Head to class with Buster Keaton in 'College' (1927), screening Sunday, Jan. 29 in Wilton, N.H.

This weekend, Buster Keaton goes to 'College' (1927), with music by me, on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. 

Don't miss this opportunity to chase away those mid-winter blahs with the silent comic's take on academic life. More info in the press release below.

For now, here's a brief recap on my recent whirlwind road trip last weekend to accompany silent film screenings in Detroit, Mich. and Cleveland, Ohio. 

Last Friday night it was Keaton's 'Battling Butler' (1926) at Cinema Detroit, which welcomed a nearly full house to enjoy Buster's boxing comedy.

In a sonic highlight, I got to use an authentic boxing bell that belongs to Ken Winokur, formerly of the Alloy Orchestra, who loaned it to me for the occasion. Thanks, Ken!

The next day it was off to Cleveland, where I accompanied the 1916 version of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' during the annual 36-hour sci-fi marathon at Case Western University.

For once I wasn't the most sleep-deprived person in the room. But actually, the audience was hugely responsive to what must have seemed like an antique curiosity to many viewers. 

By that I mean, the film doesn't exactly show silent cinema at its most eloquent. Alas, it's one of those titles that reinforces the idea of early movies as primitive ancestors of today's visual entertainment.

But it's still worth screening. And it DID keep the sci-fi marathon audience engaged throughout, inspiring shouted comments of the "Time to engage your willing suspension of disbelief!" variety.

Thanks to everyone at Cinema Detroit and the Case Western Reserve University Film Society 

And then it was back home to New England, where this past Monday I accompanied Alfred Hitchcock's early thriller 'The Lodger' (1927) at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Mass.

Which takes us up to the present, where I'm looking forward to accompanying Buster Keaton in 'College' (1927) at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

Hope you'll enroll. See you at the theater!

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Buster Keaton and Anne Cornwall attend 'College' (1927).

MONDAY, JAN. 16, 2023 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more info, contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton comedy 'College' with live music on Sunday, 1/29 at Town Hall Theatre

Silent film series continues in Wilton, N.H. theater with screening of timeless classic send-up of campus life

WILTON, 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 'College' (1927), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Sunday, Jan. 29 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 screening will feature live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

'College' follows the story of a hapless university bookworm (Keaton) forced to become a star athlete to win the attention of his dream girl. Can Buster complete the transformation in time to woo her from his rival? And along the way, can he also rescue the campus from sports-related shame?

The film was released in 1927, at the crest of a national fascination with college life. In addition to being a great Keaton comedy, 'College' offers vintage glimpses into what higher education was like nearly a century ago.

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."

As a performer, Keaton was uniquely suited to the demands of silent comedy. Born in 1895, he made his stage debut as a toddler, joining his family's knockabout vaudeville act and learning to take falls and do acrobatic stunts at an early age.

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, including some spectacular examples in 'College.'

In reviving Keaton's 'College,' the Town Hall Theatre aims to show silent film as it was meant to be seen—in restored 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 will accompany the film. "Recreate those conditions, and classics of early Hollywood such as 'College' leap back to life in ways that audiences still find entertaining."

Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra, creating a traditional "movie score" sound. He improvises the complete score in real time during the screening.

"Creating a movie score on the fly is kind of a high-wire act, but it can often make for more excitement than if everything is planned out in advance," Rapsis said.

Rapsis encouraged people unfamiliar with silent film to give 'College' a try.

"If you haven't seen a silent film the way it was intended to be shown, then you're missing a unique experience," Rapsis said. "At their best, silent films still connect with cinema-goers. They retain the power to cast a spell, engage an audience, tap into elemental emotions, and provoke strong reactions."

The Town Hall Theatre's silent film series was recently featured in the weekly HIppoPress in a story about discovering life-enriching activities and hobbies.

Buster Keaton's 'College' (1927) will be screened on Sunday, Jan. 29 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 information, call (603) 654-3456.