The Battle of the Century is a 1927 silent short film starring comedy double act Laurel and Hardy, who appeared in 107 films between 1921 and 1951. The film entered the public domain in the United States in 2023. The film is famous for its use of more than 3,000 cream pies (although the Guinness Book of Records claims that as many as 10,000 may have been used) in the film's climactic pie fight. For many years, only three minutes from the film's second reel containing the pie fight was known to survive, as the footage had been included in Robert Youngson's 1950s film documentaries. However, the complete reel was rediscovered in 2015. It was released to the public on DVD and Blu-ray disc on June 16, 2020 as part of the Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations compilation of remastered films. Also in 2020, The Battle of the Century was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Plot A broke Hardy arranges for Laurel to fight Thunderclap Callahan in a boxing match for which the victor will receive $100. Fighting as Canvasback Clump, Laurel accidentally knocks out Callahan in the first round, but because Laurel will not return to his corner, the referee is unable to reach ten in his count. Callahan regains his senses and pummels Laurel. When Callahan delivers his final knockout blow, the audience leaves immediately before the referee can even begin his count. In a nearby park, an insurance salesman persuades a despondent Hardy to invest the $5 that he received from the fight in an insurance policy on Laurel, but for Hardy to pocket the insurance money, Laurel must be injured. Hardy places a banana peel on a sidewalk and takes the unsuspecting Laurel there, but a pastry chef slips on it instead, becomes angry with Hardy and throws a pie in his face. Hardy responds, and soon the entire block is involved in an epic pie battle. Production notes Although The Battle of the Century is officially a Laurel and Hardy picture as they are jointly billed in the opening titles, the men had yet to fully display their recognizable characters. Their screen characters are not yet called Stan and Ollie; Laurel plays Canvasback Clump and Hardy's manager character is not named. Laurel later said that because throwing