Stay up late this Saturday, July 30 for midnight screening of 'Dr. Caligari' at Coolidge Corner

Stay awake to see Cesar the Somnambulist in 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920)

I'm looking forward to this weekend's midnight screening of 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, Mass.

For those who've never experienced this very important (and very strange) piece of early cinema, I can't think of a better environment in which to do so.

In a theater? Check! With live music? Check! With an audience? Check! 

And finally, the middle of the night? Check and double check!

Really: semi-drowsiness might be the ideal state to appreciate the dream-like visual world in which 'Caligari' takes place. 

So hope to see you at the Coolidge on Saturday, July 30 when the clock strikes 12! More details in the press release below...

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'Caligari' takes place entirely in a dream-like visual world.

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Coolidge to unleash late night silent film horror classic on Saturday, July 30

Midnight screening of breakthrough thriller 'Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' to feature live musical accompaniment

BROOKLINE, Mass.—A creepy silent film regarded as the forerunner of all horror movies will be shown at a midnight screening at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline, Mass.

'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) will be shown at midnight on Saturday, July 30 as part of the Coolidge's ongoing 'Carnival of Horror' series.

The screening will feature live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. General admission is $15.50 per person.
 
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 the 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 employs stylized sets, with abstract, jagged buildings painted on canvas backdrops and flats.

To add to its strange visual design, the actors used an exaggerated technique that employed jerky and dancelike movements.

The movie is also cited as having introduced the surprise "twist" ending to cinema.

 

Conrad Veidt and Werner Krauss, two big names of early German cinema, star in 'Cabinet.'
 

"Silents such as 'Dr. Caligari' are films that first caused people to fall in love with the movies," Rapsis said. "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."

In scoring 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,' Rapsis plans to augment the traditional orchestral sound with the vocabulary of film music from later eras.

"Because I improvise the music, it's hard to know what will happen until the film actually starts running," Rapsis said.

'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.

The Coolidge Corner Theatre is an independent, nonprofit cinema and cultural institution. Since 1933, audiences in the greater Boston area have relied on the Coolidge for contemporary independent film, repertory, and educational programming.

'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) will be shown with live music at midnight on Saturday, July 30 as part of an ongoing "Carnival of Horror" series at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline, Mass. General admission $15.50; for more info and to buy tickets, visit www.coolidge.org or call (617) 734-2500.

A single film, but two very different endings: Greta Garbo in 'The Temptress' (1926) on Wednesday, July 27 in Ogunquit, Maine

Greta Garbo and Antonio Moreno in 'The Temptress' (1926).

It's a film with one great star—but with two different endings!

The star: Greta Garbo. The endings: one is happy, the other sad.

It's 'The Temptress' (1926), one of Garbo's first pictures after coming to Hollywood from her native Sweden at the height of the silent era.

The film, with live music by me, will be shown on Wednesday, July 27 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

Which ending work better? Decide for yourself, as we plan to show them both.

Details in the press release below. See you at the Leavitt on Wednesday night.

Whether you're in the mood for happy or sad, hey—we've got you covered.

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Greta Garbo stars in 'The Temptress' (1926).

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis at (603) 236-9237 • e-mail jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Greta Garbo stars in 'The Temptress' (1926), a film with two endings, on Wednesday, July 27 at Leavitt Theatre

Both conclusions to be shown when steamy silent romantic drama is screened with live musical accompaniment

OGUNQUIT, Me. — It's a film with two completely different endings: one sad and tragic, and the other uplifting and positive.

It's 'The Temptress' (1926), an MGM romantic drama starring Greta Garbo, then just starting a legendary Hollywood career.

Studio boss Louis B. Mayer found the original ending to 'The Temptress' so depressing, he ordered a second—and much happier—conclusion.

Theaters were then allowed to choose which ending to show to audiences.

See both conclusions when 'The Temptress' is screened with live music on Wednesday, July 27 at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St, Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

Admission is $12 per person. Live music will be provided by accompanist Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer who specializes in creating music for silent film presentations.

In 'The Temptress,' Garbo plays Elena, the wife of Monsieur Canterac (Lionel Barrymore) and the mistress of rich Parisian banker Monsieur Fontenoy (Marc MacDermott).

When the banker's friend Robledo (Antonio Moreno), a dynamic young engineer building a massive dam in Argentina, pays a visit to Paris, the fickle Elena immediately falls in love with him.

Elena follows Robledo to Argentina, where her presence leads to a whip duel between Robledo and his rival, Manos Duros (Roy D'Arcy).

She then indirectly causes the collapse of Robledo's dam, which is where the two versions of the film diverge.

In the original version, Elena returns to Paris and the movie concludes tragically.

The revised version sees the film end in Argentina on a much happier note.

Both endings will be screened at the Leavitt Theatre: first the original "tragic" conclusion, then the more optimistic ending.

Garbo, who first won notice in her native Sweden, came to Hollywood at age 19. 'The Temptress,' her second film for MGM, helped establish her as a major star.

Initially, the director of 'The Temptress' was Garbo's mentor-lover, the brilliant Mauritz Stiller. But he was replaced halfway through by Fred Niblo, giving 'The Temptress' two different styles.

Silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis will improvise a musical score to 'The Temptress' in real time as the movie is screened.

In creating music for 'The Temptress' and other vintage classics, Rapsis tries to bridge the gap between silent film and modern audiences.

"Live music adds an element of energy to a silent film screening that's really crucial to the experience," Rapsis said.

The Leavitt Theatre's silent film screenings provide local audiences the opportunity to experience silent film as it was intended to be shown: on the big screen, in restored prints, with live music, and with an audience.

“These films are still exciting experiences if you can watch them as they were designed to be shown,” said Rapsis, accompanist for the screenings.

“There’s a reason people first fell in love with the movies, and we hope to recreate that spirit. At their best, silent films were communal experiences in which the presence of a large audience intensifies everyone’s reactions.”

The Leavitt, a summer-only moviehouse, opened in 1923 at the height of the silent film era, and has been showing movies to summertime visitors for nearly a century.

The silent film series honors the theater's long service as a moviehouse that has entertained generations of Seacoast residents and visitors, in good times and in bad.

Following 'The Temptress' on Wednesday, July 27 at 7 p.m., other programs in this year's Leavitt silent film series include:

• Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m.: Clara Bow stars in 'Mantrap' (1926). Battle-of-the-sexes comedy; city boy Richard Dix tries to win his girlfriend by taking up the rugged cowboy life, only to find it not so rugged. Rarely screened comedic gem from the height of the silent era.

• Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.: 'Blood and Sand' (1922). Rudolph Valentino in his first starring role, as a sexy bullfighter in this romantic thriller. Will Rudy choose the pure love of Carmen, or the sinister charms of the exotic Doña Sol? And will he survive the choice?

• Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.: Rare race drama: 'The Flying Ace' (1926). All-Black motion picture added to the National Film Registry last year. Rare example of 'race' cinema, produced for audiences in Black-only theaters commonly found in segregated parts of the nation.

• Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.: F.W. Murnau's 'The Last Laugh' (1924). Towering performance by Emil Jannings as aging doorman at posh city hotel whose unexpected change of jobs robs him of self-respect and identity. Directed by Murnau as a purely visual tale, no dialogue intertitles.

• Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.: 'Der Golem' (1920). Prepare for Halloween with one very weird flick! In 16th-century Prague, a rabbi creates a giant creature from clay, called the Golem. Using sorcery, he brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.

The romantic drama ‘The Temptress’ starring Greta Garbo will be shown with live music on Wednesday, July 27 at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St, Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

Admission is $12 per person, general seating. For more info, call (207) 646-3123 or visit www.leavittheatre.com.

Norma Talmadge in 'Within the Law' on Sunday, July 24 at Town Hall Theatre, Wilton, N.H.

A lobby card for Norma Talmadge in 'Within the Law' (1923).

I'm not sure what kind of attendance we'll get due to today's excessive heat, but I have high hopes for 'Within the Law' (1923), a Norma Talmadge drama that I'm accompanying this afternoon.

Showtime is 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. Lots more details in the press release below. 

Like all titles in this summer's "Women of the Silent Screen" series, it's a film I've never accompanied before. 

But 'Within the Law' turns out to be what I would describe as a pre-feminist "revenge-against-the-paternity" drama, and darned interesting because of that.

I also read in the new Curtis biography of Buster Keaton that originally producer Joe Schenck (Norma's then-husband) planned to use English actress Margaret Leahy in 'Within the Law' after she won a publicity contest in Great Britain. 

But then director Frank Lloyd (who would go on to direct Charles Laughton in 1935's 'Mutiny on the Bounty') discovered the unfortunate fact that Leahy simply could not act. 

Schenck took Leahy off the picture and instead gave him to his brother-in-law, comedian Buster Keaton, then planning 'Three Ages' (1923), his first foray into features.

Buster, who was married to Norma's sister Natalie, was told to use Leahy, and he did. 

Although 'Three Ages' wasn't nearly as demanding as the Talmadge drama, Keaton found it nearly impossible to get a usable performance out of her.

In addition, 'Within the Law' contains a juicy part for Ward Crane (who plays 'English Eddie,' a police stool pigeon), familiar to Keaton fans as the villain in 'Sherlock Jr.,' made the next year.

It's remarkable the discover the close links between such different films and filmmakers. The big factor, of course, is Joe Schenck, who seems to have moved performers and technicians around his various productions like pieces on a chess board.

Hope to see you in Wilton this afternoon. I'm sure the big old window-unit air conditioners are already running...

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Norma Talmage (center) is 'Within the Law'...for now.

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Norma Talmadge stars in 'Within the Law' (1923) on Sunday, July 24 in Wilton, N.H.

Screening of vintage drama is latest in Town Hall Theatre's series of silent films presented with live music

WILTON, N.H.—An intense drama starring one of the most popular actresses of the era is next up the Town Hall Theatre's summer-long salute to female stars of the silent screen.

'Within the Law' (1923) starring Norma Talmadge will be screened with live music on Sunday, July 24 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.

In 'Within the Law,' Talmadge plays Mary Turner, a shopgirl working for slave wages who winds up in prison for a theft she did not commit.

Mary is bitter over her ruined life and swears vengeance on her former employer, Edward Gilder (Joseph Kilgour).

When Mary is released from prison and cannot find work, she teams up with Aggie Lynch (Eileen Percy) to extort money out of elderly men.

The scheme takes an unexpected turn, prompting dire consequences.

'Within the Law' was partially filmed on location in New York City, providing glimpses of the Big Apple during the Roaring '20s.

Throughout the 1920s, the most famous sisters in the entertainment world were the Brooklyn-raised Talmadges: Norma, Natalie and Constance. 

Norma (at left), the eldest, was a dramatic actress of great talent and restraint. She was loved by a public that identified with the brave, tragic heroine she often played of melodramas and tragedies.

Appearing in movies with high production values and helmed by some of Hollywood's finest directors, Norma developed into one of the great screen actresses of the period.

By 1920, she had eclipsed Mary Pickford as the top worldwide female box-office attraction.

The screening of 'Within the Law' is the latest in a Town Hall Theatre summer series featuring female stars of the silent screen, all with live music by accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

Here's the line-up of upcoming screenings:

• Sunday, Aug. 14 at 2 p.m.: Marion Davies in 'Beverly of Graustark.' Gender-bending 1926 comedy in which Davies stars as an American cousin of a European prince—and with whom she must switch places to keep the kingdom from unraveling. Newly released title!

• Sunday, Aug. 28 at 2 p.m.: Double feature with Gloria Swanson, Mae Marsh. Silent screen icon Gloria Swanson stars in 'Fine Manners' (1926), a comedy about a chorus girl trying to keep up with high society beau. In 'Daddies' (1924), Mae Marsh plays an unlikely orphan adopted by the head of the local Bachelor's Club. Hilarity ensues!

All titles in the series have never been shown as part of the Town Hall Theatre's long-running silent film programming.

"We specifically chose films that we haven't run before in Wilton, in part to explore the incredible range and surprising diversity of roles women played in Hollywood's silent era," said Jeff Rapsis, the Town Hall Theatre's silent film accompanist.

‘Within the Law’ (1923) starring Norma Talmadge will be shown with live music on Sunday, July 24 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.

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

Coming up: Keaton double feature in Vermont; first, thoughts from a screening of 'The General'

Update on Saturday, July 23: Due to extreme heat, the Buster Keaton double feature scheduled for this evening in Brandon, Vt. has been postponed to Saturday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. Sorry for any inconvenience. We hope to see you in two weeks for an excellent program in a much more comfortable auditorium.

Buster and co-star 'The General': two-thirds of a ménage à trois?

Last night's screening of Buster Keaton's 'The General' produced some fresh observations.

First, I introduced the film by posing a question that I'd just then thought of.

"Right at the beginning," I said to the Rex Theatre audience in Manchester, N.H., "you'll be told that Buster has two loves.

"His locomotive, and..."

I paused, as the film doesn't use words, but then cuts to Marion Mack as "the girl." 

"So as you watch the film, you'll see plenty of both. And my question to you is, which do you think he loves more?"

That got a laugh, as did my follow-up observation that 'The General' may seem to be a story about the Civil War. But on an emotional level, it's about a love triangle between a man, a woman, and inanimate object with a name.

"It's like a ménage à trois," I said, to more laughter.

But it really is, when you think about it. Buster, his girl, and 'The General.' At the beginning of the film, Buster presents the girl with a photo of himself and 'The General,' just so the relationship is clear.

I also asked people why they thought Buster changed the original story to make the Confederates the heroes and the Union soldiers the villains.

"You can always make villains of the north. But you can never make villains out of the south," Buster said in a late-in-life interview. 

I feel the real reason is that for the film to do any box office at that time in the Old South, with the Civil War within living memory, the Confederacy could not be portrayed as bad guys.

Buster raises the "Stars and Bars" of the Confederacy in 'The General.'

But last night's screening brought forth a new suggestion: that Buster cast himself as a would-be Confederate soldier as a way to add to the laugh quotient. 

If I followed the logic, the thinking was that the Confederacy is worthy of mockery, and Buster was using that dynamic to get yuks. In other words: that's the best the Confederacy can do?

Not sure I buy that, as it doesn't quite mesh with Buster's original sentiment, which pointed to the need of respecting the Confederacy.

Well, the debate continues. But there's no debating what I'll be up to on Saturday night in Brandon, Vt.: more Keaton!

Yes: Saturday, July 23 brings a double helping of yet more Keaton silent film comedy: first 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924), and then Buster's boxing comedy 'Battling Butler' (1926). Press release with more info is below.

I accompanied 'Butler' the other week at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine, and found the audience reaction to be livelier than usual.

A contributing factor may have been my decision to deliberately underplay the accompaniment, which seems to be a key in supporting Keaton's brand of comedy.

See for yourself by making the trek up to Brandon, Vt., where the bell rings for the main event on Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m.

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Buster  puts up his dukes in 'Battling Butler' (1926).

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton's 'Battling Butler' at Brandon Town Hall on Saturday, July 23

Silent film series continues with knockout boxing comedy focusing on the fight game, accompanied by live music

BRANDON, Vt.—He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of "the Great Stone Face." But Buster Keaton's comedies rocked Hollywood's silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.

Acclaimed for their originality, clever visual gags, and amazing stunts, Keaton's films remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'Battling Butler' (1926), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m. at the Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, 1 Conant Square, Route 7 in Brandon, Vt.

Admission is free; donations are welcome to help support ongoing Town Hall renovation efforts.

Live music for the 'Battling Butler' and a companion Keaton feature, 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924) will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer and composer who specializes in scoring and presenting silent films.

'Battling Butler' tells the story of pampered millionaire Alfred Butler (Keaton) who tries to impress the girl of his dreams (Sally O'Neil) by pretending to be a championship boxer with the same name.

The masquerade leads to knockout comedy both in and outside the ring, giving Keaton ample opportunity to display his gifts for physical and visual comedy.

Buster in the ring—somewhat—in 'Battling Butler' (1926).

In the 1920s, boxing rivaled baseball as the nation's most popular sport. Neighborhoods, communities, and ethnic groups all rooted for their favorite fighters, and heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey ranked as an international celebrity.

Because of this, boxing stories were popular with early movie audiences as well.

"As an elemental contest between two opponents, boxing inspired early filmmakers to do some great work," Rapsis said. "It's a visual sport that doesn't require a lot of dialogue or commentary to understand, and so was perfect for silent movies."

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands as one of the silent screen's three great clowns.

Many critics regard Keaton as the best of all; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies." But while making films, Keaton never thought he was an artist, but an entertainer trying to use the then-new art of motion pictures to tell stories and create laughter.

All those talents are on display in 'Battling Butler,' which holds the distinction of being the top-grossing title of Keaton's silent features.

The program will open with another Keaton comedy, 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924), in which Keaton plays a movie projectionist who dreams of being a detective.

The screening of 'Battling Butler' and 'Sherlock Jr.' is sponsored by Kathy and Bill Mathis in memory of Maxine Thurston.

Other films in this year's Brandon Town Hall silent film series include:

• Saturday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m.: 'Blood and Sand' (1922) starring Rudolph Valentino in his first starring role, as a sexy bullfighter in this romantic thriller. Celebrating its 100th anniversary! Sponsored by Edward Loedding and Dorothy Leysath, the Hanson Family in memory of Pat Hanson, and Sally Wood.

• Saturday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m.: 'The Flying Ace' (1926), rare example of movies produced for black-only theaters in segregated parts of the nation; added to the National Film Registry in 2021. Sponsored by Nancy and Gary Meffe.

• Saturday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: 'Nosferatu' (1922) Just in time for Halloween! Celebrate the 100th anniversary of F.W. Murnau's original adaptation of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' story. Sponsored by Bar Harbor Bank and Trust.

• Saturday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m.: 'Her Sister from Paris' (1925) starring Constance Talmadge, Ronald Colman. The scene: Europe. The cast: Rich people. Effervescent battle-of-the-sexes comedy. Sponsored by Harold & Jean Somerset.

'Battling Butler' (1926) and 'Sherlock Jr.' starring Buster Keaton will be screened with live music on Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m. at the Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Route 7, in Brandon, Vt.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event. Admission is free, with free will donations accepted in support of ongoing Town Hall renovations.

Next up: Buster Keaton's 'The General' on Wednesday, July 20 in Manchester, N.H.

Well, so much for the "one dominant image" school of poster design...

It's the one everyone wants to see!

It's Buster Keaton's 'The General' (1926), the silent film comic's Civil War epic.

I'll create live music for a screening on Wednesday, July 20 at the Rex Theatre, 20 Amherst St. in downtown Manchester, N.H.

Showtime is 7 p.m. Press release is below with all the details. Hope to see you there!

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Buster with his co-star in 'The General' (1926).

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton's 'The General' with live music at Rex Theatre on Wednesday, July 20

Civil War railroading comedy/adventure film lauded as stone-faced comic moviemaker's masterpiece

MANCHESTER, N.H.— He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of "the Great Stone Face." But Buster Keaton's comedies rocked Hollywood's silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.

See for yourself with a screening of 'The General' (1926), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Wednesday, July 20 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 20 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.

The screening will feature live music for the movie by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. General admission is $10 per person.

The show is the latest in the Rex Theatre's silent film series, which gives audiences the opportunity to experience early cinema as it was intended: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

'The General,' set during the U.S. Civil War, tells the story of a southern locomotive engineer (Keaton) whose engine (named 'The General') is hijacked by Northern spies with his girlfriend on board.

Keaton, commandeering another train, races north in pursuit behind enemy lines. Can he rescue his girl? And can he recapture his locomotive and make it back to warn of a coming Northern attack?

Keaton perches on the moving locomotive's cow-catcher. Don't try this at home!

Critics call 'The General' Keaton's masterpiece, praising its authentic period detail, ambitious action and battle sequences, and its overall integration of story, drama, and comedy.

It's also regarded as one of Hollywood's great railroad films, with much of the action occurring on or around moving steam locomotives.

Accompanist Jeff Rapsis will improvise an original musical score for 'The General' live as the movie is shown, as was typically done during the silent film era.

"When the score gets made up on the spot, it creates a special energy that's an important part of the silent film experience," said Rapsis, who uses a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of a full orchestra for the accompaniment.

Still life with steam locomotive: Buster Keaton in 'The General' (1926).

With the Rex Theatre's screening of 'The General,' audiences will get a chance to experience silent film as it was meant to be seen—in a high quality print, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," Rapsis said. "Recreate those conditions, and the classics of early Hollywood leap back to life in ways that can still move audiences today."

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands today as one of the silent screen's three great clowns. Some critics regard Keaton as the best of all; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era with no post-production special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts.

Critics review 'The General':

"The most insistently moving picture ever made, its climax is the most stunning visual event ever arranged for a film comedy."
—Walter Kerr, author of 'The Silent Clowns'

"An almost perfect entertainment!"
—Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

"What makes the film so special is the way the timing, audacity and elegant choreography of its sight gags, acrobatics, pratfalls and dramatic incidents is matched by Buster's directorial artistry, his acute observational skills working alongside the physical élan and sweet subtlety of his own performance."
—Time Out (London)

The Keaton films are a great introduction to silent films for modern audiences, accompanist Rapsis said.

"Keaton's comedy is as fresh today as it was a hundred years ago — maybe more so, because his kind of visual humor is a lost art," Rapsis said.

Upcoming silent film screenings at the Rex Theatre include:

• Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022, 7:30 p.m.: 'The Cat and the Canary' (1927) directed by Paul Leni. Perfect for Halloween! Can a group of distant relatives survive the night in a haunted house to learn the secret of a madman's will? Find out in the original Gothic thriller from silent film director Paul Leni.

• Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, 7:30 p.m.: 'Safety Last' (1923) starring Harold Lloyd. The iconic image of Harold Lloyd dangling from the hands of a downtown clock is just one highlight of a remarkable thrill comedy that has lost none of its power over audiences.

• Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 7:30 p.m.: 'Metropolis' (1927) directed by Fritz Lang. The eye-popping silent film sci-fi masterpiece of German filmmaker Fritz Lang is a vintage look at things to come. Restored version includes nearly a half-hour of lost footage that was rediscovered in Argentina in 2008.

‘The General’ (1926) starring Buster Keaton will be shown with live music on Wednesday, July 20 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 20 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H. Admission is $10 per person. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.palacetheater.org or call (603) 668-5588

Up next: Garbo and Moore double feature, but first: my annual fried seafood pilgrimage

I can think of two ways I don't mind my federal tax dollars being spent. 

One is film preservation efforts by the Library of Congress. More of that, please.

The other is coastal fishing subsidies, which enable we citizens to enjoy a reliable supply of fried clams and scallops.

(Okay, with maybe some allowances for national defense and a transportation network. But not too much.)

Anyway, with the second priority in mind, yesterday I made my once-a-year pilgrimage to Ceal's Clam Stand in Seabrook, N.H.

The result is seen above; a combo plate of clams and scallops, served on french fries and with coleslaw on the side. Eaten at a peeling red picnic table 100 yards from the Atlantic Ocean, there's nothing like it.

I really can't indulge in a jumbo-sized plate of fried seafood but once a year. More often, and I'd probably end up in the hospital, and also go broke. (This year's combo plate "market" price: $40.28.)  

But if you do it once a season, Ceal's is the place to go. It's a well-worn shack along Route 1A that's been in the same family since 1948. Open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day, they do something with the batter that makes it unlike any other. 

Also, they fry the seafood separately from the potatoes or chicken tenders, and I think that makes a HUGE difference.

The fried seafood feast preceded a screening of Buster Keaton's 'Battling Butler' (1926), which I accompanied that evening up the coast at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunqit, Maine.

July and August being the two business months of the year for New England's coastal resorts, so the Leavitt was blessed with a solid turnout of 83 people.

And although 'Butler' has a reputation as one of the lesser Keatons, last night's screening produced consistent laughs right from the opening scene, where an effete Buster is told to rough it outdoors and make a man of himself.

People really got the comedy right away, cracking up at the sight of valet Snitz Edwards straightening Buster's hair as he sits passively on a divan. 

It was that way throughout the film. During the final climactic fight in the dressing room, Buster's sudden transformation into a silent film Canelo Álvarez even earned him a spontaneous ovation — something I've never seen happen with this film.

So a good time was had by all, except the boxing champ whom Buster beat senseless. Then again, maybe he enjoyed the change of pace. 

As for the music: well, I found that more than ever, less is more. 'Butler' in particular seems to benefit from a very light touch throughout, which I was able to maintain. 

For contrast, there are a few times where a loud, blaring march came in handy. It's especially effective to play "Here Comes the Bride" as performed by a local town marching band on-screen.

Next up is a double feature in the ongoing 'Women of the Silent Screen' series at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

It's Greta Garbo vs. Colleen Moore in a two-for-one program that pairs drama with comedy. Showtime is Sunday, July 17 at 2 p.m.; for more details, check out the press release below.

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A poster for 'The Single Standard' (1929), a late MGM silent starring Greta Garbo.

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Greta Garbo, Colleen Moore silent films with live music in Wilton, N.H. on Sunday, July 17

Screenings continues Town Hall Theatre's summer series spotlighting female stars of the silent cinema

WILTON, N.H.—A double feature of two very different films is next up the Town Hall Theatre's summer-long salute to female stars of the silent screen.

'The Single Standard' (1929) starring Greta Garbo and 'Ella Cinders' (1926) starring Colleen Moore will be screened with live music on Sunday, July 17 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.

In the late MGM silent drama 'The Single Standard,' screen icon Garbo plays a socialite determined to treat men the way they treat women.

Weary of the "good old boy" mentality which dictates that men can flit from girl to girl while women are expected to remain faithful, San Francisco socialite Arden Stuart (Garbo) decides to adopt the "single standard" and play the field herself.

A poster for 'Ella Cinders' (1926) starring Colleen Moore.

In the comedy 'Ella Cinders,' Colleen Moore reinvents the Cinderella fairy tale with a modern (1920s) comedic twist.

More plays a moviestruck small-town girl who wins a talent contest purportedly sponsored by a film studio.

First prize is a trip to Hollywood and a screen test, but when Ella arrives in Tinseltown, she discovers that the contest was a fraud.

Momentarily disheartened, Ella vows to get into pictures by any means possible.

The double feature continues a Town Hall Theatre summer series featuring female stars of the silent screen, all with live music by accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

Here's the line-up of upcoming screenings:

• Sunday, July 24 at 2 p.m.: Norma Talmadge in 'Within the Law.' Silent screen dramatic star Norma Talmadge plays a shopgirl wrongly imprisoned, and bent on revenge against the man who wronged her in this vintage 1923 release. Filmed on location in New York City.

• Sunday, Aug. 14 at 2 p.m.: Marion Davies in 'Beverly of Graustark.' Gender-bending 1926 comedy in which Davies stars as an American cousin of a European prince—and with whom she must switch places to keep the kingdom from unraveling. Newly released title!

• Sunday, Aug. 28 at 2 p.m.: Double feature with Gloria Swanson, Mae Marsh. Silent screen icon Gloria Swanson stars in 'Fine Manners' (1926), a comedy about a chorus girl trying to keep up with high society beau. In 'Daddies' (1924), Mae Marsh plays an unlikely orphan adopted by the head of the local Bachelor's Club. Hilarity ensues!

All titles in the series have never been shown as part of the Town Hall Theatre's long-running silent film programming.

"We specifically chose films that we haven't run before in Wilton, in part to explore the incredible range and surprising diversity of roles women played in Hollywood's silent era," said Jeff Rapsis, the Town Hall Theatre's silent film accompanist.

‘The Single Standard’ (1929) starring Greta Garbo and 'Ella Cinders' (1926) starring Colleen Moore will be shown with live music on Sunday, July 17 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.

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

Heading Downeast to accompany Buster's 'Butler,' but first some thoughts on 'North by Northwest'

Cary Grant vs. cropduster in 'North by Northwest' (1959).

Yesterday I went down to the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square to catch a matinee screening of 'North by Northwest' (1959) in 35mm.

Why? Because I plan to someday work on a book that tells a story based on Hitchcock's spy thriller. I'm not quite there yet, but soon.

For now, all I can do is report what I overheard yesterday afternoon in the theater, which was surprisingly crowded.

Young Person Behind Me Before Show Started: "Wait, this film is in color? So did they invent color between the last film we saw and this one?"

This caught my attention. Further discussion revealed that they'd recently seen the Orson Welles' 'Touch of Evil' (1958), made the year before 'North by Northwest,' and the assumption was apparently was that once color was available, everything just switched over to it. Wow.

Well, whatever. We all discover the world around us in our own way And people have to start somewhere. 

And I should be glad that they're willing to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon in a darkened theater with Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint and Bernard Herrmann, or watch a film such as 'Touch of Evil' in a theater. (Which they apparently had done.)

After the Hitchcock film ended, the comment I caught was: "Was that supposed to be good in a kind of 'so bad it's good' kind of way?" Again, wow.

Well, not sure what they'd make of Buster Keaton in 'Battling Butler' (1926), but that's the film I'm accompanying this Wednesday at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

My Brattle neighbors may not be in attendance, but I hope you will. Below is the press release with all the info...

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Buster in a posed shot with his porkpie hat (which he doesn't wear in the film) from 'Battling Butler' (1926).

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton's 'Battling Butler' at Leavitt Theatre on Wednesday, July 13

Silent film series continues with knockout boxing comedy focusing on the fight game, accompanied by live music

OGUNQUIT, Maine—He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of "the Great Stone Face." But Buster Keaton's comedies rocked Hollywood's silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.

Acclaimed for their originality, clever visual gags, and amazing stunts, Keaton's films remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'Battling Butler' (1926), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St, Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

Admission is $12 per person. Live music will be provided by accompanist Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer who specializes in creating music for silent film presentations.

'Battling Butler' tells the story of pampered millionaire Alfred Butler (Keaton) who tries to impress the girl of his dreams (Sally O'Neil) by pretending to be a championship boxer with the same name.

The masquerade leads to knockout comedy both in and outside the ring, giving Keaton ample opportunity to display his gifts for physical and visual comedy.

In the 1920s, boxing rivaled baseball as the nation's most popular sport. Neighborhoods, communities, and ethnic groups all rooted for their favorite fighters, and heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey ranked as an international celebrity.

Because of this, boxing stories were popular with early movie audiences as well.

"As an elemental contest between two opponents, boxing inspired early filmmakers to do some great work," Rapsis said. "It's a visual sport that doesn't require a lot of dialogue or commentary to understand, and so was perfect for silent movies."

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands as one of the silent screen's three great clowns.

Many critics regard Keaton as the best of all; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."

While making films, Keaton never thought he was an artist, but an entertainer trying to use the then-new art of motion pictures to tell stories and create laughter.

All those talents are on display in 'Battling Butler,' which holds the distinction of being the top-grossing title of Keaton's silent features.

The Leavitt Theatre's silent film screenings provide local audiences the opportunity to experience silent film as it was intended to be shown: on the big screen, in restored prints, with live music, and with an audience.

“These films are still exciting experiences if you can watch them as they were designed to be shown,” said Rapsis, accompanist for the screenings.

“There’s a reason people first fell in love with the movies, and we hope to recreate that spirit. At their best, silent films were communal experiences in which the presence of a large audience intensifies everyone’s reactions.”

The Leavitt, a summer-only moviehouse, opened in 1923 at the height of the silent film era, and has been showing movies to summertime visitors for nearly a century.

The silent film series honors the theater's long service as a moviehouse that has entertained generations of Seacoast residents and visitors, in good times and in bad.

Following 'Battling Butler' on Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m., other programs in this year's Leavitt silent film series include:

• Wednesday, July 27 at 7 p.m.: Greta Garbo in 'The Temptress' (1926). MGM drama with Garbo destroying the lives of men everywhere. Unusual in that the film was made with two very different endings per order of studio boss Louis B. Mayer; both will be screened.

• Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m.: Clara Bow stars in 'Mantrap' (1926). Battle-of-the-sexes comedy; city boy Richard Dix tries to win his girlfriend by taking up the rugged cowboy life, only to find it not so rugged. Rarely screened comedic gem from the height of the silent era.

• Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.: 'Blood and Sand' (1922). Rudolph Valentino in his first starring role, as a sexy bullfighter in this romantic thriller. Will Rudy choose the pure love of Carmen, or the sinister charms of the exotic Doña Sol? And will he survive the choice?

• Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.: Rare race drama: 'The Flying Ace' (1926). All-Black motion picture added to the National Film Registry last year. Rare example of 'race' cinema, produced for audiences in Black-only theaters commonly found in segregated parts of the nation.

• Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.: F.W. Murnau's 'The Last Laugh' (1924). Towering performance by Emil Jannings as aging doorman at posh city hotel whose unexpected change of jobs robs him of self-respect and identity. Directed by Murnau as a purely visual tale, no dialogue intertitles.

• Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.: 'Der Golem' (1920). Prepare for Halloween with one very weird flick! In 16th-century Prague, a rabbi creates a giant creature from clay, called the Golem. Using sorcery, he brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.

Buster Keaton stars in 'Battling Butler,' to be shown on Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St, Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

Admission is $12 per person, general seating. For more info, call (207) 646-3123 or visit www.leavittheatre.com.

Next up: Harry Langdon in 'The Strong Man' (1926) on Wednesday, July 6 in Plymouth, N.H.

Harry Langdon stars in 'The Strong Man' (1926), screening on Wednesday, July 6.

Happy 4th of July weekend!

I'm be using the time to recover from last Wednesday's screening of 'Robin Hood' (1922) at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine. 

It's a fun film to create music for, but also exhausting. Not in a bad way—it's just one of those movies I find really demands the best I can bring to it, which can be draining.

I like to think I bring that attitude to any film I accompany. Once the lights go down, I should be willing to give my all to make a film work. 

It's just that some films, 'Robin Hood' among them, seem to draw more heavily on the battery, so to speak. 

So now I'm in "recharge" mode, which will get me ready to do music for a screening of Harry Langdon's 'The Strong Man' (1926) on Wednesday, July 6 at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse up in Plymouth, N.H.

To help promote the show, I went to look up a post in which I compared Harry in 'The Strong Man' to Jesus, and I was surprised to find it's from more than 10 years ago!

Check it out: Harry Langdon as Jesus.

Or just check out the press release below. Either way, hope to see you up in Plymouth after the long weekend!

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Harry finds himself over a barrel in 'The Strong Man' (1926).

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

Frank Capra's very first movie highlights Flying Monkey silent film program on Wednesday, July 6

Screening features Harry Langdon's classic comedy 'The Strong Man' shown with live music; fun family activity suitable for all ages

PLYMOUTH, N.H. — Silent film with live music returns to the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in July with a showing of an uproarious comedy starring Harry Langdon.

The screening of 'The Strong Man' on Wednesday, July 6 at 6:30 p.m., gives families a chance to enjoy a fun activity suitable for all ages.

General admission is $10 per person. The Flying Monkey is located at 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

Directing 'The Strong Man' was young first-timer Frank Capra, who would later go on to create such Hollywood classics as 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' (1939) and 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946).

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.

'The Strong Man' tells the story of a World War I soldier (Langdon) who, following his discharge, finds work as assistant to a circus strong man. As the act travels the country, Langdon continually searches for a girl he corresponded with while stationed overseas in the military.

The search leads to a town controlled by Prohibition-era gangsters, which forces Harry to test the limits of his own inner strength even as he looks for his dream girl. Can Harry triumph over the bad guys? And is love more powerful than brute strength?

The feature-length film showcases the unique child-like personality of Langdon, who is largely forgotten today. For a brief time in the 1920s, however, he rivaled Charlie Chaplin as Hollywood's top movie clown.

Langdon's popularity, which grew quickly in the last years of the silent era, fizzled as the movie business abruptly switched to talkies starting in 1929.

Harry Langdon in 'The Strong Man' (1926).

'The Strong Man' was selected in 2007 for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

In recent years, 'The Strong Man' has been recognized as a major achievement of the silent film era—a satisfying and timeless balance of emotion and comedy.

"A little tragedy and a lot of laughs can be seen in 1926's The Strong Man," wrote critic Richard von Busack in 2007. "Director Frank Capra's energy and sturdy plot sense counterpoint Langdon's wonderful strangeness."

'The Strong Man' will be accompanied by live music by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who performs at venues across the region and beyond.

"These films were created to be shown on the big screen as a communal experience," Rapsis said. "With an audience and live music, they still come to life in the way their makers intended them to.

"The Flying Monkey's silent film screenings are a great chance for people to experience films that first caused people to first fall in love with the movies," he said.

Frank Capra's 'The Strong Man' will be screened with live music on Wednesday, July 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

Admission is $10 per person. For more info, call (603) 536-2551 or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com.