Stan Laurel TLS Re: 3 Feature-Length Films, "Way Out West," "Block-heads," & "A Chump at Oxford" 

A 1p typed letter signed by British actor Stan Laurel (1890-1965) as "Stan Laurel" near lower right. Written in Santa Monica, California on September 14, 1960 on a single leaf of blue stationery with Laurel's address in the letterhead. Two edits, one in ink and one typographical. 

Accompanied by a James Spence Authentication Letter of Authenticity.

Stan Laurel was one half of the beloved comedic duo Laurel & Hardy. He wrote this letter to Fred and Alice Beebe of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, who had requested an autographed photograph from the screen legend to add to a wall of their impressive home movie theater. 

In part: "Thank you for your very interesting letter, especially the pictures describing your little theatre - its quite unique. Am sure you get a great deal of pleasure out of it & I imagine very popular with your friends & customers. Regarding the L & H films you mention, three of these titles are feature length: - 'Blockheads' 'Chump at Oxford' & 'Way Out West'. The rest are shorts & I believe some of these are available at the Blackhawk Film Co. … …I have a friend of mine…Drop him a line, am sure he would be pleased to help you. He too has a little theatre in the basement of his home with projection booth etc. & his entire library of films consists of nothing but Laurel & Hardy, he has about 50 titles - shorts & features, silent & sound…" 

Stan Laurel recalled three of Laurel & Hardy's feature-length films, "Way Out West," "Block-Heads," and "A Chump at Oxford." 

"Way Out West" was a gold mining yarn produced by Hal Roach Studios and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after its release in April 1937. 

"Block-Heads" was an improbable comedy about World War I, also a Hal Roach / MGM project, released in August 1938. 

"A Chump at Oxford" sees Laurel & Hardy as out-of-luck drifters who foil a bank robbery and are rewarded with a free overseas education; the United Artists picture was released in February 1940. 

Laurel's correspondents Fred and Alice Beebe had written the actor, telling him about their love of movie history. In "Old Saybrook: A Main Street History" (Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2020), local historian Todd Levy recounts that Fred Beebe was an electrician, amateur filmmaker, and movie enthusiast from Old Saybrook, Connecticut. He and wife Alice renovated the basement of their home on 381 Main Street in Old Saybrook to create a 12' x 35' x 10' home movie theatre, complete with a stage, stadium seating, separate entrance, marquee, and collection of autographed publicity photos of classic Hollywood stars. The couple welcomed guests to "Cinema 381," as they called their basement theatre, to watch classic movies, cartoons, and home movies. See the attached photos of "Cinema 381." Laurel outlived his partner, American actor Oliver Hardy (1892-1957), by eight years. Laurel & Hardy starred in over 100 silent, sound, short, and feature-length films after they officially paired in 1927, and reached their peak during the interwar years under contract with Hal Roach Studios. The pair excelled at slapstick comedy; routines generally entailed the 6'1" tall 280-lb Hardy walloping or verbally abusing Laurel, his thinner and smaller companion. The duo often wore trademark bowler hats.