By Mary O’KEEFE

The masters of silent movie comedy will come to life again thanks to the magic of Joe Rinaudo.

Although the path to normalcy has hit a bump in the road due to the high case rate of the Delta variant of COVID-19, especially among the unvaccinated, that doesn’t mean that traditional events are not coming back.

One of Crescenta Valley’s most beloved events will return on Saturday, July 31 at 8:30 p.m. at Two Strike Park. Silent Movie Night, sponsored by the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley and Los Angeles County Parks Dept., will once again have audiences laughing as they watch master performers of silent films like Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy.

This event was canceled last year due to the pandemic and was facing cancelation again this year but was rescued, just like in the silent movies, in the nick of time.

“The Historical Society and the County Parks Department have been partnering for several years to offer a free night in the park watching silent movies presented by local hero Joe Rinaudo,” said Mike Lawler, of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley.

Rinaudo is the founder of Silent Cinema Society, and a movie hero because he has literally saved hundreds of films.

The Historical Society contacted the powers-that-be at the County, as they had for the past several years, to get the proper permits for the silent movie event at Two Strike Park.

 “The County is a massive bureaucracy, sometimes unwieldy to work with, but they had been enthusiastic partners and things had always, eventually, worked out to make a successful event,” Lawler said.

But this year, perhaps because of COVID, there appeared to be more layers of bureaucracy than ever before – so much so that the organizers felt they had run out of patience and time to get past the growing numbers of permission levels and forms that needed to be filed.

Feeling defeated, Lawler contacted the County Parks Department to let it know there was still no answer to their requests for a silent movie night and the show would not go on. But, like any good story, just when our protagonist sees no hope in sight, hope arrived – this time in the form of a phone call.

“‘Hello, this is Kathryn Barger,’” Lawler said of the phone call he received.

Barger, LA county supervisor for the 5^th district, told Lawler she had heard of his issues with the event and understood his frustration.

“‘Don’t cancel [it]. We’re going to make this work,’” said Barger, according to Lawler.

With all the big issues the county supervisor has to deal with on a daily basis, Lawler was amazed that she would call him about this comparatively small community event.

“But she made time for us,” he said.

He worked with Sussy Nemer from Barger’s office, and the event was approved.

Silent Movie Night may not seem like an earth-changing event but for those who have attended this movie night it has always been a special time. These films, which have been saved over the years by Rinaudo, are works of art that give the audience a glimpse into a time long past. These films were created on perishable plastic and, over the years if not stored properly, they would decay. Some films are preserved by the Library of Congress, but many have faded into history. That is where organizations like Silent Cinema Society come in.

“Most [films] were made of nitrates and weren’t stored [properly],” Rinaudo said. “[Industry studios] let them decompose on the shelves.”

Cellulose nitrate degrades when not protected from heat and humidity.

Rinaudo was 8 years old when he discovered Charlie Chaplin during one of his family’s movie nights.

“My [dad] slipped in a Charlie Chaplin movie he bought for 99 cents,” Rinaudo recalled.

From that point on he was hooked. He began collecting silent movies; one of the films being shown at Two Strike Park on Saturday is a film Rinaudo purchased when he was 12 years old. He is always on the search for silent films and shares his knowledge of the movies and the talent that created them.

But saving films is not the only thing Rinaudo is interested in; it is the entire history of these bygone days of early film. As part of the authentic experience he brings to audiences, the films are viewed via a 1909 hand-cranked projector, refurbished by Rinaudo. He found the projector on eBay in a Connecticut chicken coop.

Like the days of the traveling projectionists who took their equipment to rural places that couldn’t didn’t have their own theatre, Rinaudo travels to communities like Crescenta Valley to share the silent films.

“I used to [travel] until COVID shut [me] down,” Rinaudo said.

The return of Silent Movie Night not only gives Rinaudo a chance to share his love of film history but also gives a community the chance to enjoy a sense of normalcy.

This year’s Silent Movie Night focuses on comedies. Silent Comedies in the Park is an outdoor event at Two Strike Park, 5107 Rosemont Ave. that begins at 8:30 p.m. Those who plan to attend are advised to arrive a little early and to bring a blanket and picnic basket, if they wish. Popcorn, baked goods and other refreshments will be available. The proceeds will support the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley and the Silent Cinema Society.

To find information on the Silent Cinema Society, go to silentcinemasociety.org. For information on the Historical Society, visit cvhistory.org.