Love is in the Air at the Mayflower Club on Tuesday, February 23Love is in the Air at the Mayflower Club on Tuesday, February 23
When we scheduled a Way Out West Tent Meeting for Tuesday, February 23rd, I later realized that I would probably be working on our newsletter over Valentine's Day weekend, just a little over a month before the start of Spring. Yes, Valentine's Day and Spring, a good time of the year to think about love. So "falling in love" is our film theme for our February meeting. Our film program will cover having a crush on your school teacher, preparing for a wedding, eloping, being jilted, and finding love in one day.
Our opening film will be Our Gang's Love Business (1931). When both Jackie (Cooper) and Chubby (Chaney) fall in love with their teacher Miss Crabtree (June Marlowe), which one of them will be the first to win her heart? Also in this short, longtime Way Out West celebrity member Dorothy DeBorba plays Chubby's sister. After you see this film you will know why Dorothy's nickname in Our Gang films was "Echo." Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins also steals a few scenes, as Jackie's brother.
In Me and My Pal (1933), Stan is Ollie's Best Man. On the day that Ollie is to be married and still at his home preparing for his wedding, Stan arrives and gives Ollie a large jigsaw puzzle. Stan says that the puzzle will give he and Ollie something to do together, after Ollie gets married. Of course, Stan immediately opens the puzzle box and begins to put puzzle pieces together. James Finlayson co-stars in this short as Ollie's future father-in-law, oil magnate Peter Cucumber.
Our Wife (1931) finds Ollie eloping with his girlfriend, Dulcy (Babe London). Ollie's first mistake is to call upon his best friend, Stan, to help with the elopement. Then Ollie and Stan have to confront the unhappy father of the bride (James Finlayson), when he finds out about his daughter's elopement. What else could go wrong? A hint: Ben Turpin and Blanche Payson later appear in the film, as a Justice of the Peace and his wife.
Early on in Beau Hunks (1931), a Laurel & Hardy three reeler, Ollie receives a "Dear John" letter from his girlfriend, Jeannie-Weenie. In order to "forget" Jeanie-Weenie (who looks a lot like Jean Harlow and in my opinion would be impossible to forget), Ollie joins the French Foreign Legion along with Stan. The first person the Boys meet is their new Commandant (Charles Middleton), who the Boys (to say it lightly) immediately irritate. Can Ollie "forget" Jeanie-Weenie and can the Boys get out of the Legion before the Commandant has them put before a firing squad?
Multi-talented Charley Chase stars and directs our final film for the evening, It Happened One Day (1934). In this very clever Charley Chase short, Charley comically shows his audience how one day of complete dumb luck can greatly change a person's life forever. By the end of his lucky day, lawyer Chase ends up with a new good paying job and possibly a new love in his life (Betty Mack), who is also his boss' daughter.
"Fisher Franks" (quarter pound 100% beef hot dogs) with your choice of chips will be sold at The Mayflower Club Kitchen. Refreshments will be sold at The Mayflower Club Bar. Free cake will be served during our second break. The Mayflower Club is located at 11110 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Our meeting starts at 7:15 p.m. Don't miss out on any of the fun, see you February 23rd!
Click here for a map to the Mayflower Club...
Reminder For 2016 Dues
The annual dues for Way Out West Tent Memberships are due each January. We need your dues to be paid on time, so we can cover our continuing expenses such as renting The Mayflower Club and the cost of copying and mailing our newsletters. For the first time since the 1980's, we have raised our dues to cover the ever increasing cost of postage. Our dues for single memberships are now $30, for couple memberships $45, and family memberships $50. There have been no other changes made to our memberships. We will still have six regular meetings and one Special Event meeting in 2016.
Make your checks out to "Way Out West Tent" and mail your checks to Lori McCaffery, 4313 Woodland Avenue, Burbank, CA 91505 or bring your checks to our February meeting. Thanks for your continued support of our Tent.
Notes From Our January Meeting
For Babe's 124th birthday meeting we had a packed house and everyone seemed to have a great time! We screened The Finishing Touch, Helpmates, Towed in a Hole, Chickens Come Home, and Dirty Work. We sang "Happy Birthday" to Babe and later enjoyed his birthday cake. During January, we received a lot of paid dues from our regulars, and we picked up a some new members as well.
Special thanks to Alan Cowen, Steve Ames (joining us all the way from New York), Victor D'Agostino, Ken Runyan, Bob Duncan, Dave Greim, and Jane Barnhart for helping me with singing "The Sons of the Desert Song" and doing the the toasts. 2016 looks like it's off to a great start!
Safe at Home - An Evening With Orson Bean
Noted actor Orson Bean, is currently doing a one-man play based on events of his life and is getting rave reviews from Los Angeles critics. As many of you know, Orson is also a founding member of the Sons of the Desert organization and is a honorary member of our Way Out West Tent. He also gave a toast to Babe at the 2014 Laurel and Hardywood International Sons of the Desert Convention. His play will run through Sunday, March 20th with performances at 8:00 on Friday and Saturday nights and 3:00 on Sunday afternoons at the Pacific Resident Theatre (PRT). The PRT is located at 703 Venice Blvd. in Venice (4 blocks west of Lincoln Blvd.). For tickets call (310) 822-8392. Tickets are $25 each. Or visit: pacificresidenttheatre.com
L&H Film Festival At Old Town Music Hall
On the weekend of April 8th, 9th, and 10th, the Old Town Music Hall will once again do a special all Laurel & Hardy film program. The Old Town Music Hall is located at 140 Richmond Street, El Segundo (310-322-2592). Their evening programs will begin at 8:15 on Friday and Saturday. Their matinee programs will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to the theater is $10 per person or $8 for people 62 or older. Each program begins with a Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ audience sing-along. For information about other film programs at the Old Town Music Hall, go to: oldtownmusichall.org/films.html
