TCM strikes again: Lousy OUR RELATIONS print

[Hal Erickson]

Well, TCM has once again served up a substandard print of a Laurel and Hardy
film.
The version of OUR RELATIONS currently running on TCM is the washed-out
Nostalgia Merchant print from the late 1970s, with a chunk or two missing
for good (?) measure.

What in the HELL is the matter with these people? Do they have a vendetta
against L&H or is Hallmark still trying to sabotage the team?

I know that better versions of this title exist--I've seen them. Where have
they all gone?

--Hal E

[Mister Levity]

To be fair TCM is airing what Hellmark delivers them.

When I saw the Nostalgia Merchant opening I knew instantly those
Hellmark people once again grabbed any old video and sent it to TCM.
This looks like a VHS being broadcast! It looks really awful. Almost
unwatchable. As much as I am happy seeing Laurel and Hardy broadcast on
TV once again, these bad prints are not helping Laurel and Hardy's
legacy in America at all.

Will these films ever be treated with respect by those losers at
Hellmark/RHI?

[w***@aol.com]

Post by Hal Erickson
Well, TCM has once again served up a substandard print of a Laurel and Hardy
film.
The version of OUR RELATIONS currently running on TCM is the washed-out
Nostalgia Merchant print from the late 1970s, with a chunk or two missing
for good (?) measure.
What in the HELL is the matter with these people? Do they have a vendetta
against L&H or is Hallmark still trying to sabotage the team?
I know that better versions of this title exist--I've seen them. Where have
they all gone?
--Hal E

I agree I have seen better copies of PD DVDS. As where the fault lies
between Hallmark and TCM, I would put my money on Hallmark, at least
TCM is trying to keep the images of the boys out there and let new
generations discover them, what other station would even bother to show
L&H films, on rare occasions one might pop up on the FOX Movie channel.
No, this is just another case of disrespect on behalf of the Hallmark
Jerks.

Cartoonguy

[Scott MacGillivray]

I didn't see it, but it sounds like the "Laurel & Hardy Show" TV
edition of 1986, which has a full 10 minutes missing. It's well edited,
as I recall, but it IS edited. Hallmark has a history of just grabbing
whatever tape master it has, and sending it along.

[Hal Erickson]

Post by Scott MacGillivray
I didn't see it, but it sounds like the "Laurel & Hardy Show" TV
edition of 1986, which has a full 10 minutes missing. It's well edited,
as I recall, but it IS edited. Hallmark has a history of just grabbing
whatever tape master it has, and sending it along.

No, it ran a little over 72 minutes. By "chunks" missing I meant five
seconds here, three seconds there, like an old, worn-out TV print.
It's the Nostalgia Merchant release, which I used to own in VHS, with the
same negative flaws, scratch marks and tinny soundtrack. The picture and
sound quality on "The Laurel and Hardy Show" were far, far better, even
though the movie itself was pared down to about 64 minutes. The best TV
version I've seen was the RHI print which AMC showed in the 1990s (and which
I recorded in 4-hour VHS back in 1994, which made for an adequate if not
ideal DVD-R transfer); and you yourself have written about on the new,
pristine 35mm theatrical version in your excellent "Forties Forward" book.

So good prints EXIST! Surely Hallmark could have done better. It's not like
they're in receivership or anything. They just don't give a damn.

--Hal E

[Mister Levity]

Post by Scott MacGillivray
I didn't see it, but it sounds like the "Laurel & Hardy Show" TV
edition of 1986, which has a full 10 minutes missing. It's well edited,
as I recall, but it IS edited. Hallmark has a history of just grabbing
whatever tape master it has, and sending it along.

It was the full Nostalgia Merchant home video version Including the
Charley Chase short SOUTHER EXPOSURE that played right after OUR
RELATIONS ended. Obviously TCM didn't know the short was on the tape.

[w***@aol.com]

Post by Mister Levity

Post by Scott MacGillivray
I didn't see it, but it sounds like the "Laurel & Hardy Show" TV
edition of 1986, which has a full 10 minutes missing. It's well edited,
as I recall, but it IS edited. Hallmark has a history of just grabbing
whatever tape master it has, and sending it along.

It was the full Nostalgia Merchant home video version Including the
Charley Chase short SOUTHER EXPOSURE that played right after OUR
RELATIONS ended. Obviously TCM didn't know the short was on the tape.

It is a shame with over a thousand channels available today between
cable and satellite, finding a classic like the Laurel and Hardy films
remains needles in a haystack among all of them.

Cartoonguy

[Mister Levity]

Post by Mister Levity

Post by Scott MacGillivray
I didn't see it, but it sounds like the "Laurel & Hardy Show" TV
edition of 1986, which has a full 10 minutes missing. It's well edited,
as I recall, but it IS edited. Hallmark has a history of just grabbing
whatever tape master it has, and sending it along.

It was the full Nostalgia Merchant home video version Including the
Charley Chase short SOUTHER EXPOSURE that played right after OUR
RELATIONS ended. Obviously TCM didn't know the short was on the tape.

Oops. That should be: "SOUTHERN EXPOSURE".

[Eric Perlin]

"Scott MacGillivray" wrote:

} I didn't see it, but it sounds like the
} "Laurel & Hardy Show" TV edition of 1986,
} which has a full 10 minutes missing. It's
} well edited, as I recall, but it IS edited.

For many years, the 65-minute "L&H Show" version was the only one I owned,
having home-recorded it during the 1980's. About 10 years later, I bought a used
VHS copy of the Nostalgia Merchant edition (which was long out-of-print by
then), and now that is the version I own.

Among the scenes cut for the TV version is most of the battle between Bert & Alf
and Finlayson. Fin later tells Burt & Alf's twins, Stan and Ollie, "If you think
you can burn my nose..." Since that was done by their twin brothers, Stan &
Ollie had no idea what he was talking about. Since the nose-burning part of the
scene was cut for TV, the TV audience had no idea what Fin was talking about
either. "Our Relations" is so tightly paced that it is impossible to cut out 10
whole minutes without inflicting real damage on the film.

} Hallmark has a history of just grabbing
} whatever tape master it has, and sending
} it along.

I thought I had recently read in this newsgroup that Hallmark recently sold the
rights to the Roach library. So, does Hallmark still own the Hal Roach L&H sound
films or not?

[r***@aol.com]

I have the Blackhawk print from the MGM fine grain negative (only the
opening title card was replaced) and it looks and sounds like 35mm.
Even THAT would have been preferable to the Snuff Garrett Spectacular!

[Scott MacGillivray]

***@aol.com wrote:
what other station would even bother to show

Post by w***@aol.com
L&H films, on rare occasions one might pop up on the FOX Movie channel.

Fox Movie Channel is running "The Bullfighters" on Saturday and "The
Big Noise" on Monday.

[Hal Erickson]

Post by w***@aol.com
what other station would even bother to show

Post by w***@aol.com
L&H films, on rare occasions one might pop up on the FOX Movie channel.

Fox Movie Channel is running "The Bullfighters" on Saturday and "The
Big Noise" on Monday.

TERRIFIC. I know those prints will be good! And I loved your BULLFIGHTERS
commentary on the DVD release.
Too bad Fox couldn't have come up with a better DANCING MASTERS print, but
it sure was better than the battered print that I recorded off WGN-TV back
in the mid-1980s. (PS: Did you spot Cyril Ring amongst the bus passengers?)

--Hal E

[Mister Levity]

Post by Scott MacGillivray
Fox Movie Channel is running "The Bullfighters" on Saturday and "The
Big Noise" on Monday.

What times are these being broadcast?

[w***@aol.com]

Post by Mister Levity

Post by Scott MacGillivray
Fox Movie Channel is running "The Bullfighters" on Saturday and "The
Big Noise" on Monday.

What times are these being broadcast?

"The Big Noise"

October 2 10:30 AM EST
October 20 9:00 AM EST
November 2 9:00 AM EST

"The Bullfighters"

September 30 10:31 AM EST
October 22 11:00 AM EST
October 29 4:45 AM EST
November 14 9:00 AM EST

Cartoonguy

[Mister Levity]

Post by w***@aol.com
"The Big Noise"
October 2 10:30 AM EST
October 20 9:00 AM EST
November 2 9:00 AM EST
"The Bullfighters"
September 30 10:31 AM EST
October 22 11:00 AM EST
October 29 4:45 AM EST
November 14 9:00 AM EST
Cartoonguy

Thanks. BULLFIGHTERS is getting a lot of play.

[r***@aol.com]

What's incredible is that when Media Home Entertainment took over
Nostalgia Merchant they remastered all the Laurel & Hardy's from 35mm,
including both OUR RELATIONS and SOUTHERN EXPOSURE!

[p***@verizon.net]

Post by Hal Erickson
I know that better versions of this title exist--I've seen them. Where have
they all gone?

Not only does a better print of "Our Relations" exist, but I'd go so
far as to say that the Kinowelt print of this movie is one of the best,
if not THE best Laurel & Hardy prints I've ever seen, not to mention
one of the all-time best 1930s black & white movie prints I've ever
seen. There's no excuse for this print not being shown on TCM. Heck,
no excuse for it not being available in a region 1 American DVD
release, either, but once again, the out-to-lunch minds at Hallmark
haven't thought of that.

[John]

Post by Hal Erickson
Well, TCM has once again served up a substandard print of a Laurel and Hardy
film.
The version of OUR RELATIONS currently running on TCM is the washed-out
Nostalgia Merchant print from the late 1970s, with a chunk or two missing
for good (?) measure.
What in the HELL is the matter with these people? Do they have a vendetta
against L&H or is Hallmark still trying to sabotage the team?
I know that better versions of this title exist--I've seen them. Where have
they all gone?
--Hal E

TCM ran OUR RELATIONS again last week. I haven't watched my recording of
it yet.
Did they do any better this time?

John

[r***@yahoo.com]

Nope.

Post by John
TCM ran OUR RELATIONS again last week. I haven't watched my recording of
it yet.
Did they do any better this time?
John
--
Please reply in this newsgroup. I never post my true
email address to prevent spam. Thank you.

[Mister Levity]

Hopefully TCM is pestering RHI for a better broadcast quality tape.

[John]

I just wanted to report that the print of "Our Relations" that I saw on
TCM was fair to good. I would have found it unusual if it were any
better. If there were any edits in it, I didn't detect any. The sound
was not too bad either.

John R.