The feature-film finale of cinema’s most-beloved comedy duo, Atoll K marked Laurel and Hardy’s long-delayed big-screen return.
The two great clowns, lured back to film amid the extensive stage tours of Europe that were the poignant coda to their career, embark here on a ramshackle voyage to save Stan’s Pacific-island inheritance. This ambitious attempt to invest their time-honed slapstick with a satirical edge is a testament to the duo’s indefatigable comic antics.
The BFI is proud to release the longest-ever English-language cut of this historically important film, presented for the first time in High Definition and showcasing a new 2K restoration by the BFI using original 35mm nitrate film elements. Packed with special features, this release includes rare early solo shorts and amateur footage of Stan and Ollie, alongside new audio commentaries and contextual writing by internationally acclaimed experts on the life and work of ‘The Boys’.
Special features:
Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
Mother's Baby Boy (1914, 4 mins)
Something in Her Eye (1915, 11 mins)
Do You Love Your Wife? (1919, 14 mins)
Somewhere in Wrong (1925, 23 mins)
Should Men Walk Home? (1927, 27 mins)
Laurel and Hardy in Tynemouth, aka Grand Hotel (1932, 11 mins)
Laurel and Hardy in Scotland (1947, 3 mins)
Railway Birthday Party (1947, 2 mins)
Laurel and Hardy Return to the UK (1952, 2 mins)
US trailer (c1954)
German trailer (c1951)
Interview With Stan Laurel (1957, 80 mins, audio only): Stan discusses his life and work with Arthur B Friedman in a recoding made a week after Ollie's death
Plus
The Boys Stay in the Picture: New Laurel and Hardy video essay by Chris Seguin, using rare images, scripts, letters and promotional materials from around the time of Atoll K(2018, 13 mins) New feature-length commentary on Atoll K and new commentaries on the amateur films by Laurel and Hardy expert Glenn Mitchell (2018) Illustrated booklet with new essays and notes by Laurel and Hardy authorities Glenn Mitchell, Norbert Aping and David Wyatt, new writing by Alan and Vic Pratt, plus full film credits
France, Italy | 1951 | black and white | 98 minutes | English language with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles and audio description | original aspect ratio 1.37:1 | BD50: 1080p, 24fps, 2.0 PCM mono audio (48kHz/24-bit), region B | DVD9: PAL, 25pfs, Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio (48kHz/16-bit), region 2
Extras
Special features:
Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
Mother's Baby Boy (1914, 4 mins)
Something in Her Eye (1915, 11 mins)
Do You Love Your Wife? (1919, 14 mins)
Somewhere in Wrong (1925, 23 mins)
Should Men Walk Home? (1927, 27 mins)
Laurel and Hardy in Tynemouth, aka Grand Hotel (1932, 11 mins)
Laurel and Hardy in Scotland (1947, 3 mins)
Railway Birthday Party (1947, 2 mins)
Laurel and Hardy Return to the UK (1952, 2 mins)
US trailer (c1954)
German trailer (c1951)
Interview With Stan Laurel (1957, 80 mins, audio only): Stan discusses his life and work with Arthur B Friedman in a recoding made a week after Ollie's death
Plus
The Boys Stay in the Picture: New Laurel and Hardy video essay by Chris Seguin, using rare images, scripts, letters and promotional materials from around the time of Atoll K(2018, 13 mins) New feature-length commentary on Atoll K and new commentaries on the amateur films by Laurel and Hardy expert Glenn Mitchell (2018) Illustrated booklet with new essays and notes by Laurel and Hardy authorities Glenn Mitchell, Norbert Aping and David Wyatt, new writing by Alan and Vic Pratt, plus full film credits
France, Italy | 1951 | black and white | 98 minutes | English language with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles and audio description | original aspect ratio 1.37:1 | BD50: 1080p, 24fps, 2.0 PCM mono audio (48kHz/24-bit), region B | DVD9: PAL, 25pfs, Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio (48kHz/16-bit), region 2
