The Bootleg Files: A Salute to Stan Laurel

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 925: “A Salute to Stan Laurel” (1965 TV special with an all-star cast).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Not cleared for home entertainment release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Doesn’t seem likely at the moment.

You may be wondering why there is a photo of Fred Gwynne’s Herman Munster on top of an article about “A Salute to Stan Laurel.” After all, “The Munsters” share no common ground with Stan Laurel, either as a solo performer or in his teamwork with Oliver Hardy. However, the inclusion of Herman Munster – playing a violin, no less – in a celebration of Stan Laurel is typical of the incoherent nature of this bizarre production, which arguably deserves to be considered on any list of the worst television specials of all time.
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10 Of The Most Intriguing Films That Were Never Made

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Phil Hall

Film history is littered with proposed projects that seemed tantalizing in concept, but somehow never found their way before the cameras. But were these aborted efforts destined to succeed? Seriously, would Stanley Kubrick’s proposed biopic of Napoleon or Alejandro Jodorowsky’s “Dune” been instant classics? I think that some vigorous debates could be enjoyed on whether or not we should be fortunate those works never got made.

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Joseph Walsh: A Child Actor’s Life

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Phil Hall

On this week’s episode of “The Online Movie Show,” Joseph Walsh talks about his early 1950s career as a child actor and his work with such stars as Danny Kaye, Frank Sinatra and Kirk Douglas.

The episode can be heard here.