Laurel and Hardy came together in 1927—the characters, relationships, and the cinematic style that they began to develop during that seminal year would stay with them for years to come. In 2023, Lobster Films and Flicker Alley completed a major restoration project of the 1927 silent films to commemorate the beginning of their collaboration. Scouring the film archives and collectors from around the world, they created the most complete and best-looking versions of these early entries. On tap for this show are the restorations of Duck Soup, Putting Pants on Philip, and The Second Hundred Years.

The Silent Clowns film series is New York’s longest-running regularly scheduled silent film showcase, featuring silent films paired with live piano accompaniment and discussion. The Silent Clowns’ programming reaches the serious film buff by including rarely-screened titles and rare prints, yet it also introduces kids and new audiences to the classics of the silent screen. Screenings feature piano by MoMA’s Ben Model, with an introduction and Q&A by film historians Model and Steve Massa.

Photo Credit: “Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy at the beginning of their long partnership.” Photo credit: Steve Massa Collection.