Last night I had an amazing time watching classic Laurel and Hardy shorts at Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California. As mentioned before this is one of my favorite places to watch old movies. Each weekend there is a different classic film from the 1910's through the 50's. It is also the home of the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ which dates back to 1925 and was originally used to accompany silent movies.
This weekend was a great selection of classic Laurel and Hardy shorts. We started off with a fun little silent film in which the boys do not work as a team but are instead two actors in the same film. This was Sugar Daddies (1927) and it received live accompaniment by the very talented Bill Field on the Mighty Wurlitzer. If you have not seen a silent film with live musical accompaniment, you are missing out. In my opinion it is something every movie lover should do in their lifetime. The difference between this and watching a silent film on DVD or TCM (and you will find few who enjoy watching silent films both those ways more than me), is incredible. It is like a whole new experience. I have seen plenty of silent films this way after seeing them on TV and it felt like I was seeing them for the first time. Following this was Blotto (1930) a fantastic early talkie from the boys that never fails to make me laugh out loud. After an intermission there was Twice Two (1933) a fun little film with the duo playing each other's sisters. Following this was two of my favorite Laurel and Hardy talkie shorts, Them Thar Hills (1934) and Tit of Tat (1935). These two films are an anomaly when it comes to Laurel and Hardy shorts. Tit for Tat was actually a sequel to Them Thar Hills directly referencing the earlier movie. Both these films follow the same basic comedy idea, a tit for tat comedy fight with each tit getting a bigger and funnier tat.
Laurel and Hardy still pack them in. The crowd was quite big. If you have never seen Laurel and Hardy with a live audience you should. This was the way the movies were meant to be seen and it is amazing how much it enhances the films. These films seem so much fresher and funnier when you see them this way. One thing I love to see is that there were some kids there. It is always great to see a new generation being introduced to these classic films and this new generation laughs just as loud at these films as I am sure audiences did in the 1920's and 30's.
Before the films we were treated to some great music from Bill Field on the pipe organ. This even included a sing along to classic Christmas songs like Let it Snow, Winter Wonderland and Jingle Bells. This only added to the fun.
If you are a fan of old movies and are visiting the area, The Old Town Music Hall is the perfect place to go. They do these Laurel and Hardy Festivals multiple times each year and every Laurel and Hardy fan should see one.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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