Laurel and Hardy Society Sons of the Desert Way Out West Tent Los Angeles
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The Brushwood Gulch Gazette is the newsletter of the Way Out West Tent. It is published six times a year, shortly before regular tent meetings. Members receive the complete printed edition in the mail. The online edition features most of the articles found in the printed version, minus photos.


Stan Laurel - Happy One Hundred Eighteenth Birthday

On Tuesday evening, June 17th, please join us at the Mayflower Club for a special night of Laurel & Hardy films to celebrate Stan Laurel's birthday. Of course Babe Hardy always plays a prominent part in all Laurel & Hardy films, but in selecting the films for the evening, we have tried to select films that give a special spotlight on Stan's character.

In the silent film, Flying Elephants (1927), cavemen Little Twinkle Star (Stan) and Mighty Giant (Babe) find themselves as rivals for the love of the daughter of Ye Aged Saxophonus (Fin). This funny (yet strange) film was the last of the Roach All Star Series that featured Stan and Babe doing characters other than their "classic Stan and Ollie".

The Live Ghost (1934) follows the adventures of sailors Stan and Ollie after they help the captain (Walter Long) shanghai a new crew (including themselves) for the captain's "ghost ship." Stan's involvement in the shanghai plan and his reactions to the ghost (Arthur Houseman) are classic.

On leave from their whaling ship, Stan and Ollie take a room at the Ye Mariner's Rest in Any Old Port (1932). In this rarely shown film, the hotel's proprietor Mugsie Long (Walter Long) quickly takes a disliking to Stan and Ollie. Matters get worse when Stan and Ollie break up Mugsie's wedding. The boxing match in the second half of the film is Stan at his best.

In Scram! (1932), Stan and Ollie are vagrants who are ordered to leave town immediately by Judge Beaumont (Rychard Cramer). After they help a drunken man (Arthur Houseman), he welcomes them to stay in his house. But somehow Stan and Ollie end up at Judge Beaumont's house with the judge's wife (Vivian Oakland). The laughing scene that Stan starts at the end of the film is hilarious.

In the last film of the evening, The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930), the plot of the film centers around Stan, who is trying to collect an inheritance from a recently deceased uncle. The reading of the will takes place on a stormy night, in a scary house, with a scary butler, a nervous police chief and his officers who suspect the uncle was murdered, and a lot of heirs that keep disappearing one by one. Stan is at his scared best throughout the film.

Our first raffle of the year will also be held at our June 17th meeting. Tickets will be sold for $1.00 each and $5.00 will get you six tickets. The Mayflower Club is located at 11110 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood. The doors will open at 6:30 PM. The meeting will start at 7:15 PM. "Fisher Franks" hot dogs and your choice of chips will be sold at the Mayflower Kitchen. Drinks will be sold at the Mayflower Bar. Cake will be served on our second break. See you Tuesday, June 17th!

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


Notes From Our May Meeting

With help from Stan Schulman, Joachim "J.T." Tropper, Bob Duncan, Dave Spahn, Stan Taffel, Ron Young, and Jayne Barnhart, Jimmy Wiley Jr. opened the meeting with toasts and the Sons of the Desert Song. Then, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the The Devil's Brother, several pictures were taken of all (well, almost all) of our members doing the "finger wiggle." We had practiced the "finger wiggle" since our January meeting. We concluded that genetically some people just can't do the "finger wiggle," no matter how often they try or who teaches them!

After our first break, Way Out West had their first ever Kneesy-Earsy-Nosey competition, also in honor of The Devil's Brother. Hosted by Stan Taffel, four of our members each did Kneesy-Earsy-Nosey one at a time in front of all our other members for about a minute and a half each. Then by audience applause, first place, second, and third place were decided. Congratulations and thanks for entering to Isabela Melendez (first place), Bart Williams (second place), Alan McGarrett (third place), and Ralph Marks (honorable mention).

Along with The Devil's Brother, we also screened Mickey's Gala Premiere (a Mickey Mouse cartoon that included an appearance by Laurel & Hardy), Luncheon at Twelve (a Charley Chase short with 10 actors/actresses that also appeared in Laurel & Hardy films), and Me and My Pal.


From the Grand Sheik

Once again, I would like to thank Isabela Melendez, Bart Williams, Alan McGarrett, and Ralph Marks for entering the Kneesy-Earsy-Nosey competition. When I first thought of the idea of having the competition and up until the meeting started, I was worried that maybe only one member or no member would volunteer to enter. When we got four members to do the competition, it really made my day. For most of us it's not easy performing in front of an audience, even if we are all friends. It is especially hard to do something that needs such complete concentration as Kneesy-Earsy-Nosey. Congratulations to everyone who performed. What a great show you gave all of us!


TCM To Run L&H Films All Summer on Saturdays

Good news for members that have cable or satellite television. It was recently announced that Turner Classic Movies will continue what they began on Saturday June 7th with the running Sons of the Desert and Our Relations. Check your Saturday TMC listings for titles of more Laurel & Hardy films. It also was announced that on Saturday August 23rd TMC will devote their entire day to Laurel & Hardy films.


Dougie Rimmer

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Douglas (Dougie) Rimmer, an active Son from England, on June 1, 2008. Dougie attended many Internationl Conventions with his good friend, the late Happy Harry Engle. Those of you who knew Dougie all know what a very special man he was. Always a smile, always a kind word, and always a concern for others. He fought a hard fight. We will always remember Dougie with much love and respect. (Photo link)