Old Town Music Hall New Years Eve Show

I have talked quite a bit on this blog about the Old Town Musical Hall in El Segundo, California.  This is one of the best places to see old movies and I think that all my fellow movie lovers should go there when they are in Southern California. Last night was their special New Years Eve show. Each year this show runs from 8:30pm to midnight and what is shown is always a complete surprise.

Like always before the films there was some live musical entertainment. This entertainment was on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, a huge 1925 pipe organ created to accompany silent movies. First was the talented young Edward Torres doing a highly entertaining duet with a player piano. He then followed this with a great performance of The Lady is a Tramp. After this the one and only Bill Field took over the organ and played a large selection of songs dating from the early 20th century to the late 1940's. After this there was a delightful sing along which included such old standards as Down By the Old Mill Stream, When the Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbing Along, My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, Smiles and Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Do.

After this we started the films. First up was The Battle of the Century (1927) with Laurel and Hardy. This is one of the greatest Laurel and Hardy shorts and one of the best silent comedies ever created. This film is famous for having the largest and funniest pie fight ever created for films. This film shows what Laurel and Hardy do best. It takes a simple and small little idea and gradually brings it to something unbelievably over the top and massive. No short shows this better than this. The lengths this pie fight goes to is truly a sight to behold. I have seen and loved this film plenty of times before but I had never seen it before with a live audience. This made the film feel so fresh and new, as well as even funnier than ever before. For those of you who have never watched a Laurel and Hardy film in this context, there is probably no better audience pleasers than Laurel and Hardy. You rarely hear an audience laugh the way at any comedy (old or new) as they do at Laurel and Hardy. Because this was a silent film, it was accompanied live by Bill Field on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ. To see a silent film with live musical accompaniment is something I believe everybody should do in their lives, it is like no other experience in the world. This was followed by a cartoon, Betty Boop's Penthouse (1933). This is a typically great Betty Boop cartoon of this era. Like all the best Betty Boop cartoons, the best word to describe this film is imaginative. There is so much clever imagination and surreal humor in this cartoon that I and the rest of the audience found irresistible. After this came an enjoyable Charley Chase short, Arabian Tights (1933). Charley is one of the great screen comedians of his day, but rarely gets the appreciation he deserves. To be honest this is not his best short film, but it is highly entertaining regardless. It also is a great showcase for Chase's singing talents.

After an intermission filled with free cookies and hot apple cider, we got our feature film of the night. This was The Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935), staring the one and only W. C. Fields. This is a hilarious feature film and the perfect way to finish our watching. There is not much of a story in this movie, but that is not important. What is important is just how funny this film is. This movie features Fields in one of his put upon man roles. This means he plays a character who is good hearted but keeps finding himself in more trouble. The crazy extant these troubles go to is hilarious and a sight to behold. Just when you think things can't get worse for him or funnier for us they do. This all leads up to an extremely satisficing ending, that is impossible not to like.

After the feature it was exactly a minute to midnight. We all had our countdown with an animated ball dropping on the screen. Then we all sang Auld Lang Syne together. What better way to ring in the new year can there be.

This is done each year (except with different films) and if you are able to go next year, I could not recommend it more. Also just drop into the Old Town Music Hall for any show (there is one almost every week). To look at a schedule click here. 

Happy New Year and God Bless.

-Michael J. Ruhland