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Admission is free. No advance reservations. Seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Hammer Museum members will have reserved seating available at the box office. The box office opens one hour before the first program of the day.
The Lighter Side of Hearst Newsreels #2: “Land”
In our second newsreel offering, we move from the sky to terra firma and take a look at some interesting creations in land transportation. From wind-driven cars to the bike of the future, please sit back and enjoy these unique vehicular innovations.—Jeffrey Bickel
Supper at Six
U.S., 1933
Los Angeles restoration premiere
An alimony check provides cause for celebration in this musical short whose title plays off Dinner at Eight of the same year. Featuring stage actress Maude Odell as a stern but sympathetic landlady with a collection of colorful boarding house tenants, many of whom contribute to the evening’s entertainment — music, acrobatics and even magic — this was one in a series of 13 musical shorts produced by Mentone Productions for Universal Pictures. It showcases stars of radio fame including the Ponce Sisters, whose estate assisted with supporting the preservation of this film.—Staci Hogsett
35mm, b&w, 18 min. Director: Lynn Shores. Screenwriter: Ballard MacDonald. With: Maude Odell, Hilda Spong, Jack Arthur, The Ponce Sisters.
Preservation funded by the Fenley, McCain and Verkamp families. Preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from the 35mm nitrate original picture and track negatives. Laboratory services by The PHI Stoa Film Lab, Deluxe Media Audio Services, Simon Daniel Sound. Special thanks to Mark Cantor, David McCain, NBCUniversal.
Pack Up Your Troubles
U.S., 1932
World restoration premiere
Stan and Ollie get drafted into the Great War! Boot camp brings both camaraderie and calamity for the duo when they are befriended by a bloke named Eddie Smith and subsequently thrown in jail by the General (played by longtime collaborator James Finlayson). Tragically, Eddie is killed in the trenches while Laurel and Hardy accidentally survive. This somewhat complex first act concludes stateside where the Boys discover their true mission in the film: caring for the late Eddie’s three-year-old daughter who will end up in an orphanage if they fail to locate the child’s grandparents. Like Eddie, they have the most common surname in the phonebook: Smith.
Pack Up Your Troubles is a comedic roller coaster that keeps its audience engaged with its dexterous gags and clever-yet-concise dialogue. At the same time, this endearing feature showcases all the underpinnings of Laurel and Hardy’s genius, including their trademark battered dignity and their earnest antics. It was released at the height of their careers — that year they won the Oscar for Best Short Subject with their film The Music Box (1932).
Although both actors are remembered as excellent performers, it was Stan Laurel (formerly Stanley Jefferson) who consistently took it upon himself to de facto direct and edit the majority of the Laurel and Hardy pictures. George Marshall and Raymond McCarey are credited as co-directors of Pack Up Your Troubles. However, according to biographer Raymond Valinoti Jr. (Another Nice Mess: The Laurel & Hardy Story), Laurel was the true mastermind behind the work.—Layton Hebert
DCP, b&w, 68 min. Directors: George Marshall, Raymond McCarey. Screenwriter: H.M. Walker. With: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson, Donald Dillaway, Jacquie Lynn.
Restoration funded by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation from the 35mm nitrate original picture negative, a 35mm nitrate lavender positive, a 35mm master positive and a 35mm nitrate variable density track negative. Laboratory services by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., FotoKem, Audio Mechanics, DJ Audio, Inc. Special thanks to the Library of Congress, Sonar Entertainment, British Film Institute.
