“Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations”
Laurel & Hardy were comedians of frustration who pulled laughter out of chaos. Maybe for that reason they remain as funny now as they were in the 1930s when they starred in a series of modestly budgeted features and shorts. Comedy doesn’t always age well. However, the physical comedy of Stan Laurel (the skinny one) and Oliver Hardy (the fat guy) continue to provoke hilarity as they fail to negotiate everyday life without leaving a trail of destruction.
The new four-disc Blu-ray collection doesn’t include everything they filmed and lacks an informative booklet. Its distinctions are the crisp digital restorations from the original 35mm reels. Included are two of their best pictures, Sons of the Desert, a slap-happy spoof of fraternal lodges and married life; and The Music Box, in which the Derby-hatted comics perform the Sisyphean and ultimately useless exertion of carrying a piano uphill over many obstacles.
To read more film reviews, click here.
To read more articles by David Luhrssen, click here.
