For starters, it has all 40 of their sound shorts they made at the Hal Roach Studios from 1929-35, including their Academy Award winning THE MUSIC BOX, along with ten of their features that were filmed from 1931-40, including their classic comedies SONS OF THE DESERT & WAY OUT WEST. Available for the suggested retail price of 99.98, LAUREL & HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION showcases some of the most cherished and hilarious films in cinema. Ok, so the silent films aren't there (still waiting for someone to release a decent collection of those) and it needs supplementing with Kino releases of one or two features to make it complete but it's a much MUCH more satisfying package. This is an excellent collection for Laurel and Hardy fans. Chronological, original title sequences in tact and superior print quality. Instead.(and I'm talking as someone who not only collected L&H on VHS back in the day but even had some on Super 8!!).I'd heartily recommend The Essential Collection which does the complete opposite of the above. It's gathered dust on the shelf, looking impressive but barely used, for nearly twenty years! Several of the opening title sequences are makeshift, their supposedly 'twenties' styled bolted-on music is anachronistic and used in repetition.

User rating, 5 out of 5 stars with 13 reviews. The quality of the prints vary from decent to downright mediocre. Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection 10 Discs DVD SKU: 6318436. Nice box, nice spines and all that but the non-chronological, 'themed' ordering was a bad idea from the off.

Their films - enjoyed for generations - helped define screen comedy, and their legacy traces through Abbot & Costello to contemporary buddy comedies. I've always thought this collection was a shambles. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are widely acknowledged among the greatest comedy teams of all time.

Laurel and hardy essential collection