Archive for the 'Laurel and Hardy' Category
The Culver Hotel ’07
Wednesday, August 15th, 2007
Originally, to me, the Culver Hotel was merely a Laurel and Hardy film location. Seen in several of the Laurel and Hardy silents, such as Putting Pants on Philip, We Faw Down, Leave ‘Em Laughing, and Forty-Five Minutes from Hollywood, among other Hal Roach silents starring Our Gang and Charley Chase, the hotel has always stood tall among the little town of Culver City where so many classic films were made in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The hotel has also gained much noteriety as the lodgings for the actors portraying the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz. The Chevy Chase film Under the Rainbow helped perpetuate the myth that the little actors were a bunch of perverted sots…and that film, too, also filmed its exterior shots at the Culver Hotel. Read the rest of this entry »
Joe Cobb 1980
Sunday, August 12th, 2007
I can’t say that I actually remember meeting Our Gang member Joe Cobb during Hollywood ’80, but I always knew that I did because he signed my little blue autograph book. Now I am doubly certain as my friend Jimmy just sent me a nice shot of Joe Cobb at the Hollywood ’80 convention, with a dopey kid in a red t-shirt standing nearby getting an autograph. I never realized this great photo existed. As you may have guessed, the dopey kid (as seen below) is me. Read the rest of this entry »
A Short Summer Jaunt to Los Angeles – One Friday and Three Denny’s
Thursday, August 9th, 2007
Most people thought I was crazy to travel all the way to Los Angeles for only three days, but the purpose of my trip was to take part in the festivities of the Way Out West Tent’s 40th anniversary celebration – which included a mixer, banquet, and two extensive Laurel and Hardy locations tours. I had exactly two days of unused vacation; I decided to use it here. And I’m certainly glad I did. As with my previous seven journeys to the west coast, this one too provided me with a lifetime of memories and good times with my many great friends from this neck of the country. Read the rest of this entry »
Meeting Janet Burston 1995
Tuesday, August 7th, 2007
I got the bee in my bonnet to track down Janet Burston way back in 1992 when my friend Dick Bann told me that he had nearly uncovered her whereabouts – his information indicated that she was working in a Denny’s restaurant in Fresno. He had no desire to contact her, but offered to pass on her phone number for me. By the time I followed up with him and tried to call her, the line he gave me had been disconnected. Flash forward to 1994 when I met Bill Cappello. He had already provided the whereabouts for both Harry Spear and Beverly Crane, when I asked him to see what he could find out about Janet Burston. Read the rest of this entry »