(RAHWAY, NJ) -- Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) will honor the legacy of lifelong Board Member, author, historian, and film enthusiast I. Joseph "Irv" Hyatt with the renaming of its beloved classic film series on Sunday, September 7, 2025. Following remarks and a presentation, there will be a screening of "Sons of the Desert". Admission is free.
The 35mm and 16mm film series will now be known as the I. Joseph Hyatt Classic Film Series, recognizing Hyatt’s remarkable contributions to UCPAC and his dedication to preserving and sharing the magic of classic cinema for over two decades. The afternoon will feature a naming ceremony and plaque dedication at 2:00pm, followed by a screening of one of Hyatt’s favorite films Laurel and Hardy’s Sons of the Desert (1933) in 35mm.
A lifelong resident of Woodbridge, Hyatt was an entertainment archeologist/author who was best known for his work on the 2011 documentary Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives and Magic. He authored over 30 books about film and was creator of the 2018 documentary Hollywood Victory Caravan – A Star Spangled Story.
Sons of the Desert is a film starring Laurel and Hardy that was directed by William A. Seiter. IMDB.com describes the film as "When Stan and Ollie trick their wives into thinking that they are taking a medicinal cruise while they're actually going to a convention, the wives find out the truth the hard way."
Doors are at 2:00pm, the remarks and plaque dedication are at 2:30pm, and the screening begins at 3:00pm. Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) is located at 1601 Irving Street in Rahway, New Jersey.
Hyatt was a member of the Sons of the Desert – the International Laurel and Hardy Society, as well as the Rahway Retired Men’s Club, and served on the boards of the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) and the Historical Association of Woodbridge Township.
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating the Main Stage, built in 1928 and listed in both the State and National Register of Historic Places, at 1601 Irving St., and the modern and intimate Hamilton Stage, at 360 Hamilton St., in the heart of Rahway, New Jersey’s Arts District. Established as a Film Palace in 1928, the Main Stage’s tradition of showcasing beloved films continues today with UCPAC’s Third Thursdays 35mm & Classic Film Series.
