1954 Letters
STAN LAUREL LETTERHEAD - 1111 Franklin Ave., Santa Monica, CA - TYPEWRITTEN
My Son-in-law Rand Brooks has just opened a Western Store. It is quite attractive and think he will do very well.
Nov.9th.'54.
My Dear Betty [Healy]:-
Just recd. yours or the 5th.inst.
Was certainly surprised to hear you had moved back to Oro Grande. Certainly lucky you had'nt sold the place as you had intended.
Can imagine what a job you had to move with all the animals etc. must have looked like the days of the Covered Waggon, headin' West!. How far did you have to travel? am not familiar with distance in that section.
However, pleased to know you all arrived OK & will soon be settled down again. Am glad to note that Wayne landed a good job & that you are getting the house completed to your liking, am sure you will be much happier in your own place.
My Son-in-law Rand Brooks has just opened a Western Store, it is quite attractive & think he will do very well, so far the business is very good (around 500 dollars a day) the location is a busy section & there are four or five stables (Riding Dept.) right around there. Enclosed is our invitation card to the opening, they had quite a celebration.
Everything here just about as usual, so not much news to tell you, have one or two TV. offers, but nothing interesting. Remember Harry Lachman, who directed "Our Relations" - have seen him a couple of times lately, he has a workshop near here, employs about 30 people, he makes all kinds of screwy novelties for novelty shops, seems to have a big business exporting this stuff. He still is married to the Chinese Woman & has that beautiful home in Beverly Hills, & nuttier than ever - what a character!
Yes, I see the old pictures are back on TV again, started last week I believe. Have you seen a Geo. Gobel & Dick Shawn lately - very very good - look out for them, you will [get a] big kick out of them.
All for now Betty. Eda joins in kindest & best
to Wayne & self.
Every good wish always,
As ever:-
Note from the Editor
George Gobel (1919-1991) was an American comedian, best known as the star of his own weekly NBC television show, The George Gobel Show, from 1954 to 1960.
Dick Shawn is the comedian best remembered for his roles as Sylvester Marcus, the beach-bum son of Mrs. Marcus (Ethel Merman), in Stanley Kramer’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and as Lorenzo St. DuBois/Adolf Hitler in the musical Springtime for Hitler, the play within the Mel Brooks movie, The Producers.
