Please Donate to Old Town Music Hall

Old Town Music Hall, in El Segundo, California, is an incredible place, a 1920's style movie theatre with a full Wurlitzer pipe organ. This is the best place to go to see old movies and listen to vintage music live. One of the great joys is when you get to see a silent film with live musical accompaniment, this is something everyone should do in their lifetime. They have been closed due to the current lockdown and are trying their best to survive, but it is hard for them. The best thing you can do is to donate. As I know all of those who read this blog are fans of classic film, I hope many of you will be interested in helping preserving such an important place to so many old movie buffs as well as fans of vintage music.

To donate click here.

Thank you all and God bless.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Classic Cartoons at Old Town Music Hall

So many of us have grown up watching classic cartoons from the 1920's, 30's, 40's and 50's on TV, that TV seems like the natural way to watch them. Still it must be remembered that this cartoons were not TV shows but rather short films made to play in movie theatres. Though many of us are fully aware of that, because of the way were introduced to these films, we still associate them with the small screen. That is why any chance to see cartoon shorts in movie theatres is a great experience for any film buff. In their proper setting you discover that cartoons are not only fun to watch but an important part of film history as well.

Well good news to my Southern California readers. A whole show of classic cartoons is being shown at the Old Town Music Hall this weekend hosted animation historian Jerry Beck. The address is 140 Richmond Street, El Segundo, CA 90245. The showtimes are this Friday (February 21) at 8:15pm, This Saturday (February 22) at 2:30pm and 8:15pm and Sunday at 2:30pm. For more information about the Old Town Music Hall visit their website.

Peace, love and cartoons.

-Michael J. Ruhland

The Thin Man (1934)

The Thin Man is often times called one of the finest movie comedies ever made. Seeing this film last night at The Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California and listening to the crowd laugh their heads off I certainly can't argue with that assumption. This was one of the most popular movies of 1934, and it delights audiences just as much in 2020.

Like many great Hollywood films, it was not viewed as a masterpiece during its creation. It was a strictly B budget movie that MGM had little faith in. The studio did not think the emphasis of comedy over mystery would work and they were unsure about having William Powell and Myrna Loy as the leads. MGM was certainly wrong as the movie became an incredible hit spawning five popular sequels and being nominated for four Oscars (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay).

This movie was in many ways the brain-child of director W.S. Van Dyke. Van Dyke was not only a fan of detective novels, but he had also written them himself. Learning that MGM had the rights to Dashiell Hammett's (also the author of The Maltese Falcon) novel, The Thin Man, Van Dyke was excited to make a film based off this story. Van Dyke also wanted to make a movie that could star William Powell and Myrna Loy as a team and saw this as the perfect story for the two of them. Van Dyke had just directed the two in Manhattan Melodrama (1934) and was not only wowed by their chemistry on screen but off screen as well.

However just as important to this movie as the director and stars were husband and wife screen writers Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich. Van Dyke instructed them saying that he felt the film would work best if the banter between husband and wife Nick and Nora Charles was at the forefront. This was a stoke of brilliance. The two writers incorporated their own marriages into the script and there have been few onscreen marriages as fun to watch as Nick and Nora Charles. So much of this has to do with the dialogue the two share. When people talk about old movies having such clever dialogue that you don't see today, this is the type of film the are referring to. Not only does it have a real sophisticated wit to it, but it is also laugh out loud funny. This is certainly a movie I quote quite a bit. Of course just as important as the writing is the fantastic chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy. Various historians and critics have referred to these two as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers without the dancing. This is a perfect description. The two talented actors create a perfect dance in their exchanges to each other. They know exactly when to give to the other and take from each other. They move together with perfect grace and precision, creating a beautiful art all their own. This is a screen team that epitomizes movie magic at its best.

A huge star was made with this film, that was Nick and Nora's dog, Asta. This Terrier soon captured the hearts of movie goers and the film's sequels would use a lot more slapstick involving this dog. Similarly many comedies after The Thin Man would have similar looking dogs in their casts. Over the course of the series Asta would be played by multiple dogs, though the credits would always list the character as being played by Asta. In the first movie the character is played by a dog named Skippy. This dog was hardly friends with Myrna Loy and she would later refer to their relationship as "hardly idyllic." Still their is no doubt that the dog does bring a certain charm to this movie and in the sequels Asta would often steal the show.

MGM in a moment of humility (well for them anyways) made fun of its self for not having faith in The Thin Man in an advertisement for the movie Hide-out (1934) from The Motion Picture Herald.

  

MGM was of course quick to toot its own horn when the film became a hit as you can see in the below advertisement in Variety.



-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources UsedThe Essentials: 52 Must See Movies and Why They Matter by Jeremy Arnold
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2737/The-Thin-Man/articles.html

Seeing The Gold Rush (1925) at the Old Town Music Hall

Last night I had the incredible pleasure of watching Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush (1925) at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, CA. This is a movie have seen plenty of times before on Blu-Ray and TCM. However as great as this movie is those ways, they pale in comparison to seeing it with a live audience. Film, especially comedy film, is an experience meant to be shared with as many people as possible and this movie certainly shows why. Scenes like the Tramp trying to get out of the way of the gun, the storm keeping him from leaving the cabin, him using a dog's leash as a belt and more are funny when you see them on your own, but they are flat out hilarious when you see them with an enthusiastic audience. You'd rarely hear such enthusiastic laughter when seeing any current film. It is such a treat to know I was sharing the pure joy of this film, with others who love it as much as I do. While this isn't a slow paced movie when you see it on your own, it goes by so much quicker, when seeing it this way. I was amazed and saddened when the movie ended. I wanted this great experience to last so much longer.

Being the Old Town Music Hall, we got not only the feature film, but some great organ playing from my very talented friend Edward Torres, a sing-a-long of vintage music, and an episode of a Flash Gordon serial. The audience loved this with all their hearts too. This is perfect to me as someone who believes going to the movies should be an experience and not just something to do.

I was very happy to see that there was a good sized audience there, and that the audience featured people of all ages. I was especially happy to see some kids there, because while we adults may love Charlie Chaplin, films like this can have a special effect on kids.

-Michael J. Ruhland    

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            

Celebrating Christmas With Laurel and Hardy at the Old Town Music Hall

This weekend is the annual Christmas festival at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California. I was able to see last night's show and loved it. This festival is always a treat and this year was no exception. As I have mentioned many times, the Old Town Music Hall is one of my favorite places to see old movies and a place that I recommend all my fellow film lovers go to when they are in Southern California. If you are interested in going (and why wouldn't you be) you can see the schedule and what movies are coming up here.

There was a Laurel and Hardy theme this year, which was no problem with me or anyone else there. The films this year included both a silent Laurel and Hardy short and a sound feature, both Christmas themed.

The silent short was Big Business (1929). This may be the duo's best silent comedy and maybe one of the laugh out loud funniest silent comedies. In this film Stan and Ollie are selling Christmas trees in California. They aren't very good at this and fail to sell one to their first two customers. Their third customer though is when their real problems begin. This customer is the one and only James Finlayson (one of the best supporting comic actors in the history of the movies and one that has proved on various occasions to be the perfect foil for Laurel and Hardy). At first this is just another customer who doesn't want a Christmas tree. However when he closes the door and the Christmas tree gets caught in it, this ends up causing one of the biggest slapstick fights in silent comedy history. Supposedly this film was originally going to revolve around Stan and Ollie trying to sell Christmas trees to each new customer, with the James Finlayson scenes playing a smaller role, but the crew found out that this was the funniest part of the movie and that most of the film should revolve around that.

This film perfectly shows what Laurel and Hardy do best. It follows their familiar, but surefire formula of tit for tat. Someone does something to Stan and Ollie, and they do something back to him. This continues until it reaches ridiculous extremes. This in the end represents another essential element of many of the duo's best movies taking a simple idea and pushing it to ridiculous extremes in a surprisingly believable way. This is one of the most pure and funniest examples of both these formulas and therefore one of the duo's laugh out loud funniest films, silent or sound. This is as good as it gets.

The great thing about the Old Town Music Hall is that I got to see this film the way it was intended to be seen. This is with an audience and with live musical accompaniment (by the very talented Bill Field on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ (a vintage 1925 organ that was made to accompany silent movies)). If you have never been able to see a silent film this way you are missing out. This is a completely different experience than watching these film on TV or DVD and is something I think every film lover should do in their life. The film feels so new and fresh, even to someone who has seen it as many times as I have. This showing also proves that the film is still a crowd pleaser, as the audience was in hysterics. It is rare to see a movie audience enjoying themselves as much as one watching Laurel and Hardy, and with a film like Big Business, this is especially true.
 
After an intermission we watched the feature film, Babes in Toyland (1934, also with Laurel and Hardy). I have written about this film before on this blog as you can read here. Because of this I won't write much about the movie here, but what I will say is like Big Business this is a perfect crowd pleaser. The audience was howling with laughter at the funny scenes here and again seeing it with an audience again made it feel fresh and new even to someone who has seen this movie as many times as I have. If you have a chance to see this with an audience don't miss it for the world.

Like all shows at the Old Town Music Hall, the films were not the only part of the night. Before hand we got treated to some music on the Mighty Wurlitzer. First a very talented young man named Edward Torres played a medley of to two classic Christmas songs from the 1940's and then the incredibly talented Bill Field took over playing a medley of many great Christmas carols. This was followed by a sing-a-long where all the words appeared on the screen. These songs included White Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells and Silver Bells.


I believe going to the movies should be an experience and a great night out and the Old Town Music Hall always provides just that. Again if you are ever in Southern California this place is a must go.


-Michael J. Ruhland     

The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) at the Old Town Music Hall

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of seeing The Bells of St. Mary's at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo California.


Like always at the Old Town Music Hall, the feature film did not take up the whole show. Before this Bill Field played us a medley of Christmas carols on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ (a pipe organ that dates back to 1925 and was designed to accompany silent movies), this was followed by a sing along of classic Christmas songs including Santa Claus is Coming To Town, Frosty the Snowman, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, and White Christmas.

 After this we were treated to a 1923 silent version of A Christmas Carol entitled Scrooge. This film was accompanied by Bill Field on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. Now if you have never seen a silent movie with live musical accompaniment I must urge you to do so. There is nothing quite like it and it is a completely different experience from watching these films on DVD or TCM. The short itself is a fascinating one. It is a short film that condenses the story to a 25 minute short. As such there is quite a bit of the story we all know not included here. For instance Bob Cratchit's family is never seen and this includes Tiny Tim. The ghosts all show Scrooge only one vision each and seem to disappear as quickly as they appear. Still it is quite a good film in its own right. Russell Thorndike is delightful as Scrooge giving a very human performance and the special effects are quite good and hold up very well.

After a brief intermission came our feature film and what a great movie it is. Leo McCarey is one of my all time favorite directors and this movie shows perfectly why. It blends gentle comedy, sentimentality, great characters and an excellent sense of atmosphere perfectly. Bing Crosby is excellent in the main role (who had earlier appeared in Going My Way (1944)) and shows that he was an incredible actor as well as a singer. Speaking about his singing, he sings some great songs here. Ingrid Bergman is also fantastic in her role. She has perfect chemistry with Bing and provides some of this films most charming moments. Though these two often get all the praise for the movie's great acting, but young Joan Carroll as Pasty is just as amazing here. Her performance is amazingly human and hits every mark from comedy to sentimentality perfectly.

This movie has a very light story, but this is a major part of this film's charm. The film isn't about some big storyline instead it is about these characters. The characters are so real and human. This is also an uplifting movie that can never fail to put a smile on my face. A cynic can argue that the things that happen in this movie could never happen in real life, but the rest of us will fall completely under its spell. This is a movie that shows there is good in all humanity, and all one needs to do is look for it to make it evident. If you can get rid of the cynic inside you for just a tiny bit, it is not hard to fall in love with this movie's sentimentality and believe in good once again (even if it is only for 2 hours and 6 minutes). McCarey was a devout Catholic and that leads this movie to have a charm many directors could not have brought to it, as it is a movie about the rewards of faith and patience showing this with an honesty and respect that few directors could have bought to the screen so effectively. As a Christian myself (though protestant) this message fully hit home with me.  

This is a movie of undeniably charm and it is full of fantastic little moments such as Pasty's report on the sixth sense, Sister Mary teaching a young boy how to box (despite knowing nothing about it herself) and the school Christmas pageant. These scenes are so charming they might even win over those cynics I mentioned earlier.


The Old Town Music Hall is one of my favorite places to watch old movies and if any of you go to (or live in) Southern California, I couldn't recommend it more. To look at their schedule click here. 

Merry Christmas and God bless.      
-Michael J. Ruhland 

Christmas at Old Town Music Hall Starts Tomorrow

Important news for old movies lovers in Southern California. Starting tomorrow the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California begins showing classic Christmas movies. Below are the dates.




November 30, December  1 & 2

Holiday Inn (1942)
Staring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire


Directed by Mark Sandrich


Friday, November 30: 8:15pm.
Saturday, December 1: 2:30 pm & 8:15 pm
Sunday, December 2: 2:30 pm




December 7, 8 & 9


The Bells of St. Mary (1945)

Staring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman


Director: Leo McCarey

Friday December 7: 8:15 pm
Saturday December 8: 2:30 pm and 8:15pm
Sunday December 9: 2:30pm




December 14, 15 & 16

Annual Christmas Festival
Will include Babes in Toyland (1933) with Laurel and Hardy as well as multiple Christmas themed short subjects.

Friday December 14: 8:15 pm
Saturday December 15: 2:30 pm and 8:15pm
Sunday December 16: 2:30pm


Each movie will feature live music on the Wurlitzer Organ, a sing-a-long of classic Christmas songs as well as a short subject. On November 30th, Jeremey Arnold, film historian and author of Christmas in the Movies: 30 Classics to Celebrate the Season and The Essentials: 52 Must See Movies and Why They Matter will introduce the film and sign copies of his books. Tickets are $10 and $8 for seniors.


I will be writing on this blog about each showing I attend, so stay tuned for that.

The address is 140 Richman Street, El Segundo California, 90245.

For more information click here.

-Michael J. Ruhland



 

Laurel and Hardy Festival at the Old Town Music Hall

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   

On the Road with Bing and Bob

When great comedy teams are mentioned, I feel that too often Bing Crosby and Bob Hope get left out. It is true that they made relatively few pictures together, and both had extremely successful careers without the other. However The series of "Road Pictures" they made together are pure delights from beginning to end. Everything about these movies work fantastically. They are full of fantastic gags, great music and a sense of pure fun escapism.

Today at The Old Town Music Hall (which I have written about many times on this blog), I was able to see two of these movies in a theater they way they were meant to be seen. These were Road to Morocco (1942) and Road to Utopia (1945). One thing I get great joy out of is hearing an audience laugh at a comedy film, I have seen many times, but they are laughing like it is fresh and new to them. I definitely got lot of that here. Watching these in a theater you truly realize what great gems of movies these are and how they can delight audiences today just as much as they did in the 1940's. Though I love these movies a lot this was my first time viewing them in this setting, and they somehow are even better when seen in a theater.

Like always at the Old Town Music Hall the features were proceed by live music on a 1925 Wurlitzer Pipe Organ. It was played by two very talented musicians, Bill Field and Edward Torres. Also preceding the features was Chapter 10 of the classic Movie Serial, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938), and trust me I am in much suspense to see what happens next.   

To see just how well Road to Utopia did at the box office look at this article from the Motion Picture Daily: http://lantern.mediahist.org/catalog/motionpicturedai59unse_0600

To see one way Road to Utopia was advertised outside a theater look at this article from the Motion Picture Herald: http://lantern.mediahist.org/catalog/motionpictureher1621unse_0721 (also shown in this article is how the movie Duffy's Tavern (1945) also starring Bing Crosby was advertised).

The following article from The Motion Picture Herald gives advise on how a theater should advertise Road to Morocco: http://lantern.mediahist.org/catalog/motionpictureher149unse_0215

-Michael J. Ruhland

Old Town Music Hall: Vintage Cartoon Festival

This has easily become one of my favorite annual events. Each year at the Old Town Music Hall a selection of classic cartoons from the 1930's play with Animation Historian (and huge influence on me) Jerry Beck hosting. It is always a delight and this year was no exception.


This year's cartoons consisted of Betty Boop's May Party (1933, Betty Boop Cartoon), We're in the Money (1933, Merrie Melodies), The Merry Old Soul (1933, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon), The Tortoise and the Hare (1935, Silly Symphony), Porky's Double Trouble (1937, Looney Tunes), A Clean Shaven Man (1936, Popeye the Sailor Man), Merrie Mutineers (1936, Color Rhapsodies), Thru the Mirror (1936, Mickey Mouse Cartoon), The Milky Way (1940, MGM Cartoon) and Daffy Duck and Egghead (1938, Merrie Melodies). As many cartoon fans will immediately recognize this is a fantastic selection of films. These are cartoons that I have seen so many times that I know them by heart. Still to see these in an actual movie theater surround by other cartoon lovers makes the whole experience feel fresh and new. Hearing an audience that loved cartoons, but didn't have these memorized audibly reacting to these films was a joy. There were moments when I just couldn't wait to hear them react to my favorite jokes. Again watching these films this way is an important reminder to us cartoon buffs. These are not just silly cartoons, these are an important part of cinema. As such they are meant to be experienced in a cinema setting. As much as I love collecting the DVDs of these shorts (and watching at home during my free time) and catching them whenever they appear on TV, watching them the way they were intended, gives them a completely different feel that every cartoon fan must experience sometime in their lives. So any cartoon fans who are in Southern California, when this festival comes around next year, don't miss it, this is certainty a must see event and one I highly look forward to each year.


As always at The Old Town Music Hall the films were proceeded by musical performances by the very talented musicians John Reed Torres and Bill Field. Much of this was performed on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ (a massive organ that dates back to 1925). Also before the show was a singalong with such old songs as Mairzy Doats, My Blue Heaven, I've Been Working on the Railroad and My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean. This helped enhance the feel of an old time day at the movies, like the ones were these cartoons were originally seen.


-Michael J. Ruhland