A CELEBRATION OF CLASSIC COMEDY

This is a great time to be a fan of vintage comedy, from the silent era onward. A brace of new Blu-ray restorations and books will make life a little brighter for both the novice and the aficionado. Add to that a celebratory screening of Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last on its hundredth anniversary at the Academy Museum this coming Sunday and see how much there is to cheer about. LAUREL & HARDY, YEAR ONE: THE NEWLY RESTORED 1927 SILENTS (Flicker Alley) This collection, which was previewed on a big screen at the recent San Francisco Silent Film Festival, is the result of many years’ effort but definitely worth the wait. The original negatives of Laurel and Hardy’s silent short subjects are long gone, but Serge Bromberg, Eric…