Your email address will not be published. The staircase was also used in the comedy films Isn't Life Terrible? This is the location of another, less-famous stair short, the 1945 comedy "It's Your Move," starring the slow-burn master Edgar Kennedy. More from L.A. About halfway up the hill, take the staircase near 3475 Larissa Drive and climb up 96 steps. At the bottom of these stairs, 139 of them, turn left and walk uphill on Larissa Drive. Metro bus lines 2, 4, 302, 704. This film is now considered lost, the last time it was screened was in Germany 1930 and since then no one has been able to locate a copy. UC explains admissions decisions in a record application year of much heartbreak, some joy. Timeline: The long, twisted, frustrating road that led to an arrest, A family spent nearly 25 years tracking their daughter’s killer. Take this set of 96 steps uphill, to your left, for a final climb. Silent film director Hal Roach made comedians Laurel and Hardy try to carry a piano up a steep flight of stairs in the 1932 short comedy "The Music Box." The staircase is marked with a plaque and street sign. Get ready to take 133 steps up this staircase. Charles Fleming writes about automobiles and motorcycles for the Los Angeles Times’ Business section. Halfway up the hill, at about 3475 Larissa, you'll see more public stairs entering from both sides. and Ice Cold Cocos. The actual Music Box steps are relatively short (just on their own). While there, check out some other stairs and the filming site of another classic comedy short. Stay to the right where the street divides. This woman who lives nearby hears them shouting and yelling at three o'clock in the morning, goes out, can't see anything, and hears the music box tumbling down the steps. The Laurel & Hardy Moving Co. have a challenging job on their hands (and backs): hauling a player piano up a monumental flight of stairs to Prof. von Schwarzenhoffen's house. Director: James Parrott | Stars: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Dinah, Billy Gilbert. The festival runs from noon to 5 p.m. at Laurel and Hardy Park, 900 Vendome St., and includes three screenings of the 29-minute short "The Music Box," free pizza and drinks, Laurel and Hardy look-alikes and a magic show. Go back down the stairs to return to the starting point. University of California admissions officers explain their decisions in a year of record applications that brought widespread heartbreak and some joy for high school seniors competing for spots. Laurel and Hardy's famous piano moving scene was filmed here. Begin walking from just south of Sunset Boulevard, on Vendome Street, across from the triangular patch of green known as Laurel and Hardy Park. Watch my award-winning video on Yosemite National Park | HERE. Walking the stairs was a great experience. Known as the stairs leading to “1127 Walnut Avenue” from the prominent Laurel and Hardy short film, “The Music Box” I recently took a trip to the famous stairs. A plaque commemorating the film was set into one of the lower steps. Who better to drag along on this road trip than my friend, Marc who is as big a fan of old comedies as I am. Silent film director Hal Roach made comedians Laurel and Hardy try to carry a piano up a steep flight of stairs in the 1932 short comedy "The Music Box." Hollywood Classic: "The Music Box" Required fields are marked *. The steps are a public staircase that connects Vendome Street (at the base of the hill) with Descanso Drive (at the top of the hill), and are located at 923-925 North Vendome Street near the intersection of Del Monte Drive. Stan, who has remained faithfully at his World War I post for twenty years, finally comes home where his best friend, Ollie, takes him in, thus allowing him to discover the many conveniences of the modern world. The short itself depicts Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as delivery men attempting to carry a large, heavy player piano up a long flight of stairs, and failing spectacularly several times. At the top of the stairs, walk straight ahead on Micheltorena Street. Los Angeles, a city well known for Hollywood. Fleming is the author of "Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles" and "Secret Stairs East Bay: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Berkeley and Oakland.". Eighty years after their heyday, Laurel and Hardy remain icons of comedy. I won’t tell you the ending because I don’t like spoilers. Handymen (Laurel & Hardy) deliver a cumbersome washing machine to a house fronted by a huge flight of stairs. Our columnist visits L.A.'s new wave of shelter solutions. This film was one of the films that helped launch the careers and stardom of Laurel and Hardy. Tiny houses and shipping containers may help homeless people in L.A. Are they humane? Continue walking uphill on Larissa Drive. He also writes the urban hiking column LA Walks. Also known as the Del … On your right, look for a staircase going down. Glassell Park North. Hal Roach recounted how Laurel and Hardy became a team: Hardy was already working for Roach (and others) when Roach hired Laurel, whom he had seen in vaudeville. Walks: Explore Los Angeles by foot. stairs / steps, interesting place. Located between 923 and 935 Vendome Street, Los Angeles CA this is something I have wanted to do since I found out these stairs were still around. With Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Patricia Ellis, Minna Gombell. in Hats Off, a silent short, the boys similarly try to move an object up stairs, said object being a washing machine. Laurel and Hardy’s “The Music Box” Stairs. If you love Laurel and Hardy, you must go Yes, this is really just for fans but it's great to see where such an iconic scene was filmed. After relaxing at Laurel and Hardy Park, begin climbing your way on the Music Box Steps, named for the Oscar-winning 1932 short film that the comedy duo the park is named for. Laurel and Hardy, comedy team that is widely regarded as the greatest in film history. Laurel and Hardy argue as to who was right, Stan pretends to pull off Ollie's nose (thumb between fingers trick), Ollie threatens Stan with a rock to return his nose. (Sadly, Hats Off is now regarded as a "lost film" and we can never compare it to The Music Box .) At the first corner, turn left onto Descanso Drive. In 1997 this short was also included to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Storyline. 4044 Eagle Rock Blvd (intersection of Eagle Rock … Are the unhoused serving as guinea pigs for architect’s design experiments? 379 likes. In 1933's original "KING KONG," the big ape is on stage when he is frightened by photographers' flashbulbs, and … It was filmed between 923 and 937 Vendome Street in Los Angeles. Interestingly, The Music Box was actually a slight "re-make" of an earlier 1927 Laurel and Hardy short called Hats Off. Walk past the intersection with Robinson Street, until you come to 3364 Descanso Drive. Famous silent-film comedy duo Laurel and Hardy created what was ... s most memorable scene is a string of gags involving the duo attempting to move a massive piano up a long flight of stairs. In Labyrinth, Sarah tries to reach her baby brother Toby through what is not only an insanely long set of stairs, but ones designed to look like M.C. The flight of stairs located at the intersection of Vendome and Del Monte streets, in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, are perhaps the most popular Laurel & Hardy location. Their best-known movies included Sons of the Desert and Way Out West. He also directed the comedy team in “Helpmates”, “The Chimp” and “County Hospital” that were released the same year as “The Music Box” 1932 along with four Charlie Chase comedies. review of Laurel & Hardy DVD (1933) – DVD compilation of Laurel and Hardy’s best talking films – Sons of the Desert, The Music Box, Another Fine Mess, Busy Bodies, County Hospital Editorial review of Laurel & Hardy DVD (1933) – courtesy of Amazon.com. The Stairs from Laurel and Hardy’s “The Music Box”, view from the top, 923-925 Vendome Street, Los Angeles CA; near the intersection of Del Monte Street in the Silver Lake District, 133, it doesn’t sound like a lot but it is with a camera and tripod, “Isn’t Life Terrible” (1925), “The Ice Cold Cocos” (1926), “Hats Off” (1927) & “The Music Box” (1932), Released:April 16, 1932; Runtime: 29:16; Country: United States; Released: Metro-Godwyn-Mayer, Marc and I doing our “best” Laurel and Hardy impression, Tags:laurel and hardy, Silent Film, stairs, the music box, Your email address will not be published. The right sandwich for 22 different hikes in L.A. A hike is a good excuse to eat a sandwich. Escher's "Relativity". Without a piano, it's not such a tough climb — 133 steps with multiple landings. Votes: 110 Produced by Hal Roach, “The Music Box” is an important film for many reasons, it is the 1st film to win the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film (Comedy) in 1932. In the 5th year of the Oscars they added the category for Short Films separating them into two sections Comedy and Novelty. It only lasted four years but comedy had a category at the Oscars, even if it was only for shorts. Hollywood’s iconic movie theaters, closed? The comedy team learn that the address 1127 Walnut Avenue is up a long flight of stairs and after several attempts to bring the piano up, they end up at the bottom again and again. These stairs, located over in Silver Lake, were made famous by the Laurel and Hardy 1932 short film "The Music Box," where the 2 actors attempted to haul a piano up the impossibly long and steep flight of stairs. Known as the stairs leading to “1127 Walnut Avenue” from the prominent Laurel and Hardy short film, “The Music Box” I recently took a trip to the famous stairs. Hopefully one day we can watch it to compare to “The Music Box”. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy starred in “The Music Box” (1932). In this film the team is selling a washing machine and has to make a deliver to the tops of the stairs. Once you get onto Descanso Drive, pass Robinson Street, approach 3364 Descanso Drive and head down a second staircase, with 139 steps. After reaching the top of the Music Box Steps, climb up a short set of stairs and go left to get onto Descanso Drive. This problem is apparent in their first silent film together, The Lucky Dog, where an attempt was made to compensate for the problem by heavily making-up Laurel's e… Directed by John G. Blystone. Laurel had very light blue eyes, and Roach discovered that, due to the technology of film at that time, Laurel's eyes wouldn't photograph properly—blue photographed as white. ‘I can’t imagine Hollywood without the ArcLight.’ Filmmakers explain why the loss matters. The film was directed by James Parrott, a comedy actor and well-known writer/director of comedies during his time. Music Box Steps Day. The stairs were made famous by the Laurel and Hardy 1932 short film "The Music Box" in which the comic duo attemped to haul a piano up the impossibly long flight of stairs. Their task is complicated by a sassy nursemaid and, unbeknownst to them, the impatient Prof. von Schwarzenhoffen himself. They were first seen in 1927 in the long lost film Hats Off, and again in 1932's Academy Award Winning film, The Music Box. “The Music Box” is actually a remake of Laurel and Hardy 1927 film “Hats Off”, which uses this same steps. Details: Dogs on a leash are OK. Free and metered street parking. A free community event celebrating the 1932 Oscar-winning short film "The Music Box." But the biggest problem is the force of gravity, which repeatedly pulls the … At the bottom of the staircase, head left onto Larissa Drive and walk uphill. ; In The Music Box, Laurel and Hardy deliver a piano up a long staircase. Can money from Silicon Valley save low-cost housing in South L.A.? Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy made more than 100 comedies together, Laurel playing the bumbling and innocent foil to the pompous Hardy. The "Music Box" steps are a public staircase, and do not lead to a single residence (as in the film), but instead connect Vendome Street (at the base of the hill) with Descanso Drive (at the top of the hill). The plot of this film is simple yet hysterical, Mrs. Theodore von Schwartzenhoffen buys a surprise birthday gift from Laurel and Hardy’s employer – a piano – for her husband Professor Theodore von Schwartzenhoffen, M.D., A.D., D.D.S., F.L.D., F-F-F-and-F. Paul Flores killed Kristin Smart in dorm room during attempted rape, DA says. But the cameras are not just limited to Hollywood. Filmmakers, including Rian Johnson and Jon M. Chu, share heartfelt memories of the ArcLight Cinemas. The 147 "Stooge Steps" are located about two miles northeast of the Laurel & Hardy stairs, between 2257 & 2258 Fair Oak View Terrace (a steep cul-de-sac in the Silver Lake district.) For one-stop convenience, you can’t beat this handy compilation of Laurel and Hardy classics. Is a tiny house really a glorified toolshed? The location is just across the street from those stairs at Laurel & Hardy Park, 900 Vendome St. in Silver Lake. Laurel and Hardy Park, a block south of Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake is hardly spectacular. Free … Once they finally do get the piano up the stairs they have even more trouble getting it into the house they're delivering it to. The original staircase remains and bears the name of that Oscar-winning movie. 21.06.2017 - Laurel and Hardy Stairs (Silverlake), b/w inset then; color now. Now they hope to bring her home, California community college enrollment plummets, putting some campuses at risk. Like the legendary Sisyphus, deliverymen Laurel and Hardy struggle to push a large crated piano up a seemingly insurmountable flight of stairs. Stan (angry) draws his gun and fires, Ollie winces and ducks, Stan misses, Ollie lays down thinking has been shot. The Music Box Steps is a set of outdoor stairs in the Silverlake district of Los Angeles. Director: Hal Yates | Stars: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Anita Garvin, Dorothy Coburn. A former staff writer for Newsweek, Variety and the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, he is the author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller “High Concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood Culture of Excess,” the New York Times bestseller “My Lobotomy,” and “Secret Stairs, A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles” and its sequel, “Secret Walks: A Walking Guide to the Hidden Trails of Los Angeles.”. Paul Flores is charged in the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart, with prosecutors alleging he killed the 19-year-old as he raped or tried to rape her. The festival takes place today from 11 AM to 4 PM at Laurel & Hardy Park steps, 900 N Vendome St, Los Angeles, CA 90026. The … After walking up your final set of stairs, walk straight ahead on Micheltorena Street. Naturally, hilarity ensues. Votes: 6,798 Even though Parrott’s life ended at the young age of 41 in 1939, due to alcoholism his work in comedy is still important today. Short Film accepted in Muskoka Independent Film Festival. LAPD investigated local cases. Watch for the Music Box Steps going down on the right side as the street begins to bend left. But its location is historic. The steps which served as the location are still in existence here in the Silverlake district of Los Angeles. At the top of the stairs, on Descanso Drive, take another short staircase to cross the divided street, then head uphill, to the left. Located between 923 and 935 Vendome Street, Los Angeles CA this is something I have wanted to do since I found out these stairs were still around. Before reaching the Music Box Steps, hang out at the Laurel and Hardy Park on Vendome Street and Del Monte in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood. Stay to the right where the street divides and return to your starting point at the Music Box Steps. (266 steps, 3 miles) Rite Aid. A sandwich improves every hike, and in L.A., you can almost always find one not far from the other. The steps, 133 with multiple landings, which are the focal point of The Music Box, still exist in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles, near the Laurel and Hardy Park. In it, the ghosts of Laurel and Hardy run up and down the stairs late at night. At the first corner, turn left, back onto Descanso. The stairs and the short will be celebrated on Saturday with a "Music Box" film festival held in the park at the bottom of the stairs.