July-August 2004 Volume 37, Number 4 NOTE: This is an old issue of the Brushwood Gulch Gazette, which has been archived for reference purposes.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:

Twelve Extra Minutes of Pardon Us in August International Convention Trudy Marshall Special Way Out West Events Canned Food Drive

Stan Laurel's Yacht British Stan Laurel Auction German Film Found June Meeting Notes Birthdays

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Extended Pardon Us with Twelve Extra Minutes at August 17th Meeting

On August 17th, the Way Out West Tent will proudly present a restored version of Pardon Us (1931), which includes twelve minutes of extra footage rarely seen by American audiences. This extra footage includes additional Laurel & Hardy gags that you won't see anywhere else.

In addition to seeing the Boys as beer barons in Pardon Us, we will also see them as chimney sweeps in Dirty Work (1933) and as "dealers in high grade fertilizer" in Chickens Come Home (1931). As an added bonus, we will see Laurel & Hardy speaking Spanish, French, and German in brief excerpts from Politiquerias (Spanish Chickens Come Home), Les Carrotiers (French Laughing Gravy), and Hinter Schloss und Riegel (German Pardon Us).

Please remember to bring canned goods for our annual food drive (see below). 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 get underway at 7:15 p.m. Fabulous Fisher Franks will be on sale and drinks will be available from the Mayflower Bar. You won't find these films on TV or in the video storeÉonly at the next Way Out West Tent meeting. Don't miss out!

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

International Convention

The 14th International Convention took place July 14-18, 2004 in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by the Perfect Day Tent. The 15th International Convention is scheduled for July 2006 in Augusta, Georgia.

Click here for a special report from the International Convention in Columbus...

Trudy Marshall

Longtime member of the Way Out West Tent, Trudy Marshall, passed away May 23, 2004. Trudy was best known for her starring role alongside Laurel & Hardy in The Dancing Masters (1943). Over the years, Trudy attended many Way Out West Tent Banquets and five International Conventions. She will be missed by our members, and by the many members of the Sons of the Desert that she got to know from around the world.

Before becoming an actress, Trudy worked as a model in New York. After moving to Los Angeles, Trudy married Phillip Raffin. She appeared in thirty films, which included pictures with Red Skelton and Maureen O'Hara. Trudy is survived by her three children, Bill Raffin, Judy Holston, and actress Deborah Raffin.

Upcoming Special Way Out West Tent Events

On October 2nd, we will hold our Annual Celebrity Banquet at the nearby Beverly Garland Hotel, in North Hollywood. We will present tributes to many of Laurel & Hardy's best known co-stars, featuring great photos of them at Sons of the Desert events and rare audio of them speaking about their experiences with the Boys. Other celebrities will join us in person, to share their memories.

The final Way Out West meeting for 2004 will take place on November 30th at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. We will screen Babes in Toyland (1934) plus a classic Laurel and Hardy short. In addition, many of the surviving cast members of Babes in Toyland will appear in person. And the best part is that this event will be free to members who have paid their dues for 2004. However, we will be unable to accept free guest passes for admission to this special meeting. Complete details on both events will be provided to members in our next newsletter.

Canned Food Drive

We will be collecting canned goods for the less fortunate at our August meeting. Traditionally, this is done at the last meeting of the year, to help stock the Maude Booth Family Center's cupboards for the holidays. But our remaining meetings for 2004 will not take place at the Mayflower Club, and the other venues will not be practical locations to collect canned goods. So we ask that you make a donation in August. Our members are always very generous with donations, and the Maude Booth Family Center is depending on us once again.

Stan Laurel's Yacht

The Ida May is currently for sale in Sausalito, California. The 1926 yacht is a 45 foot Fellows & Stewart Sportfisher, originally built for the president of John Deere at a cost of $120,000. Stan later acquired the yacht, which he used for deep sea fishing and for trips to Catalina Island. The asking price for the yacht is $299,000.

British Auction

On July 1st, an auction of Stan Laurel memorabilia took place in Newcastle, England. The items came from Stan's nephew, Huntley Jefferson Woods (son of Stan's sister, Beatrice). The auction included many rare photos and took in over $36,000.

German Film Found

The German language version of The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930) has been located in the Moscow Film Archive. Released as Der Spuk um Mitternacht in Germany, this film included Laurel and Hardy speaking their lines in German and includes some gags and scenes that did not appear in the English film. About nine minutes of the film is missing. It will be screened in Germany this August.

June Meeting Notes

In June 2004, the Way Out West Tent drew a large crowd to honor Stan Laurel's birthday. Long-time member Sharron Fisher was honored for her continuing service to the club, working hard for many years in the Mayflower Kitchen. Another long-time member, Alan Cowen, showed off his new Laurel and Hardy tattoo. Also in attendance that evening were Laurel & Hardy costumer Jay Dare and radio/television personality Tom Hatton. Everyone in attendance received a program on the history of the film Sons of the Desert.

Our film program included some last minute changes. We screened Sons of the Desert (1933), Angora Love (1929), and Laughing Gravy (1931). Stan Taffel, Way Out West's projectionist or "Keeper of the Celluloid," was unable to attend the meeting, so several substitutions in our schedule were necessary. Thanks to Bob Birchard for filling in for Stan. As for the two scheduled films that were not shown, Chickens Come Home (1931) will be shown at our next meeting and Twice Two (1932) will be screened at a future date.

Birthdays