▁s lap st ick ▁that ▁director ▁Bla ke ▁Edwards ▁dedicated ▁to ▁" Mr . ▁La ure l ▁and ▁Mr . ▁Hard y ". ▁For ▁many ▁years ▁the ▁du o ▁were ▁imp erson ated ▁by ▁Jim ▁Mac Ge orge ▁( as ▁La ure l ) ▁and ▁Ch uck ▁McC ann ▁( as ▁Hard y ) ▁in ▁children ' s ▁TV ▁shows ▁and ▁television ▁commer ci als ▁for ▁various ▁products . ▁ ▁N umer ous ▁color ized ▁versions ▁of ▁copy right - free ▁La ure l ▁and ▁Hard y ▁features ▁and ▁short s ▁have ▁been ▁reprodu ced ▁by ▁a ▁mult itude ▁of ▁production ▁stud ios . ▁Although ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁adding ▁color ▁were ▁often ▁in ▁dispute , ▁many ▁popular ▁titles ▁are ▁currently ▁only ▁available ▁in ▁the ▁color ized ▁version . ▁The ▁color ▁process ▁often ▁affect s ▁the ▁sharp ness ▁of ▁the ▁image , ▁with ▁some ▁scenes ▁being ▁alter ed ▁or ▁deleted , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁source ▁material ▁used . ▁Their ▁film ▁Hel pm ates ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁film ▁to ▁under go ▁the ▁process ▁and ▁was ▁released ▁by ▁Color ization ▁Inc ., ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁Hal ▁Ro ach ▁Studios , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁Color ization ▁was ▁a ▁success ▁for ▁the ▁studio ▁and ▁Hel pm ates ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁home ▁video ▁with ▁the ▁color ized ▁version ▁of ▁The ▁Music ▁Box ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁three ▁La ure l ▁and ▁Hard y ▁museum s . ▁One ▁is ▁in ▁La ure l ' s ▁birth place ,