THIS YEAR, two Oregon-born landmarks of cinema are sharing a 90th birthday. It was in 1926 that the Hollywood Theatre opened its doors to patrons with screenings of the film More Pay—Less Work and some vaudeville entertainment. That same year, Buster Keaton released The General, his Civil War-era epic that was filmed in Cottage Grove and, although it was snubbed by critics and audiences, is now seen as a bona fide classic.
With serendipity like that, the Hollywood wanted to find a way to combine celebrations, which they’re doing this weekend with screenings of Keaton’s film featuring a score written by local composer Mark Orton and performed live by an ensemble featuring members of the Mousai Remix String Quartet and jazz bassist Todd Sickafoose.
If you’ve never seen The General, there’s no better way to experience it than this.