The Battle of the Century
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| Battle of the Century | |
|---|---|
| File:L&H Battle of the Century 1928.jpg Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Clyde Bruckman |
| Written by | Hal Roach H.M. Walker |
| Produced by | Hal Roach |
| Starring | Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy |
| Cinematography | George Stevens |
| Edited by | Richard C. Currier |
| Music by | Leroy Shield |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date | December 31, 1927 |
Running time | 19 min. 10 min. (remained cut) |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Silent film English intertitles |
The Battle of the Century is a silent short film starring American comedy double act Laurel and Hardy. The team appeared in a total of 107 films between 1921 and 1951.[1]
The film is famous for using over 3,000 cream pies in the film's climactic pie fight; however, for several years, its second reel, containing the fight, only survived in three minutes of fragments used in the documentaries of Robert Youngson. The complete reel was rediscovered in 2015.[2]
Plot
Hardy enrolls Laurel at a boxing competition. Laurel, however, is too weak, and unfortunately loses. Hardy then seeks advice from an insurer on how to easily earn a lot of money: Laurel has to have an injury, so that Hardy can then pocket the insurance money. Hardy places a banana peel on a sidewalk, bringing Laurel there. But a pastry chef stumbles on the peel, and gets angry with Hardy, throwing a pie in his face. Hardy responds to the provocation, and soon the entire city block is involved in an epic battle of pies.
Production notes
- Though The Battle of the Century is an official Laurel and Hardy entry, the team had yet to take on their recognisable characters.
- A young Lou Costello can be seen in an early scene as a member of the audience at the prize-fight mentioned in the film's title.
- For many years, footage from the famous climactic pie fight was known to be the only extant material from the film until the opening reel (featuring a boxing match) was discovered in 1979 by Richard Feiner.[3] However, the sequence involving Eugene Pallette is still lost, as is the very final gag where a cop gets a pie in his face and promptly chases Laurel and Hardy down the street.
- In June 2015, it was announced at the Mostly Lost film workshop in Culpeper, Virginia that the second reel of the film had been rediscovered as a 16mm print from the original negative.[4]
Cast
- Stan Laurel - Canvasback Clump
- Oliver Hardy - Manager
- Noah Young - Thunderclap Callahan
- Eugene Pallette - Insurance agent
- Charlie Hall - Pie delivery man
- Sam Lufkin - Boxing referee
- Gene Morgan - Ring announcer
- Steve Murphy - Callahan's second
- George B. French - Dentist
- Dick Sutherland - Dental patient
- Anita Garvin - Woman who slips on pie
- Dick Gilbert - Sewer worker
- Wilson Benge - Pie victim with top hat
- Jack O'Brien - Shoeshine patron
- Ellinor Vanderveer - Lady in car
- Lyle Tayo - Woman at window
- Dorothy Coburn - Pie victim
- Al Hallett - Pie victim
- Lou Costello - Ringside spectator (extra)
- Jack Hill - Ringside spectator (extra)
- Ham Kinsey - Ringside spectator (extra)
- Ed Brandenburg - Warring pedestrian
- Bob O'Connor - Warring pedestrian
- Jack Adams
- Bert Roach
- Dorothea Wolbert
- Charley Young
See also
References
- ^ The Battle of the Century at silentera.com
- ^ Barry, Dan (July 8, 2015). "Comedy's Sweet Weapon: The Cream Pie". New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
- ^ "Images - The Lost Films of Laurel and Hardy". Imagesjournal.com. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ^ "Second reel of Laurel and Hardy's The Battle of the Century recovered: that's better than a pie in the face". Silent London. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.