgamated comedies and it was this series, not the soon to follow series at Roach, that really established Stan as a viable star film comedian.

RUPERT OF HEE-HAW (Roach, 1924)

Stan's next to last film for Hal Roach during his second tenure at the studio. A "travesty" of RUPERT OF HENTZAU (the sequel story to THE PRISONER OF ZENDA) with Stan playing a dual role.

DR. PYCKLE AND MR. PRIDE (Joe Rock, 1925)

Stan's next to last film for Joe Rock is probably his best solo film ever. Watching the films he made between 1922 and 1925 for G.M. Anderson, Hal Roach and Joe Rock show that Stan would have been a star with or without Oliver Hardy (but yes, not likely to the great degree the Boys obtained together). But by the time this film was released Stan had already directed three comedies for Hal Roach beginning his intended career as solely a behind-the-camera talent.

Babe Lobby Cards

Okay, so things ain't so good on the DVD front! So to cheer us all up a bit I am posting some lobby cards of Mr. Hardy.

HEY TAXI! (Arrow, 1925)
 

For the longest time I thought the only Bobby Ray & Oliver Hardy films were STICK AROUND and HOP TO IT! But there is also this film and one other (THEY ALL FALL). Of all the films the Boys made before teaming up these are the ones that most foreshadow Laurel AND Hardy films.

SQUABS AND SQUABBLES (Vitagraph, 1919)

Babe is second from left (duh). Dick Smith is also in the shot as is Jimmy Aubrey himself. Glad I dug up this photo, there isn't one in my book at all. They are on the standing "Paradise Alley" street set on the Vitagraph lot. Other Babe Hardy films shot on this street including Aubrey's FLIPS AND FLOPS and Larry Semon's THE RENT COLLECTOR.

SPRINGTIME (Vitagraph, 1920)

Within six months of this film coming out Babe will be fired by Jimmy Aubrey, be hired on a full time basis by Larry Semon, and have made his first film with a struggling English comedian by the name of Stan Laurel.

More Laurel or Hardy Collection DVD set update

The "More Laurel or Hardy Collection" DVD set may not ever see the light of day. Passport Video, the distributor, has gone into receivership (aka bankrupcy). There is always a chance they will be able to reorganize and come out of bankrupcy but I wouldn't hold my breath.

The More Laurel or Hardy Collection DVD set

THE MORE LAUREL OR HARDY COLLECTION (Passport Video, 5-DVD set)

I am hosting a second DVD set of Stan and Ollie solo films. The set will hit the stores on October 13 at a list price of $19.95. There are some rare titles on this set:

"A Warm Reception" - One of my all time favorite Babe Hardy films. Made at Vim after Plump & Runt ended this stars Babe and he also directed.

"Distilled Love" - Babe's one and only appearance with the great Alice Howell (one of Stan's favorite comediennes).

"The Pest" - Stan and the Music Box stairs some ten years before the Boys move a piano up the same stairs.

"Weak-End Party" - Another of the films Stan made for G.M. Anderson. This one is a good one and has Babe London in it.

"The Chief Cook" - Ellen Burford is in the bathtub and Billy West spys on her. IN this uncut version we all get to see what he was looking at! How did they ever think nudity was ever going to make it past the various state ensor boards?

Here is the running order (may be a bit out of date, I think there were a few changes since I last heard from Passport):

Oliver “Babe” Hardy & Stan Laurel: the Early Years: “Something In Her Eye” (Novelty, 1915); “Love And Duty” (Vim, 1916); “A Warm Reception” (Vim, 1916); “Just Rambling Along” (Hal Roach, 1918); “Do You Love Your Wife?” (Hal Roach, 1919); “Distilled Love” (Reelcraft, 1920) .

Oliver “Babe” Hardy with Billy West: “The Station Master” (King Bee, 1917); “The Chief Cook” (King Bee, 1917); “Cupid’s Rival” (King Bee, 1917); “Bright And Early” (King Bee, 1918).

Stan Laurel at Hal Roach in 1923: “Man About Town” (Hal Roach, 1923); “Save the Ship” AKA “The Houseboat” (Hal Roach, 1923); “Short Orders” (Hal Roach, 1923); “The Noon Whistle” (Hal Roach, 1923); “Scorching Sands” (Hal Roach, 1923); “Frozen Hearts” (Hal Roach, 1923).

Laurel OR Hardy with Larry Semon: “Huns And Hyphens” (Vitagraph, 1918); “The Perfect Clown” (First National, 1925).

Stan Laurel in Search of a Character (and a studio): “The Weak-End Party” (Amalgamated, 1922); “The Pest” (Amalgamated, 1922); “The Egg” (Amalgamated, 1922); “No Place Like Jail” AKA “Detained” (Joe Rock, 1924); “Mandarin Mix-Up” (Joe Rock, 1924); “Somewhere In Wrong”(Joe Rock, 1925); “Pie-Eyed” (Joe Rock, 1925); “Half a Man” (Joe Rock, 1925) .