Bruce Calvert
2008-10-04 19:57:07 UTC
http://www.thevalleychronicle.com/articles/2008/10/03/news/10nlaurel.txt
Laurel and Hardy fan on a search for duo's lost films
By JENNA HUNT/For The Valley Chronicle
DEVOTION: Bob Stowell’s Hemet home is filled with Laurel and Hardy
memorabilia. Stowell has started a local club devoted to the
comedians. ‘You can be in the dumps and they make you laugh,’ he says.
JENNA HUNT / For The Valley Chronicle
Bob Stowell has started a new Hemet Laurel and Hardy fan club in an
effort to track down the beloved comedy duo's lost films.
His passion as a fan has inspired him to piece together a DVD that re-
creates as much as possible of one lost film, “The Rogue Song,” and
his search continues for “Hats Off,” another lost film. He mails the
DVDs across the globe to other devoted fans.
In 1980, at the annual Laurel and Hardy fan club convention held in
Los Angeles, Stowell came across a recording from “The Rogue Song,”
the actors' only Technicolor film, made in 1930. His interest came
when he learned that the original negatives of the film had been lost
with others during a fire on the MGM Culver City lot. He contacted the
American Film Institute, the Library of Congress, and other film
sources to track down the lost footage.
About a year later, AFI contacted him about a three-minute clip of the
film it received and they sent him a copy of the clip. The segment
shows star Lawrence Tibbett trying to stabilize some tents during a
desert storm and Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy popping out of one of
the fallen tents. Stowell, who said he wants more footage of the lost
film, has tracked down clues and reports for the past 28 years. It has
become an obsession, he said.
The new Hemet club has about 50 members from surrounding counties,
Stowell said. No dues are required for membership. The only
requirement is the ability to laugh at the Laurel and Hardy films,
Stowell said.
Stowell said he loves to laugh, and usually laughs louder than most at
the meetings and even at home.
“You can be in the dumps and they make you laugh,” he said.
Stowell, 77, who moved to Hemet from Baldwin Park, said his love of
the comedy duo has been a passion since he was 11 years old and first
saw the films. His favorites still include “Hog Wild” and “Dirty
Work,” both of which he estimates he has seen at least 100 times.
“Stan Laurel is a real genius of comedy,” Stowell said.
Stowell attended the funeral of cinema legend and friend Arthur
Stanley Jefferson - better known as Stan Laurel - at the Hollywood
Hills Forest Lawn Cemetery in February 1965. He kept a rose from the
funeral and keeps it in his scrapbook. His book shelves are stocked
with biographies on the duo along with tapes and DVDs. His walls are
plastered with pictures of the pair. He has two large ceramic statues
of Stan and Ollie dolls in his living room. The statues were a gift
from his children.
“This is my shrine right here,” Stowell said pointing to the statues.
Even though he never met Hardy, who died in 1957, Stowell says his
interest in the stars was and is “50/50.” He has collected all the
comedians' films, including those they performed solo.
“I have them all,” Stowell said. “I've got everything that is
available.”
The retired purchasing manager now spends his days between watching
and burning DVDs for devoted Laurel and Hardy fans across the globe.
He treasures and still reads his correspondence with Laurel, which
started in 1963 when his then wife suggested he write the star a
letter. A week later, Stowell said, a postcard came back - a personal
note from the actor. The two continued a correspondence until the
actor's death two years later. Stowell said he also visited the
comedian at his home about a half dozen times. He said the actor was
friendly and talkative and constantly cracking jokes. He said his last
years were very happy.
“It opened up a whole new world to me,” Stowell said. “He was the
nicest person you could ever want to meet. You don't know what it's
like to have a hug from Stan Laurel.”
Stowell's new “tent,” or club, is the 274th one formed for Laurel and
Hardy fans across the globe under the International Laurel and Hardy
Society, and it was officially accepted on May 13, 2008. Stowell has a
plaque by the front door at his home saying: “House of Rogue Song”
with the acceptance date.
He explained that it is called a tent because “nomads of the desert
have tents. It's as if we were a bunch of nomads,” he said.
He said it is also a kind of farce of the movie “The Sons of the
Desert.”
“You get to be an authority after awhile,” said Stowell of his Laurel
and Hardy knowledge.
Stowell said he helped found the Los Angeles “tent,” “Way Out West,”
in the late 1960s and is now an honorary member. In addition, he was
the Grand Sheik, or president, of the Orange County club.
At the meetings, members trade souvenirs, watch films and have
refreshments.
Stowell said he has even gotten his family into the comedians over the
years.
Stowell also shares his passion with seniors. He recently mailed about
15 Laurel and Hardy DVDs to senior homes in Hemet so he could share
some of the laughter with people who would remember the comedy duo, he
said.
He said the Academy Award-winning Laurel and Hardy are just too hard
to beat. They make him laugh and keep his days bright, he said.
“They called it the golden era of comedy,” Stowell said.
--
Bruce Calvert
Visit the Silent Film Still Archive
http://www.silentfilmstillarchive.com
Laurel and Hardy fan on a search for duo's lost films
By JENNA HUNT/For The Valley Chronicle
DEVOTION: Bob Stowell’s Hemet home is filled with Laurel and Hardy
memorabilia. Stowell has started a local club devoted to the
comedians. ‘You can be in the dumps and they make you laugh,’ he says.
JENNA HUNT / For The Valley Chronicle
Bob Stowell has started a new Hemet Laurel and Hardy fan club in an
effort to track down the beloved comedy duo's lost films.
His passion as a fan has inspired him to piece together a DVD that re-
creates as much as possible of one lost film, “The Rogue Song,” and
his search continues for “Hats Off,” another lost film. He mails the
DVDs across the globe to other devoted fans.
In 1980, at the annual Laurel and Hardy fan club convention held in
Los Angeles, Stowell came across a recording from “The Rogue Song,”
the actors' only Technicolor film, made in 1930. His interest came
when he learned that the original negatives of the film had been lost
with others during a fire on the MGM Culver City lot. He contacted the
American Film Institute, the Library of Congress, and other film
sources to track down the lost footage.
About a year later, AFI contacted him about a three-minute clip of the
film it received and they sent him a copy of the clip. The segment
shows star Lawrence Tibbett trying to stabilize some tents during a
desert storm and Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy popping out of one of
the fallen tents. Stowell, who said he wants more footage of the lost
film, has tracked down clues and reports for the past 28 years. It has
become an obsession, he said.
The new Hemet club has about 50 members from surrounding counties,
Stowell said. No dues are required for membership. The only
requirement is the ability to laugh at the Laurel and Hardy films,
Stowell said.
Stowell said he loves to laugh, and usually laughs louder than most at
the meetings and even at home.
“You can be in the dumps and they make you laugh,” he said.
Stowell, 77, who moved to Hemet from Baldwin Park, said his love of
the comedy duo has been a passion since he was 11 years old and first
saw the films. His favorites still include “Hog Wild” and “Dirty
Work,” both of which he estimates he has seen at least 100 times.
“Stan Laurel is a real genius of comedy,” Stowell said.
Stowell attended the funeral of cinema legend and friend Arthur
Stanley Jefferson - better known as Stan Laurel - at the Hollywood
Hills Forest Lawn Cemetery in February 1965. He kept a rose from the
funeral and keeps it in his scrapbook. His book shelves are stocked
with biographies on the duo along with tapes and DVDs. His walls are
plastered with pictures of the pair. He has two large ceramic statues
of Stan and Ollie dolls in his living room. The statues were a gift
from his children.
“This is my shrine right here,” Stowell said pointing to the statues.
Even though he never met Hardy, who died in 1957, Stowell says his
interest in the stars was and is “50/50.” He has collected all the
comedians' films, including those they performed solo.
“I have them all,” Stowell said. “I've got everything that is
available.”
The retired purchasing manager now spends his days between watching
and burning DVDs for devoted Laurel and Hardy fans across the globe.
He treasures and still reads his correspondence with Laurel, which
started in 1963 when his then wife suggested he write the star a
letter. A week later, Stowell said, a postcard came back - a personal
note from the actor. The two continued a correspondence until the
actor's death two years later. Stowell said he also visited the
comedian at his home about a half dozen times. He said the actor was
friendly and talkative and constantly cracking jokes. He said his last
years were very happy.
“It opened up a whole new world to me,” Stowell said. “He was the
nicest person you could ever want to meet. You don't know what it's
like to have a hug from Stan Laurel.”
Stowell's new “tent,” or club, is the 274th one formed for Laurel and
Hardy fans across the globe under the International Laurel and Hardy
Society, and it was officially accepted on May 13, 2008. Stowell has a
plaque by the front door at his home saying: “House of Rogue Song”
with the acceptance date.
He explained that it is called a tent because “nomads of the desert
have tents. It's as if we were a bunch of nomads,” he said.
He said it is also a kind of farce of the movie “The Sons of the
Desert.”
“You get to be an authority after awhile,” said Stowell of his Laurel
and Hardy knowledge.
Stowell said he helped found the Los Angeles “tent,” “Way Out West,”
in the late 1960s and is now an honorary member. In addition, he was
the Grand Sheik, or president, of the Orange County club.
At the meetings, members trade souvenirs, watch films and have
refreshments.
Stowell said he has even gotten his family into the comedians over the
years.
Stowell also shares his passion with seniors. He recently mailed about
15 Laurel and Hardy DVDs to senior homes in Hemet so he could share
some of the laughter with people who would remember the comedy duo, he
said.
He said the Academy Award-winning Laurel and Hardy are just too hard
to beat. They make him laugh and keep his days bright, he said.
“They called it the golden era of comedy,” Stowell said.
--
Bruce Calvert
Visit the Silent Film Still Archive
http://www.silentfilmstillarchive.com