Hats Off! (1927) Laurel and Hardy - 2022 Animated Reconstruction of Lost Film
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- Presenting my animated reconstruction of Laurel and Hardy's lost silent short film "Hats Off!" from 1927.
Despite extensive searches over the years, no copies are known to exist today. Deterioration of nitrate film elements being the main culprit. At 95 years old, the film's copyright lapsed on January 1, 2023 and is now in the public domain.
This film formed the basis for their classic Oscar winning short The Music Box (1932), Elements from other films turn up here as well - the 4 doors from Stan's Kill or Cure (1923) and the hat mix-up routine from Do Detectives Think? (1927) among them.
I used a combination of PowerPoint and Pinnacle Studio to re-create the film scene-by-scene in stop motion animation. It is comprised of approximately 1,837 individual frames.
I used an existing cutting continuity (shot by shot script of what has been filmed) and the 24 or so Hats Off! stills as my starting point. From there I cobbled the story together using frames of Laurel and Hardy and other Hal Roach Studio players from other existing films to fill out the action.
Although the cutting continuity provided the basis, it is a bit vague at times. Therefore, I supplemented missing story details with my best guesswork, studying existing stills and I also supplemented this with my own ideas. Photos don't exist for some scenes and I substituted an unknown secondary cast with studio actors such as Tiny Sanford, Noah Young, Katherine Grant among others. In light of these limitations, I did my best to interpret the action from the existing written materials and photos.
Hopefully, there is still a chance we'll see the film again someday. For now, I hope you enjoy this long-term project of mine.
If you wish to read and compare with the cutting continuity yourself, it is now available in a newly released book, which I highly recommend, Randy Skredtvedt's "The Laurel & Hardy Movie Scripts, Volume 2: Lost Films and Classics."
According to "The quest to find Hats Off" Facebook page, it was also released overseas under the following foreign titles: Vaskemaskinen (Denmark), Hatten Av For Sana (Sweden), Hut Ab (Germany), Fuera Sombreros (Spain), Een Kind Kan De Wasch Doen (Holland), Giu Cappelli (Italy), and Afuera Los Sombreros (Argentina).
I did my best to translate the English titles into these animated versions.
Link to Spanish version:
• El Gordo y El Flaco - ...
German version:
• Dick und Doof - "Hut A...
French:
• Laurel et Hardy - « Ch...
Dutch:
• De Dikke en de Dunne -...
Italian:
• Stanlio e Ollio - "Giù...
For a side by side comparison of all 6 together, click here:
• Video
Very well done indeed! Thank you for creating this; you've done a wonderful job.
Thank you Randy! Just got your new scripts book and enjoying it very much. The detail in the Rogue Song cutting continuity is amazing and reveals so much more than what the soundtrack alone can convey! Looking forward to your next project. Thanks again!
Thanks again, Randy and for publishing the cutting continuities. Please check out my follow-up animation, which is the bee routine from the Rogue Song.
ua-cam.com/video/zWGYGlEQY-U/v-deo.htmlsi=PsroUP8o8fbcrSJy
Excellent reconstruction done here "Unreeled8" of this rare "lost" Laurel & Hardy unseen gem. Unseen until now that is thanks to your reconstruction. That is unless there are people who saw "Hats Off" before it was unfortunately lost! Watching this was the next best thing to seeing the original film. Thank you.
Thank you!
@@unreeled8184 You're welcome and thank you for making this video here.
That was crazy. I loved it 😍 good job. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you!
The best reconstruction of Hats Off ever!!! Thank you!!! 👍🤩😍
Thank you!
Seeing this reconstructed version of HATS OFF is the next best thing as the long lost film itself.
Thank you!
@@unreeled8184 I like the recreation.I think that this was shown in NYC as part of the Laurel and Hardy Laughtoons show on the former WNEW-TV 5, now WNYW Fox 5.
Excellent job. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this.
Thank you!
The most comprehensive reconstruction of a “Holy Grail” I’ve seen. Congratulations!🎉
Thank you! 😊
The movie has to be out there somewhere 😢
You've done a masterly job! Thank you very much.
Wonderful job! Thanks a lot! If you've seen all of their movies you can easily imagine the film thanks to your reconstruction.
Thank you!
I'm imagining what A.I. will create from this. The only downfall, and not any fault of Unreeled8, is that we are missing what Stan and Babe added themselves during the shooting. We know they often went off-script.
Congratulations on such a creative, unique and inspiring way to reimagine a lost treasure.
Thank you!
Fantastic work and it's a credit to your dedication and skill. It's very Monty Python and that's a high compliment.
Thank you! The Monty Python thing crossed my mind as well. As a fan of their work I do consider it a compliment. Although, I think they would have culminated the film with a giant bare foot stepping on the machine. 😀
Thankyou for making this. It had me laughing right from the beginning and gave me several good belly laughs.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! I spent so much time putting it together and rewatching it, that it is difficult for me to view it with a fresh pair of eyes. Good to hear it got some belly laughs.
@@unreeled8184 It is so good in fact that I watched it again just now and laughed just as much.
Great to hear. Thanks!
This is like filling in lost sections of a sacred scroll!
That was great.
Would have been nice to see the original footage of the washing machine getting hit by the steam roller though.
Thank you. Still hoping there is an original copy out there somewhere.
@@unreeled8184 For sure...that and Lon Chaney in London After Midnight.
WELL DONE !!!!!
Thank you!
Thanks! Please check out my latest re-creation, the bee scene from the lost "Rogue Song."
The inbetweening is remarkable
Thanks! Please check out my latest re-creation, the bee scene from the lost "Rogue Song."
Congratulations - a marvellous achievement!
Thank you very much! It was a big chore but turned out pretty good!
Have you any other projects in mind?
In regards to L&H, I'm considering updating the"Rogue Song" recreation, I did. Perhaps animating a few of the Laurel and Hardy lost scenes. No timeline set for this (perhaps later this year). Lots of work.
@@unreeled8184 I hope you do update and work in lost scenes - you've got real talent.
Troppo forti 👏👏👏
Awesome work 👍
Thanks!
Amazing, Well done all.
Thank you!
Big reminder of Big Business besides the Music Box. They're trying to sell the washer (like Christmas Trees), not just delivering a piano. Get the comparison tho. Nice video.
while it seems very doubtful, i hope by miracle, a surviving print of this still exists out there awaiting to be rediscovered, along with the rest of the footage for The Rogue Song, and of course, London After Midnight and Cleopatra with Theda Bara
Truly amazing work!
Thank you! I've been enjoying your filming location videos very much. Keep up the great work!
@@unreeled8184 Thanks!
You know the music box does have a same plot as this film but with different details.
Yes, this definitely inspired the Music Box.
Ce film hats off a été diffusé dans les années 60 je devai avoir 6 ans donc je pense en 1966 l avoir vu a la télévision . Le jeudi après midi . Sinon bravo pour ce travaille merci infiniment vous êtes formidables .
Ouah! Comme c'est génial! Qu'en retenez-vous et dans quelle ville et quelle chaîne de télévision l'a-t-il diffusé ? Cela donnerait un peu d'espoir que d'autres copies aient été faites.
(Wow! How awesome! What do you remember about it and in which city and television channel was broadcast on? It would give some hope that other copies were made.)
Please check out my latest Laurel and Hardy animated recreation, the lost bee scene from "The Rogue Song."
ua-cam.com/video/zWGYGlEQY-U/v-deo.htmlsi=wtSENV9g64hIYhya
I can see a lot of work went into this video. What program did you use to do it?
I created the animation frame by frame in Microsoft PowerPoint. I then imported the content into Pinnacle Studio, where I was able to do additional edits (speed up and slow down the frame rate and add in the titles).