January Meeting 2023 January 16, 2023

This Wednesday just happens to fall on Babe Hardy’s birthday….he was born 18th Jan 1892  and so we’ll be celebrating the 131st university of his birth…yes that’s 131 years ago!  We have a strong programme of Hal Roach Studio short film subjects planned which are Ollie-centric, reflecting either his talents and his hobbies.  I’m also taking the opportunity to show a solo one-reel (10 mins) silent comedy film from 1915 where a young Babe Hardy plays a very prominent role.  We will also be showing clips of Ollie in one of his latter films with Stan, a newsreel and a home movie clip of Babe from the 1950s.  We will also be showing a Porky Pig cartoon entitled “Porky’s Road Race from 1937 featuring stan & Ollie.

Yes, there will be birthday cake…..and of course the famous raffle, any unwanted christmas presents would be gratefully accepted.

On the news front…there are two L&H related theatre productions coming soon to a theatre near you!   Firstly, “The Lucky Dog” theatre company are performing “The Laurel & Hardy Cabaret” at the Leicester Guildhall  this forthcoming Saturday and Sunday at 4pm as part of the Leicester comedy festival.  They perform a selection of L&H film  and UK tour sketches.  You will need to book this online on the Leicester comedy film festival website at £11/ticket.  I’ll be going on the Sunday afternoon….so if you go on Saturday – you can avoid me!!  Secondly, there’s a relatively new theatre production entitled “Charlie and Stan” that is presently on tour round a few UK theatres.  Our nearest theatre is the Derby theatre in the Derbion and will be on show in the main auditorium from 28th Feb to 4th March.  It’s mostly a silent slapstick/mime theatre show accompanied by live piano music.  It  loosely tells the story of the trip made by Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel’s to New York to perform the ill-fated Karno;s Night in a English Music Hall – L&H play a small part toward the end of the show.  It’s a very fun, clever and entertaining play with lots of slapstick.  Sadly its quite expensive at  £22/ticket. I’ll be going on the Thursday night.   

Alan Smith has contacted me to let me know that the US based “FEZ-A-RAMA” company are presently taking orders for their Sons OF The Desert Fez (see below).  These are very good fezes made to a very high quality.  Many Sons in the Sons of Desert have bought them and highly recommended them…the only downside is that they are very expensive and will be subject to postage and import duties.  You can find them on google.  Thanks Alan for spotting this.

After Wednesday, our next film show will be the usual 3rd Wednesday….February 15th.

So, hopefully,we’ll see you this Wednesday to celebrate Babe’s 131st birthday.  Please bring friends and family – all are welcome.