Coleraine Probus President Jim Archer greets Ken Parkes, with Club Members Norman Irwin and Jim Hillis (L)

Coleraine Probus and the Golden Age of Silent Films

Club member Ken Parkes returned to the speakers' role when he gave a fun filled presentation on “The Golden Days of Silent Films”. Ken outlined the history of silent films together with the development of cameras and projectors; cinemas with in house musicians and Compton or Wurlitzer organs.

Ken followed this with a seasonal showing of 'BIG BUSINESS' (see below) starring Laurel and Hardy, and was produced in 1929 by Hal Roach. This depicted the two boys as door-to-door Christmas tree salesmen who had mastered the art of having doors slammed in their faces. This was a brilliantly conceived and executed essay of man’s most basic problem; dealing with other people - a problem we're not so good at solving these days either!

Sadly Oliver Hardy died in Hollywood in 1957 and Stan Laurel in Santa Monica in 1965. They remain as true giants of the silent movie era, and two of the few that also found fame in 'Talkies' - but that another story for another day (Hint,Hint!!!!)