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Our crowdfunding campaign has ended, but you can still support the preservation of Laurel and Hardy by clicking here.
The world’s most beloved comedy duo, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy starred in over 100 shorts and feature films from the silent era to the 1950s. Decades later, the boys are still inspiring laughter, whether they’re pushing a piano up an impossibly long staircase or staging film history’s biggest pie fight. Their films have been recognized as cinematic treasures by the Library of Congress, and have inspired generations of comedians like Dick Van Dyke, Ricky Gervais and Jerry Seinfeld.
UCLA Film & Television Archive is inviting film fans around the world to keep Laurel and Hardy’s legacy alive. Join us on our mission to restore their films!
Our moving image heritage is incredibly vulnerable: 50% of films made in the U.S. before 1950 are considered lost. The most popular titles are often the most worn, torn and in need of repair, and this is certainly true of the work of Laurel and Hardy. You can help us restore their surviving films to their original vitality, guaranteeing enjoyment for generations to come.
Considered one of their best comedy shorts, Perfect Day (1929) finds Stan and Ollie at odds with their neighbors, their malfunctioning Model T and each other as they attempt to enjoy a Sunday picnic.
Film preservation is a labor of love. This costly, time-consuming process requires aesthetic judgment, historical research and precise technical skills. To restore Perfect Day (1929), we must locate the best surviving materials in the world and meticulously combine shots from different sources. Then, we repair damage from decades of wear and tear, rerecord the original soundtrack, and produce new preservation elements and viewing copies.
UCLA Film & Television Archive is renowned for its pioneering efforts to rescue, preserve and showcase moving image media, and is dedicated to ensuring that the collective visual memory of our time is explored and enjoyed for generations to come.
A unique resource for media study, the Archive is one of the largest repositories of moving image materials in the world with more than 450,000 holdings. The collections include narrative and documentary features, avant-garde and LGBT media, television series, news and public affairs programs, and over 27 million feet of newsreel footage.
The Archive is celebrated for its restoration efforts, and many of its projects are presented at prestigious venues and film festivals around the globe, including the films of Laurel and Hardy, Stagecoach (dir. John Ford, 1939), Double Indemnity (dir. Billy Wilder, 1944), The Night of the Hunter (dir. Charles Laughton, 1955) and A Woman Under the Influence (dir. John Cassavetes, 1974).
Thank you for supporting our project! You will receive a shout out on the UCLA Film & Television Archive Facebook, and will be among the first to see the rarely seen gag reel of That's That. (fully tax deductible)
We will give you a shout out on Facebook and you'll be among the first to see a rarely seen gag reel of That's That. Plus, your generosity earns you an invitation to the opening night screening of the restored film Perfect Day at the Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood. (a tax deductible donation of $90)
You are an incredible partner to the Archive! We will give you a shout out on Facebook and you'll be among the first to see a rarely seen gag reel of That's That. Plus, your generosity earns you reserved seating at the opening night screening of the restored film Perfect Day at the Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood. (a tax deductible donation of $490)
In addition the aforementioned perks, you will be able to own a piece of Laurel & Hardy history! We will send you authentic frames from a 35mm work print of the Laurel & Hardy film Brats. You'll also be invited to join our team on a private tour of the Archive's facility in Santa Clarita, CA. (a tax deductible donation of $973)
In addition to the aforementioned perks, we will recognize your commitment by flashing your name in lights! You will receive acknowledgement in the film credits on the restoration of Perfect Day, and will be invited to a special dinner with the Director of the UCLA Film & Television Archive. (tax deductible donation of $4933)