One more time! 'Phantom of the Opera' on Halloween in North Andover, Mass.

Your date for the evening has arrived.

What better way to celebrate Halloween than with Lon Chaney in a darkened theater?

That's what we'll be doing on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at the Rogers Center for the Arts on the campus of Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. Join us for a screening of 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925), the original screen adaptation starring Lon Chaney in the title role.

I have a special place in my heart for 'Phantom,' not because I'm a creepy thwarted musician (although maybe it's truer than I think) but because it was the first full-length silent film for which I did live accompaniment.

It was for a one-off Halloween screening at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, N.H. that our newspaper, HippoPress, was co-sponsoring. I had agreed to do the music live as a way to make the event more unusual and, frankly, save money.

But I had just completed the score to an independent feature film, 'Dangerous Crosswinds' (2005), made right here in New Hampshire by director Bill Millios, and I was eager to do more. But because no other directors were knocking at my door, I figured this would be a good way to keep going and do more film music.

And so we did 'Phantom of the Opera.' Because there wasn't a lot of time to prepare the music in details, I knew all along I'd be winging it. I watched the film several times and developed a few ideas in advance, but that was it. Next thing I knew, it was the day of the performance.

I remember being a little nervous by the prospect of sitting down at the keyboard and staying with a full-length film from beginning to end. But then 'Phantom' started, and so did the music. And as the movie ran, I found that creating a score in real time to support the on-screen action was something I could manage, at least for the moment.

So I kept at it, pleased that I was able to shift from scene to scene, but also do things within a scene to bring out changes in tone or emotion or byplay between characters.

Then, about halfway through the film, during the masked ball scene, I found myself working with melodic material (a brisk, somewhat demented-sounding waltz) that I had just come up with on the spot, and was twisting it and shaping it to suit the action.

Specifically, there's a moment where the Phantom stops the party and dramatically threatens the revelers, and then departs, after which the party-goers pause for just a moment before diving right back in to fun and games.

The Phantom, costumed as 'Death,' brings the masked ball to a halt—but only temporarily.

I found the moment as staged in the film to actually be somewhat comic, and so brought that out in the music, shifting rapidly from the tense "Phantom" music back to the demented waltz, making it sound even a bit more heavier and more demented.

(And in being comic, it served to further deepen the Phanton's isolation from others—geez, this guy just can't connect with anyone! And it also showed the tragic aspect of his character, too—most of humanity just can't understand the depth of the emotions which drove him to become 'The Phantom.' Wow!)

And even as I was playing it, another part of me was absorbing the whole effect, pleased that it seemed to work so effectively. "Hey, I can do this," I remember thinking.

And at that point, I realized that I could actually do this—that I could somehow juggle creating music in real time and also staying with a film's dramatic line, always being somewhat aware of what the current scene is leading towards, what's likely to come next, and how it all fits into the whole arc of the story.

It kind of felt like that dim memory of first riding a bike successfully, without training wheels or without someone holding on to me.

Looking back, that moment at the keyboard was a major realization for me, as it marked the opening up of all the explorations of film and music that have followed. It made me want to do more, not just to do music, but also to experience silent film in a new way.

And eventually, it made me want to see if I could create music that would help moviemakers of yesterday somehow connect with audiences of today. There's a great deal of power still in these silent films, I felt, and maybe my sort of music could help them reach beyond the film museum and actually affect people and engage people, which they were designed to do, and which is why we first fell in love with the movies.

So much, but it all started with sitting down to do music for 'Phantom' that night at the Palace. And so I'm pleased to have the film in this year's Halloween rotation. Tonight's screening at the Rogers Center for the Arts will be the fourth (and final!) time I do it this season, and I'm really looking forward to helping support Lon Chaney terrorize all of Paris once again.

For more info on the screening, here's the text of the press release that went out earlier this month. Also, tonight's screening will be introduced by noted film scholar Christopher DiGrazia, so come by at 6:30 p.m. and take in his presentation prior to our 7 p.m. screening. See you there...if you dare! Cue evil laugh music. Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

* * *

Subtle? You expected subtle?

MONDAY, OCT. 15, 2012 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Phantom of the Opera' at Merrimack College
on Wednesday, Oct. 31

Classic silent horror film starring Lon Chaney to be screened with live music week on Halloween night; free and open to the public

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS.—It was cinema's first real shocker—a movie so frightening that audiences would shriek in terror and even faint. It was 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), the silent horror film starring legendary actor Lon Chaney. The classic tale of the mad musician who lurks in the shadows of the Paris Opera House will be revived with live music on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. at the Rogers Center for the Arts on the campus of Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass.

The screening, the latest in the Rogers Center's silent film series, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating scores for silent films. Admission is free. The program will be proceeded by a discussion of the film starting at 6:30 p.m.

'The Phantom of the Opera,' adapted from a 19th century novel by French author Gaston Leroux, featured Chaney as the deformed Phantom who haunts the opera house. The Phantom, seen only in the shadows, causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to force the opera's management to make the woman he loves into a star.

The film is most famous for Lon Chaney's intentionally horrific, self-applied make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere. Chaney transformed his face by painting his eye sockets black, giving a skull-like impression to them. He also pulled the tip of his nose up and pinned it in place with wire, enlarged his nostrils with black paint, and put a set of jagged false teeth into his mouth to complete the ghastly deformed look of the Phantom.

Chaney's disfigured face is kept covered in the film until the now-famous unmasking scene, which prompted gasps of terror from the film's original audiences.

"No one had ever seen anything like this before," said Rapsis, who will accompany the film. "Chaney, with his portrayal of 'The Phantom,' really pushed the boundaries of what movies could do."

Chaney, known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" due to his versatility with make-up, also played Quasimodo in the silent 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) and circus performer 'Alonzo the Armless' in Tod Browning's 'The Unknown' (1927).

The large cast of 'Phantom of the Opera' includes Mary Philbin as Christine Daaé, as the Phantom's love interest; character actor Snitz Edwards; and many other stars of the silent period.

'The Phantom of the Opera' proved so popular in its original release and again in a 1930 reissue that it led Universal Studios to launch a series of horror films, many of which are also regarded as true classics of the genre, including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), and The Mummy (1932).

The silent film version of 'Phantom' also paved the way for numerous other adaptations of the story, up to and including the wildly successful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical from 1986 that continues to run on Broadway and in productions around the world.

The original silent 'Phantom' featured lavish sets, including a large theater designed to represent the sprawling interior of the Paris Opera House. After shooting was complete, the set was never torn down and continues in use today as part of Universal's Stage 28; it was seen most recently in 2011's 'The Muppet Movie' as the abandoned Muppet Show theater.

Rapsis said 'The Phantom of the Opera' was not made to be shown on television or viewed on home entertainment centers. In reviving silent films, the Rogers Center aims to show them as they were meant to be seen—in high quality prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Rapsis, who improvises accompaniment as a film is screened. "Recreate those conditions, and the classics of early Hollywood leap back to life in ways that can still move audiences today. They all featured great stories with compelling characters and universal appeal, so it's no surprise that we still respond to them."

Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra and creates a traditional "movie score" sound.

Organizers say the original silent film version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' is not only a terrific movie, but also a fun way for families to mark Halloween night.

And above all, be prepared to get scared.

"Remember—in silent film, no one can hear you scream," Rapsis said.

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ (1925), the classic silent horror film starring Lon Chaney, will be shown on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. at the Rogers Center for the Arts, located on Walsh Way on the campus of Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike St., North Andover, Mass. Admission is free. For more information, call the Rogers box office at (978) 837-5355. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Upcoming silent film programs at the Rogers Center include:

• Wednesday, April 3, 2013, 7 p.m.: "The Mark of Zorro" (1920) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr.; Douglas Fairbanks Sr. stars in the still-thrilling original adaptation of the tale of a masked avenger who sought justice in Spanish California. Great crowd-pleaser that had an enormous impact on popular culture, including inspiration for the "Batman" comic book series.

Opening 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' on Tuesday, Oct. 30 in Manchester, N.H.

We're in for some scary weather as I write this (Monday, Oct. 29), but as of now it looks like our part of the world will be spared the worst of Hurricane Sandy as it plows into the U.S. East Coast far to the south of here. Just a lot of rain and wind, I think.

So it's all systems go for our screening of 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) tomorrow night at the Manchester (N.H.) City Library. It's the first time I've done this flick and I'm looking forward to creating music to help bring it to life.

As a kind of warm-up, yesterday we screened 'The Hands of Orlac' (1924), a lesser-known picture from the same director, Robert Wiene. Turnout for the show at the Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre was a bit light, again because of the impending storm, and also because it's not one of the big "name brand" silent features, I think.

But it sounded creepy enough, so I programmed it and hoped for the best, thinking it might be one of those undiscovered classics that still works well on the big screen and in a theater. Well, the verdict was: nope!

People I talked to afterwards generally felt that the silent 'Hands of Orlac' was one they definitely didn't need to see again. Complaints were that it was too slow (one attendee described it as "maddeningly slow paced"), and also that the plot didn't really make a lot of sense.

Well, we tried! Let's hope 'Cabinet' lives up to its reputation as a picture worth seeing in a theater. We'll find out tomorrow night, unless the storm does hit us hard enough for the city to close the library. I'll update here as needed but for now, the show must go on!

For specifics, here's the text of the press release...

* * *

MONDAY, OCT. 22, 2012 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' to screen Tuesday, Oct. 30 in Manchester (N.H.)

Classic silent horror film to be shown the night before Halloween with live music at public library; free admission

MANCHESTER, N.H.—A creepy silent film regarded as the forerunner of all horror movies will be shown on the night before Halloween in downtown Manchester. 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) will be screened with live music on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. at the Manchester City Library, 405 Pine St., Manchester.

The showing of 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' is free and open to the public, with live music by New Hampshire silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. The screening takes place in the library's historic Carpenter Auditorium, on the library's lower level.

Set in an insane asylum, 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,' is considered a landmark in early cinema. Nearly a century after its release, the film still has capacity to creep out audiences. "A case can be made that 'Caligari' was the first true horror film, critic Roger Ebert wrote in 2007.

'Caligari,' made in Germany after World War I and directed in expressionist style by Robert Wiene, stars Werner Krauss and Conrad Veidt. The film used stylized sets, with abstract, jagged buildings painted on canvas backdrops and flats. To add to its strange visual design, the actors used an unrealistic technique that exhibited jerky and dancelike movements. The movie is also cited as having introduced the "twist" ending in cinema.

'Caligari,' a forerunner of the 'film noir' genre, has influenced generations of movie-makers. A sequel of sorts was released in the 1980s with the film 'Dr. Caligari,' which dealt with the granddaughter of the original Dr. Caligari and her illegal experiments on her patients in an asylum. Its tone, look, and feel held similarities to the original film, but was more influenced by the works of David Lynch and David Cronenberg than of the German Expressionists.

The screening is the latest in the library's ongoing series of silent film presentations with live music.

"These are the films that first caused people to fall in love with the movies," said Rapsis, a Bedford, N.H. resident. "The aim is to present them as they were originally intended to be shown: in a theater, on a big screen, with live music, and with an audience. If you can put all those elements together, these films leap to life."

Upcoming silent films scheduled at the Manchester City Library include:

• Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. 'The Trail of '98' (1928); outdoorsy silent drama on a grand scale. Fortune hunters from all over the country rush to the Klondike in 1897 to seek gold are tested by hardships of the journey. Directed by Clarence Brown, the film stars Dolores Del Rio, Harry Carey, and Karl Dane. Del Rio's stunts were performed by a young Lou Costello long before he teamed with partner Bud Abbott and achieved comedy fame.

• Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. 'Battling Butler' (1926); silent film funnyman Buster Keaton's rarely screened boxing comedy gives the star a chance to be even more physical than usual. Rich and pampered Buster reluctantly takes up the Sweet Science to impress his girl, leading to knockout comedy both in and outside the ring.

Admission to all screenings are free, with donations accepted to help defray costs.

The next installment in the library's silent film series will be 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920), to be screened on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. in the Carpenter Auditorium of the Manchester City Library, 405 Pine St., Manchester, N.H. For more information, call (603) 624-6550. For more information about the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Sunday, Oct. 28: Getting a grip (har!) on 'The Hands of Orlac' (1924) in Wilton, N.H.

Where have those hands been? Conrad Veidt counts to 10 before losing his cool in 'The Hands of Orlac' (1924).

Things being what they are (messed up and overscheduled), I haven't had a chance to get out much advance material on 'The Hands of Orlac' (1924), which we're screening on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theater.

So here's a quick list of why this one's worth attending. Ready?

• It's a great Halloween film. As as rule, any film that involves the swapping of body parts is likely to put you in the right mood for Halloween. But 'The Hands of Orlac' is especially good, as it involves a concert pianist who loses his hands in a train accident. The fun begins when they're replaced with another set ofhands ... transplanted from a just-executed murderer!

• It stars Conrad Veidt. From 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) to 'Casablanca' (1942), Conrad Veidt was one of the great presences of early cinema. His face was instantly recognizable, but he was somehow able to play characters from all ages and epics. He also brought a level of intensity to his roles that few have ever matched.

• It's in a real theater with live music. An obscure Austrian film, 'The Hands of Orlac' is almost never screened anywhere, and the commercial DVD that's available has a recorded score that doesn't help the film leap to life, in my opinion. So don't miss a rare chance to see it on the big screen (and to hear what I can do with live music) at the Wilton Town Hall Theater, one of the best places around to take in a movie of any type. And their popcorn is great, too.

• Free admission! Through the generosity of the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, the silent films we do there each month are open to all—which is great, because the bigger an audience is for a silent film, the better. Those who wish to support the series (and keep it free to all) are encouraged to make a small donation in the lobby. Thanks in advance for that!

Okay, if you haven't been convinced to come by now, you must be a zombie, which means you're probably all ready for Halloween. And even if you are a zombie, you're still welcome to come—just don't suck out my brains until the picture's over, please.

If there's anything left, that is.

Next up: 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) on Thursday, Oct. 25 in Plymouth, N.H.

What better way to get in a Halloween mood than seeing Lon Chaney terrorize the Parisian music world in the original silent film version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925). That's what we'll be showing on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center up in Plymouth, N.H.

I'm posting the press release below, which has all the info you'll need to join in. One thing that's especially interesting to me, however, is that the massive theater set originally built for 'Phantom' still stands as part of the Universal Studios complex, and continues to be used in contemporary films. Most recently, it stood in as the abandoned Muppet Show Theater for the 2011 film 'The Muppets.'

Here's what the set looks like in 'Phantom':

And here it is, nearly 90 years later, in 'The Muppets':

I'm not sure if the proscenium in the above scene was the same in 'Phantom,' but the box seats off to the sides certainly are. For more info, check out this description from a Web version of the Universal Studios Tour.

Okay, here's the press release:

* * *

MONDAY, OCT. 1, 2012 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Phantom of the Opera' at Flying Monkey on Thursday, Oct. 25

Classic silent horror film starring Lon Chaney to be screened with live music week before Halloween

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—It was cinema's first real shocker—a movie so frightening that its original audiences would shriek in terror and even faint. It was 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), the silent horror film starring legendary actor Lon Chaney. The classic tale of the mad musician who lurks in the shadows of the Paris Opera House will be revived with live music on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

The screening, the latest in the Flying Monkey's silent film series, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating scores for silent films. Admission is $10 per person.

'The Phantom of the Opera,' adapted from a 19th century novel by French author Gaston Leroux, featured Lon Chaney as the deformed Phantom who haunts the depths of the opera house. The Phantom, seen only in the shadows, causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to force the opera's management to make the woman he loves into a star.

The film is most famous for Lon Chaney's intentionally horrific, self-applied make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere. Chaney transformed his face by painting his eye sockets black, giving a skull-like impression to them. He also pulled the tip of his nose up and pinned it in place with wire, enlarged his nostrils with black paint, and put a set of jagged false teeth into his mouth to complete the ghastly deformed look of the Phantom.

Chaney's disfigured face is kept covered in the film until the now-famous unmasking scene, which prompted the film's original audiences to shriek in terror.

"No one had ever seen anything like this before," said Rapsis, who will accompany the film. "Chaney, with his portrayal of 'The Phantom,' really pushed the boundaries of what movies could do."

Chaney, known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" due to his versatility with make-up, also played Quasimodo in the silent 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) and circus performer 'Alonzo the Armless' in Tod Browning's 'The Unknown' (1927).

The large cast of 'Phantom of the Opera' includes Mary Philbin as Christine Daaé, as the Phantom's love interest; character actor Snitz Edwards; and many other stars of the silent period.

Despite its reputation for scariness, 'The Phantom of the Opera' proved so popular in its original release and again in a 1930 reissue that it led Universal Studios to embark on a series of horror films, many of which are also regarded as true classics of the genre, including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), and The Mummy (1932).

The silent film version of 'Phantom' also paved the way for numerous other adaptations, up to and including the wildly successful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical from 1986 that continues to run on Broadway and in productions around the world.

The original silent 'Phantom' featured lavish sets, including a large theater designed to represent the sprawling interior of the Paris Opera House. After shooting was complete, the set was never torn down and continues in use today as part of Universal's Stage 28; it was seen most recently in 2011's 'The Muppet Movie' as the abandoned Muppet Show theater.

Organizers say the original silent film version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' is not only a great movie, but also a great way for families to get into the Halloween spirit.

And above all, everyone should be prepared to get scared.

"Remember—in silent film, no one can hear you scream," Rapsis said.

The Flying Monkey's monthly silent film series aims to honor the recently renovated venue's historic roots as a local moviehouse that dates back to the early days of motion pictures.

Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician, said 'The Phantom of the Opera' was not made to be shown on television or viewed on home entertainment centers. In reviving silent films, the Flying Monkey aims to show them as they were meant to be seen—in high quality prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Rapsis, who improvises accompaniment as a film is screened. "Recreate those conditions, and the classics of early Hollywood leap back to life in ways that can still move audiences today. They all featured great stories with compelling characters and universal appeal, so it's no surprise that we still respond to them."

Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra and creates a traditional "movie score" sound.

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ (1925), the classic silent horror film starring Lon Chaney, will be shown on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H. Admission is $10 per person. For more info, call (603) 536-2551 or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Creepy stuff coming up: 'Hands of Orlac,' 'Cabinet,' plus two more 'Phantoms'

A view of Somerville Theatre's "House 1" from the projection booth. It took 400 feet of cabling to reach from the stage to here.

Ten days to go before Halloween and the silent film calendar is as packed as a trick-or-treater's bag after two hours of ringing doorbells.

Today (Sunday, Oct. 21) marked my return to the wonderful Somerville Theatre in Davis Square in Somerville, Mass., just outside Boston and really part of the city. We ran 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925), and it was a memorable experience on several counts...

1. Sound: With the help of projectionist David Kornfeld, 400 feet of XLR cable, and a roll of gaffer's tape, we were able to patch my keyboard into the Somerville's booming house sound system. What a step up from my 2011 appearances, when we had to make do with my relatively small Roland speakers.

2. Picture: The tinted 35mm print, on loan from preservation guru David Shepard, was a real treat to see on the big screen. Projectionist David Kornfeld pushes his lamps higher than spec, and I think that helped 'Phantom' pop off the screen.

3. Audience: About 160 people were on hand for the screening, a healthy turnout considering that the Patriots were playing the Jets this afternoon. And they reacted quite energetically to the on-screen action, which is one of the great rewards of doing this.

The local media in Boston are very film-friendly, and so the screening was listed all over, which was great. One amusing twist came from the Boston Phoenix, the local alterative weekly publication, which described the film in this week's issue as "starring Lon Chaney as the tragic bell ringer." Oh, well!

The screening was a hoot, as it's a real thrill to do my stuff in the big city. It was also something of a challenge, as I'm not used to the house and so wasn't confident on volume levels and so on. As I said to David afterwards, it usually takes three screenings for me to settle in with a sound system.

Another unexpected thing (for me) was that the print included footage from the opening that was added for the 1929 sound reissue. However, it was shown silently, which rendered it pretty useless and puzzling. Not exactly the way to start off strong, and I have to say it kinda threw me.

Also, the print had to be run at 24 frames per second, which seemed a little fast to me. The "masked ball" scenes in particular seemed to rush right by, with barely enough time to develop a musical idea or phrase before something else was demanded. Well, such are the perils of live accompaniment.

But the audience seemed to like it, and manager Ian Judge has already okayed another silent film/live music program at the Somerville—on Thursday, Feb. 14 (Valentine's Day!), we'll be running a 35mm print of 'Girl Shy' (1924), the wonderful romantic comedy starring Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston. I'm really looking forward to it—especially Harold's wonderfully cinematic race-to-the-church-on-time finale.

Doing Phantom again on Thursday, Oct. 25 at the Flying Monkey in Plymouth, N.H., and then once more on Wednesday, Oct. 31 (Halloween night!) at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. See the Upcoming Screenings page for more details.

Also coming up: On Sunday, Oct. 28, we're showing a rarely screened German film 'The Hands of Orlac' (1924) at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. And on Tuesday, Oct. 30, I'm tackling 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) at the Manchester (N.H.) City Library. Again, more info on the Upcoming Screenings page.

Greetings, especially to Hippo readers curious about silent film

Coming on Sunday, Oct. 21: 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) at 2 p.m. at the Somerville (Mass.) Theatre.

If you're a new visitor, hello! I've been fortunate to receive write-ups in several regional publications recently, so I wanted to greet anyone new to this blog or to silent film in general.

First thing to note is that this blog is not the best way to get an idea of what silent film is all about. The only way to do that is to attend a screening where all the crucial elements are in place: a big screen, a real theater, live music, and an audience—the bigger, the better. (That's where you come in!)

The good news is that there are many screenings to choose from, and this blog is my way of keeping all the info together and making it easy for people to get what they need. There's a complete calendar of upcoming screenings on the right. It has all the who-what-where you need to join in.

Most of the screenings I accompany are in my home base of New England, but I occasionally get to travel and perform in other areas. In November, I have a screening of the great Josef von Sternberg drama 'The Last Command' (1928) in New York, and next May I go to Cincinnati to do music for Buster Keaton's 'The General' (1926). All the info is posted on the 'Screenings' page—in fact, it's how I keep track of where I'm supposed to be.

Friday, Oct. 19: 'Nosferatu' (1922) in Concord, N.H.

With Halloween coming up, it's a busy time for a silent film accompanist. My next local gig is on Friday, Oct. 19, when I do music for 'Nosferatu' (1922) at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H. For more specifics about that, check out this earlier post.

There's a big screening this weekend, when I do 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) at the Somerville Theatre in Boston. For more on that, check out another earlier post. The Somerville is showing 'Phantom' using a 35mm print on loan from a collector in California, and I'm eager to see what it looks like with the expert projection of David Kornfeld on the Somerville's huge screen.

Sunday, Oct. 21: 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) in Somerville, Mass.

In 2010, when we did a series of Buster Keaton films in 35mm at the Somerville, for me it was like seeing them for the first time all over again. The projection and presentation quality is that good. So that alone is reason enough to look forward to 'Phantom' on Sunday, Oct. 21.

But another plus is that for 'Phantom," I'll attempt to hook my synthesizer keyboard into the Somerville's house sound system, something I'm really excited about. In prior gigs, we used my own small Roland speakers set up onstage. They did the job, but were no match for what the theater's house system can offer.

So I'm going down on Saturday to hook things up and see if we can get it to work. If it does, a new level of accompaniment nirvana awaits. Cross your fingers!

And following Phantom, more screenings await. There's the very odd German thriller 'The Hands of Orlac' (1924), in which a concert pianist gets a new set of hands after being crippled in a train crash. The trouble starts when it turns out that the "new" hands belong to an executed murderer. That's on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theater.

Tuesday, Oct. 30: 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) in Manchester, N.H.

And on Tuesday, Oct. 30 (the day before Halloween!), we're showing 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) at 6 p.m. at the Manchester (N.H.) City Library. And a couple of other 'Phantom' screenings are lurking on the calendar, too.

So, if you've read this far, thank you for checking out this blog and pondering the world of silent film. Consider this an invitation to further explore this obsolete form of entertainment, story-telling, and artistry. It flourished for only three decades, but is now so old, it's new again.

Audiences needed immediately at a nearby screening. This means you! Hope to see you at a future show.

'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) in Boston on real honest-to-God 35mm film!

Coming up: 'The Phantom' on real film!

Yes—the original Lon Chaney version of 'Phantom of the Opera' will be shown in actual 35mm with live music on a big screen in a real theatre. Specifically, it's the wonderful Somerville Theatre, where we'll screen a collector print of this great flick on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. Admission is $15 per person—a bargain for the great (and increasingly rare) experience of seeing a film as it was intended to be shown.

I'm thrilled to be returning to the Somerville, where I did music for several screenings in 2010: a 1916 version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" for a science fiction marathon, and then three programs of Buster Keaton features, all in 35mm. It's a pleasure to work with people so committed to maintaining the authentic movie-going experience, even as the industry demands conversion to digital.

I especially want to single out two people there who have really gone out of their way to keep the movie-going experience intact. Ian Judge, the theater's manager, is that rare kind of person who can operate a complex business entity (he actually manages more than one theater) but do it while also understanding the value of things that don't immediately translate to the bottom line. (Silent film as a whole fits into the latter category.)

Even before the industry began the transition to digital, Ian worked tirelessly for years to transform the Somerville from a second-run house to a place where the movie-going experience could be celebrated. It took a lot of polishing, and work continues even today, but the place is a real gem.

And then there's projectionist David Kornfeld, whose fanatical devotion to his craft is unlike anything I've seen anywhere. Projecting a film properly involves a great many technical variables, especially when handling older prints in all the various formats that have been used over the years.

David cares so much and so deeply about the art of getting a movie on the big screen, and is so knowledgeable about how it ought to be done, that he's capable of getting really, really angry when things don't measure up to his high standards. And I love that. I think the world would be a much better place if more people were as passionate about things as David is about what he does.

(For more on David, I recommend this excellent in-depth profile that ran recently in The Boston Phoenix.)

So, even when given dreck to work with, David does his best to make it look as good as possible on the Somerville's big screen. He has some issues, for example, with the 35mm print of 'Phantom' that we've obtained, but I'm sure he'll make it look great at showtime.

And showtime? Again, it's Sunday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. For more details, I've pasted in copy from the press release that went out awhile back. Hope to see you there!

* * *

SUNDAY, OCT. 7, 2012 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Phantom of the Opera'
at Somerville on Sunday, Oct. 21

Classic silent horror film starring Lon Chaney to screen in 35mm with live music

SOMERVILLE, Mass.—It was cinema's first real shocker—a movie so frightening that its original audiences would shriek in terror and even faint. It was 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), the silent horror film starring legendary actor Lon Chaney. The classic tale of the mad musician who lurks in the shadows of the Paris Opera House will be revived with live music on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

The screening will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating live scores for silent films. Admission is $15 per person.

For this screening of 'The Phantom of the Opera,' the Somerville has obtained use of a collector's 35mm print widely regarded to be among the best in existence.

Adapted from a 19th century novel by French author Gaston Leroux, the film features Lon Chaney as the deformed Phantom, a mysterious figure who haunts the depths of the opera house. Seen only in shadows, the Phantom creates terror when he attempts to force the opera's management to make the woman he loves into a star.

The film is most famous for Lon Chaney's intentionally horrific, self-applied make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere. Chaney transformed his face by painting his eye sockets black, giving a skull-like impression to them. He also pulled the tip of his nose up and pinned it in place with wire, enlarged his nostrils with black paint, and put a set of jagged false teeth into his mouth to complete the ghastly deformed look of the Phantom.

Chaney's disfigured face is kept covered in the film until the now-famous unmasking scene, which caused audiences to shriek in terror.

"No one had ever seen anything like this before," said Rapsis, who will accompany the film. "Chaney, with his portrayal of 'The Phantom,' really pushed the boundaries of what movies could do."

Chaney, known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" due to his versatility with make-up, also played Quasimodo in the silent 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) and circus performer 'Alonzo the Armless' in Tod Browning's 'The Unknown' (1927).

The large cast of 'Phantom of the Opera' includes Mary Philbin as Christine Daaé, as the Phantom's love interest; character actor Snitz Edwards; and many other stars of the silent period.

Despite its reputation for scariness, 'The Phantom of the Opera' proved so popular in its original release and again in a 1930 reissue that it led Universal Studios to embark on a series of horror films, many of which are also regarded as true classics of the genre, including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), and The Mummy (1932).

The silent film version of 'Phantom' also paved the way for numerous other adaptations, up to and including the wildly successful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical from 1986 that continues to run on Broadway and in productions around the world.

The original silent 'Phantom' featured lavish production values, including a large theater set the Paris Opera House scenes. The set was never torn down and continues in use today as part of Universal's Stage 28; it was seen most recently in 2011's 'The Muppet Movie' as the abandoned Muppet Show theater.

The Somerville Theatre’s commitment to 35mm film presentation in both contemporary and classic movies means a rare chance to see 'Phantom' in its original format.

“This is a great opportunity to experience silent film as it was intended to be shown -- on the big screen, in high-quality prints, with live music and with an audience,” said Ian Judge, the Somerville Theatre’s general manager. “With theaters converting to digital for first-run movies, we’re pleased to continue to present films in 35mm, the standard format for more than a century. There’s nothing like it, and that’s especially true for films of the silent era.”

Music will be performed by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based musician who accompanies silent film screenings at venues across New England. Rapsis works without sheet music, instead creating an improvised score on the spot. He uses a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra, creating a traditional "movie score" sound and helping link today’s audiences to films of the silent era.

“These films were not meant to be seen by people alone or at home,” Rapsis said. “They were created to be experienced by large crowds in a theater like the Somerville, and getting swept up in the audience reaction is one of the great things about silent film. When it happens, either in a comedy or drama or any kind of film, it can be almost cathartic.”

Organizers say the original silent film version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' is a great way for families to get into the Halloween spirit.

"Remember—in silent film, no one can hear you scream," Rapsis said.

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ (1925), the classic silent horror film starring Lon Chaney, will be shown on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. Admission is $15 adults, general admission seating. For more information, call (617) 625-5700 or visit http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Up next: Murnau's 'Nosferatu' (1922) at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H.

Max Schreck as the vampire 'Nosferatu' traveling by ship.

With Halloween around the corner, it's the one time each year where a silent film accompanist actually feels in demand. I'm doing no less than four screenings of 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) in two weeks, and also 'Nosferatu' (1922) on Friday, Oct. 19 at Red River Theatres in Concord. Somewhere in there is also a screening of 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) and even 'The Hands of Orlac' (1924), which I've never done until this season. (For details, check the "Upcoming Silent Film Screenings" link at right.)

Why the big surge? I think for most people, silent film has a kind of otherworldly quality. And that lends itself to Halloween, the one big holiday that celebrates other-worldliness. I've tried to use silent films to mark other holidays: 'King of Kings' (1927) for Easter, 'The Big Parade' (1925) for Veterans Day, even 'Orphans of the Storm' (1921) for Bastille Day, all with mixed results. But you don't have to work hard to get crowds to turn out at Halloween.

And 'Nosferatu' is one of the big ones, and I'm looking forward to doing it on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H. (Admission $10 per person.) I've done music for this movie several times before, and it has a special place in my heart because I consider it a "lucky" film.

Why? Because a few years ago, I was supposed to do music for 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' as part of a 'Festival of Terror' organized by a friend. (That's the kind of friends I have.) But come screening time, no copy of the film was on hand. Ooops! But there was a copy of 'Nosferatu' available, so we substituted that at the last minute, even though I had never scored the film and hadn't seen it in years.

Well, off we went, and it turned into one of those memorable screenings where everything falls together just right, at least in terms of the music. I came up with stuff that worked immediately and could be used throughout, caught all the big moments, and paced it in a way that really helped bring out the drama and emotion in the film, I thought. Even though I hadn't seen the film in a long time, I seemed to anticipate what Murnau would do next, even as it was happening on the screen. And the lack of preparation seemed to add to the energy I brought to the whole affair. In short, I just nailed it.

So now, whenever it's time for 'Nosferatu,' I always sit down with a good feeling. Weird for a film that's supposed to inspire terror and fright, but hey—all in a day's work for your cool-as-a-cucumber silent film accompanist. :)

I do hope you'll join me for my only screening of 'Nosferatu' this Halloween season, which is on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H. For more info, here's the text of the press release:

* * *

SUNDAY, OCT. 7, 2012 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent film frightfest
at Red River on Friday, Oct. 19

'Nosferatu' (1922), pioneer classic horror flick, to be screened with live music in Concord, N.H.

CONCORD, N.H.—Get into the Halloween spirit with a classic silent horror film. 'Nosferatu' (1922), the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel 'Dracula,' will be screened with live music at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H. on Friday, Oct. 19. The show starts at 7 p.m. and will feature live accompaniment by silent film musician Jeff Rapsis. General admission is $10 per person.

'Nosferatu' (1922), directed by German filmmaker F.W. Murnau, remains a landmark work of the cinematic horror genre. It was among the first movies to use visual design to create an overall sense of terror. To modern viewers, the passage of time has made both this unusual film seem even more strange and otherworldly. It's an atmosphere that silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis will augment by improvising live music on the spot for the screening.

In 'Nosferatu,' German actor Max Schreck portrays the title character, a mysterious count from Transylvania who travels to the German city of Bremen to take up residence. A rise in deaths from the plague is attributed to the count's arrival. Only when a young woman reads "The Book of Vampires" does it become clear how to rid the town of this frightening menace.

Modern critics say the original 'Nosferatu' still packs a powerful cinematic punch. “Early film version of Dracula is brilliantly eerie, full of imaginative touches that none of the later films quite recaptured,” Leonard Maltin wrote recently. Critic Dave Kehr of the Chicago Reader called 'Nosferatu' "...a masterpiece of the German silent cinema and easily the most effective version of Dracula on record.”

The film, shot in 1921 and released in 1922, was an unauthorized adaptation of Stoker's novel, with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain rights to the novel. For instance, "vampire" became "Nosferatu" and "Count Dracula" became "Count Orlok." After the film was released, Stoker's widow filed a copyright infringement lawsuit and won; all known prints and negatives were destroyed under the terms of settlement. However, bootleg copies of the the film would surface later, allowing 'Nosferatu' to be screened today as audiences originally saw it.

The screening is part of Red River's 5th anniversary celebration. Dubbed "Cheers to Five Years," the theater is marking five years of bringing independent films, documentaries, and cultural events to the Capital region and central New Hampshire.

Red River Theatres, an independent cinema, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to screening a diverse program of first-run independent films, cult favorites, classics, local and regional film projects, and foreign films. The member-supported theater’s mission is to present film and the discussion of film as a way to entertain, broaden horizons and deepen appreciation of life for New Hampshire audiences of all ages.

Red River Theatres includes silent film in its programming to give today's audiences a chance to experience the great films of Hollywood's early years as they were intended: in restored prints, on the big screen, and with live music and an audience.

"If you've never seen a silent film in a theater with live music and an audience, 'Nosferatu' is a great way to experience the medium at its best," said Jeff Rapsis, the film's accompanist. "When you put all the elements together, silent film still has an ability to stir up emotions in a way that no other medium can."

‘Nosferatu’ will be shown on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. at Red River Theatres, 11 South Main St., Concord, N.H. Tickets are $10 per person. For more information on the screening or other events for the theater's 5th anniversary, visit www.redrivertheatres.org or call (603) 224-4600. For more information on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Coming up: Four—count 'em, four!— screenings of 'Phantom of the Opera'

As the old saying goes, four phantoms are better than one. Not sure if I have that exactly right, but even so, it's my current philosophy, as I have no less than four separate screenings of the silent 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) in the upcoming weeks before Halloween.

Interested in taking in all four? Here's a quick run-down of the where and when:

• Saturday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.: Brandon Town Hall, Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Free admission, donations accepted.

• Sunday, Oct. 21, 2 p.m.: Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville Mass. Admission $15 per person. In glorious 35mm!

• Thursday, Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m.: The Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H. Admission $10 per person.

• Wednesday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m.: Rogers Center for the Arts, Merrimack College, Andover, Mass. Free admission, donations accepted.

I didn't plan on a four-in-one 'Phantom' season, but the requests kept coming in and this is the result. It'll be fun to do, as 'Phantom of the Opera' was the first feature I scored in live performance, and I haven't really done it since 2007, so it'll be interesting to see how my approach has evolved.

Ah, the iconic film still image.

I'm particularly excited by 35mm screening we've arranged at the Somerville (Mass.) Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 21. (All the others use digital transfers.) The print we're using belongs to noted film historian and preservationist David Shepard, and I understand it to be one of the best 35mm prints of 'Phantom' in existence.

I'm also thrilled that 'Phantom' will be presented by David Kornfeld, the Somerville's vastly knowledgeable projectionist who knows so much about the many things that go into presenting a vintage film print on the big screen—especially a real vintage one such as 'Phantom.' Bulb strength is only the beginning!

In addition, for the Somerville screening, we're hoping to patch my synthesizer output into the house theatre's amazingly powerful house sound system in the main theater. Assuming we can do this successfully (still a big if), the results should be spectacular. They may never get me to stop playing!

For now, I'm looking forward to the "starter" Phantom—a screening coming up on Saturday, Oct. 13 in Brandon, Vt. More info is below on the press release, but let me say that this marks the final silent screening in Brandon for the 2012 season. (Brandon Town Hall, where we show them, isn't heated, so we push as far as October, when we wind things up with 'Chiller Theatre' in honor of the season.) It's been a great year in Brandon and I want to thank everyone whose efforts make it possible for me to do films there. We've already got dates set for 2013 and I'm working on what films to program. So if you have a favorite, let me know!

* * *

MONDAY, OCT. 1, 2012 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Phantom of the Opera' at Brandon Town Hall on Saturday, Oct. 13

Classic silent horror film starring Lon Chaney to be screened with live music

BRANDON, Vt.—It was one of cinema's first real shockers—a movie so frightening that its original audiences would shriek in terror and even faint. It was 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), the silent horror film starring legendary actor Lon Chaney, and it will be revived with live music on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. at Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall and Community Center.

The screening, the final installment of this year's Brandon Town Hall silent film series, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating scores for silent films. Admission is free; donations are encouraged, with proceeds to support ongoing renovation of the town hall.

'The Phantom of the Opera,' adapted from a 19th century novel by French author Gaston Leroux, featured Lon Chaney as the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House. The Phantom, seen only in the shadows, causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to force the management to make the woman he loves into a star.

The film is most famous for Lon Chaney's intentionally horrific, self-applied make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere. Chaney transformed his face by painting his eye sockets black, giving a skull-like impression to them. He also pulled the tip of his nose up and pinned it in place with wire, enlarged his nostrils with black paint, and put a set of jagged false teeth into his mouth to complete the ghastly deformed look of the Phantom.

Chaney's disfigured face is kept covered in the film until the now-famous unmasking scene, which prompted the film's original audiences to shriek in terror.

"No one had ever seen anything like this before," said Rapsis, who will accompany the film. "Chaney, with his portrayal of 'The Phantom,' really pushed the boundaries of what movies could do."

Chaney's other iconic roles of the period include Quasimodo in the silent 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) and circus performer 'Alonzo the Armless' in Tod Browning's 'The Unknown' (1927).

The large cast of 'Phantom of the Opera' includes Mary Philbin as Christine Daaé, as the Phantom's love interest; character actor Snitz Edwards; and many other stars of the silent period.

Chaney's 'Phantom' looks a bit down in the dumps in this still—but not for long. The spigot of self-loathing will soon be turned on full blast.

'The Phantom of the Opera' proved so popular in its original release and again in a 1930 reissue that it led Universal to embark on a series of horror films, many of which are regarded as true classics of the genre, including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), and The Mummy (1932).

The silent film version of 'Phantom' also paved the way for numerous other adaptations, up to and including the wildly successful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical from 1986 that continues to run on Broadway and in productions around the world.

The original silent 'Phantom' featured lavish sets, including a large theater designed to represent the sprawling interior of the Paris Opera House. The set was never torn down and continues in use today as part of Universal's Stage 28; it was seen most recently in 2011's 'The Muppet Movie' as the abandoned Muppet Show theater.

Organizers say the original silent film version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' is not only a great movie, but also a great way for families to get into the Halloween spirit. Audience members are encouraged to attend in costume, or at least dress warmly. Because Brandon Town Hall lacks a heating system, organizers have dubbed the screening of the horror film as "Chiller Theater."

And above all, everyone should be prepared to get scared.

"Remember—in silent film, no one can hear you scream," Rapsis said.

Sponsor for the Oct. 13 screening of 'The Phantom of the Opera' is Lake Sunapee Bank.

The final installment in this season's series of silent films at Brandon Town Hall will be 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), the classic horror film starring Lon Chaney, to be screened on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.brandontownhall.org. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

"Better than foliage...": Notes on scoring 'Wings' in Ludlow (Vt.) Town Auditorium

Saturday, Oct. 6 brought me to the picturesque village of Ludlow, Vermont, home of Okemo Mountain ski resort, and where the foliage season is currently nearing its peak. I was on hand for what you might call an "apres-leaf peeping" event—to do live music after sundown for a screening of 'Wings' (1927), the great World War I flying drama.

Ludlow is blessed with a vintage municipal building that still houses much of the local government. Like many such buildings, its upper floors are home to a surprisingly large and high-ceiling auditorium, which over the years has done duty as a theater and a basketball arena, among other functions. (The court markings are still painted on the wooden floors.)

In recent years, the space has been restored and put back in use, primarily due to the efforts of the "Friends of the Ludlow Auditorium," a group of local volunteers dedicated to building up the facility's programming. They've been showing classic movies there, one per month, for some time, but this past August they tried something new—a program of short silent films with live music.

I couldn't be on hand to join in due to prior commitments, but the show was well received, and organizer Ralph Pace agreed to give me a slot to do music for a full-length feature. And so I came to town to accompany 'Wings.'

Below are photos of the stage (with movie screen), and also the seating area.

The space is a little unusual in that the seats are arranged on a massive series of risers that cover a good portion of the old wooden gym floor. But the acoustics are great, and it was a thrill to do music for the crowd of about 100 people who showed up.

The only glitch, alas, was that the aspect ratio of the projected image was incorrect, and we couldn't adjust it in time for the 7 p.m. show. So the cast of 'Wings' looked a little taller and thinner than usual. Most people seemed to accept the film as is, and I felt the music came out pretty effectively, so 'Wings' overall made its usual strong impact.

A lively question-and-answer session followed, including some queries about tinting—how appropriate for foliage season! We probably could have continued well into the night if Ralph himself hadn't come down from the projection "booth" (a makeshift area in the balcony) to thank everyone for coming. Even so, some people still stayed to chat further including several who said they forgot the music was live (the ultimate compliment!) and a couple from England who were "on a month's holiday to see your foliage" but said 'Wings' was the highlight of their trip so far. Better than foliage! High praise indeed!

Ralph was pleased enough with the turnout to ask folks if they'd like to see more. Many did, and so we'll see about doing future screening in Ludlow. If you live in the area and have any ideas about silent films to present with live music, please let me know!

In the meantime, if you're eager for more, my next gigi is only about an hour's drive away: a screening of the original 1925 silent version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' starring Lon Chaney, to be shown on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. at Brandon Town Hall on Route 7 in Brandon, Vt. Admission is free. Hope to see you there!

In which I (amazingly enough) collaborate with Mr. Kevin Brownlow

With esteemed filmmaker and historian Kevin Brownlow at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

When in the company of prominent people, I can't seem to resist making wisecracks to show just how clever I am. I think this is just a way of channeling my excitement, but it sometimes leads to aggressively bizarre behavior.

Case in point involving Mr. Kevin Brownlow: I arrived this evening at Giffels Auditorium in advance of his presentation, for which I was to supply live music.

Kevin was already going through the video segments of his lecture; on screen was a portion of his 1980 'Hollywood' documentary about the silent film western, with narration by actor James Mason. So what's the first thing out of my mouth when the distinguished film historian and author notices I'm there?

"Kevin, hi! You know, that guy you have doing the narration does a great James Mason."

He was gracious enough to laugh, and I eventually settled down, probably much to his relief. But yes, that was actually me working with Kevin Brownlow, who presented his "The Wild West and the Reel West" lecture on Monday, Oct. 1 at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Ark.

How did I end up working with Kevin Brownlow in Fayetteville, Arkansas? Chalk it up to good old American know-who. Bill Shaffer of the Kansas Silent Film Festival recommended me to Frank Scheide, a faculty member of the "U of A" Communications Department. Frank and Bill brought Kevin in from London for this year's annual Buster Keaton Festival in Iola, Kansas, and then Frank hosted Kevin for some additional presentations in Fayetteville.

Turns out live music was needed for several segments of Kevin's talk on Monday night in Giffels Auditorium on the university campus, which is where I came in.

It had already been quite a year for me and Mr. Brownlow, who is one of the people in the world I would most like to be if I had to be someone else. (Another person is Q. David Bowers.) In February, I stopped by uninvited at the North London offices of his company, Photoplay Productions, and got to meet Kevin there. In April, my wife and I zipped out to Oakland, Calif. to take in one of the 'Napoleon' (1927) screenings, and exchanged a few words with Kevin there as well.

And now this: a chance to collaborate with Kevin as part of an actual silent film event, if only in a small way. But I was honored to have the opportunity, which for a silent film musician is on par with, say, a high school track wannabe going for a jog with Roger Bannister.

First, however, I had to quell the desire to crack wise. So I held my tongue and watched as Kevin worked through the segments with a tech guy, trying to ensure each looked as good as possible. At one troublesome point, he turned to me and asked "Do you know anything about these things?" and I demurred, saying I was from the "TAE School of Technology," meaning "Trial and Error."

Okay, stop it with the jokes already!

But going through the segments did give me a chance to preview the three sequences I'd be accompanying. One was from 'The Iron Horse' (1924), the great John Ford drama about the building of the transcontinental railroad; the other two were clips from dramas with titles I can't recall right now, but both featured depictions of Native Americans.

I don't know why these were "mute" (without recorded music), but the dramatic situations were clear enough, even out of context, so I felt ready for the high-wire improv act to begin. Kevin's one request was that I use the theme from "Stagecoach," which I didn't know offhand but was able to mimic from Kevin singing the melody.

But then there was the piano. Giffels Auditorium is graced by an enormous Steinway concert grand, but it lives on the stage behind the screen used for audio-visual presentations. So we had to make do with positioning it as far downstage as possible, on the very lip of stage right, which gave me a sideways view of the screen, which was better than nothing. This, however, positioned the business end of the piano (the keyboard) offstage, and so I wound up sitting behind a curtain that was fixed in place.

Thus I became the "mystery pianist," which of course wasn't an issue as this was supposed to be about the movies and Kevin's work, after all. Still, it took anonymity to new heights. (I'm told you could see my feet on the pedals.)

Besides actually accompanying the segments, the highlight for me occurred when I began warming up. I wasn't doing anything special, but Kevin and Frank both seemed impressed and pleased. Now it was Kevin's turn to joke, with him asking me to not play anything that was obviously better than the recorded music.

This was very kind of him and put me in a sunny, confident mood. I began improvising on what I could come up for "Stagecoach," just to see what might happen, and was surprised to learn that Kevin was on the other side of the curtain the whole time, going over his notes. He later said some very kind things about my playing, which really, really made my day.

About 100 people turned out for the lecture, mostly students. When the lights went down for the first clip, I was alarmed to find there was much less light on the keyboard than I expected, but it would work. As I said later, "Luckily, most of the keys are white."

All right all ready with the jokes!

One other thing worth noting is that Kevin hadn't had any dinner, and all he had on him was a Polish candy bar, which he didn't seem to want. So prior to the lecture, my wife hustled back to our room at the nearby Inn at Carnal Hall (where we were all staying) and brought back a banana and a protein bar, which got him through the lecture.

So Kevin gave the world an appreciation for silent film, and we gave him snacks. Not exactly an even trade, but it was a really nice banana.

And not to gush any more than I already have, but I must say it was a genuine rush to hear, from my perch behind the curtains, Kevin Brownlow introduce the first sequence from 'The Iron Horse' by saying "...accompanied by Mr. Jeff Rapsis on the piano."

I mean, this is the guy who, more than anyone else, has opened my eyes to the unique expressive power of silent film, especially in live performance, and who has inspired me to recreate it and keep it alive and bring it to others whenever possible.

It was an honor and a thrill for me, as well as a great opportunity to apply the instincts that I've been honing in the five years that I've been working to develop my craft. I hope it was up to the high standards that Kevin Brownlow has so obviously striven for throughout his life's work.

And if there's a next time, I'll be sure to bring an ample supply of bananas, for at the very least Mr. Brownlow deserves a whole bunch.

Showing 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924) to a real person from Bagdad

Catching up on a few random thoughts...

• On Wednesday, Sept. 26, I did music for a screening of 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924), the great Douglas Fairbanks fantasy epic, at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H. The audience was small, but included a family from actual present-day Bagdad, who seemed to enjoy the picture.

I wasn't sure how they got to New Hampshire, but they were at Red River at the invitation of Rick Broussard, my former colleague at New Hampshire Magazine, who was also on hand for the screening. (Rick seems to know everyone, even the recent arrivals from Bagdad.)

It's a big film and I was particularly wasted at the end of it, so I have only a fuzzy recollection of the family's reaction afterwards. One of them who spoke little English (and so was translated by someone else) communicated that when he was young, his grandmother would play music for silent films, and so when I played, he heard his grandmother. I took it as high praise!

• The gradual disappearance of the 35mm format (actual film!) for first-run movies is causing some changes at some of the venues where I do silent films. The Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H., where movies have been shown since 1912, is passing on conversion for now but will continue running first-run pictures in 35mm as long as possible, in hopes that the cost of conversion will come down substantially in the future.

The Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine, where they've been running movies since 1923, is another case. Converting a one-screen summer-only house to digital doesn't make financial sense at all, and so they're not sure what next season will bring. If 35mm prints aren't available or are hard to come by, that might be that.

If the Leavitt fails to reopen, it would be a darned shame. It's remarkably unaltered from the time it opened (the wooden seats still have wire rims underneath for gentlemen to stow their hats), and a great place to see film, with its steeply raked wooden floor.

Also, owner/operator Peter Clayton really cares about doing it right. Just check out the way he promoted a recent screening of Buster Keaton's 'The Cameraman' (1928) last month:

Can you believe it? Full-sized sidewalk posters for a Buster Keaton feature in 2012? Nearly 100 people turned out, and the audience greeted Buster's antics with one big reaction after another. It was one of the highlights of the season! (I also like being described as a "live accompanist," as opposed to the other kind.)

• There's a big piece by David Denby, film critic for The New Yorker, with this headline: "Has Hollywood Murdered the Movies?" It's pretty wide-ranging (and, yes, long) but worth a read. I was particularly interested in his ideas about how the overreliance of digital animation in today's movies (as opposed to photographing reality) has been a contributing factor in their decline.

Too much to get into here, but I did want to make the point that it's obvious to me that in screening silent films today, the reality of the photographed image (this actually happened) is one of their most compelling aspects. The further you get away from that, the less you have of a "movie" and the more you have of something else.

So silent film, with its relatively basic techniques, may still have something to teach us. These pictures, after all, are what caused people to first fall in love with the movies. Beyond being the subject of pleasant tributes such as 'The Artist,' perhaps films of this era offer some clues about what works and what doesn't. And so that's another reason they're worth looking at.

Anyway, here's the piece. I must say that I found his characterization of people who write about certain specific niches of cinema (like silent film) a little dispiriting: "They are extraordinary, some of them, and their blogs and websites generate an exfoliating mass of knowledge and opinion, a thickening density of inquiries and claims, outraged and dulcet tweets. Yet it is unlikely that they can do much to build a theatrical audience for the movies they love."

Well, I know the thousands upon thousands of people who religiously study this blog would disagree. And, thankfully, it continues to be a useful way at doing exactly what Denby doubts can be done: Get people into a theater for the shared experience of silent film with live music.