Returning to the stage is the Frank Buxton Silent Film Festival, and this year, we’re doing something we’ve never done before—a Day of Silents!

A Day of Silents will be one nonstop, electric day of live-scored silent cinema, from slapstick comedy to unforgettable drama. Laughs, chills, thrills, and heart, all set to music performed live, right before your eyes.

FILM SCHEDULE
1:00 PM | Silent Comedy Shorts Scoring Demonstration

Join Dr. Andrew Shields for a live demonstration of how silent film accompanists build themes utilizing comedy shorts.

Pass the Gravy (1928) (23 min)
When the children of two rival fathers get engaged, the families are forced to come together. But peace doesn’t last long after one father’s prized rooster accidentally ends up as the main course at a family dinner, sparking a hilarious clash between the two households.

Two Tars (1928) (21 min)
Laurel and Hardy star as two sailors on shore leave whose day quickly spirals into chaos after they rent a car and become caught in an increasingly ridiculous traffic jam. What begins as a simple outing turns into a classic slapstick battle of tempers, destruction, and comic one-upmanship.

The Scarecrow (1920) (19 min)
Buster Keaton stars in this inventive silent comedy about two farmhands who share a highly unusual home, where both fall for the farmer’s daughter. Their romantic rivalry leads to a fast-paced series of clever gags, mishaps, and classic Keaton chaos.

4:00 PM | Action Adventure Silent Movie

East Side, West Side (1927) (92 min)
After losing his mother in a tragic accident, John Breen remains in New York determined to find the father who abandoned his family. His journey takes him from the streets and boxing ring into the world of wealth and privilege, while love, ambition, and family secrets pull him between the city’s East and West Sides.

7:00 PM | Buster Keaton Feature

A Pair of Tights (1929) (20 min)
A simple stop for ice cream turns into a full-blown comic disaster when two young women encounter swinging doors, troublesome bystanders, and one mishap after another. What should be a quick errand becomes an increasingly ridiculous struggle to make it back to the car.

The Navigator (1924) (59 min)
Buster Keaton stars as a wealthy young man who accidentally becomes stranded aboard an empty ocean liner with the woman he hopes to marry. Left to fend for themselves at sea, the pair stumble through a series of inventive mishaps as they try to survive life aboard the massive ship.