The Greatest Pie Fight in Cinematic History, re-discovered.
July 8, 2015 5:34 PM Subscribe
Pamela Hutchinson of Silent London
reported this weekend that the second reel of Laurel and Hardy's Battle of the Century has been found. That's the reel with a thousands of pies pie fight that was hugely influential (and hilarious) and largely considered to be a lost classic. Slate provides some backstory and history around how the reel got lost - and on the 1950s highly edited remix that has been the only surviving parts of the piefight for decades .
I have to introduce my kids to Laurel and Hardy. I realize now that I've failed as a parent, but I'll be making amends!
posted by Ickster at 6:11 PM on July 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ickster at 6:11 PM on July 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Can I be a teensy bit disappoint that it wasn't the original ending of Strangelove?
posted by Devonian at 6:19 PM on July 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Devonian at 6:19 PM on July 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
Sadly, it sounds like they only announced the find at Mostly Lost rather than Greg Nog's infinitely better idea.
posted by Etrigan at 6:19 PM on July 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 6:19 PM on July 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
If that means they're looking for people to help clean up the thousands of pies pie fight, I volunteer.
posted by oulipian at 7:25 PM on July 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by oulipian at 7:25 PM on July 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Just watching the short clip made me laugh. I can't wait to see the whole thing!
posted by rednikki at 9:59 PM on July 8, 2015
posted by rednikki at 9:59 PM on July 8, 2015
It would be cool if they could get it restored in time to show this October at the Oliver Hardy Festival in his hometown of Harlem, Georgia!
posted by TedW at 10:04 PM on July 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by TedW at 10:04 PM on July 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
From John McCabe's biography of Laurel and Hardy:
"One day at the studio while the gag men were sitting about discussing plot lines, someone came up with an idea for a film for Laurel and Hardy. The plot was a thin one but the idea man suggested an embellishment. 'We could even slip a few pies into it and--' He was hooted down. Pies, after all, were pies. That was early Sennett, mid-Chaplin, and late everybody. This was 1927, an enlightened age. Despite this general reaction, Stan pondered the idea and brought forth what he hoped would be a variation good enough for consideration. 'Look,' he said, 'if we make a pie picture-- let's make a pie picture to end all pie pictures. Let's give them so many pies that there will never be room for any more pie pictures in the whole history of the movies.'"
(There was room for one more pie picture, 1965's The Great Race. In homage, Blake Edwards dedicated the film to Laurel and Hardy.)
posted by thetortoise at 11:20 PM on July 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
"One day at the studio while the gag men were sitting about discussing plot lines, someone came up with an idea for a film for Laurel and Hardy. The plot was a thin one but the idea man suggested an embellishment. 'We could even slip a few pies into it and--' He was hooted down. Pies, after all, were pies. That was early Sennett, mid-Chaplin, and late everybody. This was 1927, an enlightened age. Despite this general reaction, Stan pondered the idea and brought forth what he hoped would be a variation good enough for consideration. 'Look,' he said, 'if we make a pie picture-- let's make a pie picture to end all pie pictures. Let's give them so many pies that there will never be room for any more pie pictures in the whole history of the movies.'"
(There was room for one more pie picture, 1965's The Great Race. In homage, Blake Edwards dedicated the film to Laurel and Hardy.)
posted by thetortoise at 11:20 PM on July 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
The Great Race Pie Fight. It's pretty good.
I have to introduce my kids to Laurel and Hardy. I realize now that I've failed as a parent, but I'll be making amends!
You could start with this gem: Big Business. It escalates slowly but massively.
posted by ojemine at 2:35 AM on July 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
I have to introduce my kids to Laurel and Hardy. I realize now that I've failed as a parent, but I'll be making amends!
You could start with this gem: Big Business. It escalates slowly but massively.
posted by ojemine at 2:35 AM on July 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
Although even in the 70s pies were still good for some laughs.
posted by ojemine at 2:51 AM on July 9, 2015
posted by ojemine at 2:51 AM on July 9, 2015
You could start with this gem: Big Business . It escalates slowly but massively.
That was a more genteel age, when, if someone wronged you, they would stand and patiently watch while you destroyed some bit of their property in revenge. And then naturally you would wait while they did the same to you. And so on, back and forth, the stakes raising with each exchange, until the whole countryside was engulfed in flames.
The history books say it was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, but everyone knows this is how the Great War started.
posted by JHarris at 4:14 AM on July 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
That was a more genteel age, when, if someone wronged you, they would stand and patiently watch while you destroyed some bit of their property in revenge. And then naturally you would wait while they did the same to you. And so on, back and forth, the stakes raising with each exchange, until the whole countryside was engulfed in flames.
The history books say it was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, but everyone knows this is how the Great War started.
posted by JHarris at 4:14 AM on July 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
From the first article, it seems like the footage of the actual pie fight was never lost, just the framing of it. So I'm not sure this will be the revelation some people think it is.
posted by smackfu at 5:51 AM on July 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by smackfu at 5:51 AM on July 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
ojemine: "The Great Race Pie Fight . It's pretty good."
Brandy? More brandy! Throw more brandy! Dear lord I love Jack Lemmon.
posted by Splunge at 6:38 AM on July 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Brandy? More brandy! Throw more brandy! Dear lord I love Jack Lemmon.
posted by Splunge at 6:38 AM on July 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
From the first article, it seems like the footage of the actual pie fight was never lost, just the framing of it.
The bones of the second reel were there-- the current prints reconstruct the scenes with stills-- but several minutes of footage had been missing for decades. Robert Youngson's edit gives a broad sense of the fight but lacks Stan Laurel's precise attention to timing (Bruckman may be credited as director, but Laurel's editing work always speaks louder than any other voice, to me). This article gives a strong sense of what had been lost. I don't think this will be a revelation in the way the latest version of Metropolis is, but it's a crucial missing piece for classic comedy obsessives.
posted by thetortoise at 7:00 AM on July 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
The bones of the second reel were there-- the current prints reconstruct the scenes with stills-- but several minutes of footage had been missing for decades. Robert Youngson's edit gives a broad sense of the fight but lacks Stan Laurel's precise attention to timing (Bruckman may be credited as director, but Laurel's editing work always speaks louder than any other voice, to me). This article gives a strong sense of what had been lost. I don't think this will be a revelation in the way the latest version of Metropolis is, but it's a crucial missing piece for classic comedy obsessives.
posted by thetortoise at 7:00 AM on July 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
this is a shameful display of pietriarchal privilege. many people cannot even afford their own 1,000 pies much less wastefully throw them at one another. this movie is bad for us and bad for america
posted by poffin boffin at 7:20 AM on July 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by poffin boffin at 7:20 AM on July 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Cinema pies-in-the-face, their origins, development, and prospects previously on Metafilter.
Also, WP on pieing.
posted by Herodios at 7:38 AM on July 9, 2015
Also, WP on pieing.
posted by Herodios at 7:38 AM on July 9, 2015
Jon Mirsalis, who rediscovered the reel, posted a link to the New York Times' article about the rediscovery on his Facebook page, along with this wry comment:
posted by orthicon halo at 1:57 PM on July 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I've taken about 50 drugs to clinical trials, developed a couple assays that are now used worldwide for evaluating toxicity of chemicals, I have about 200 scientific publications, I am doing the development of most of the Ebola drugs in the world today, and what does the New York Times interview me about?...The New York Times article's description of him: "prominent toxicologist by day, respected film collector and scholar by night."
posted by orthicon halo at 1:57 PM on July 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Having just watched the Lyric Theatre's production of Bugsy Malone, this article is relevant to my interests.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 3:21 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 3:21 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
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