Slip away on ‘M. Hulot’s Holiday’

It’s a jolly holiday with Hulot.

Beginning Friday, the Nuart Theatre is hosting a one-week engagement of a new 35-millimeter restoration of Jacques Tati’s beloved 1953 French comedy “M. Hulot’s Holiday.” The farce marked Tati’s introduction of his reel-life alter ego, Monsieur Hulot -- a rain-coated, hat-wearing pipe-smoker who seems to cause comedic mischief wherever he goes. In this outing, he heads to the beach, but his dream vacation turns out to be a nightmare for the resort town. As with all Tati films, dialogue is kept to a minimum, with the humor coming from the delicious sight gags. Despite its acclaimed reviews, Tati kept re-editing the film over the years -- in 1978 he even shot new beach footage, which he spliced in. This new restoration premiered this year at the Cannes Film Festival and reflects Tati’s original vision. www.landmarktheatres.com

Stages of Stooges

The Alex Film Society is going for the nyuk-nyuk-nyuks on Saturday as it presents “At Your Soivice -- Professional Mayhem With the Stooges,” its annual Three Stooges festival at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The program features four Curly titles and a Shemp, Moe and Larry short in 3-D. On hand will be Allison Booth, of the Stooges’ 1939 comedy “Three Sappy People.” The film society is offering a matinee and evening of Stooge insanity. www.alexfilmsociety.org.

Life is a song

The American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre celebrates the holiday with several classic musicals, beginning Friday night with arguably the greatest musical ever made, 1952’s “Singin’ in the Rain.” Scheduled for Saturday is the 1964 Beatles delight, “A Hard Day’s Night,” and the Monkees’ underrated 1968 “Head,” co-written by Jack Nicholson, who also appears in the surreal comedy. The Aero then travels the yellow brick road Sunday afternoon with 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz.” There’ll also be a “Wizard of Oz” costume contest. www.aerotheatre.com

Artists as activists

The Sixth Annual Artivist Film Festival opens Tuesday at the Egyptian Theatre. The festival, whose mission is to strengthen the voice of advocate artists, will screen 40 independent narratives, documentaries, shorts and experimental films from around the globe through Dec. 5. The opening night presentation is “La Mission,” starring Benjamin Bratt. www.artivists.org.

A land of wonder

The Silent Movie Theatre presents a real rarity Saturday -- the 1949 stop-motion animated British version of “Alice in Wonderland.” The adaptation of the Lewis Carroll story took years for pioneering puppeteer Lou Bunin to complete. www.silentmovietheatre.com.

susan.king@latimes.com