Laurel & Hardy Day at the Senate
Sat. Apr. 19
Matinee Program
Silents at the Senate Presents: Hal Roach Comedy Shorts
Doors – 1:00 PM
Films – 2:00 PM
Tickets – $12
Runtime – 1hr 30min (plus intermission)
Live organ accompaniment by Lance Luce
Evening Program
Atoll K (1951) starring Laurel & Hardy
Doors – 7:00 PM
Organ Overture – 7:30 PM
Film – 8:00 PM
Tickets – $6 per film
1hr 20m | NR |Comedy| France/Italy
All Day Pass – $15
Come to one show, come to both, and always feel free to add a donation to your ticket!
The comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy is iconic. Even those who haven't seen their movies, recognize their image. Beginning in 1926, they were teamed up at with other comedians at Hal Roach Studios as part of Roach's “All-Stars” series of shorts. Soon, it was obvious that Stan and Ollie should be paired together in their own series, and the two adopted the personas that audiences have known and loved ever since.
The Senate Theater presents a day in tribute to Laurel and Hardy with two separate shows! First, in the afternoon Silents at the Senate Presents: Comedy Shorts, a selection of short films from the early days of the team, plus two other classics from Hal Roach Studios. Live organ accompaniment will be provided by the magnificent Lance Luce! For the second show, we are excited to present a screening of the boys' final film, ATOLL K!
Filmed in Europe, ATOLL K was released there in 1951 with little fanfare. It wasn't released in the United States until three years later and was quickly forgotten. Among other production issues, the multi-national cast and crew had communication problems and Stan and Ollie both suffered serious illness. ATOLL K has since become known more for its plagued production than for the content of the movie itself. It deserves a reassessment, which is why we are excited to screen it as part of this event.
Film Schedule
2:00 PM –Silents at the Senate Presents: Hal Roach Comedy Shorts
Leave 'Em Laughing – Laurel and Hardy 1928 (22 min)
Ollie takes Stan to the dentist, but both get gassed.
Habeas Corpus – Laurel and Hardy 1928 (20 min)
A mad scientist offers the boys $500 to dig up a body, so Stan and Ollie venture in to the spooky cemetery at night.
A Pair of Tights – Anita Garvin and Marion Byron 1928 (20 min)
Marion, Anita, and their dates stop for ice cream. Not much gets consumed, but plenty gets tossed.
INTERMISSION
The Way of All Pants - Charley Chase 1927 (9 min)
Charley is tasked with delivering a pair of pants, but loses his own in the process.
The Battle of the Century – Laurel and Hardy 1927 (19 min)
Ollie takes out insurance on Stan in an effort to make some easy money by causing him to slip on the sidewalk. What happens next ends in an epic pie fight, reportedly one of the largest in cinema history.
8:00 PM – Atoll K starring Laurel & Hardy with sound (and even some color)!
The Tree in a Test Tube 1942 (10 min)
A short made for the National Forestry Service, narrated by Pete Smith and featuring Laurel and Hardy in their only color film appearance!
Atoll K 1951 (100 min)
Laurel and Hardy's final film, produced in Europe. The boys are shipwrecked on a deserted island. They settle there and form a government, but are soon besieged with hundreds of settlers, some of who have designs on taking over.
The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts.
Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue
