Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations Volume 2 - Kit Parker Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: USA, 1929 (Men O' War, Perfect Day), USA, 1930 (Brats, Blotto, Another Fine Mess), USA, 1933 (Dirty Work), USA, 1934 (Going Bye-Bye!, Them Thar Hills), USA, 1935 (Tit for Tat)
Directors: Lewis R. Foster (Men O' War), James Parrott (Perfect Day, Brats, Blotto, Another Fine Mess), Lloyd French (Dirty Work), Charley Rogers (Going Bye-Bye!, Them Thar Hills, Tit for Tat)
Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Anne Cornwall, Gloria Greer, Edgar Kennedy, Kay Deslys, Isabelle Keith, Anita Garvin, Charles K. Gerrard, Thelma Todd, Lucien Littlefield, Walter Long, Mae Busch, Charlie Hall

Release Date: November 11th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 20 Minutes 1 Second (Men O' War), 20 Minutes 58 Seconds (Perfect Day), 20 Minutes 7 Seconds (Brats), 21 Minutes 46 Seconds (Blotto - Silent Version), 26 Minutes 22 Seconds (Blotto - Sound Version), 28 Minutes 29 Seconds (Another Fine Mess), 19 Minutes 40 Seconds (Dirty Work), 21 Minutes 7 Seconds (Going Bye-Bye!), 20 Minutes 50 Seconds (Them Thar Hills), 19 Minutes 54 Seconds (Tit for Tat)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English (All Films Except Brats and Blotto Silent Version), LPCM Mono (Brats and Blotto Silent Version)
Subtitles: English Intertitles (Brats and Blotto Silent Version)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.95

"Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations Volume 2 returns the beloved comedy duo to their full brilliance in this restored Blu-ray collection. Sourced from the original 35mm archival elements, this set offers fans an opportunity to see long-unavailable original release versions and previously unseen materials—over six hours of timeless laughter! Included are eight of Laurel & Hardy's most celebrated short films: • Men O' War (1929) • Perfect Day (1929) • Blotto (1930) • Another Fine Mess (1930) • Dirty Work (1933) • Going Bye-Bye! (1934) • Them Thar Hills (1934) • Tit for Tat (1935) These restored gems showcase the comedic genius of the legendary pair, with enhanced picture and audio that make every gag feel fresh again." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Perfect Day, Dirty Work, Going Bye-Bye!, Them Thar Hills, Tit for Tat), 3.5/5 (Men O' War, Brats, Blotto, Another Fine Mess)

Here’s the information given about the transfers, "Sourced from the original 35mm archival elements restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive."

Disc one is a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44 GB (4 Short Films)

Disc two is a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.1 GB (4 Short Films)

The source looks great; any debris or imperfections that remain are minor. Flesh tones look correct, image clarity, contrast, and black levels are strong, and compression is solid.

Audio: 3.75/5 (All Films Except Blotto, Another Fine Mess), 3.5/5 (Blotto, Another Fine Mess)

All of the short films except Brats and the silent version of Blotto come with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English. Brats and the silent version of Blotto come with one audio option, a LPCM mono with English intertitles. There is a background hiss that is present throughout Blotto and Another Fine Mess. All of the audio tracks are clear and balanced, and range-wise they are satisfactory.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include image galleries for Men O' War, Perfect Day, Blotto, Blotto (French version), Brats, and Another Fine Mess; audio commentaries with Richard W. Bann for Men O' War, Blotto, and Another Fine Mess; an audio commentary with Randy Skretvedt for Perfect Day, the 1937 reissue version of Perfect Day; previously lost silent versions of Brats and Blotto with scores by Andrew Earle Simpson; and alternate voice and effects-only versions of Blotto and Another Fine Mess. 

Extras on disc two include image galleries for Dirty Work, Going Bye-Bye!, Them Thar Hills and Tit for Tat, trailers for Pardon Us—German version (2 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM mono German, no subtitles), Fra Diavolo—British version (2 minutes 49 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Bohemian Girl (1 minute 44 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Our Relations (1 minute 7 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), and Swiss Miss (2 minutes 24 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a 1936 MGM promotional film with Laurel & Hardy titled Galaxy of Stars (8 minutes 36 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for There Goes My Heart (3 minutes 40 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), outtakes for There Goes My Heart trailer (3 minutes 59 seconds, silent footage), a promotioinal interview short with with Laurel & Hardy titled Ship’s Reporter (5 minutes 47 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an episode of the TV show This Is Your Life, sourced from 35mm kinescope negative (29 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a promotioinal interview short with with producer Hal Roach titled Hal Roach Backlot Interview (4 minutes 59 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), and audio commentary tracks with Randy Skretvedt for Dirty Work, Going Bye-Bye!, Them Thar Hills, and Tit for Tat.

Other extras include a 32-page booklet with a text piece titled Preservation and Restoration written by Jeff Joseph, production notes for each film written by Randy Skretvedt, and a text piece titled Behind the Scenes at Hal Roach Studios written by Richard W. Bann.

Summary:

Men O' War: On shore leave from the navy, two sailors invite two women they have just met out for sodas. Once there, they discover that they do not have enough money for four sodas so they order three.

Perfect Day: Trouble with their car derails a couple's day in the country. From there a series of events unfold with their neighbor, who they have been feuding with.

Brats: Two rambunctious sons constantly interrupt their fathers, who are trying to have a peaceful game of checkers. In this short, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy portray the fathers and the sons.

Blotto: A husband wanting to get away for the evening from his nagging wife sends himself a fake telegram that allows him to leave. Knowing that her husband is up to no good, the wife empties the bottle of alcohol he plans on taking without her permission, and she refills it with a concoction of household things from the kitchen.

Another Fine Mess: Two homeless vagabonds hiding from the police lock themselves in a mansion whose owners have just left for vacation. Shortly after their arrival, someone arrives looking to rent the place, and they are forced to pretend that they are the owner, his butler, and maid.

Dirty Work: Two men hired to clean a professor's chimney cause a lot of damage while they are working. From there they end up in the professor's laboratory and come into contact with his rejuvenation potion.

Going Bye-Bye!: Fearful, two men are forced to quickly leave town after testifying. Short on cash, they place an ad for a third person to come along on the trip. The woman who answers their ad is the girlfriend of the gangster who wants to kill them. 

Them Thar Hills: Two friends go to the country because one of them is recovering from gout and needs the fresh mountain air. Once there, they drink from a well that is filled with bootlegger's liquor instead of water.

Tit for Tat: Two friends opening a new business next door to the couple they crossed paths with from Them Thar Hills. They spend all of their time fighting with their neighbor while neglecting their new business.

There is a brevity to these short films. They keep things simple and move at a brisk momentum. Laurel & Hardy, like other comedic duos, have a formula; there is a physicality to their humor, and another source of their comedy comes from how they work against each other instead of taking an obvious route. That said, the quality of these nine short films is excellent; they represent some of their best films.

Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations Volume 2 is an exceptional release that comes with a wealth of content, making it a must-purchase for Laurel & Hardy fans. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer