Laurel & Hardy film-group meeting on Dec. 12, and a msg. from the group's leader

Once a month for the past three years, my Tent has screened Laurel & Hardy comedy films for free to the general public at a local library. Until this month, I have screened the movies on Monday evenings, where we have gotten a small but regular group of attendees. However, I've recently gotten a new job which takes up my weeknights, so I was forced to switch my meeting day to Saturday afternoons. On Nov. 7, I held my first Sat. Tent meeting and unfortunately got zero attendees, the first time this has ever occurred with my Tent.

If this unfortunate trend continues, I will be forced to shut down the Tent after the Jan. or Feb. 2010 meeting. I really do not want to do that. These comedy films meant a great deal to me when I was a child, and showing these movies for free (as a member of the L&H Society) means a lot to me and especially to my young son (who assists me at the meetings). I feel that the Tent is my way of "paying forward" my love of Laurel & Hardy's comedy.

To those who have regularly attended and/or publicized my Tent's monthly meetings, I thank you for your continued support. To everyone, I ask that if you have any designated space -- a publication, a blog, etc. -- in which you can promote my Tent, esp. in the Jacksonville area, I would greatly appreciate it. I have no advertising budget of any kind to promote this Tent. But I have to think that fans of old-time comedy; people looking for free, family-oriented entertainment; and even Jacksonville film historians (Oliver Hardy made his first movies in Jacksonville) would provide enough of a base to make publicizing this Tent worthwhile.

Our Tent's next meeting is on Sat., Dec. 12, 2009, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Pablo Creek Branch Library, 13295 Beach Blvd. (between Kernan and Hodges Blvds.) Our Dec. meeting will feature four winter-based L&H short subjects: “Big Business” (1929), “Below Zero” (1930), “Laughing Gravy” (1931), and “The Fixer Uppers” (1935). As always, admission, light snacks, and sodas are free to all visitors.

If you know of anyone in the Jacksonville area who would be interested, please encourage him or her to attend this and all future meetings. Thank you for your time and help.