LAUREL & HARDY - BEYOND THE 106 MOVIES
By Dave Wyatt
This three part series first appeared in the printed version of our 'Laurel and Hardy Magazine'. Now we are pleased to present it here (edited for the web) so that you can see the film footage. This is PART ONE, PARTS TWO and THREE will be added to our MEMBER / SUBSCRIBERS only area of our site.
Laurel & Hardy appeared in 106 films together.
These have been well documented, as have the foreign language versions, and
the films they made separately. But the boys also appeared in various newsreels;
promotional reels; TV and home-movie footage. Below is the first of a series
of articles detailing these 'extra' appearances.
Compiled by “Helpmates’” very own “Keeper of the
Celluloid,” David Wyatt, the listings contain details of every known
extant piece of footage. It’s a fascinating record, full of delightful
and intriguing revelations.
Please
note: all titles feature original L&H footage, and are in b/w unless
mentioned as colour. Cinema newsreels sometimes had a title on each individual
news item, sometimes not. Those listed here as 'untitled' had no actual title,
so are referred to by the title in the newsreel company’s catalogued.
Dates given are the dates when the events were filmed - not when the newsreels
were released.
PART 1: L&H IN BRITAIN AND EUROPE
CINEMA NEWSREELS PATHÉ NEWS
SOUTHAMPTON – ARRIVAL ON THE “QUEEN ELIZABETH” (untitled) - 10/2/1947
Laurel & Hardy arrive for their first British working tour, together with other Hollywood stars Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor. The team are interviewed by reporter John Parasols (whose ‘Lord Plumtree’ accent is almost as funny as L&H’s comedy routine). Stan can’t get a word in during Babe’s speech; when he finally interrupts it is to tell him “You’re standing on my foot!” Their proposed British film ROBIN HOOD is mentioned.
Recycled by Associated British Pathé
into SPOT THE STARS – a reel of various news shots of film stars in
the form of a
quiz.
COMEDIANS AT THE APOLLO (untitled) - 13/4/1947
Outside the Apollo Theatre, London, L&H help other comedians raise money for a farmers’ distress fund. Sid Field, George Robey, Tommy Trinder and most of the Crazy Gang also appear. CICK ON IMAGE: This will open a new window where you can play the newsreel.
DAILY MAIL IDEAL HOME EXHIBITION - 16/3/1947
L&H at the Ideal Home Exhibition, London – Hardy supposedly testing chairs with actresses Tessie O’Shea and Vera Pearce.
Unedited footage – not used in any
newsreel.
DAILY MAIL FILM FESTIVAL – OSCARS FOR BRITISH STARS - 28/4/1947
Awards ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel. Margaret Lockwood and producer Herbert Wilcox receive awards; British stars Michael Wilding, Patricia Roc and Michael Rennie are also seen.
L&H arrive late, with their wives and briefly improvise some comedy business with a handy vase of flowers. Out takes exist with more shots of Stan & Babe – Babe using a flower as a buttonhole and reacting to its smell.
DAILY MAIL FILM FESTIVAL - OSCARS FOR BRITISH STARS
ABOARD THE FRENCH BOAT TRAIN (untitled) - 2/11/1947
L&H in the dining car of the boat train, improvising some business - then disembarking. They were travelling from Paris to London on their way to the Royal Command Performance at the Palladium the next evening. If only that had been filmed!
NEW ADDITION LOCATED BY GLENN MITCHELL -SKATERS KEEP 'EM ROLLING video newsreel film 08/05/1950
Full title reads: "Paris. Skaters Keep 'Em Rolling".
Paris, France.
The roller skating show 'Skating Vanities with Gloria Nord' are a big hit in
Paris.
VS girls walking on balls. CU Girls on balls pan down to
balls. MV Girls trundling balls along in centre of hall.
CU Stan Laurel looking on. VS girls in
crinolines roller skating with hoops. LS Girl skating with hoops. SV Girl
and boy holding hoop in foreground as skaters skate past. LV Skaters passing
in centre of hall. MV Skaters forming up in centre of floor. LV GV skaters
formed up in centre as lights go out. CLICK ON
IMAGE TO PLAY.
SKATERS KEEP 'EM ROLLING JUST CLICK ON THE IMAGE
VARIETY CLUB LUNCH - 31/1/1952
L&H had just arrived for their second British variety tour (see GB Newsreel – ARRIVAL ON THE QUEEN MARY) and were invited to this Variety Club event at the Empress Club, London. Speeches are heard by Charlie Chester and Freddie Mills and for some reason a chimp (not THE chimp!) and some girls wrapped in cellophane presenting gifts are involved.
L&H are then interviewed by Eamon Andrews (wrongly this was often assumed to be a TV. interview when resurrected in later TV. shows.) Unedited footage, not used in any newsreel. Discussion includes the cold weather, how the change of time zone has affected them – and not much more. Graciously they compliment Andrews’ then current TV quiz show ‘What’s My Line?’ What a pity they weren’t asked to appear as guests.
Silent footage also includes a variation on the ‘standing on my foot’ gag, this time with Bertram Mill’s Coco the clown wearing huge clown size boots.CICK ON IMAGE: This will open a new window where you can play the newsreel.
Eamon Andrews opening his little red book and uttering those words we all
know so well: “Laurel and Hardy – That’s My
Wife”
NEW THEATRE, NORTHAMPTON - 22/10/1953
At the start of their 1953 British tour, L&H are filmed arriving for their first week’s engagement.
Visual gags centre on getting in and out of the car, and their cramped dressing room, with Stan finally locking their costume trunk on Ollie’s jacket. “For 30 years two of the best known funny men in films” says the commentary (a slight exaggeration!).
Recycled in part by Pathé into
their compilation ‘This Was Yesterday’
(1955).
RAILWAY BIRTHDAY PARTY - 21/3/1947
The team re open the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway extension to Dungeness, celebrating the railway’s 21st birthday. Met by the Mayor and other VIPs, L&H attempt to open some prop doors placed across the line – while Ollie is fumbling with a giant key Stan finds the door already open. To the delight of the crowds they improvise more comedy with Ollie trying to board the miniature Pullman car, setting off the train whistle, etc.
Out takes also exist in which he exchanges hats with train driver Tony Baker. Tony remains an ardent L&H fan today, recreating his role when at least one group of Sons of the Desert descended on the railway in recent years. He remembers finding L&H’s antics not particularly funny on the day, but greatly enjoyable when seen later at the cinema (for which he had to pay admission, despite his co star role!).
GAUMONT BRITISH
NEWS
SMALLEST RAILWAY CELEBRATES
A BIRTHDAY - 21/3/1947
Basically the same story as
above, with a few different train shots and slightly different camera angles
on the action with L&H.
also BRITISH PARAMOUNT NEWS
LAUREL & HARDY OPEN A RAILWAY - 21/3/1947
After years of assuming only the Movietone
News version of the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway story survives,
I’ve now discovered copies of both this and the Gaumont British News
story above. Basically more of the same, but synchronised sound adds a whole
new dimension to this version. At the mike L&H declare the railway open
and do a gag routine as they hand the key back to owner Captain Howey. Hardy
asks Mrs. Howey, “Is he the owner?” and adds jokingly, “Can
we buy into this?”
DENMARK
ARRIVAL IN COPENHAGEN
(untitled) - 1/10/1947
Late in 1947 the team had to arrange a hasty
European excursion when Babe’s permitted time in Britain ran out. L&H
are seen being driven from the station to the Palace Hotel, Copenhagen in
an open horse-drawn carriage. There they wave to the crowd from the balcony.
Reportedly, the suffered from seasickness during the ferry crossing (no oil
being handy for Stan to pour on troubled waters) but they certainly look
recovered here as they enjoy party drinks with some Danish
actors.
AMATEUR FILM - GRAND
HOTEL - 28/7/1932
Produced by J.G.
Ratcliffe; photography: Arthur G. Greaves; titles:
Stephen Arthur. 16mm
Perhaps the best known L&H tour
film ever. Somehow copies of this 1932 footage seem to
have got everywhere. After leaving the Grand Hotel, Tynemouth, the Boys relocate
to the veranda of the Plaza cinema, overlooking the beach. There they sign
autographs, make speeches, clown for the crowd of thousands, and give charity
donated presents to 600 children. Filmed silent - as were many professional
newsreels of the time – some of Stan and Babe’s words are at least
quoted for posterity in A.J. Marriot’s book “Laurel & Hardy
–the British Tours.” A.J. also notes that Laurel was unable to
get inside his old house in Dockwray Square earlier
in the day, such were the size of the crowds. A
moment lost both to Stan and to us forever more.
STAN AND OLLY - 29/7/1932 - Producer: Alan
J.Harper
Another amateur cameraman takes up the story as Laurel & Hardy
visit Edinburgh. Crowds at Waverley Station; the Castle;
and a lengthy sequence at the Playhouse showing the cinema and its large
staff, projection room and L&H on stage.
Again a very
familiar film, thanks to its wide availability, usually together with the
above. BBC TV’s ‘Omnibus – Cuckoo’ (1974) documentary
on Laurel & Hardy used much of it to good effect. Shots of the pair backstage
somehow found their way, too, into Ken Murray’s compilation of movie
star footage ‘Hollywood Without Make up’
(1962), erroneously credited as “at a party in
America”.
LAUREL & HARDY VISIT EDINBURGH (untitled) -
29/7/1932
Silent 35mm newsreel presumably intended for local cinema use –
similar to STAN AND OLLY above.
L&H AT THE CORONATION HALL, ULVERSTON -
27/5/1947
While on tour Stan Laurel took his wife Ida and the
Hardys to his birthplace. There he introduced Babe
to the crowds and was presented with a copy of his birth certificate from
the balcony of the Coronation Hall.
Russell Wall
bought this 8mm film at auction a few years ago. As far back as 1997 Mr.
Wall announced that he was preparing a documentary on L&H’s British
tours to include “never before seen film footage.” To date neither
this film nor the documentary have seen the light
of day.
L&H IN WESTON SUPER MARE - 17/7/1947
In front of 6,000 people, Stan and Babe judge the ‘Modern Venus’
beauty competition with their wives at an open air stadium in Weston Super
Mare.
OPENING OF THE MEMORIAL CLUB, GLASGOW -
14/3/1952
L&H at the opening of the Stage and Screen Memorial
Club. 8mm Kodachrome colour film by Colonel
A.E. Pickard. Colonel Pickard was known, amongst other things, for driving
a car around Glasgow complete with TV. aerial and
dummy TV. inside. Hardy does a quick gag with the
car. Eric Woodburn, famous for his comic monologues on stage - later Dr.
Snoddie in BBC TV’s ‘Doctor Finlay’s
Casebook’ - is also seen together with Harry Gordon, co-founder of the
club. Laurel & Hardy were staying at the Central Hotel, Glasgow at the
time.
_______________________
Hopefully new Laurel & Hardy discoveries will continue to be made.
Three previously unknown newsreels have been found even while this article
was being prepared. Please contact the ‘Laurel & Hardy Magazine’
if you have, or know of, any home-movie or other footage featuring L&H.
There must be more out there!
PART 2:- U.S. and TV
Footage.
And
The Solo material - footage with either Laurel or
Hardy
Will be in our MEMBERS ONLY AREA of our
site.
TEXT (C) DAVE WYATT and THE LAUREL & HARDY
MAGAZINE
_______________________
Discovered
by Peter Andrews of the Bristol ‘Fraternally Yours’ L&H
Tent.
Filmed on 9.5mm by Mr. Gold. As Mr. Gold’s
camera held only one minute of film, he had to make the most of it. Every
frame is therefore – pure Gold.
Stan wrote a letter
from there next day thanking Harry Gordon and praising the club - “a
worthwhile thought and gesture which could only be conceived by a swell
guy.” The letter is owned by L&H fan Jonathan
Pertwee who is related to Harry
Gordon.