September 5, 1955
My Dear Trixie [Wyatt]:
Thank you dear for your nice letter Aug.29th. Was pleased to hear from you - I should have written to you before this, & intended to - but I have such a lot of unanswered mail that it seems I will never get started on it & every day more piles up on me. I think I shall finally have to get a secretary in for a few days to help me clear up this correspondence. Pleased to tell you I have improved a great deal & feeling pretty good, but am still very weak from the shock - I will be okay again as soon as I regain my strength - know you will understand. We are having a terrific heat wave here, last few days the temperature has been around 110 - its been awful - causled a lot of forest fires near here with great loss of homes & lives & animals & thousands of acres of timber etc. I guess you read about the floods in the East - that was shocking - whole towns being washed away - Billions of Dollars damage - several hundred people drowned - a real catastrophe!
Too bad you can't get away for a holiday - that's an unfortunate situation to be in - doesn't the old chap ever take a couple of weeks rest? I think he should give you a little consideration once in a while, surely he could manage to find time to get away somewhere. Note you had lunch with Dolly Dodds - give her my love & thanks for the kind inquiry. Yes, I got Benny Barron's letter & will answer as soon as I feel able - give him my best. On TV. (B.B.C.) Oct 9th. the "Water Rats" are putting on show & we have been asked to make some film which will appear on the show (about 3 or 4 minutes) so you might possibly be seeing us again. We are going to try & make it & ship it over. I think we can manage to do it on time.
Love & kind thoughts-
xxx
September 6, 1955
Mr Earl E. Shank Jr.,
Hauser's Drug Store,
EMMITSBURG.MD.
Dear Earl Shank Jr.,
So sorry the long delay in reply to your very nice letter of last April 26th. reason is, I took ill & went into hospital for several weeks & some of my mail got mislaid, & in clearing my desk this AM I just came across it. I am sure you will understand & excuse me.
With pleasure I am enclosing you the photo you requested, & want you to know that we both deeply appreciate your kind sentiments - many many thanks.
Pleased to tell you my health has greatly improved & hope to be in good shape soon now to make more films.
Mr. Hardy joins in kind regards & best wishes,
Sincerely:-
STAN LAUREL.
September 7, 1955
My Dear Cousin Elsie [Jefferson] Hall:-
Sorry so long in answering your nice & interesting letter of April 22nd last. Reason is, I had a slight stroke & was in hospital several weeks for treatment - pleased to tell you I am feeling much better again - rid of the crutches etc & able to get around once more - I made a wonderful recovery Thank God -0 it was an awful shock & experience to go through - for a couple of months I couldn't move my left arm or leg. Was getting ready to make some films for TV. which of course had to be postponed till I am able to work - the Dr. thinks I will be in shape in about 6 more weeks, but I don't want to start till I am fully sure I can tackle the job & have decided to take it easy for the rest of this year anyway. Too bad this had to happen - but I feel very lucky indeed, could have been the end of my activity.
It was interesting to read re your family tree & there is no doubt as to our being Cousins - it's strange my Dad never explained his side of the family to me - as I told you, Auntie Clara was the only one I knew of, & met when I was about 7 or 8 years old, I think it was where we lived in North Shields, as I remember.
I guess the reason I never knew much about it, was due to the fact that my brother Gordon - my sister Beatrice & I never had much home life - we were raised in different Boarding Schools & spent our holidays mostly with my Mother's relations - very seldom our family was ever together at one time, a very scattered affair - only knew my Dad as "The Guvnor" - all his interest seemed to be in the Theatre - when my Mother passed away in 1906. I left home to go on the Stage - Gordon was married & Beatrice was in a Convent in Belgium - my youngest Brother Teddy lived with my Dad in an apartment at the Metropole Theatre in Glasgow & we later left to join a pick-up Co. in Ireland. I then came to America- so we all never saw each other again for a long long time. Later I brought Teddy to America & got him a job - then never saw hi, till just before he died a few years alter. Well, I guess thats all on this subject.
We are having quite a heat wave - temperature reaching 112 for the past week - I love warm weather but this is too much. Note photos for Harry & self - will send them under separate cover. Remember me to Brenda - Frank - children & Eda joins in kindest regards & every good wish to you all.
Bye Elsie - Take care of yourself.
Sincerely always -
PS: The Water Rats are putting on a show for B.B.C. TV. Oct 9th. We have been asked to appear on it (on film - about 3 or 4 minutes which we will make here and ship over) am going to try & do it, so you may see us again soon! Bye dear.
September 16, 1955
My Dear Earl Shank,
Thank you for your kind letter & package of Pens & vitamins. It was indeed most gracious of you.
Both Mr Hardy & I deeply appreciate your very nice thought & spirit - again our sincere thanks.
We were delighted with the pens, (which in fact are one of our weaknesses) so it was a very pleasant surprise, & especially, we didn't have a "SNORKEL" among our collection.
My personal thanks for the vitamins, I shall certainly try them as soon as I am through with my present supply.
Note you have taken over the Drug Store, we both sincerely wish you good luck & lots of success in your new venture. Incidently - if you would care to have a large picture of L&H for display purpose - I shall be most happy to send one for you.
Our Kind Regards & best wishes always,
September 19, 1955
Dear Jimmie Wiseman,
Thanks your letter of enquiry regarding date of Birthdays.
Mr. Hardy - Jan. 18th.
S.L. - June 16th.
Regards & Best,
Sincerely-
September 22, 1955
Dear Earl Shank Jr.-
Thanks yours 20th.inst.
I am mailing you under seperate cover a 11 x 14 Picture - thought this particular one might be of interest, as it was, as we appeared before the King & Queen in England in '47. which of course was a great honour & a memorable event in our career - we were playing in Paris at the time & returned to London specially for the one show needless to tell you, we were scared to death - it was quite an experience.
By the way, it might interest you to know, that the ST. John Publishing Corp. 554, 5TH. AVE. NEW YORK 17 N.Y. are putting out a series of L&H comic books & are issued twice a month & I understand there is quite a demand for them on the news stands. a friend sent me one from Detroit - they are rather cute.
Thanks for the invitation to visit you, shall be delighted if we happen to be around your section.
Appreciate your Kind sentiments.
Sincerely as Ever-
September 30, 1955
Dear Trixie [Wyatt]:
Thanks yours 26th.inst.
Am sending you some refills of lipstick next week - you can put them in the same holder you have.
Note you have another Doll - you must have a nice collection by now. I am waiting to send one from Eda & I as a Xmas Gift to avoid you having to pay any duty on import - you'll be getting it sometime in Dec.
Don't worry about the cost of lipstick dear, it doesn't amount to anything - & we are happy to get it for you.
I guess poor Jackie has'nt much to write about is the reason you don't hear from him - too bad he has wasted his life away & having such a great talent, I feel very sorry for him, I tried hard to encourage him, but am afraid it is of no use - he seemed to have lost nerve & had no faith in himself, its a tragedy. No, we are not coming to England. We made a bit of film here yesterday which will be put into the Water Rats show Oct. 9th. B.B.C. Tv. Hope you get a chance to see it, so you can let us know how it turned out. We haven't seen it of course so don't know how it looks. Love to Dolly & Benny when you see them again. Eda joins in love & bestest to your dear Self - hope you are well & happy. Bye Trixie-
God bless-
xxx
September 30, 1955
Dear Betty [Healy Murray],
I don't know if you take the L.A. Examiner or not, but this AM paper included a magazine - advertising "APPLE VALLEY." Thought you might like to have it, so am mailing it to you under seperate cover.
Have thought about Wayne and yourself several times during these recent forest fires & hoping you wouldn't be in the danger area & suffer any damage. The fire Depts. certainly had a tough year.
Pleased to tell you am coming along OK & able to get around much better, but not in condition to work yet, so don't think I shall attempt anything the rest of this year.
Seeing Thomas' radio station picture in the magazine, was wondering how you were coming along with your Kiddies program - not hearing from you for a while, I imagined you might be busy working on it. Did you get the house finished yet? Charlie Rogers dropped in to see me a couple of days ago - he sends his best to you. He looks just the same as ever - he is doing very well, builds & rents stores & does some writing for TV here and there - he certainly has a lot of energy for his age.
Well all for now Betty - Eda joins in all the best to Wayne & self - hope you are feeling good & taking care of yourself.
Kind thoughts,
As ever-
September 30, 1955
Dear Trixie [Wyatt]:-
Thanks yours 26th.inst.
Sending some refills of lipstick next week - you can put them in the same holder you have.
Note you have another Doll - you must have a nice collection by now. I am waiting to send one from Eda & I as a Xmas Gift to avoid you having to pay any duty on it, so you will be getting it sometime in Dec.
Don't worry about the cost of lipstick dear, it doesn't amount to anything - & we are happy to get it for you.
I guess poor Jackie hasn't much to write about is the reason you don't hear from him - it's bad he has wasted his life away & having such a great talent, I feel very very sorry for him, I tried hard to encourage him, but am afraid it is of no use - he seemed to have lost his nerve & had no faith...it's a tradgedy. No we are not coming to England. We made a bit of film here yesterday which will be put into the Water Rats show on Oct 9th. B.B.C. TV. - hope you get a chance to see it, so you can let us know how it turned out. We haven't seen it of course so don't know how it looks.
Love to Dolly & Benny when you seen them again.
Eda joins in love and Bestest to your dear self...Bye Trixie-
Love to Dolly &xxx
September 30, 1955
Earl E. Shank Jr.Esq.,
Emmitsburg Pharmacy,
EMMITSBURG.MD.
Dear Earl Shank Jr.;-
Pleased to hear the picture arrived OK.
Thanks for all your nice compliments.
Yes, we had writers & gag men working with us during the making of our films & we used many suggestions that were offered by them, of course we adapted them to fit our own style of presentation, & very often we would create bits of business during the actual shooting, which came spontaneously & would enhance the scene.
I am sorry, we do not participate in the sales of our pictures, nor do we get any percentage or revenue from TV, so am afraid you will have to purchase them through Roach's New York office. However, I greatly appreciate your kind thought in doing business with us, many thanks.
What particular films did you have in mind? maybe I could help you in the selection, as some of the shorts were not as good as others, for instance, I would suggest "Busy Bodies" "The Ghost Ship" "County Hospital" "Any Old Port" etc, they were among our best popular ones.
Well, all for now & thanks again for everything
Regards & best.
Sincerely:-