The double bill could be subtitled “Tales from the Ohio Pen.” Some of Columbus’s most accomplished past residents spent a relatively short period of their lives in the capital city—in the Ohio State Penitentiary. And two of the prison’s most famous inmates happened to become famed and fascinating writers: O. Henry and Chester Himes.

The anthology feature O. Henry’s Full House is based on five of the O. Henry’s short stories, including “The Ransom of Red Chief” and “The Gift of the Magi,” directed by such Hollywood greats as Howard Hawks and Henry Hathaway and featuring such stars as Marilyn Monroe, Charles Laughton, and Richard Widmark. The film opens with a scene in the (unnamed) Ohio Pen, and John Steinbeck (!) ties it all together with onscreen introductions to each segment. (117 mins., 35mm)

Perhaps best known for his “Harlem Detective” novels, Chester Himes began to write while serving time in the Ohio Pen and never stopped his incisive exploration of the African American experience. Based on the book by the same name, Cotton Comes to Harlem features two Harlem detectives out to stop a shady black nationalist leader from ripping off poor families. With Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, and Redd Foxx. (97 mins., 35mm)

Cotton Comes to Harlem begins at 9:10 PM.