Hello Laurel & Hardy friends,
Our next film show is this Wednesday, 15th May at the usual location, THE WHITE LION….24, Middle Street, BEESTON, NG9 1FX commencing at the usual time of 7.30pm. Hopefully we’ll be upstairs again.
All are welcome and entry is free.
This month is our “Nothing but Mae” film show in tribute to the eternally ever-popular Mae Busch. Though her birthday is next month (June 18th), its always over-shadowed by Stan’s birthday just two days latter – so it has now become our annual fixture to pay tribute to one of our favourite supporting actresses a month earlier – in May….indeed, the month that was named after her wasn’t it? Though she was a major silent film star, infact a million dollar babe of the 1920s where many of the films she appeared in grossed a million dollars, she was actually a year younger than Stan, born June 18th 1891. I intend to show nothing but a series of Laurel & Hardy short films in which the eternally ever-popular Mae Busch provides a supporting, and in one film, a top billing role!
We will also continue our history of L&H cartoons with a short cartoon from 1933 entitled “The Five and Dime” , where Oswald the Rabbit performs the song “Million Dollar Baby” on the piano in a five and dime store with cameo appearances by Jimmy Durante, Charlie Chaplin and of course Stan & Ollie. We will have the usual raffle, all donations are gratefully accepted.
May I remind you that we have not one but two film shows next month…both with an animal theme. Firstly, on Wednesday evening, June 19th, at the White Lion,
we will be screening ZENOBIA (1939), the so-called “Elephant in the Room” film that was the cause of that controversial argument in the recent STAN & OLLIE (2019) film. We shall of course be celebrating the university of Stan’s birth 129 years ago!
Then, on the following Saturday, June 22nd, we have our annual “Boys at the Bull” film event at the Bull Inn in Bottesford (between Nottingham & Gantham, NG13 0BW)), with the usual 1pm start (until 6pm). The Bull Inn was once run by Stan’s sister, Beatrice Olga and her husband Bill Healey. Stan & Ollie visited the pub on a number of occasions during their 1952 and 1953/4 theatrical tours of the UK. The pub’s lounge is adorned with photographs and memorabilia all in memory of those very special visits.
This year, we have entitled our Bulll Inn film show “LAUREL & HARDY’S ANIMAL CRACKERS”. This is a tribute to the brilliant animals that appear in many wonderful Laurel & Hardy films….including Ethel the chimp, MGM the lion and of course….. poor old Laughing Gravy! Indeed, we will be showing many animal-related short Laurel & Hardy films during the day. The highlight of the day will be a premiere screening of a fully complete and restored version of the silent short DUCK SOUP (1927) by film historian and tent member, Robin Cook. Robin has meticulously restored the US version of this film himself using professional software from four different sources – the 1928 British print rediscovered at the British Film Institute in 2013, the actual Belgian print discovered in 1974, a censored clip from the Library of Congress, USA, and a French 9.5mm home-movie print from 1937. I’ve been told by authorative observers that the print quality is absolutely amazing – indeed the best they’ve seen! We will also have author Danny Lawrence on-hand selling and signing his book on Stan’s father, Arthur Jefferson (AJ), and co-authors Antony and Jo Mitchell-Waite will be talking about their interesting series of books entitled “Two Peas in a Pod”…duh. John has graciously agreed to bring his fabulous Model T Ford motorcar, presenting an ideal opportunity for photos (weather permitting). We will have the usual raffle and observational quiz. The event is FREE and all are very welcome.
On the morning of June 22nd, we will again be visiting The Plough Inn in Barkston (4 miles north of Grantham) where Stan’s father, AJ, and his sister, Beatrice Olga, once lived and ran the small pub during the 1940s – and where of course Stan & Ollie made at least one visit during their 1947 theatre tour. We will also be visiting AJs grave in the village and paying our due respects to a very special father. Those interested in this pre-event …please meet at the Stag Inn at the centre of this small village (NG32 2NB) at 10.30 am.
We have already started to advertise the event amongst the Laurel & Hardy fraternity, so we are hoping for a few “out-of-towners” with us. Rob Lewis has already confirmed with me that he’ll be making the trip up again with his family from the “South of London”. I’m also hoping to have the Helpmates L&H lookalikes (Gregg Taylor) with us too.
Hopefully, we’ll see you on Wednesday. Please bring friends and family – all are welcome.
Fraternally Yours,
Dave T
(Grand Sheikh – Nottingham Beau Hunks tent)
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