Bowery 1

This week's cartoon and comedy short were requested by a couple of our stalwart Balconeers. So remember to get those requests in via email or our message board... You Asked For It!
Apple Andy was directed by Dick Lundy and released in 1946.
One sunny afternoon, a rather jaunty young panda named Andy was skipping down a country lane, playing his ocarina and enjoying a beautiful spring day. He chanced upon an apple orchard, and was torn between continuing on his way and stopping to partake of the delicious-looking fruit.
Naturally, an angelic conscience magically appeared to spur him to stay on the path of the straight and narrow, while dat ol' debbil voiced the opposite opinion. Not playing fair, the devil beat up the angel and spray-painted the green apples red so that they'd look more appetizing. Poor Andy had no chance against his wiles.
Andy ate so many of the apples that he turned green and fell ill. In his fever-soaked brain, the apple cores hopped up and started dancing.
Some of the apples formed a line and danced the can-can. So far, this dream has been pretty entertaining, actually.
As if to spoil the fun, though, one of the apples hops on Andy and starts to sing a song called "Up Jumped the Devil (in a White Nightgown)". Obligingly, Andy's devil dons the garment. Andy then is taken to a dreadful place...
where he's forced to eat gallons of applesauce and tortured by a Modern Times-type apple feeder. Suddenly, the cartoon has turned ugly. In the proverbial nick of time (there IS something about time in Proverbs, isn't there?) Andy is rescued by his angel...
...who turns Joe Louis on the devil. Andy continues on his way down the country lane, this time with the angel in tow. Never be far from your angel, kids.

Also by request here's a great Laurel & Hardy 2-reeler from 1934 called Going Bye-Bye!, directed by Charley Rogers. Sadly, it's not available on DVD in the U.S.; you'll have to purchase the German, British, or Dutch DVD. This is from the German collection, and you'll note how beautifully restored and remastered this wonderful short is. It hasn't looked this good since the mid-1930s, if ever!
Walter Long has been convicted of a terrible crime and sentenced to life in prison, which makes him none too happy. The main witnesses against him were Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy, who are pleased he's been convicted, but...
...are not satisfied with the sentence. "Aren't you going to HANG him?" Stan calls out to the judge. This sets Mr. Long off, and he promises that he will escape from prison, catch up to the two "squealers", and rip off their legs and tie them around their throats. Gulp! THAT would hurt.
Mr. Hardy is perturbed at Mr. Laurel for calling out in court ("Couldn't you see that he was ANNOYED?") and they decide to leave town toot sweet but are stuck for funds. They figure they can place an ad in the paper for a rider to help share costs, "like when we came out here." Stan places an ad in the paper for "a rider to help share costs, like when we came out here." The ad advises those who are not interested to not apply.
While they wait for a call on the ad, they pack. Ollie bends over to clean his shoes, and Stanley comes barreling through the door, knocking his rotund partner through the brass bed and headfirst into the suitcase. "What are you doing in there?" Stan innocently asks.
The phone rings, and it's the ever-popular Mae Busch, who is looking to take it on the lam. Mr. Laurel happened to be holding a can of milk at the time, and accidentally does NOT hand the phone's receiver to Mr. Hardy.
"Pardon me a moment," Ollie deadpans. "My ear is full of milk."
Mae turns out to be Long's moll, and he's already escaped. No problem: he'll just hitch a ride with the two nice men on their way over to pick up Miss Busch.
When Laurel & Hardy arrive, Long -- fearing it's the coppers -- hides in a large trunk. Unfortunately, he locks himself in, and it's up to Stan and Ollie to try and extricate him. "Can I get you a sandwich?" Ollie asks helpfully.
While Mae goes for a locksmith, the boys drill a few air holes (with a drill bit that extends into various parts of Long's anatomy). Finally, though, the holes allow Long to see exactly whom his benefactors are, much to his delight.
When they try to melt the lock with a blowtorch, they only succeed in setting Long's body on fire. Amidst his screams, they stick a firehose into one of the holes they've drilled, nearly drowning the poor guy. The Big House must be looking better to him all the time. The force of the water bursts the sides of the trunk, and Long is free at last. The cops are on their way, though, having nabbed Mae outside the building, and they rush into the apartment and recapture Long.
But not before he's had a chance to make good his threat.
"And here's ANOTHER nice mess you've gotten me into!"
(By the way, the flowers Ollie is holding in the final picture are a running gag in the film; they brought them for Mae, and no matter WHAT catastrophe is happening, they never put them down, just hand them back and forth to each other.)

Next, welcome to the eighth electrifying episode of our chapterplay, The Hurricane Express. This week's chapter is called "Outside the Law, or the Mel Gibson Story."
When last we saw John Wayne's girlfriend, she and her roadster had met a fiery doom on the Road to Extreme Unpleasantness. This week, we're happy to report, she remembered to jump out first. See, when you have 7 days to think about a problem, you can usually come up with an effective solution.
By the way, during the great chase, the director thoughtfully gave us a closeup of the car's speedometer, so we could see just how fast the lightning-like roadster was whizzing along. Wow!
Blinky and his pal pick up Gloria and decide to take her to their hideout, where her father is being held captive.
She was only feigning unconsciousness, though, and from the back seat, she furiously begins writing notes and tossing them out of the car to attract the attention of John Wayne, who should come along sooner or later, unless John Ford calls.
Sorry, Gloria, you're going to have to wait. The Duke's busy saving that guy on the train again; turns out that this is an economy chapter (what, ANOTHER one?) and the weather report calls for 100% chance of stock footage. Luckily, elsewhere some other guy we don't know is being accused of being the Wrecker.
Having wrapped up their pointless reminiscing of what's gone on in previous chapters, John and his pals receive a mysterious phone call with reversed charges, asking them to please hurry up and get on with it, the audience is getting restless.
Gloria and her pop are reunited; the villains take her into another room and slap their hands together while shouting "OW! Don't hit me no more!" in a woman's voice. The old fart falls for it, and he agrees to take them to where the gold is hidden in the old mine if they'll only get Glenn Strange away from him.
John has found the notes, and rescued Gloria, or she rescued him, or maybe that was some other serial. I dunno, I keep scrolling back to watch Laurel & Hardy again. Anyway, something happens to somebody.
In the end, though, John gets shot in the back and collapses in a heap in his heap.
Next week, "The Invisible Enemy, or Who Cut the Cheese?"

Next time, we've got a special ALL REQUEST "You Asked For It!" week here at Matinee in the Balcony. Yes, a full schedule of shorts YOU demanded, pleaded for, and cajoled out of us. Don't miss it! And now, after going into our lobby and relieving yourselves... that is, relieving yourselves of a buck or two at our fabled Concession Stand, click HERE to begin our Feature Presentation!

	This week's cartoon and comedy short were requested by a couple of our stalwart Balconeers. So remember to get those requests in via email or our message board... You Asked For It! Apple Andy was directed by Dick Lundy and released in 1946.
One sunny afternoon, a rather jaunty young panda named Andy was skipping down a country lane, playing his ocarina and enjoying a beautiful spring day.		He chanced upon an apple orchard, and was torn between continuing on his way and stopping to partake of the delicious-looking fruit.
	Naturally, an angelic conscience magically appeared to spur him to stay on the path of the straight and narrow, while dat ol' debbil voiced the opposite opinion. Not playing fair, the devil beat up the angel and spray-painted the green apples red so that they'd look more appetizing. Poor Andy had no chance against his wiles.
	Andy ate so many of the apples that he turned green and fell ill. In his fever-soaked brain, the apple cores hopped up and started dancing.
Some of the apples formed a line and danced the can-can.		So far, this dream has been pretty entertaining, actually.
	As if to spoil the fun, though, one of the apples hops on Andy and starts to sing a song called "Up Jumped the Devil (in a White Nightgown)". Obligingly, Andy's devil dons the garment. Andy then is taken to a dreadful place...
where he's forced to eat gallons of applesauce and tortured by a Modern Times-type apple feeder. Suddenly, the cartoon has turned ugly.		In the proverbial nick of time (there IS something about time in Proverbs, isn't there?) Andy is rescued by his angel...
	...who turns Joe Louis on the devil. Andy continues on his way down the country lane, this time with the angel in tow. Never be far from your angel, kids.

	Also by request here's a great Laurel & Hardy 2-reeler from 1934 called Going Bye-Bye!, directed by Charley Rogers. Sadly, it's not available on DVD in the U.S.; you'll have to purchase the German, British, or Dutch DVD. This is from the German collection, and you'll note how beautifully restored and remastered this wonderful short is. It hasn't looked this good since the mid-1930s, if ever!
Walter Long has been convicted of a terrible crime and sentenced to life in prison, which makes him none too happy. The main witnesses against him were Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy, who are pleased he's been convicted, but...
	...are not satisfied with the sentence. "Aren't you going to HANG him?" Stan calls out to the judge. This sets Mr. Long off, and he promises that he will escape from prison, catch up to the two "squealers", and rip off their legs and tie them around their throats. Gulp! THAT would hurt.
Mr. Hardy is perturbed at Mr. Laurel for calling out in court ("Couldn't you see that he was ANNOYED?") and they decide to leave town toot sweet but are stuck for funds. They figure they can place an ad in the paper for a rider to help share costs, "like when we came out here."		Stan places an ad in the paper for "a rider to help share costs, like when we came out here." The ad advises those who are not interested to not apply.
	While they wait for a call on the ad, they pack. Ollie bends over to clean his shoes, and Stanley comes barreling through the door, knocking his rotund partner through the brass bed and headfirst into the suitcase. "What are you doing in there?" Stan innocently asks.
The phone rings, and it's the ever-popular Mae Busch, who is looking to take it on the lam. Mr. Laurel happened to be holding a can of milk at the time, and accidentally does NOT hand the phone's receiver to Mr. Hardy.
	"Pardon me a moment," Ollie deadpans. "My ear is full of milk." Mae turns out to be Long's moll, and he's already escaped. No problem: he'll just hitch a ride with the two nice men on their way over to pick up Miss Busch.
When Laurel & Hardy arrive, Long -- fearing it's the coppers -- hides in a large trunk. Unfortunately, he locks himself in, and it's up to Stan and Ollie to try and extricate him.		"Can I get you a sandwich?" Ollie asks helpfully.
	While Mae goes for a locksmith, the boys drill a few air holes (with a drill bit that extends into various parts of Long's anatomy). Finally, though, the holes allow Long to see exactly whom his benefactors are, much to his delight.
When they try to melt the lock with a blowtorch, they only succeed in setting Long's body on fire. Amidst his screams, they stick a firehose into one of the holes they've drilled, nearly drowning the poor guy. The Big House must be looking better to him all the time.		The force of the water bursts the sides of the trunk, and Long is free at last. The cops are on their way, though, having nabbed Mae outside the building, and they rush into the apartment and recapture Long.
But not before he's had a chance to make good his threat. "And here's ANOTHER nice mess you've gotten me into!"		(By the way, the flowers Ollie is holding in the final picture are a running gag in the film; they brought them for Mae, and no matter WHAT catastrophe is happening, they never put them down, just hand them back and forth to each other.)

	Next, welcome to the eighth electrifying episode of our chapterplay, *The Hurricane Express.* This week's chapter is called "Outside the Law, or the Mel Gibson Story." When last we saw John Wayne's girlfriend, she and her roadster had met a fiery doom on the Road to Extreme Unpleasantness. This week, we're happy to report, she remembered to jump out first. See, when you have 7 days to think about a problem, you can usually come up with an effective solution.
By the way, during the great chase, the director thoughtfully gave us a closeup of the car's speedometer, so we could see just how fast the lightning-like roadster was whizzing along. Wow!
	Blinky and his pal pick up Gloria and decide to take her to their hideout, where her father is being held captive.
She was only feigning unconsciousness, though, and from the back seat, she furiously begins writing notes and tossing them out of the car to attract the attention of John Wayne, who should come along sooner or later, unless John Ford calls.
	Sorry, Gloria, you're going to have to wait. The Duke's busy saving that guy on the train again; turns out that this is an economy chapter (what, ANOTHER one?) and the weather report calls for 100% chance of stock footage. Luckily, elsewhere some other guy we don't know is being accused of being the Wrecker.
Having wrapped up their pointless reminiscing of what's gone on in previous chapters, John and his pals receive a mysterious phone call with reversed charges, asking them to please hurry up and get on with it, the audience is getting restless.
	Gloria and her pop are reunited; the villains take her into another room and slap their hands together while shouting "OW! Don't hit me no more!" in a woman's voice. The old fart falls for it, and he agrees to take them to where the gold is hidden in the old mine if they'll only get Glenn Strange away from him.
John has found the notes, and rescued Gloria, or she rescued him, or maybe that was some other serial. I dunno, I keep scrolling back to watch Laurel & Hardy again. Anyway, something happens to somebody.
	In the end, though, John gets shot in the back and collapses in a heap in his heap. Next week, "The Invisible Enemy, or Who Cut the Cheese?"