That Slapstick Show!: Silent Comedy Treasures From the Library of Congress

Film curator Nelson Hughes shines the spotlight on one of the most significant film archives, the Library of Congress, with a selection of extremely rare silent comedies from the 1910s. With live musical accompaniment by Charlie Judkins.

That Slapstick Show! returns with some incredibly rare silent comedies to shine the spotlight on one of the most significant film archives, the Library of Congress. This very special event will give you, our dear slapstick fans, an unprecedented chance to see some of the archive’s most obscure knee-slappers from the 1910s.

Our star-studded lineup will feature the likes of Oliver Hardy, Tom Mix, Alice Howell, Laura La Plante and the show’s star, bombastic Billie Ritchie. This evening will also pay tribute to legendary comic creator Henry “Pathe” Lehrman, among others.

In our evening of festivities, we’ll travel from Jacksonville, Florida to Hollywood, California—both cities served as shooting locations for these early comedies. Then over and up we go to Dawson City in the Yukon, where prints of many early films (including some subjects in our program) were buried in the frozen ground after exhibition, and subsequently unearthed and preserved in the 1970s.

So, join us as we pay homage to one of the leading film archives in the world with an evening of some of the funniest comedy shorts made during the silent film era. You bring your friends and we’ll supply the laffs!

Featuring live ragtime piano accompaniment by Charlie Judkins.

**Refreshments will be available—please patronize the venue!*
Doors at 7pm, showtime at 7:30pm.
Arrive on time for good seats!

The ROC
59 E. 2nd Street, left basement entrance

Curated by Nelson Hughes
Co-organized and co-hosted by Tommy José Stathes
Projected by Rich Drezen