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), Blackhawk Films released this sequence. 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. The complete second reel was located in 2014 and restored to this short. It was a 16mm safety from the collection of Robert Youngson.
In 2014 the long-lost second reel was discovered, including the build-up to and the entire pie fight scene. The first reel, missing only the end, was discovered in the 1970s, but only parts of the film from the second reel had been preserved. Now both reels are available save for one sequence at the end of reel one
The famed pie fight held the record for the biggest ever staged for a film. It reportedly used 3,000 pies, an entire day's output from the Los Angeles Pie Co. Almost 40 years later this record claimed to be broken by the pie fight staged for The Great Race (1965) for which some 4,000 pies were purchased. This has created a controversy in which it is claimed that all 3,000 pies were thrown in one day's shooting for the scene in this film, while not all of 4,000 pies were thrown in the four to five days of shooting the scene in "The Great Race". Reportedly some 200 of the leftover pies were targeted at director Blake Edwards after the scene wrapped. Edwards dedicated his movie to "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy."
Lou Costello makes one of his earliest screen appearances as an extra in the boxing match sequence. He is visible standing close to the ring.
In part of a letter written by Stan Laurel to Sam Rubin dated 11/5/63, Stan Laurel says, 'The pies were generally whipped cream but in 'Battle of the Century] [ . . . ] we used 4,000 pies and they were actually real pies [ . . . ] and were supplied by the Los Angeles Pie Company. A fresh wagon load was delivered to the studio set each day of shooting that sequence.'