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IMDbPro

The Battle of the Century

  • 19271927
  • PassedPassed
  • 19m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
Oliver Hardy, Dorothy Coburn, Charlie Hall, and Stan Laurel in The Battle of the Century (1927)
  • Short
  • Comedy
A scheming fight manager attempts to collect insurance on his puny fighter by causing an accident. Things don't go according to plan, and the situation escalates into a pie-throwing battle o... Read allA scheming fight manager attempts to collect insurance on his puny fighter by causing an accident. Things don't go according to plan, and the situation escalates into a pie-throwing battle of epic proportions.A scheming fight manager attempts to collect insurance on his puny fighter by causing an accident. Things don't go according to plan, and the situation escalates into a pie-throwing battle of epic proportions.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Clyde Bruckman
    • Leo McCarey(supervised by)
  • Writers
    • H.M. Walker(titles)
    • Hal Roach(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Stan Laurel
    • Oliver Hardy
    • Jack Adams(uncredited)
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Clyde Bruckman
    • Leo McCarey(supervised by)
  • Writers
    • H.M. Walker(titles)
    • Hal Roach(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Stan Laurel
    • Oliver Hardy
    • Jack Adams(uncredited)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 18User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos19

    Ellinor Vanderveer in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Ellinor Vanderveer in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Ellinor Vanderveer in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Oliver Hardy, Charlie Hall, and Stan Laurel in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Dorothy Coburn in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, and Eugene Pallette in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel in The Battle of the Century (1927)
    Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel in The Battle of the Century (1927)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Stan Laurel
    Stan Laurel
    • Stanleyas Stanley
    Oliver Hardy
    Oliver Hardy
    • Manageras Manager
    Jack Adams
    • Undetermined Roleas Undetermined Role
    • (uncredited)
    Wilson Benge
    Wilson Benge
    • Pie Victim in Top Hatas Pie Victim in Top Hat
    • (uncredited)
    Ed Brandenburg
    • Corner Manas Corner Man
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Dorothy Coburn
    Dorothy Coburn
    • Pie Victim Boarding Autoas Pie Victim Boarding Auto
    • (uncredited)
    Monte Collins
    • Undetermined Secondary Roleas Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    Lou Costello
    Lou Costello
    • Ringside Spectatoras Ringside Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    Jim Farley
    Jim Farley
    • Undetermined Secondary Roleas Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    George B. French
    George B. French
    • Dentistas Dentist
    • (uncredited)
    Anita Garvin
    Anita Garvin
    • Woman Who Slips on Pieas Woman Who Slips on Pie
    • (uncredited)
    Dick Gilbert
    Dick Gilbert
    • Sewer Workeras Sewer Worker
    • (uncredited)
    Pete Gordon
    Pete Gordon
    • Barberas Barber
    • (uncredited)
    Charlie Hall
    Charlie Hall
    • Pie Deliverymanas Pie Deliveryman
    • (uncredited)
    Al Hallett
    • Bit Partas Bit Part
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Herrick
    • Undetermined Secondary Roleas Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Hill
    • Ringside Spectatoras Ringside Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    Ham Kinsey
    Ham Kinsey
    • Ringside Spectatoras Ringside Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Clyde Bruckman
      • Leo McCarey(supervised by)
    • Writers
      • H.M. Walker(titles)
      • Hal Roach(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For years only the pie fight sequence had survived in a somewhat condensed version, as prepared for inclusion in the Robert Youngson documentary The Golden Age of Comedy (1957). There was one video restoration by the Museum of Modern Art in the 1970s that used portions of the script, combined with still photographs, to give an idea of what the first reel was like. Blackhawk Films released this sequence. The complete second reel was located in 2014 and restored to this short. It was a 16mm safety from the collection of Robert Youngson.
    • Goofs
      In the final scene, a woman slips and does a pratfall onto a pie on the sidewalk, but when she gets up to leave, the sidewalk is free of pie debris.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Golden Age of Comedy (1957)

    User reviews18

    Review
    Top review
    Lost reel found!
    The San Francisco Silent Film Festival screened a nearly complete nicely restored copy of The Battle of the Century this weekend (6/4/16). Except for the still-missing part of reel one (the scene with the boys and Eugene Palette in the park), the film is now complete. And the pie fight is all that all of us have hoped for all of these years! Admittedly the newly found material is more of the same, but the same is wonderful! The new print was accomplished by Lobster Films with help from MOMA, the Library of Congress and Blackhawk films. I can find no information about a release so let's start a ground swell for a DVD copy. Please? We're begging you!
    helpful•2
    2
    • sosuttle
    • Jun 5, 2016

    FAQ1

    • List: Wacky boxing

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 31, 1927 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Битва століття
    • Filming locations
      • Culver City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Hal Roach Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      19 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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