Michael's Movie Grade: A+
Review: This weekend the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California there was a Laurel and Hardy film festival. The place does this multiple times each year. However this time was even more special because it was hosted by historian Randy Skrevedt, who shared many great stories about the making of these films. For instance he talked about how Antia Garvin's very short appearance in The Battle of the Century was simply a favor she did for Stan and she was never actually paid for it, but she would state that that seemed to be all people knew her for. He also told a story about how Laughing Gravy (a dog in the film of the same name) was actually a female and how despite how Charlie Hall despite playing a character who hated the dog, in real life ended up adopting one of her puppies.
Like most shows at the Old Town Music Hall, this begin with some organ playing by a very talented musician named Bill Field. We then had a sing along as Bill Field played such classic songs as Mairsy Dotes and Dosey Dotes, Oh Suzanna and My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean. This was all of course great fun.
Next we got our first two films (after introductions by Randy), these were two silent classics, You're Darn Tooting and The Battle of the Century (which includes the funniest pie fight in the history of movies). While these classic shorts were playing Bill Field accompanied them on his organ. If you have not seen silent films with live music, you have not really seen them. This creates a completely new experience much different than watching them on TV or YouTube. The films themselves were extremely funny.
After an intermission we got our sound portion of the festival. This started with the classic Laughing Gravy, a downright hilarious film. Then came two of Laurel and Hardy's greatest films, Helpmates and The Music Box.
Every short shown here I have thought funny enough watching by myself on DVD, but they are much funnier watching them with an audience. Just the fact that you are enjoying these films on the same level as everybody else there and sharing a laugh with them, just makes the shorts all the funnier. You also realize just how perfectly timed they are, because just as soon as the audience stops laughing at one joke the next one happens.
They do these festivals multiple times each year, if you love Laurel and Hardy like I do, you need to go.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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