Laurel and Hardy and the Sons of the Desert are at the heart of Bowler Dessert magazine and Bowler Dessert Online

Bulletin 15.05.11.

Changes to Hall Day in Birmingham Unfortunately the dance group 'Bellytastic' will not be performing at the Hall Day on Sunday 29th May. Instead we will be treated to a live performance of the Way Out West dance, from two of our younger members. Also, Bryan Hall (Charlie's nephew) and Jean Cook (Charlie's niece) are both expected to attend. Even more good news, this event will now be free of charge to everyone who comes along. It will just cost 50p to enter the club itself. So there you have it, 5 hours of fun and laughter for only 50p. Doors open at 11.15am. Event starts at 12.00.  Hope to see you there. John Ullah Oliver Hardy Festival Above are the front and back of a "rack card" that is being used this year to advertise the Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem, Georgia, which will take place on Saturday, 1st October. This card will be placed in racks in the Georgia Visitor Centers. The front side has a very nice photo of Dale "Ollie" Walter and Dennis "Stan" Moriarty of Canton, Ohio, who attend the Festival every year and are Grand Marshals in the Festival parade. This year will be the 23rd Annual Festival. There is a Harlem website with more information at http://www.harlemga.org/ohfest.htm. There are no hotels or motels in Harlem, but there are nice motels to stay at within 20 minutes of Harlem, in Thompson, Georgia, and Augusta, Georgia. If you are interested in going this year and you need some advice on where to stay (or have any other questions), let me know and I'll try to help. Gino Dercola, e-mail Laurel and Hardy play I just don't know how many times I have seen Tom McGrath's play Laurel and Hardy. I do know that the first time I saw it was in 1976 at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, when the play was new. It was therefore a kind of nostalgic visit to the same theatre, thirty-five years later almost to the day, when I returned on 27th April this year to see Alasdair McCrone star as Stan and Barrie Hunter as Ollie. I consider it to be the best performance of the play that I have ever seen. The production values were higher than ever and the stage settings and props worked economically and smoothly, and I felt in awe. It is true that I have seen greater likenesses to Stan and Ollie both in appearances and in mannerisms. It is also true that I have experienced more convincing illusions of being in the presence of the Boys. But somehow this performance seemed more polished, perhaps because of endless updates to the script over the years. And also, somehow, the team putting on the show, seemed to have done their homework well - amply proved by the delightful Book of the Show, the Mull Theatre's own printed programme booklet, which even had a guide to our Sons of the Desert. Congratulations to all concerned. This latest incarnation is outstanding. Willie McIntyre Rolduc driving I am presenting the colour footage of the Driver's License Sketch, performed in Milwaukee in 1940, at the Rolduc Convention, together with some other rare film and audio material on Friday, 10th June 2011. I obtained the original 8mm tape and digitised and restored it. I am compiling a documentary with all kind of material about the footage: film, text and photos.  I am still trying to find some more photos of the performance in Milwaukee. If anybody has a high resolution photo of Laurel and Hardy performing the Driver's License Sketch (no matter where it was performed) I would love to buy a scan. Surely I would credit the owner in my presentation at the Rolduc Convention 2011. Please send me an e-mail. Thank you. Michael Ehret Mae Day The Brats Tent had its Mae Day celebrations at its May meeting. The silent Love 'Em and Weep was followed by Sons of the Desert and Them Thar Hills, all featuring Mae Busch. Doctor, doctor Stan went to the doctor. He said, "There is something terribly wrong with me. Every part of my body hurts - my arms, my legs. Everything I touch hurts." "Ah, I see the problem," said the doctor. You've broken your finger." Bobby Pyrah It could happen at a convention Cedric suspected that someone had once again slipped him a trick spoon with the concave side reversed. Eamonn's voice I spotted something in Radio Times (07 - 13.05.11.). The actor who played Eamonn Andrews in Hattie (BBC2, 07.05.11.) was Lewis Macleod, whose name rang a bell. It was Lewis who provided Stan Laurel's voice on the BBC Radio Scotland programme Stan Laurel's Glasgow. Willie McIntyre Black Lion update Regarding the piece about Laurel and Hardy films shown by request at the Black Lion [Bulletin 25.04.11.]. . . Richmond is only about a thirty minutes drive from me so I rang up to see if any of the staff there were fans. I spoke to the current landlord who said that no one has asked for the films while he has been there and that it was his predecessor that was the fan. He believes he took the films with him when he left. Tony Hillman