Chaney and Houdini in double feature at Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. on Sunday, 4/3

Harry Houdini and company on location at Niagara Falls shooting 'The Man From Beyond' (1922).

If two heads are better than one, then two famous people from the 1920s whose names are still recognized a full century later must really something. 

The two people: actor Lon Chaney and illusionist Harry Houdini. They're both performers who, alas, died at relatively young ages, but whose names live on today in the 21st century.

On Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m., I'll accompany films starring Chaney and Houdini at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. 

For Chaney, it's 'Flesh and Blood' (1922), a rarely screened crime drama made just before he tackled the title role in 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' the next year. 

For for Houdini, it's 'The Man From Beyond' (1922), a very strange film about a man frozen in the Arctic ice for 100 years who's revived and brought back to civilization. 

More info about both films is in the press release below. You may notice they're both from 1922, as they're part of an ongoing series at the Town Hall Theatre celebrating the 100th anniversary pictures from that year.

Starting last January, we've already screened the year's top five box office hits, culminating in last week's showing of Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in 'Robin Hood' (1922) the year's top attraction.

Speaking of 'Robin Hood': the Fairbanks swashbucklers are often singled out for their lavish sets and production values, with Doug himself noted for his on-screen athleticism and forceful personality. 

All of that's true. But I think Fairbanks doesn't get nearly enough credit for the true strength underpinning his most successful pictures, including 'Robin Hood': story construction.

Really! The sets and stunts are great. But no one would care if there wasn't a powerful story at work to pull an audience forward, then and now. 

Fairbanks (who co-wrote 'Robin Hood' under the pseudonym 'Elton Thomas') had a knack for spinning a great yarn—one that hooks you right away, and which you just can't stop following until the inevitably satisfying conclusion. 

Original poster art promoting 'Robin Hood' (1922) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr.

With 'Robin Hood,' I can attest to the strength of the story because 100 years later, it still mesmerized our audience at the Town Hall Theater. 

Here it was 2022, and people were cheering Fairbanks as he robbed from the rich to steal from the poor, and spontaneously hissing Prince John, the movie's principle villain. 

That's engagement at a powerful level—enough to cause people to fall in love with the movies, then and now. 

Just look at how the opening scenes in 'Robin Hood' establish the characters: we must root for Fairbanks as Lord Huntingdon for his prowess in jousting, his loyalty to King Richard, but most of all his disarmingly charming fear of...women!

For the bad guys, there's Sir Guy, clearly a sourpuss, already attempting to cheat at jousting and forcing himself on Lady Marian. And Prince John with his evil falcon—one look and you just know there's going to be trouble.

King Richard (in one of the better roles of the ubiquitous Wallace Beery) is firmly established as a life-loving and beloved ruler of his people, plus we meet Huntingdon's loyal squire and get to see Lady Marian in the most positive possible light.

There! In an opening scene of less than 10 minutes, Fairbanks establishes the relationships that will carry us through the next two hours. It worked in 1922, and it still works in 2022, and I imagine it will continue to work in 2122 and beyond.

Will audience response for Chaney and Houdini match that of Fairbanks? Only one way to find out—come join us on Sunday, April 3 and see for yourself. 

*     *     *

An original release poster for 'Flesh and Blood' (1922) starring Lon Chaney.

 MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Films starring Lon Chaney and Harry Houdini at Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, April 3

Legendary performers return to the silver screen in double bill celebrating 100th anniversary of 1922 releases, with live music.

WILTON, N.H.—A century after their heyday, 'Houdini' and 'Chaney' are still known as the names of legendary entertainers.

See them both on the big screen again on Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to help defray expenses.

The screenings will be accompanied with live music by Jeff Rapsis.

The double bill features Lon Chaney in the crime drama 'Flesh and Blood,' while Houdini stars in the adventure film 'The Man From Beyond.'

Released in 1922, both films celebrate their 100th anniversaries this year.

In 'Flesh and Blood,' a rarely screened crime drama, Chaney plays an escaped convict who hides out in Chinatown and plots revenge.

Chaney, known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" due to his versatility with make-up, was a major star during Hollywood's silent era.

Iconic performances included the title roles in the blockbuster silent versions of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) and 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925).

A lobby card promoting Harry Houdini's 'The Man From Beyond' (1922).

In 'The Man From Beyond,' illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini plays an Arctic adventurer frozen for 100 years. Discovered and thawed out, he searches for his reincarnated lost love.

Houdini was a Hungarian-born, American-Jewish illusionist and stunt performer noted for his sensational escape acts.  

His repertoire included escaping from ropes slung from skyscrapers, from straitjackets under water, and from inside a sealed milk can with water in it.

Chaney began as a stage actor, but moved exclusively to films in the mid-1910s and remained before the cameras for the balance of his career.

Houdini, at the height of his fame, starred in a series of adventure films in the early 1920s, but continued to focus on live performance.

Both men died relatively young: Chaney from throat cancer in 1930 at age 47; Houdini from a ruptured appendix in 1926 at age 52.

A scene from 'Flesh and Blood' (1922) starring Lon Chaney.

Live music for both films will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis, who uses a digital synthesizer to create a traditional full orchestra "movie score" sound.

Rapsis emphasized the unique value of seeing early cinema as it was originally presented.

"These films were designed for the big screen, live music, and large audiences. Put it all together, and you can get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies," Rapsis said.

The double feature is part of the Town Hall Theatre's ongoing series honoring the 100th anniversary of significant motion pictures that debuted in 1922.

Programs have included all of 1922's five highest-grossing titles, each shown on the big screen with live music, as well as century-old oddities, short films, cartoons, and more.

The Town Hall's 100th anniversary series will conclude with 'Othello' (1922) on Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m.

The Bard's immortal tragedy is brought to the screen in this early German version starring legendary actor Emil Jannings. Silent Shakespeare in honor of the author's 458th birthday.

'Flesh and Blood' starring Lon Chaney and 'The Man From Beyond' starring Harry Houdini will be shown with live music on Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to defray expenses.

For more info, visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com or call (603) 654-3456

Up next: Cinema Ritrovato 'L'Inferno' on 3/25 in Portsmouth, then 'Robin Hood' on 3/27 in Wilton

A big film means a big megaphone: Alan Dwan directing 'Robin Hood' with star Douglas Fairbanks Sr. observing. 

This Sunday, it's 'Robin Hood' (1922), the culmination of a series of 100th anniversary screenings at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

But first, on Friday we venture to the underworld, as I accompany a screening of 'L'Inferno' (1911), an early adaptation of Dante's iconic work and a landmark early feature film from Italy.

'L'Inferno' is part of "Il Cinema Ritrovato on Tour in New Hampshire," a program brought to the Granite State each year by foreign language department staffers at the University of New Hampshire. (It's where I earned my MBA, and also taught as an adjunct for many years.)

Friday being opening night, the screening will take place at the prestigious Music Hall in Portsmouth, N.H. Showtime is at 7 p.m. Complete info can be found at the program's website.

Screenings continue at the Music Hall through Sunday, after which the program moves to the UNH campus in Durham for more films through March 31.

It's quite a privilege to be asked to create live music for a film in the touring "Ritrovato" program. Three cheers to organizers for recognizing the value of live music for pictures from the silent era.

And it's also a thrill to be performing in the Music Hall, a legendary venue in my home state. 

Although they don't run much silent film with live music, it's where I first took in the Alloy Orchestra doing their thing to Buster Keaton's 'Steamboat Bill Jr.' back in about 1991 or so, which helped rekindle my interest in early cinema.

It's also where I saw (and heard) Philip Glass perform in person, and where I first experienced the John Adams opera 'Nixon in China' via simulcast. (Small world: Adams grew up in New Hampshire not far from my home base.) 

Looking forward to hearing what my digital synthesizer sounds like in the storied old hall, which dates from the 1870s. I usually do pretty well with halls built in the era when acoustics were a priority, so I'm hopeful.

Okay, and now off to Sherwood Forest!

As the year's top box office hit, 'Robin Hood' forms  the culmination of our series of screenings celebrating the 100th anniversary of movies released in 1922.

In a silent film version of Casey Kasem's Top 40 countdown (remember that?), since January we've been showing the year's top five grossing pictures more or less in reverse order, starting Harold Lloyd's 'Grandma's Boy' (No. 5) in January.

Since then, we've run Valentino's 'Blood and Sand' (No. 4), Norma Talmadge in 'Smilin' Through' (No. 3), and Marion Davies in 'When Knighthood Was in Flower' (No. 2), with occasional detours for special titles such as 'Nanook of the North,' which also hit screens in 1922.

But as 1922's box office champ, 'Robin Hood' topped them all. And then as now, this big-time historical swashbuckler is best experienced on the big screen with live music and an audience. 

This means you! So I invite all to join us Sunday afternoon to escape with Robin Hood and his Merry Men, even if just for the afternoon. 

Lots more info in the press release below. Hope to see you this Sunday in Sherwood Forest—er, I mean the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.!

*    *    *

Original artwork promoting 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (1922).

MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Robin Hood' leaps into action at Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, March 27

It's off to Sherwood Forest for the 100th anniversary of legendary silent blockbuster, screened with live music

WILTON, N.H.—He robbed from the rich, gave to the poor, and was the top box office attraction of 1922.

He was Douglas Fairbanks Sr. starring in 'Robin Hood,' the original movie adaptation of the legendary tale.

See it for yourself on the big screen on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H., 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to help defray expenses.

The screening will be accompanied with live music by Jeff Rapsis.

Set in medieval England, 'Robin Hood' tells the tale of the Earl of Huntingdon (Fairbanks, at right), a dashing nobleman who joins King Richard the Lion-Hearted (Wallace Beery) on a Crusade to the Holy Land.

Huntingdon later returns to England to find Richard's cruel brother, Prince John (Sam De Grasse), falsely claiming the throne, enriching his aristocratic cronies and tyrannizing the citizenry.

Huntingdon takes to the woods and becomes 'Robin Hood,' soon joined by a band of merry men who undermine Prince John's reign by robbing from the rich and giving to the poor.

Can Robin Hood and his men vanquish their enemy, the High Sheriff of Nottingham (William Lowery)? And can they rescue Lady Marian Fitzwalter (Enid Bennett), Huntingdon's betrothed, from the evil clutches of Prince John?

Along the way, Fairbanks has ample opportunity to demonstrate his skills in archery, fencing, and acrobatics.

Directed by Allan Dwan, 'Robin Hood' amazed audiences with its enormous sets that recreated in full scale the castles and villages of medieval England.

At a time when $200,000 was a hefty movie budget, 'Robin Hood' cost $1 million to produce.

But the film proved an enormous hit, becoming the top box office attraction of 1922 and earning $2.5 million in its initial release through United Artists, the distribution company Fairbanks formed with fellow stars Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, and his wife, Mary Pickford.

Douglas Fairbanks as Robin Hood romances Lady Marian Fitzwalter (Enid Bennett).

Fairbanks, among the most popular stars of the 1920s, was the inspiration for the character of George Valentin in the Oscar-winning Best Picture 'The Artist' (2011). Fairbanks was known for films that used the then-new medium of motion pictures to transport audiences to historical time periods for grand adventures and athletic stunts.

He's often referred to as "Douglas Fairbanks Sr." to avoid confusion with his son, the actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Also in the cast for 'Robin Hood' is Alan Hale Sr., who made such an impression at Little John that he was cast in the same role in the 1938 remake starring Errol Flynn. (Hale's son, Alan Hale Jr., played the role of the Skipper on the 1960s television series "Gilligan's Island.")

Live music for 'Robin Hood' will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis, who uses a digital synthesizer to create a traditional full orchestra "movie score" sound.

"Seeing a Fairbanks picture in a theater with live music and an audience is a classic movie experience," Rapsis said.

Rapsis (at right) emphasized the unique value of seeing early cinema as it was originally presented.

"These films were designed for the big screen, live music, and large audiences. Put it all together again, and you get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies," Rapsis said.

The screening of 'Robin Hood' is part of the Town Hall Theatre's ongoing series honoring the 100th anniversary of significant motion pictures that debuted in 1922.

Programs will include all of 1922's five highest-grossing titles, each shown on the big screen with live music, as well as century-old oddities, short films, cartoons, and more.

Upcoming programs in the Town Hall's 100th anniversary series include:

• Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Chaney/Houdini Double Feature. In 'Flesh and Blood' (1922), escaped convict Lon Chaney hides out in Chinatown and plots revenge. In 'The Man From Beyond' (1922) illusionist Harry Houdini plays an Arctic adventurer frozen for 100 years!

• Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Emil Jannings in 'Othello' (1922). The Bard's immortal tragedy brought to the screen in this early German version. Silent Shakespeare in honor of the author's 458th birthday.

'Robin Hood' (1922) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr., will be screened with live music on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to defray expenses.

For more info, visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com or call (603) 654-3456.

Today's puzzler: What happens when you promote 'Smilin' Through' (1922) for St. Patrick's Day but then find out the film is not set in Ireland?

A poster for 'Smilin' Through,' a top box office attraction of 1922.

A few months ago, I scheduled the Norma Talmadge drama 'Smilin' Through' (1922) for this past Sunday in honor of St. Patrick's Day later this week. 

After all, what better way to mark the occasion, and honor my heritage (I'm one quarter Irish!) than a film set in the Emerald Isle?

And that was all great, except there was one little problem—it turned out the film wasn't set in Ireland!

To quote unsuccessful presidential candidate Rick Perry: Oops! 

Yes, a short flashback near the beginning of the film takes place in Ireland. But the bulk of the story happens in Dunstable, England, just north of London. 

I discovered this only after all the press releases had been out, and we'd gotten some nice exposure in the local media, promising everyone a fun and memorable way to mark St. Patrick's Day.

Faith and begorrah—I was off by only a couple of hundred miles!

What to do? Of course I fessed up to yesterday's audience, which was understanding and found the mix-up amusing. No pitchforks or lighted torches were evident. Whew!

But how to make up for this? The screening of 'Smilin' Through' was part of a series we're running celebrating the 100th anniversary of pictures released in 1922. ('Smilin' Through' was the No. 3 box office attraction that year.)

And for some programs, we liven things up with short films, newsreels, and other oddities from the same year.

So for Sunday's program, I took an "All in the Family" approach, inserting a short comedy starring Norma Talmadge's brother-in-law, Buster Keaton.

Lucky for me, one of Keaton's 1922 comedies was 'My Wife's Relations,' which contains a significant quotient of what I would call "Irish ethnic humor," which was fairly common at the time. 

So THAT was how we made good on the St. Patrick's Day crisis: Buster to the rescue!

'Smilin' Through,' although complete sentimental hogwash, proved to be very effective on the big screen. 

You can see why people bought tickets in such quantity in 1922: it's very well put together and has a great multi-hankie uplifting ending.

Ultimately, the film's message is quite dark: for many of us, the only real happiness we will ever experience is in the afterlife. Until then, we have to go "Smilin' Through" our earthly existence, knowing that a better time awaits in the great beyond.

Thinking about it, I'm not so sure I can buy into that whole idea.

Norma Talmadge, one of the silent era's most popular stars—and sister-in-law of Buster Keaton.

But to its credit, 'Smilin' Through' never really asks us to think. It's all about feeling. It's a 90-minute warm bath in emotion and sentiment—and a century after its release, maybe that's something we now need more than ever.

Alas, the film hasn't been reissued or ever been given a decent transfer. Of 1922's top five movies, 'Smilin' Through' proved to be the most difficult to source.

But because the film is public domain, leave it to low budget purveyor Alpha Video to have released the film on DVD as part of their "Lost Silent Classics" series. 

Surprisingly, Alpha's version looked pretty good on the big screen. In the print they used, two stretches showed evidence of serious decomposition, and whites were really blown out in some parts of the transfer. 

But way better than other Alphas I've seen, so we were fortunate it came out so well.

Next up in our 100th anniversary series: starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr., it's 1922 box office champ 'The Adventures of Robin Hood,' which will screen on Sunday, March 27 at the Town Hall Theatre.

Press release below. And with this one, I know it's set in England (mostly), so no geographic slip-ups expected.

*    *    *

Original poster art for 'The Adventures of Robin Hood,' the top-grossing film of 1922.

MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Robin Hood' leaps into action at Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, March 27

It's off to Sherwood Forest for the 100th anniversary of legendary silent blockbuster, screened with live music

WILTON, N.H.—He robbed from the rich, gave to the poor, and was the top box office attraction of 1922.

He was Douglas Fairbanks Sr. starring in 'Robin Hood,' the original movie adaptation of the legendary tale.

See it for yourself on the big screen on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H., 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to help defray expenses.

The screening will be accompanied with live music by Jeff Rapsis.

Set in medieval England, 'Robin Hood' tells the tale of the Earl of Huntingdon (Fairbanks), a dashing nobleman who joins King Richard the Lion-Hearted (Wallace Beery) on a Crusade to the Holy Land.

Huntingdon later returns to England to find Richard's cruel brother, Prince John (Sam De Grasse), falsely claiming the throne, enriching his aristocratic cronies and tyrannizing the citizenry.

Huntingdon takes to the woods and becomes 'Robin Hood,' soon joined by a band of merry men who undermine Prince John's reign by robbing from the rich and giving to the poor.

Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in the title role as 'Robin Hood.'

Can Robin Hood and his men vanquish their enemy, the High Sheriff of Nottingham (William Lowery)? And can they rescue Lady Marian Fitzwalter (Enid Bennett), Huntingdon's betrothed, from the evil clutches of Prince John?

Along the way, Fairbanks has ample opportunity to demonstrate his skills in archery, fencing, and acrobatics.

Directed by Allan Dwan, 'Robin Hood' amazed audiences with its enormous sets that recreated in full scale the castles and villages of medieval England.

At a time when $200,000 was a hefty movie budget, 'Robin Hood' cost $1 million to produce.

Directing 'Robin Hood': a big megaphone for a big production.

But the film proved an enormous hit, becoming the top box office attraction of 1922 and earning $2.5 million in its initial release through United Artists, the distribution company Fairbanks formed with fellow stars Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, and his wife, Mary Pickford.

Fairbanks, among the most popular stars of the 1920s, was the inspiration for the character of George Valentin in the Oscar-winning Best Picture 'The Artist' (2011). Fairbanks was known for films that used the then-new medium of motion pictures to transport audiences to historical time periods for grand adventures and athletic stunts.

He's often referred to as "Douglas Fairbanks Sr." to avoid confusion with his son, the actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Also in the cast for 'Robin Hood' is Alan Hale Sr., who made such an impression at Little John that he was cast in the same role in the 1938 remake starring Errol Flynn. (Hale's son, Alan Hale Jr., played the role of the Skipper on the 1960s television series "Gilligan's Island.")

Live music for 'Robin Hood' will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis, who uses a digital synthesizer to create a traditional full orchestra "movie score" sound.

"Seeing a Fairbanks picture in a theater with live music and an audience is a classic movie experience," Rapsis said.

Rapsis emphasized the value of seeing early cinema as it was originally presented.

"These films were designed for the big screen, live music, and large audiences. Put it all together again, and you get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies," Rapsis said.

The screening of 'Robin Hood' is part of the Town Hall Theatre's ongoing series honoring the 100th anniversary of significant motion pictures that debuted in 1922.

Programs will include 1922's five highest-grossing titles, each shown on the big screen with live music, as well as century-old oddities, short films, cartoons, and more.

Upcoming programs in the Town Hall's 100th anniversary series include:

• Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Chaney/Houdini Double Feature. In 'Flesh and Blood' (1922), escaped convict Lon Chaney hides out in Chinatown and plots revenge. In 'The Man From Beyond' (1922) illusionist Harry Houdini plays an Arctic adventurer frozen for 100 years!

• Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Emil Jannings in 'Othello' (1922). The Bard's immortal tragedy brought to the screen in this early German version. Silent Shakespeare in honor of the author's 458th birthday.

'Robin Hood' (1922) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr., will be screened with live music on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to defray expenses.

For more info, visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com or call (603) 654-3456. 

Coming Sunday, March 13 for St. Paddy's Day: silent drama 'Smilin' Through' set in Ireland

An original release poster for 'Smilin' Through' (1922), the year's No. 3 box office attraction.

If you can't make it to Ireland for St. Patrick's Day, consider visiting Wilton, N.H.

That's where we'll present 'Smilin' Through' (1922), a silent drama starring Norma Talmadge, at the Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, March 13 at 2 p.m.

Set in the Emerald Isle, 'Smilin' Through' is a sentimental tale of love lost and then found across the generations. I'll provide live music.

Please join us to celebrate St. Patrick's Day just a little early by taking in one of the most popular movies of 1922 on the occasion of its 100th birthday. 

Sure'n we'll see you at the movies then!

*  *  *

Norma Talmadge in 'Smilin' Through' (1922).

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rarely screened silent drama set in Ireland returns to big screen for St. Paddy's Day

'Smilin' Through,' 1922 box office hit, to be shown with live music on Sunday, March 13 at Town Hall Theatre to celebrate film's 100th anniversary

WILTON, N.H.—Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, a classic film set in Ireland full of romance, drama, and the haunting atmosphere of the Emerald Isle.

It's 'Smilin' Through' (1922), starring legendary actress Norma Talmadge, whose legions of fans made the movie the No. 3 box office attraction of 1922. 

See what made 'Smilin' Through' so popular when the picture returns to the big screen to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its release.

'Smilin' Through' will be shown on Sunday, March 13 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per person to help support the theater's silent film series.

The classic drama, set in the years before and after World War I, will be shown with live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

 

Norma Talmadge, then at the peak of her career, plays the dual role of Kathleen, a young Irish woman, and Moonyean, Kathleen's aunt who died many years ago under tragic circumstances.

Kathleen is in love with Kenneth Wayne, but is prevented from marrying him by her guardian John Carteret, who remains haunted by memories of his thwarted love for Mooneyan.

In a drama that combines romance with the world of spirits, can the tragic fate of Moonyean point the way for Kathleen to find true love at last?

The story, based on a 1919 stage play, was filmed twice more by MGM: in 1932 with Norma Shearer and 1941 with Jeanette MacDonald.

The film was strongly associated with the song 'Smilin' Through,' a sentimental 1919 ballad with lyrics and music by Arthur A. Penn.

The song, inspired by the stage play, remained popular for several decades, recorded by performers ranging from Judy Garland to Bing Crosby.

The screening of 'Smilin' Through' is part of the Town Hall Theatre's ongoing series honoring the 100th anniversary of significant motion pictures that debuted in 1922.

Programs will include all of 1922's five highest-grossing titles, each shown on the big screen with live music, as well as century-old oddities, short films, cartoons, and more.

"Putting these films back on the big screen is a great way to celebrate the 100th anniversaries of some terrific motion pictures," said Rapsis, the silent film accompanist who will create live music for all screenings.

"These are films that set the standard for Hollywood, and still retain their power to entertain, especially when shown in a theater with live music and an audience," Rapsis said.

Upcoming programs in the Town Hall's 100th anniversary series include:

• Sunday, March 27, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Douglas Fairbanks in 'Robin Hood' Celebrate the 100th anniversary of this blockbuster adaptation. Massive sets, great action, and Doug Fairbanks in the lead made this the top grossing film of 1922!

• Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Chaney/Houdini Double Feature. In 'Flesh and Blood' (1922), escaped convict Lon Chaney hides out in Chinatown and plots revenge. In 'The Man From Beyond' (1922) illusionist Harry Houdini plays an Arctic adventurer frozen for 100 years!

• Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Emil Jannings in 'Othello' The Bard's immortal tragedy brought to the screen in this early German version. Silent Shakespeare in honor of the author's 458th birthday.

‘Smilin' Through' (1922) will be shown live music on Sunday, March 13 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per person to help defray expenses. For more info, call (603) 654-3456 or visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com.

Neither snow, nor kidney stones, nor talking cars, kept me from the 2022 Kansas Silent Film Festival

After more than two decades, I remain a big fan of the "biohazard" pattern of the carpeting in the White Concert Hall at Washburn University.

This year's Kansas Silent Film Festival was memorable in part for a few things I hope to soon forget.

For me, it was two things in particular: a pair of kidney stones, which made their unexpected presence known the day before I planned to depart for Kansas.

The announcement came in the form of intense pain coming from the lower right part of my abdomen. Ouch!

I thought it was my appendix. Whatever it was, the pain quickly grew to where I just wanted it to stop.

So instead of heading for the airport to fly out to Kansas, I went to the emergency room. Tests and a scan revealed the culprits: two stones making their way from kidney to bladder.

In no condition to travel, I reached out to festival director Bill Shaffer and let him know I'd be unable to make it this year.

Although really disappointed in myself for not being able to honor a commitment, I knew that the other accompanists there could cover the films I'd been assigned.

It wouldn't be the first time this happened—in 2013, members of the Mont Alto group made it only about half way across Kansas before a blizzard forced them to turn back to their Colorado home.

So the rest of us divvied up their films and the festival went on as scheduled.

How is this possible at the last minute? Well, live film accompaniment encompasses a lot of approaches, and that includes the “I hadn't planned on playing for this title but I'll give it a go” school of music.

At this year's Kansas festival, I knew that my fellow accompanist Ben Model would be on hand. (He'd bring both his hands, actually. Har!) I was hoping Ben would be willing to cover for me, and was glad to hear that he would. 

Accompanists Marvin Faulwell, Bill Beningfield, and Ben Model at the console of the White Concert Hall's organ.

The festival is blessed with other musicians who would fill in as well: longtime music director and organist Marvin Faulwell and his sidekick, percussionist Bob Keckeisen; organist Bill Beningfield; and Rodney Sauer, director of the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.

So I stayed home that Thursday, dosed with Toredal to numb the pain, and also ameliorate the unhappiness of missing my first Kansas Silent Film Festival since first attending in 2000.

But then Thursday turned into Friday, and I felt much better. The pain was gone. It snowed all day in New Hampshire, making travel difficult. But by late afternoon I felt well enough to make a break for it. Turned out Southwest Airlines was still running flights out of Manchester, and I could get the last out of the day (to Chicago Midway, connecting to Kansas City) at 6:30 p.m.

That would put me in Topeka really late Friday night, but at least I'd be on hand for the whole day Saturday, when the bulk of my films (and the one feature) were scheduled to screen.

Proud of myself for making the effort, we were about a half-hour from landing at Midway when the pain happened again. It put me on the floor of an airport gate area, pretending to stretch but actually trying to find a position to lessen the agony.

Here I was, 800 miles from home and writhing in pain. I'd taken the opioid they'd given me in case the pain came back, but it didn't seem to be working. What to do? There was a flight back to Manchester at a nearby gate, so I went over to find that boarding had completed and the plane was already pushing back.

I was close to calling my in-laws (who live in Chicago) to get me to an emergency room (no way was I paying for an ambulance—that would cause a different and more lasting kind of pain) when the boarding announcement was made for the Kansas City flight.

Rising up, I felt a little better, so decided to board. (What I would do when I got there, I had no idea.) Once seated, the pain returned with a vengeance. A song lyric started going through my mind: "Should I stay or should I go?"

I finally just had to get up, as sitting was intolerable, and made my way to the rear of the plane. I explained what was going on to two flight attendants, who could not have been more sympathetic. They said we had about a half-hour before departure, so a decision didn't have to be made right away.

They let me walk up and down the aisle, which helped, although I'm sure my fellow passengers concluded they were flying to Kansas City with a lunatic. Even the captain got involved, wanting to know what drugs I'd taken and making sure I wasn't an in-flight medical liability, which of course is his job. (I passed—although the kidney stones hadn't.)

Finally it came time to leave, and I chose to tough it out. Once the door closed, there was no turning back. "Prepare to build some character," I thought to myself, as we pushed back from the gate. At least I was next to an empty seat, enabling me to writhe and contort myself within the limits of a seat belt.

How long would this last? Well, I guess the opioid finally kicked in, as the pain began to lessen during the flight. By the time we landed it had mostly subsided. Maybe I would make it after all. 

But what would I do when I got there? What if this happened during a film? Well, we'd find out.

As I sat on the bus to the rental car center, I contemplated one remaining challenge: it was after midnight, and I still had to drive an hour to Topeka, opioids and all.

And then I dodged a bullet. It was so late that all the rental car desks were shut except one: Avis—by some stroke of divine magic, the company I'd booked with. They gave me a brand new (less than 300 miles) Kia Soul, which was equipped with nanny software that bings at you if it doesn't like how you change lanes.

"Consider taking a break!" read a dashboard display panel, with a coffee cup icon complete with little heat lines rising above it.

"Mind your own business," I responded, looking for the switch to disable this annoying feature.

Bing bing bing! "32 degrees! Watch for ice ahead!" said the display, which included pictures of snowflakes falling.  

"Stop hounding me!," I shot back. "How do I turn you off?"

My ride. I never did figure out how to turn off the nanny function.

I got on the Kansas Turnpike (I-70) and headed west to Topeka, being extra careful to keep at the speed limit. The last thing the Kansas Silent Film Festival needed was a headline like:

VISITING MUSICIAN JAILED FOR OPIOID POSSESSION AND YELLING AT CAR

Why am I telling you all this? Maybe it's a window into the ups and downs of the glamorous life of a silent film accompanist. Maybe it'll prompt you to take better care of yourself: drink more water, don't lapse into winter inactivity, and cut down on the cheese!

But I made it, and by the time I pulled into the parking lot of the Hyatt in Topeka, the pain was gone. For now. That's the thing. I'd had two episodes of intense pain. When might it happen again?

Next thing I knew, it was the next morning and I was downstairs at breakfast chatting with Rodney Sauer of Mont Alto and greeting all the familiar folks who are such a huge part of why even malfunctioning kidneys can't keep me from coming back to this festival.

And I found that I my problems were minor indeed when compared to what others had faced or were facing. 

Like how? Rodney's house in Colorado just missed being burned to the ground last year in a wildfire. (A cellist he knows lost everything.) Long-time festival supporter Paul Post had been severely injured in a bicycle accident earlier that week and was hospitalized. (He continues to recover.) Festival attendee Jim Reid made it all the way up from Texas (in an ice storm) only to slip on the hotel walkway, landing on his face. (He seemed to be doing okay.)

So Saturday's festival activities started up, and I was able to get through each film I'd been assigned. Ben Model later mentioned the syndrome of how the body seems to somehow postpone problems during a performance, and I've found that to be true. 

 

From Oscar Micheaux's drama 'Within Our Gates' (1920).

My big film was the one feature I'd been assigned: The Oscar Micheaux drama 'Within Our Gates' (1921), a 90-minute drama that closed the afternoon program. I asked Ben to stand by, or at least be in the hall somewhere, during this screening in case I wasn't able to get through it.

But the film started, and I pressed a big "C" in four octaves on the White Concert Hall's wonderful Steinway grand, and off we went. Before long, I'd become completely engaged—it's actually a tough film to score and requires concentration to bring it off.

Because of that, I completely forgot that less than 24 hours ago I was face down on the carpeted floor of a gate area in Chicago. Another example of how silent film can transport a viewer to an alternate (and pain-free) state of mind.

(For an excellent essay on 'Within Our Gates,' check out this piece by Shari Kizirian from the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.)

Well—if you'd like a run-down of this year's Kansas Silent Film Festival, attendee and adviser Bruce Calvert always posts a write-up of what screened. It's posted on Nitrateville and I encourage you to check it out.

Many thanks to festival director Bill Shaffer for putting up with my last-minute plan changes. We joke that at the Kansas Silent Film Festival, sometimes there's more drama off-screen than on.

And thanks to everyone at the festival for their kind comments and wishes of good health—too many folks to mention by name for fear of leaving someone out, but all very much appreciated.

As Stan says to Ollie in 'Blockheads' (1938): I'm better now. Truth is, although my two stones are still "in transit," I haven't had any more severe attacks since this year's visit to Topeka.

So we can add that to the many reasons the Kansas Silent Film Festival is worth attending: "Known to Reduce Kidney Stone Pain."

Now—if only I could have gotten that car to shut up.