Where does the time go? It’s almost time for Kennington Bioscope’s Silent Laughter Weekend – the annual celebration of Silent Comedy, classic and rare at London’s Cinema Museum. It takes place over two jam-packed days on 14th -15th November.
As well as icons like Laurel & Hardy, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon and Harold Lloyd, our programme takes a deep dive into the world of silent comedy. As always, we’ll be spotlighting unjustly forgotten performers like John Bunny, Louise Fazenda, Charley Chase, Lloyd Hamilton and Anita Garvin. There are also premieres of newly restored features starring Max Linder and Marie Prevost, plus a whole host of other rarities and showings on real celluloid.
This year we’re also showcasing several films celebrating their centenary; as you’ll see, 1926 was a GREAT year for film comedy. All programmes feature live music from the UK’s top accompanists, and will have engaging introductions from silent film authors, enthusiasts, collectors and historians. So, without further ado, here’s the full programme – the link to tickets is at the bottom of the page.
SATURDAY 14TH NOVEMBER
10.00 Madame Behave (1925)
Following the great success of cross-dressing comedy Charley’s Aunt (shown last year at KB) in 1925, producer Al Christie followed up with a film starring the celebrated female impersonator Julian Eltinge. This showing is a rare chance to see Eltinge strut his stuff, alongside a great comedy cast. This screening will include newly scanned 35mm elements from the Library of Congress, enabling us to present a partial restoration of the film. Piano accompaniment by John Sweeney.
11.30 Focus On… Joker
Continuing our series of spotlights on some of the forgotten comedy studios, this time we’re very pleased to present an introduction to the world of Joker Comedies. Presented by Thomas Reeder, author of a new book about the studio, the programme will showcase rare comedy treats featuring Louise Fazenda, Bobby Vernon, Gale Henry, Billy Franey, Milburn Morante, Lillian Peacock, Max Asher, Harry McCoy, Dot Farley and Lon Chaney. Piano accompaniment by Ashley Valentine.
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Silent Comedy Teams
Laurel & Hardy might be the best-loved silent comedy team, but they weren’t the first, and far from the only one. Silent comedy enthusiast Matthew Ross presents a deep dive into the history of silent double (and triple!) acts. Expect clips and classic shorts featuring John Bunny & Flora Finch, Roscoe Arbuckle & Buster Keaton, ‘A Ton of Fun’, Anita Garvin & Marion Byron (pictured), and more. And of course, we have to feature Mr Laurel & Mr Hardy! Wrong Again (1929) is one of their most off-beat comedies, in which – through a series of misunderstandings – they find themselves coaxing a horse on top of a grand piano! Piano accompaniment by Meg Morley.
15.40 Hot Water (1924) and Saturday Afternoon (1926)
Two short – but perfectly formed – mini feature films. Harry Langdon’s Saturday Afternoon is a sweet-natured domestic comedy that sees innocent Harry led astray by his friend Vernon Dent. Langdon’s pantomimic gifts are given full reign in this three reel comedy. Hot Water is one of Harold Lloyd’s less well-remembered films, but contains some brilliant set pieces, including one of his funniest: Harold’s attempts to bring a live turkey home on a tramcar! Introduced by Matthew Ross. Piano accompaniment by Cyrus Gabrysch.
17.40 1926: It Was a Very Good Year
It’s the centenary of a golden year for silent comedy. Join silent comedy experts Glenn Mitchell and Dave Glass as they present a selection of the very best short comedies from 1926. Expect classics starring Lloyd Hamilton, Billy Bevan, Kennington Bioscope favourite Charley Chase, and Lupino Lane. Piano accompaniment by Ashley Valentine.
19.00 Dinner
20.00 King of the Circus (1924)
The great Max Linder laid the template for the great screen comedians, and Charlie Chaplin cited him as a major influence. He died tragically young at the age of 41 in 1925, but made a handful of feature films before he left us.
King of the Circus, his last film, has long been unavailable but has now been lovingly restored; we’re delighted and very proud to host its UK premiere as part of Silent Laughter Weekend.
Introduced (digitally) by Serge Bromberg, who reconstructed and restored the film. Piano accompaniment by Meg Morley.
SUNDAY
10.00 The 28MM Comedy Show
28mm was an early attempt to create a show-at-home film gauge for amateurs. Later made obsolete by 9.5 and 16mm films, it existed long enough to preserve some otherwise lost comedies. At this very special showing, film collector Christopher Bird will present some of these rare comedies on celluloid, using a 28mm projector. Make sure you’re here early on Sunday to catch this unique event, a feast of gloriously archaic analogue technology and extremely rare comedy films on real film! Piano accompaniment by John Sweeney.
11.30 The Caveman (1926)
Marie Prevost was one of the great silent comediennes, excelling at portraying sexy, sassy, strong women. In The Caveman, she’s rich and bored of the oh-so polite gentlemen she’s been dating. So, as a project, she decides to transform tough coalman Matt Moore into a man-about-town. This silent rom-com, a gender-reversed precursor to My Fair Lady, is a delight, featuring wonderful performances from Prevost and Moore. We’re proud to be showing the UK premiere of this new restoration, introduced by Michelle Facey. Piano accompaniment by Meg Morley.
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Those TV Shows…
In the 1950s and 60s, renewed interest in silent comedies saw several TV shows devoted to showcasing them: Golden Silents, Comedy Capers, Mad Movies… How many do you remember? For many of us, these programmes were our first introduction to the world of silent laughter. Dave Glass gets nostalgic as he digs into the stories behind these programmes. Featuring lots of clips (and an occasional, annoyingly catchy theme tune…)
16.00 Atta Boy (1926)
Another 1926 gem from our favourite Italian comic, little Monty Banks. Made on the heels of his classic Play Safe (1927), Atta Boy (left) sees Monty on fine form as a would-be reporter investigating a kidnapping. Featuring lots of great gags, and one of Banks’ patented stunt sequences – hanging from a ladder atop a speeding car – as a climax. Big-screen premiere of a new restoration. Piano accompaniment by Ashley Valentine.
17.30 Rarities & Rediscoveries
Now a regular fixture in the Silent Laughter programme, once more we’ve dug through the film collections and archives to present a programme of long-lost and forgotten funnies. What’s on the menu? Well, we’re still finalising the details, but expect the premiere of a hilarious, newly restored Snub Pollard comedy for starters, plus films starring Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle, Larry Semon and lots more rarities that you won’t see anywhere else! Piano accompaniment by Cyrus Gabrysch.
19.00 Dinner
20.00 The General – Special Centenary Showing
We couldn’t celebrate the great comedies of 1926 without including a film often considered the best silent comedy of all: Buster Keaton’s The General. This classic railroad chase comedy, set during the American Civil War, is beautifully filmed, directed and acted, and chock full of great stunts and gags. The perfect culmination to a weekend of Silent Laughter. If you’ve never seen The General on the big screen before, then there’s no better place than in the evocative surroundings of the Cinema Museum. If you have, well, you won’t want to miss the extra rare Keaton goodies that we’ll be showing to make this an extra special screening… Presented by David MacLeod, of The Blinking Buzzards, the UK Buster Keaton Appreciation Society. Piano accompaniment by Costas Fotopoulos.
Tickets are only £35 for all that entertainment (and day/ part-day tickets are also available). Come and join in the fun: https://ticketlab.app/series/2882-Silent-Laughter-Weekend-2026-tickets#
