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This short, as "Kidding the Kidnappers" is on a recent release from Loose Than Loose called Manchester 2010 Mirthquake Obscurities. Here's what they have to say about it: "Kidding the Kidnappers" (not the correct title) (Bull's Eye - Reel Craft; 1920s) Cast: Milburn Morante. One...

I vaguely remember this short, it's a Charles Tarbox reissue (with Charles Tarbox retitling)of a MIlburn Morante comedy thats not very funny and unfortunately one of his mid-twenties independents, not one of his Grover Jones- directed Reelcraft comedies, which are actually pretty good. RICHARD M ROB...

I've been reading varying accounts of how Roach & Laurel's business relationship soured after BABES IN TOYLAND . Randy Skretvedt seems to imply that they rarely talked after that movie while Richard Bann insists that they stayed friends right up to their contract termination in 1940. Is the tru...

Excuse me? Langdon was given all the time he needed at Roach to make his first talkies, and they're fine. I wasn't referring to production time as much as time to allow the series to gel. He only got to make 8 shorts before the plug got pulled. His last four shorts showed that he was starting to fi...

It now says that there are only 17 left in stock. Where have these been hidden? I like the "Two-fer" that they do with this one, combining it with David Kalat's Chase collecytion . Somewhat of a Slapsticon combo ( and I wish more folks knew that!). Agnes McFadden I think it's quite possib...

RE: Monty Banks. . . I recall seeing a Monty Banks-directed one reeler titled The Musical Beauty Shop , one of those entertainingly odd novelty shorts that were plentiful in the early talkie era, quite some time ago. Kit Parker used to rent it out way back when. RE: Lupino Lane http://youtu.be/Ftoy...

For Lane I think the beginning of sound was just a period of adjustment - seeing exactly what in his large bag of tricks still worked and what needed to be discarded. Also what type of comedy would work for him in the new medium. He's wonderful in Ernst Lubitch's THE LOVE PARADE ('29), and uses a l...

Is Lane's experience with sound shorts similar to Langdon's at Roach where not enough time was given him to become acclimated to the new medium or was the writing on the wall that this was not his cup of tea? (Look! A British reference...) There may be a reason why only a few silent clowns made the...

Has anyone (meaning: all of you collectors) caught up with Lanes last starring shorts for Educational? It looks like the last 4 or so were made as talkies before the series was discontinued. I've seen three, and sadly, the print of FIREPROOF we were going to show at SLAPSTICON 2010 went up in flame...

In the same vein of Mont Banks' career trajectory I got to thinking of Lupino Lane. THE LOVE PARADE recently aired and he made such a splash in his supporting role that one would think he would certainly of had a continued career in Hollywood talkies. And yet after appearing in a few more Warner Br...