This month, the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont has put together a calendar of seldom seen films of interest to most every film enthusiast. Cowboy star Hoot Gibson, leading man Wallace Reid, comedy greats Laurel & Hardy, and the legendary Mary Pickford – not to mention Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle and Mabel Normand – all shine brightly on the Niles screen this month. It’s a lively program. Here’s the schedule for September.
“Saturday Night at the Movies,” with Greg Pane at the piano
Saturday September 3th 7:30 pm (suggested donation $5.00)
In Hit and Run (1924, Universal), Hoot Gibson sheds his cowboy chaps for a baseball uniform in this comedy directed by Edward Sedgwick, who later directed Buster Keaton. This atypical Hoot Gibson feature film will be preceded by the shorts Men Behind the Megaphone (1920s) with Sidney Olcott, Alan Crosland, Ray Smallwood, J. Searle Dawley, Hugo Ballin, Frank Lloyd, and William Nigh, and Butter Fingers (1925, Sennett) with Billy Bevan.
“Saturday Night at the Movies,” with Frederick Hodges at the piano
Saturday September 10th 7:30 pm (suggested donation $5.00)
In The Roaring Road (1919, Paramount), Wallace Reid stars with Ann Little in the first of his road racing series, this one featuring a contest against a train traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The feature, shot on location, will be preceded by two shorts, a studio tour, The City of Stars (1925, Universal), and Putting Pants on Philip (1927, Roach) with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. [ After the films, Karie Bible, author and tour guide at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, will be signing her book, Location Filming In Los Angeles (Arcadia). ]
“Laurel & Hardy Talkie Matinee”
Sunday September 11 at 4:00 pm (suggested donation $5.00)
In Pardon Us (1931), Stan and Ollie go to prison for selling a bottle of bootleg beer to a policeman. Pardon Us will be preceded by shorts Fish Hookey (1933) with Our Gang and The Hoosegow (1929) with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.
“Comedy Short Subject Night,” with Bruce Loeb at the piano
Saturday September 17th at 7:30 pm (Suggested Donation $5.00)
One again,this comedy short subjects night features some of the silent era’s great comedians in some seldom seen films. On the bill are The Adventurer (1917, Lone Star) with Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance, The High Sign (1921, Comique) with Buster Keaton, Isn’t Life Terrible (1925, Roach) with Charley Chase and Oliver Hardy, and Bacon Grabbers (1929, Roach) with Laurel and Hardy.
“Saturday Night at the Movies,” with Judy Rosenberg at the piano
Saturday September 24th 7:30 pm (suggested donation $5.00)
In A Romance of the Redwoods (1917, Artcraft), Cecil B. DeMille directs Mary Pickford and Elliott Dexter in a tale set in the gold rush era filmed on location at Boulder Creek, California. This rarely shown feature will be preceded by the shorts, Max Juggles for Love (1912, Pathe, tinted) with Max Linder, and Fatty and Mabel Adrift (1916, Keystone) with Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle and Mabel Normand.
For more info: The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum is located at 37417 Niles Blvd. in Fremont, California. For further information, call (510) 494-1411 or visit the Museum’s website at www.nilesfilmmuseum.org/.
Thomas Gladysz is an arts journalist and film buff, and the Director of the Louise Brooks Society, an internet-based archive and international fan club devoted to the legendary film star. Gladysz has contributed to books, organized exhibits, appeared on television and radio, and introduced the actress’s films around the world. He writes about movies, books, and popular culture for various print publications and blogs.
