The Way Out West Tent returned
to Culver City for this year's annual banquet. The
location for the banquet was the historic Culver
Hotel, a landmark in downtown Culver City which was
featured in a number of Hal Roach films.
The Banquet took place the same
night as massive wildfires were burning throughout
Southern California. Shortly before the start of
the banquet, Grand Sheik Bob Satterfield was called
back to San Bernardino to begin evacuation of his
own home. Fortunately, we can report that he
suffered no damage. However, this was the first
banquet Bob has missed in 31 years! Vice Sheik
Jimmy Wiley Jr. took over the evening's hosting
duties, with the assistance of many present and
former tent officers.
Many guests arrived early, to
take a self guided walking tour of downtown Culver
City. Locations from eleven different Laurel &
Hardy films were seen on this tour, most of which
were located on the one block long Main Street.
Alan Barasorda, Bob Duncan, Earl Kress, and Jimmy
Wiley Jr. served as docents, answering questions
along the tour route. Many tour-takers got to see
an unexpected recreation of the traffic jam scene
from Leave 'Em Laughing just one block away from where the movie
was actually shot, when the traffic lights went out
at the busy intersection of Venice Boulevard and
Main Street/Bagley Avenue.
With the sun setting out on Main
Street, activities moved inside the Culver Hotel
lobby where the evening's program was to take
place. During the cocktail hour, three films which
prominently featured the Culver Hotel were shown:
45 Minutes from
Hollywood (1926),
Leave 'Em Laughing (1928), and We Faw Down (1928). At the conclusion of the films,
a plaque was dedicated commemorating several of the
films that Laurel & Hardy shot at this
location. Past Way Out West Grand Sheik John Duff
said a few words before the plaque was unveiled by
Jimmy Wiley Jr. The plaque was designed by artist
Ian Marsden.
While
photos were being taken of the plaque, Grand Vizier
Lori Jones McCaffery began calling tables for the
dinner buffet. At the conclusion of dinner, a large
cheesecake (which had been decorated to resemble
the new plaque) was served. Lori Jones McCaffery
then returned to the podium to preside over the
evening's raffle.
The program then officially
started with the giving of the traditional
celebrity toasts. The toasts were provided by way
Out West Tent Board Members Bob Duncan, Jimmy Wiley
Jr., Alan Barasorda, Jayne Barnhart, Earl Kress,
and John Duff. The singing of the Sons of the
Desert Song followed.
Following a short video
documenting several Laurel & Hardy films which
clearly feature the Culver Hotel, the celebrity
guests were introduced. Jerry Maren, who has been a
Way Out West Tent member for many years, was
honored for his work in the Our Gang film
Tiny Troubles (1939). But the Culver Hotel had
additional significance for this guest, who played
a Munchkin in the Wizard of Oz (1939) and stayed in this very same
hotel during the filming of that movie. Jerry,
along with his wife Elizabeth, actively tours the
country making appearances as one of the last
remaining Munchkins.
Attending his first Way Out West
Tent function was Payne Johnson, who played one of
the Three Little Pigs in Laurel & Hardy's
Babes in Toyland (1934). Although Payne was only a child
at the time, the other two "little pigs" were
played by little people. Payne also worked in Our
Gang and Charlie Chase films at the Hal Roach
Studios. He is retired from the public relations
business, and currently serves as a tour guide for
various archeological sites around the world.
Several years ago we were
introduced to Buddy MacDonald, who also worked at
the Roach Studios as a child. Buddy appeared in
On the Loose, which featured a cameo appearance by
Laurel & Hardy. Even more interesting was his
role with the Boys in their feature film
Pardon Us (1931). A production still survives
showing Buddy and another child fishing with Laurel
and Hardy (made up with long beards to appear
older) in an alternate ending to Pardon Us that never made it to the big
screen.
Also in attendance that evening
was loyal Way Out West Tent member Jay Dare, who
severed as a costumer for Laurel and Hardy at 20th
Century Fox. Guests were invited to the stage to
say a few words about their careers and their
memories of the Boys.
Our other guests of honor for
the evening were Sons of the Desert Founding member
Chuck McCann and his partner Jim MacGeorge. Stan
Laurel personally teamed this pair of impersonators
to carry on the comedy routines of Laurel and
Hardy. They are perhaps best known to our members
for their work as L&H look-a-likes in numerous
television commercials, including those for Anco
Wiper Blades and more recently for the Sizzler. Jim
and Chuck have delighted us for years with jokes
and sketches at our banquets. They were bestowed
with the first "Leave 'Em Laughing Award" in honor
of perpetuating the comedy of Laurel and Hardy. A
variety of their work on television was shown. They
said a few words and were then presented with their
awards.
A tribute was then presented to
several celebrities who have passed away in the
last year. Following that, a brief video comparing
then-and-now photos from many of the locations seen
on the walking tour was shown. The evening
concluded with the screening of Putting Pants on
Philip (1927). In one
scene from that film, paneling on the wall inside
the hotel's lobby could clearly be seen. This
paneling looked unchanged today, located only a few
feet from our projection screen. This was the final
reminder of what a special place the Culver Hotel
is to Laurel and Hardy fans.
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