Laurel and Hardy on Blu-Ray...?

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David Kalat
Capo
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 9:44 pm

Laurel and Hardy on Blu-Ray...?

Postby David Kalat » Tue Sep 28, 2010 6:41 pm

OK gang--anybody have any inside info on what's up with this?

http://www.amazon.com/March-Wooden-Sold ... 43&sr=1-15

Spectacularly restored? Every copy I've ever seen has been a fuzzy mess. Has something changed?

Richard M Roberts
Godfather
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Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 6:30 pm

Re: Laurel and Hardy on Blu-Ray...?

Postby Richard M Roberts » Tue Sep 28, 2010 8:06 pm

David Kalat wrote:OK gang--anybody have any inside info on what's up with this?

http://www.amazon.com/March-Wooden-Sold ... 43&sr=1-15

Spectacularly restored? Every copy I've ever seen has been a fuzzy mess. Has something changed?


Old news as I recall, but yes, it is a good and complete transfer of BABES IN TOYLAND, the other on DVD being in an MGM/UA holiday film boxset. I don't have them (I have an original ERKO print), but I saw them at a friends house and the Black and white transfer was excellent and the colorized version actually worked as well.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Paul Penna
Cugine
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:01 pm

Re: Laurel and Hardy on Blu-Ray...?

Postby Paul Penna » Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:06 am

The MGM/UA version was subsequently released as a stand-alone, and appears to be still in print. I have both it and the Legend version, and to my eyes, the MGM is superior, sharper and with a better grayscale range, obviously taken from a good-quality 35mm element. The Legend is also from some kind of 35mm element, but looks drab to me, and not quite as sharp. Word has it that their Blu-Ray derives from the same hi-def transfer that was used for the DVD, but I haven't seen it.

Chris Seguin

Re: Laurel and Hardy on Blu-Ray...?

Postby Chris Seguin » Thu Sep 30, 2010 6:08 pm

I've got this but, sadly, haven't had much time to spend with it. I wouldn't say it's spectacular, but it's about as good as you can expect any pre-1941 Laurel & Hardy to look. In other words, more than acceptable. One thing I'll say for Legend; despite what you think of colorization, they always treat their b&w presentations with respect.

I do need to do the die-hard comparison test between this, the MGM/UA DVD, and the original Legend DVD. From my brief glance it looks like the high-def treatment didn't do the colorization any favours, it seems a bit brighter and harsher in HD. But that may just require some adjustments on my set.

Apparently the MGM print is from Eastman House's 35mm nitrate. Not sure where Legend got theirs, but there's a strange thing in the B&W version's last shot where the picture quality drops dramatically -- allowing for the storybook ending to carry a copyright notice for the colorized version. This has led people to speculate that the b&w version is actually the colorized version with the colour stripped out -- which strikes me as more than a mite illogical.

So why did I get the blu-ray? Because I'm a Stan & Babe fanatic who needs to get everything --- and something tells me this will be the ONLY L&H title to ever make it to blu-ray. (When, oh when, will we see UTOPIA in HD?) And at ten bucks it's about the cost of two coffees and a muffin at Starbucks.

Chris

Jim Reid
Cugine
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:31 pm

Re: Laurel and Hardy on Blu-Ray...?

Postby Jim Reid » Thu Sep 30, 2010 6:26 pm

I got the blu-ray but haven't had a chance to look at it yet. I love the MGM/UA disc because it's the original Babes in Toyland and not a patched up March of the Wooden Soldiers print. What version is on the blu-ray? Does it have the original MGM titles?


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