Shh! Silent Film Showing

Thursday at 8 p.m., the Hilton Neighborhood Association is giving Maplewood residents a chance to enjoy some old time silent film fun. They are offering an outdoor screening of Buster Keaton’s 1920 film One Week, along with piano accompaniment.

“One of our members, Stacy Havens, has wanted to do a silent movie for a few years,” the Hilton Neighborhood Association’s Carol Buchanan said. “It's a novel idea which some young people may never have experienced, so we went with it. We've hired a piano accompanist for the live music.”

One Week was a two-reel short and Keaton’s first solo venture—he had previously appeared in a number of shorts with Fatty Arbuckle. It would be auspicious for that reason alone, but it’s an amazing cinematic feat, too. The movie features startlingly quick and nimble stunt work, with people jumping from cars and tumbling from scaffolding. Jackie Chan is a huge fan of Buster Keaton, and almost any of the physical sequences in the film will demonstrate why.

This is either the fifth or sixth year the Hilton Neighborhood Association has offered a movie night—Buchanan couldn’t say for sure. This year, the shorts were chosen in the interest of accommodating younger children.

“Tonight's shorter choices will allow young children to stay 'til the end,” Buchanan said.

Along with the Keaton film, the Laurel and Hardy short Hog Wild will be played, and so will Rhapsody Rabbit (the cartoon classic where Bugs Bunny plays a piano duel against a mouse).

The event will take place rain or shine outside the DeHart Community Center at 120 Burnett Ave., and will be moved into the Community Center if weather prevents an outdoor showing.