Join us for a merry event featuring TWO famous silent films!

In Cops (1922), a young man played by megastar Buster Keaton repeatedly falls foul of the city's police department, despite his best intentions. He spends the film trying to woo his beloved while on the run, with a trail of hijinks in his wake. The film was added to the United States National Film Registry in 1997. Its induction essay, written by Randy Haberkamp, Cops is praised as "the perfect introduction to the joys of silent film’s unique visual storytelling."

Big Business (1929) is a Christmas film starring the famous comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. The two play Christmas tree salesmen who engage in a comedic, if destructive, back-and-forth with a local homeowner who refuses to purchase a tree. The film was added to the United States National Film Registry in 1992, the year producer Hal Roach turned 100 years old. 

Fun Fact: Hal Roach bought a vacant house to use as a set piece, designed to be destroyed during filming. However, a mistake was allegedly made regarding the address, and the home's owners returned from vacation to find their house demolished! Star Stan Laurel disputes this story, but Roach stood firm in his conviction until the end of his life.

Timeline for the Evening

• 5:45 PM - Doors open to VIP ticket holders for the Prelude
• 6:00 PM - VIP Prelude
• 6:30 PM - Doors open to GA ticket holders, pre-film entertainment begins
• 7:00 PM - Film begins