Seeing Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy at the Old Town Music Hall.

Again I must praise the Old Town Music Hall. It is one of my favorite places in the world. Again if any of my fellow classic movie lovers are in Southern California, they should not miss an opportunity to go here.

Today I was treated to a complete delight. I saw Buster Keaton's classic silent feature, College as well as the great Laurel and Hardy short Dirty Work.

These are both films I have seen many times. However seeing them with an audience in a theater is the ideal way of watching these movies. They feel fresher, funnier, more spontaneous, faster paced and just all around more entertaining in this environment. For me part of the joy of watching classic comedies in this setting is hearing people who have not seen these pictures as many times as I have, laughing like these jokes are brand new. I awaited to hear how audiences would react to some of my favorite scenes. To hear them react to the surprise extra brick that hit Ollie in Dirty Business or the brilliant gag that ends College makes me laugh as if I had not seen these films dozens of times. The laughter feels as fresh as the first time I watched these great comedies. While I still find them very funny and they never seem to drag if I watch these films aloe on DVD, they never feel like fast paced movies. However watching them with an audience makes these comedies feel like they move at a rapid pace. They move so fast that it seems just after the audience is done laughing at one gag they are laughing at the next. As anyone who has seen the classic movie comedies of the 1920's and 30's in this way will tell you there is no better way to see the movies then like this.

We were also treated to the very talented Bill Field on the Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ. He played a melody of classic songs from the 1920's before either picture started. He also played completely through the silent feature. While some "purists" will tell you that silent movies should not be watched with any music (I have no problem with the fact that some people enjoy the film this way, but I would never recommend it to someone new to silent movies), the truth is these films were meant to have musical accompaniment. It is incredible how much good music can add to a silent movie. Having this music live adds even more. With live music, you can feel the music moving underneath you drawing you further into the action of the movie. This makes watching a silent film, feel more like an experience than almost any other movie going experience.

-Michael J. Ruhland