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BUSTERPALOOZA feat. Our Hospitality + Buster Keaton shorts presented by Silents, Please! STL

August 13 : 7:00 pm 9:00 pm

This film is presented by Silents, Please! STL and will feature a special introduction from SPSTL’s Kate Stewart.

Celebrate the glory of silent cinema’s greatest clown, as Silents, Please! presents BUSTERPALOOZA!

Often cited as one of his most significant films—as well as one of his funniest—1923’s Our Hospitality is his take on the notorious feud between the Hatfield and McCoy clans (here renamed the Canfields and the McKays). Keaton is luckless William McKay, who must journey down South to view his lacklustre inheritance, only to be seduced along the way by one of the Canfields, Virginia, who lures him to her family’s house so that the men of the clan can shoot him down. But William knows that the Canfield men won’t kill him as long as he’s in their house, so he endeavors to stay put there, against all obstacles. With its attention to 19th-century period detail and emphasis on integrating the gags into the storyline, Our Hospitality was not just a breakthrough in Keaton’s career, but it was also noted even during its release as an advancement in the medium, with Variety proclaiming, “It marks a step forward in the production of picture comedies.”

Plus, a selection of Buster Keaton’s finest and funniest shorts!