January-February 2004 Volume 37, Number 1 NOTE: This is an old issue of the Brushwood Gulch Gazette, which has been archived for reference purposes. Although some links have been updated, the text of this archived newsletter remains unchanged. Please keep in mind that these articles have NOT been updated to reflect changes that may have occurred since they were originally printed. Return to the index of archived issues.

Contents:

Next Meeting January 20th Free Hot Dogs with Paid Dues Oliver Hardy Birthday Celebration

December 2003 Meeting Notes A Look Back - 25 Years Ago Birthdays

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Tommy "Butch" Bond and Block-Heads at January 20th Meeting

On Tuesday, January 20th the Way Out West Tent will meet for the first time this new year. Our special guest that evening will be Tommy Bond. He is perhaps best known for his role as "Butch," the tough kid in many Our Gang films. But Tommy also appeared with Laurel and Hardy in a memorable scene from the feature film Block-Heads (1938). We will invite "Butch" to the stage during the meeting, to hear some of his memories of Laurel & Hardy and the Hal Roach Studios, as well as to take some questions from the audience.

Our program will also include three great films from three different eras. We will see You're Darn Tootin' (1928) from the silent era, featuring the Boys as street musicians. Moving on to the sound era, we will see Stan try to help Ollie clean up his house after a wild party in Helpmates (1932). The program will wrap up with the Boys as old war buddies in Block-Heads, from their feature-length era. These are very funny films that you won't want to miss!

The meeting will take place at the Mayflower Club, located at 11110 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7:15 p.m. Come early for drinks from the Mayflower Bar and "Fisher Franks" hot dogs from the kitchen.

Click here for a map to the Mayflower Club...

Free Hot Dogs with Paid Dues

Those who pay their 2004 membership dues at the January meeting will receive a free hot dog at that meeting. Of course, those who have already renewed their membership will also receive a free hot dog that evening. Be sure to get there before the first film starts and before a crowd gathers at the kitchen.

Remember that dues expire the first of every year, so if you have not yet renewed your membership, you may do so at the next meeting. Dues will remain the same as the previous year; $28 for individuals, $44 for couples, & $48 for families (with all members living at the same address).

Membership entitles you to free admission to all regular meetings, discounted admission to our annual banquet, and a copy of our newsletter in the mail. Members may also pick up a free copy of the Intra-Tent Journal, but only at the first meeting that a new issue is available. Your dues support the cost of renting our meeting hall and mailing our newsletters. We cannot operate without your dues. Thank you for your continued support.

Oliver Hardy Birthday Celebration

This year we will once again keep the tradition of celebrating Oliver Hardy's birthday at our January meeting. The 18th of January will mark the 112th anniversary of Oliver Hardy's birth, in Harlem, Georgia. Coincidentally, Hal Roach was born just four days earlier (that same year), in Elmira, New York. There will be cake at our next meeting to celebrate both of their birthdays.

December 2003 Meeting Notes

We wrapped up 2003 with our meeting on December 9th. On stage, a large inflatable Santa helped bring the holiday spirit to those in attendance. In that same spirit, members generously donated a huge amount of food for the nearby Maude Booth Family Center. The film program had a family theme, with the Boys raising children in Their First Mistake (1932), Brats (1930), and The Bohemian Girl (1936). A free raffle was held for all in attendance. Joining us that evening were celebrity members Booth Coleman and Curtis Armstrong. Booth Coleman was a friend of Stan Laurel.

A Look Back - 25 Years Ago

We've dug deep into the Way Out West Tent Archives to find our newsletter from January 1979. A lot has changed in the last quarter century, yet a lot has remained the same. The January 1979 meeting took place at the Encino Women's Club, where we were celebrating Oliver Hardy's 87th birthday.

Scheduled to join us in January 1979 was Billy Bletcher, but unfortunately he passed away before the meeting took place. Our special guests in attendance that evening were Oliver Hardy's widow Lucille, Stan Laurel's daughter Lois, and Our Gang's Darla Hood. Darla was one of two Our Gang stars to have a speaking role in a Laurel and Hardy feature; this month's guest, "Butch" Bond, is the only other. The meeting included film from the first International Sons of the Desert Convention, which took place the previous summer in Chicago.

The Grand Sheik of the Way Out West Tent back in January 1979 was none other than current Grand Sheik Bob Satterfield. Lori Jones McCaffery was greeting members at the font desk in 1979 as the Sub-Vice-Vizier. John Duff had just been appointed Vice-Vizier, still a few years away from becoming Grand Sheik. First class postage for our newsletter was 15¢ twenty five years ago. Looks like our January 2029 newsletter will cost 91¢ to mail.

Birthdays