Silver Lake Improvement Association Presents Annual Celebration of the Comedic Genius of Laurel and Hardy

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Silver Lake Improvement Association announced today the annual celebration of Music Box Steps Day will be held Saturday, October 20th, from 12 noon to 3 pm. The 18^th annual Music Box Steps Day will be held at Laurel & Hardy Park, located at 900 Vendome Street in Silver Lake. Music Box Steps Day is an exciting film festival for the whole family that commemorates the 1932 Oscar-winning short film The Music Box, starring Laurel & Hardy, and is held across from the 133 stairs that gave the legendary comedy team such a hilariously hard time delivering a player piano to a hilltop house. “The Music Box Steps are a cultural gem in our community and this annual event is a great way to celebrate Silver Lake's storied history with friends and neighbors," said Councilmember Eric Garcetti.

“We are thrilled that this classic film, that remains as funny as ever, was shot in the heart of Silver Lake. Music Box Steps Day is our way of honoring the comic genius of Laurel & Hardy and reminding children and their families of this historic jewel in their midst.”

The event’s co-sponsors are Councilmember Eric Garcetti, Council District 13, Councilmember Tom La Bonge, Council District 4, Make Music Los Angeles, and the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council.

Besides multiple screenings of the 20-minute film (and other L & H classics) in a tent set up in Laurel & Hardy Park across from the Steps, the festival features Laurel & Hardy look-alikes, free food, a magic show, an arts and crafts booth, a photo exhibit of Silver Lake of the 1930’s and now, and a raffle with fabulous prizes donated by local artists, restaurants, other businesses, and residents.

“The Music Box is a cinematic treasure and we are proud to keep its memory alive,” says Vincent Brook, SLIA board member, media studies professor, and creator of the festival. “We are thrilled that this classic film, that remains as funny as ever, was shot in the heart of Silver Lake. Music Box Steps Day is our way of honoring the comic genius of Laurel & Hardy and reminding children and their families of this historic jewel in their midst.”

The Steps are prominently featured in tourist guide books, and film buffs from around the world have flocked to see (and set foot on) them over the years. Music Box Steps Day itself, besides drawing assorted cinefiles and, of course, members of the Sons of the Desert (the international L & H fan club), has attracted visitors from as far away as Dublin, Amsterdam, Berlin, and from London, England.

For more information, call 323-663-7641.

About the Silver Lake Improvement Association

SLIA was founded in 1989 by committed neighbors who wanted to take on serious issues such as crime and graffiti. Armed with true grit, perseverance and unyielding spirit, SLIA targeted those spots in the neighborhood that everyone whispered about, but no one took steps to fix. Before you knew it, SLIA had grown into a thriving non-profit organization with over 100 member households. The group organized neighborhood clean-ups and block watches, and a renewed sense of community blossomed. SLIA has taken a hand in the planting of over 300 trees in the community and co-founded the Gateway to Silver Lake beautification project at Silver Lake Blvd. and the 101 freeway. In 2012 SLIA became the Community Partner with the City of Los Angeles in the development, upkeep and production of special events for the Sunset Triangle Plaza. This is the first in a series of proposed pedestrian-friendly plazas within the City. SLIA’s mission remains the creation and maintenance of a clean, safe and vibrant community environment, and nurturing our youth.

www.SilverLakeImprovementAssociation.org