“Roaring 20s & Quirky 30s with Live Performance by The Dimestore Dandy” October 15, 2010

Event: “Roaring 20s & Quirky 30s with Live Performance by The Dimestore Dandy”. Guest curator Pete Gowdy and Oddball Films present an evening of rare Jazz Age Era 16mm films, clips and trailers. The 20’s and 30’s, collectively known as the Jazz Age, was a time of extremes: bold experimentation, prohibition boozing and wild abandon in the 20’s followed by the Great Depression, quirky resilience and wrap-your-troubles-in-dreams fantasy. Films include: Two Tars (1928), late, great silent by Laurel and Hardy- early road rage!; The Plow That Broke The Plains (1936), essential documentary on the Dust Bowl and the great migration West; Accent on Beauty (1937), superior doc on make-up: beauty through science!; Gambling With Death (1925), early “highway” safety film; Movie Sideshow (1935), wild, death-defying stunts!; Porky’s 5 & 10 (1938), great, early Porky Pig- hijacked on his way to set up shop in the South Seas; Krazy Kat in Krazy Spooks (1933), Plus, a live performance by Tin Pan Alley troubadour The Dimestore Dandy, aka Rick Quisol of the Frisky Frolics.
Date: Friday, October 15, 2010 at 8:30PM
Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco
Admission: $10.00 RSVP Only to: 415-558-8117 or [email protected]
Web: http://www.oddballfilm.com/oddballftp/Roaring_20s_2_PR.pdf
On Friday, October 15, Curator Pete Gowdy and Oddball Films present an evening of rare Jazz Age Era 16mm films with a live performance by Tin Pan Alley song stylist The Dimestore Dandy, aka Rick Quisol of the Frisky Frolics. The 20’s and 30’s, collectively known as the Jazz Age, was a time of extremes: bold experimentation, prohibition boozing and wild abandon in the 20’s followed by the Great Depression, quirky resilience and wrap-your-troubles-in-dreams fantasy. Come “travel back in time” to an era when the harsh realities of the Depression were temporarily softened by snappy tunes, droll lyrics, the occasional ferocious kazoo solo. All Bohemians, Surrealists, Dandies, Fops, Vamps, Vixens and Flappers encouraged!!
Showtime is 8:30PM and admission is $10.00. Seating is limited so RSVP is preferred to: [email protected] or 415-558-8117.

Highlights Include:

Two Tars (B+W, silent, 1928)
Late silent-era Laurel & Hardy in one of their best- as sailors on shore-leave, they hook up with the lovely Thelma Hill and Ruby Laine and proceed to get in a massive traffic jam where the inevitable mayhem ensues. Road Rage is nothing new!!

The Plow That Broke The Plains (B+W, 1936)
With The Plow That Broke the Plains, his first film and the first US Government-sponsored documentary, Pare Lorentz won praise and wide recognition for using sensitive photography, dramatic editing and a beautiful score by composer Virgil Thomson to illuminate a local problem of national importance the challenges faced by wheat farmers and cattle ranchers in the Great Plains. As the film climaxes in a vivid portrait of the record drought that produced the dust bowl and the plight of the “blown out, baked and broke” people who felt its impact, it becomes clear that a new master of the documentary form has found his voice. via Documentary.org

Accent On Beauty (B&W, 1937)
Wonderful short on beauty and makeup- where it all comes from (science and exotic corners of the earth!) and where it all goes- on a lovely parade of ladies!

Gambling With Death (B+W, 1925)
Produced by the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad, this early driver safety film shows some horrific crashes as drivers attempt to “beat the train”. The train always wins.

Movie Sideshow (B+W, 1935)
Insane feats of daring and stupidity- a man is sealed into a block of ice for 20 minutes, a "human fire extinguisher" drinks water, then takes a mouthful of kerosene and both starts a fire and puts it out, "Strangest Wives in Captivity," stunts involving husband-wife teams with a whip and then a rifle, a man uses the Goodyear blimp to tow his bathtub in which he takes a bath and more Jazz Age nutters!

Porky’s 5&10 (B&W, 1938)
Porky’s load of goods is hijacked by ocean critters on his way to set up shop in the South Seas- early, surreal hijinx!

Krazy Kat in Krazy Spooks (B+W, 1933)
Just in time for Halloween-

PLUS- Live tunes by The Dimestore Dandy!

Links to The Dimestore Dandy:
Info: http://www.thefriskyfrolics.com/
Sounds: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Frisky+Frolics

Official Website: http://mim.io/34636