“Steamboat Bill, Jr.”, Silent Film & Pipe Organ Featuring Ben Model, Silent Film Historian and Organist

In STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. (1928), Buster Keaton plays the son of a riverboat captain (Ernest Torrence) who comes home from college to help run the family business. As luck would have it, his girlfriend from school (Marion Byron) also has a father with a steamboat, who is trying to put Steamboat Bill, Sr. out of business. In the film’s climax, Buster faces a windstorm to save his father and his boat and win the heart of his girl. The film is known for what might be considered Keaton’s most famous film stunt: the facade of an entire house falls on top of him while he stands in the perfect spot to pass through the open attic window instead of being flattened. In 2016, the film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Preceding the feature will be the slapstick comedy short, THE RIVALS (1923), with Bobby Dunn and Slim Summerville.

The program will be introduced and live-scored by renowned silent film accompanist Ben Model on the Oscar Larson Center’s Reuter pipe organ.

Inspired by Woodbine Productions, this presentation is supported by Doug and Sandy Oleson