Laurel and Hardy and the Sons of the Desert are at the heart of Bowler Dessert magazine and Bowler Dessert Online
Bulletin
20.10.09.
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2010 calendar from Lucy
The LK Southward 2010 calendar of the Boys is now available to purchase from Lucy Southward's Redbubble site. The link is http://www.redbubble.com/people/iconicart/calendars/1765394-10-the-boys-by- l-k-southward. Lucy has once again excelled herself. Recommended.
On the trail of young Ollie
On 2nd October I had the pleasure of visiting Milledgeville, Georgia, a location that played a very important role in the life of Oliver Hardy. I was accompanied by four great Sons from the UK, who were visiting locally in the Harlem, Georgia area: Roger Robinson, Chris Coffey, Norman Leigh and Dave Dearle. Milledgeville is about 90 miles southwest of Harlem. We were given an incredibly interesting tour by local historian Bob Wilson, Professor of History at the local college. Bob is an expert on the "life and times" of Ollie and his family during the days they lived in Milledgeville. Our walking tour took us to key places associated with Ollie's life there, such as the opera house, where he spent time listening to performers and probably singing himself, the location of two of the hotels his mother managed and where Ollie and his siblings lived, the school where Ollie attended from elementary to high school, the theater building where Ollie worked and performed just about all of the functions of running the theater and sang to entertain the patrons, the site of the Methodist church where he and his family worshipped, the building that housed the Masonic organization that may have had an influence on Ollie becoming a lifelong Mason and other sites that played a part in Ollie's life. We were close to the river where Ollie's half-brother, Sam Tant, nearly drowned but was saved after an heroic effort by Ollie. (Sam caught pneumonia and died several days later.) Gino Dercola
The above photo shows (left to right, back) Bob Wilson, Norman Leigh, Roger Robinson, (front) Dave Dearle and Chris Coffey at the entrance to the Georgia Military College where Ollie went to school. Gino says, "We went into the main building, where there is now a museum (called Georgia's Old Capital Museum), where we saw a wonderful display (mostly established by Bob Wilson) about the life of Ollie in Milledgeville." In the top
listing Radio
Times (17th - 23th October) had a
feature called The Funniest Films Ever
Made. "RT's experts" listed their top
one hundred and had eight under the
heading "Black-and-white gold". There were
two Laurel and Hardy films on the list -
Sons of the Desert (1933) and
Way Out West (1937). Bill on Edgar
On the Nutty Nut News Network website, Bill Cassera, the author of Edgar Kennedy: Master of the Slow Burn, gives a brief but informative interview. He talks about how the book started off as a hobby and was changed to a labour of love after a poignant contact with one of Edgar Kennedy's family members. This is a 2007 exclusive interview. For more details of the book, visit www.edgarkennedy.org.
Now an even better buy Recommended by Peter Andrews earlier was the above Laurel and Hardy 4 disc set pictured above. Amazon now has it for only £6.98. |
"No" to statue collection box Organisations in Ulverston have put the kibosh on a resident's idea to raise funds for local charities by placing a collection box next to the hugely popular Laurel and Hardy statue. A member of the public suggested visitors to the town who went to see the monument, unveiled earlier this year outside Coronation Hall in County Square, could donate money which would be divided equally between good causes. Sons of the Desert, the Laurel and Hardy fanclub which raised the funds for the statue, said they would be "uncomfortable" with the idea, and local councillors spoke out against it at Monday's town council meeting. Janette Jenkinson said: "I think to put anything like this there is a bit insensitive. I think anything in that square would be totally against what Ulverston stands for. We are a welcoming town - we don't expect people to pay to see a statue." Coun Brenda Marr agreed, adding: "It is a very classic statue - the whole thing just sings of being a bit above the normal tourist attraction and I think it would deface it to have a begging bowl there." Daniel Orr in The Westmorland Gazette (13.10.09.) Bill Cubin's collection
I went to the supermarket and bought eight 32-litre plastic containers. The remaining audio and video cassettes of Bill's archive fills seven of them. I have to copy them each onto DVD for the archive, then I have to repeat it for a backup copy, then I have to repeat it for Marion's copy. The attached photo indicates the task. Good job it will be fun. My target is to complete it before 31st December 2010. No Hats Off or Rogue Song so far. Chris Coffey Van Dyke and
McCann as Stan and Ollie There is a clip
on YouTube of Dick Van Dyke and Chuck
McCann in The Vacuum Cleaner
Salesman routine as Laurel and Hardy
on The Garry Moore Show from 1958.
Find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwzhmk21ydo. 21-year-old Brats On 12th Octember the Brats Tent of Sheffield celebrated their 21st "University" in style at their regular venue, the New Crown Inn. Over forty members were in attendance, including special guests Anni and Grahame Morris from the Early to Bed Tent. Although Grand Sheik "Heppy" was holidaying in Benidorm, he did make several appearances throughout the night, courtesy of the large facial mask of him that was made for this year's Laurel and HarDay in Wigan. With a few impromptu impressions included (I will leave those to your imagination), it was used to make it feel as though he was really there! The mask may yet make further appearances towards the end of the month as Halloween approaches! A one-off observation quiz was held under the guise of University Challenge, based on the film Chickens Come Home which had just been screened. A team of Brats consisting of Jordan Bratton (aged 8), John Burton (8), Ross Davison (8) and Toby Hudson (9) beat off all competition, by amassing a score of 81/2 out of 10. Amazingly they turned down an offer of a cash prize (a Laurel and Hardy £20 bank note) in favour of some chocolate. However, a close second, with a creditable score of 8 and worthy of a special mention, was Oliver Johnson, aged 6, as, unlike the winners, he answered the questions on his own. (He did get a share of the chocolate!) The night was rounded off with the loyal toasts, a rendition of the Sons anthem, a buffet and a special birthday cake - which of course with a room full of Brats wasn't around for long. It was a great way to celebrate our first 21 years. John Burton |
