18.02.22.
Lucky Dog Theatre
The Lucky Dog Theatre are back on the road, following a spell of inactivity forced by the pandemic. We are looking forward to seeing them at the UK Convention, commencing 29th April.
Saps February meeting
Our February Saps meeting had a theme of windows. I think most people have them in their homes. Grand Sheik Ray Dempsey had chosen some classic and hilarious shorts and I had a 20 minute spot of L&H rarities. In addition to the 40-plus members who attended, we had two special guests. Charlie Sunda is the Grand Sheik of the Brighton tent ‘Why Girls Love Sailors’ and had travelled up from his seaside town to Southend. A surprise guest was Ross Sambridge seen towering above Colin Wyatt. Ross who is 7’2”, is an actor and has appeared in films such as ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ (2018) and ‘Breathe’ (2017). Our guests enjoyed their evening, but I am not sure that whoever it was who sat behind Ross, saw any of the films we showed.
Roger Robinson
Charlie and Roger
Beau Chumps Tent
The Chumps had another splendid evening this month when we marked the Beau Chumps Tent's second third birthday (our first third birthday was in 1987!) We enjoyed Berth Marks and Leave 'Em Laughing as well as the top 20 of Laurel and Hardy’s Top 100 Moments and the director's cut of the Gary Winstanley produced Laurel and Hardy’s Road to Laughter which got a lengthy ovation at the end.
Mike Jones
On the big cinema screen
The Rex cinema in Elland, in `Yorkshire, has staged many very successful Laurel and Hardy shows in years past and now the Boys are back!
Men o’ War Tent
We have a full programme of five shorts lined up for our next meeting - with a post-Valentine’s Day look at Laurel and Hardy as they get to flirt in the park (Men o’ War), Ollie elopes (Our Wife) then prepares to get married (Me and My Pal), hopes to find love (Oliver the Eighth) and, perhaps inevitably, has marriage troubles in (That’s My Wife). Rest assured, Stan is there to ‘help’ in every situation. Details are on our website and will be posted on Facebook page soon too.
Paul Harding
14th European Convention
Liam Muldowney is working on final details for the 14th European Convention and has unveiled the enticing logo!
High definition prints
Axel Schumacher sent us a link to
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB30DIBieeQKp8QNai0pgmg/videos
There are recently uploaded L&H movies in 4K. Very good quality.
Smile, please
Gene McKenzie shared on Facebook an autographed publicity photograph for Swiss Miss. In the early 1960s Della Lind was Stan Laurel's neighbour at the Oceana Apartments.
Grand Prospect Hall
I found this on the internet. It's quite interesting, but also a sad end.
https://michael-halkias.squarespace.com/
https://michael-halkias.squarespace.com/story
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prospect_Hall
It's about a building in New York, what has been a kind of music hall or vaudeville and is going to be demolished. The Grand Prospect Hall has no direct link as far as I know to L&H, but to Mae West.
Peter Küppers
...and finally