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Stan Laurel and Other Stars of the Panopticon by Judith Bowers Published by Birlinn.180 pages (215mm x 138mm). 2007. Price: £9.99. ISBN: 978 1 84158 6175. Softback. Publicity material describes the book thus: A humorous and, at times, tragic journey through the life of the oldest surviving music hall in Britain (if not the world) which is famed for being the place where Stan Laurel made his debut in 1906. Originally known as the Britannia, this was the site for many famous early performances and debuts which included Harry Lauder, Charles Coburn, Dan Leno and Marie Loftus. Britannia was host to early burlesque and risqué performers who pushed the boundaries of decency in the 1870s and 1880s. In 1896 early films were shown in the music hall and by 1897 had become a regular feature of the Britannia playbills. In 1906 the biggest change of all was to come when 'AE Pickard Unlimited of London, Paris, Moscow and Bannockburn' arrived as manager. He was a follower of the American showman PT Barnum, and with this influence in mind added to the bill of entertainments by creating a carnival, waxworks and freak show in the attic space above the auditorium and a zoo in the basement of the building which included 42 animal cages, distorting mirrors, paintings by Hogarth and medieval etchings of Chinese torture. The building closed in 1938. Judith Bowers first discovered the building in 1997 and from that moment has made it her mission to bring Britannia Panopticon back to life. What is our verdict? The book is very attractive with lots of clear photographs, which exude the past. Judith has given a very readable narrative and the majestic building's history comes charmingly to life. Let's forgive her for misspelling Fred Karno's name and even that of Oliver Norvell Hardy. The Sons of the Desert discovered the Panopticon over twenty years ago, by the way! There are less than five pages about Stan Laurel, so don't be misled by the book's title. There is nothing about Stan Laurel that we didn't know already, but don't let this put you off either - the book makes a fine Christmas present and will be particularly enjoyed by anyone who has been to the Panopticon or just loves music halls and their history in general. Available from Birlinn Mail Order, BookSource, 50 Cambuslang Road, Glasgow, G32 8NB or call BookSource on 0845 370 0067 to order by phone, quoting reference JB07. Post and packing is free in the UK. For overseas add 30%. So, What About Those Old Cars in Early Comedy Films? by R John de Santo Published by Catawba Publishing Company, 5945 Orr Road, Suite F, Charlotte, NC 28213, USA. info@catawbapublishing.com. 108 pages (210mm x 135mm). 2007. Price: $21.95. ISBN: 978-1-59712-195-8. Softback. John de Santo is no stranger to us. In the same mode as his two earlier So, What About. . . ? books this one is aimed (to state the obvious) at anyone interested in this special genre of automobiles. It focuses firstly on the use of cars in films such as those of Laurel and Hardy, and secondly on the Old Car Fine Mess Museum, created by Gary and Jean Russeth in Harlem. John launched this book on 6th October at the annual Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem. He reports, "I stayed with the Russeths, who are distributing my book at their museum." You can buy John's book directly from him at 640 SW Crest Drive, Topeka, Kansas 66606, USA; phone 785-783-2853; e-mail robtjohndesanto@aol.com. You can also buy the book from the publisher.