Hitchcock's 'The Ring' (1927) today at 2 p.m.: thoughts on silent film, boxing, and ballet

A scene from Alfred Hitchcock's boxing drama 'The Ring' (1927). 

Today at 2 p.m., the bell rings for the next installment of our mini-series of silent boxing films at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

This afternoon, it's Alfred Hitchcock's early film 'The Ring' (1927), a drama in which two men do battle over a woman inside the ring and out.

Late this summer, the series conclude son Sunday, Aug. 24 with 'Battling Butler' (1926), Buster Keaton's boxing comedy.

I'm drawn to silent films that feature boxing because they show the enduring fascination a sport that's so basic and elemental.

Boxing: No teams, just two opponents. No fancy equipment. Everything out in the open for once, with no second-guessing what you're there to do.

Also, talking and words aren't important in the ring. So that's something that silent film and boxing share. Sometimes words aren't enough, or sometimes they're too much.

So there's a certain expressive power shared by boxing and silent film.

You could also make the same connection between boxing and ballet. No words there either: just music and movement—telling stories so elemental that words aren't needed.

Yes, kind of like boxing. 

This reminds me that a friend of mine had a T-shirt that said: "Boxing is like ballet except the dancers hit each other."

There's also the time element of boxing and silent film. When the bell rings, the fighters have no choice to face each other until the contest comes to an end one way or another.

Likewise, when the opening titles of a silent film appear on the screen, the accompanist has no choice to stay in the ring until the story is told—in this case, when 'The End' shows up, which is the cinematic equivalent of going the distance.

There may be other connections with silent film and boxing. So far, no one has thrown a punch at me during a screening, but that could happen at any time. 

If it happens this afternoon, be there to see it by getting a ringside seat at the Town Hall Theatre at 2 p.m. 

Here's the press release with a lot more info  about the film and the screening.

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A scene from Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Ring' (1927).

 

MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Early Hitchcock film highlights Town Hall Theatre summer series of vintage boxing movies

'The Ring' (1927), silent drama of two fighters in love with same woman, to be screened on Sunday, July 20 with live musical accompaniment

WILTON, N.H.—An early film directed by Alfred Hitchcock is next up in a summer series of vintage boxing movies at the Town Hall Theatre.

'The Ring' (1927), an intense tale of two fighters battling over the same woman, will be screened with live music on Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m.

The boxing series is part of the Wilton Town Hall Theatre's monthly silent film program. Admission to the screenings is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested.

Live accompaniment will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician.

'The Ring,' an early Hitchcock effort, was made when the director was still working in his native Great Britain.

The future "master of suspense" was just 28 years old when he helmed this silent drama set in the colorful world of English carnivals and fairgrounds.

'The Ring' is based on Hitchcock's only original screenplay, although he worked extensively alongside other writers throughout his career.

Silent-era boxing dramas are of interest to fans because they're filled with scenes of the sport at the height of its mainstream popularity.

At the time, 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.

Boxing stories were popular with early movie audiences as well.

"As an elemental contest between two opponents, boxing inspired some great work by early filmmakers," 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."

The Wilton Town Hall Theatre has been showing films since 1912. The venue's silent series gives local audiences the chance to experience early cinema as it was intended to be seen: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

The silent film boxing series concludes on Sunday, Aug. 24 with 'Battling Butler' (1926), Buster Keaton's uproarious comedy about a pampered millionaire mistaken for a champion fighter.

The Summer Silent Boxing Film Series continues with a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Ring' (1927) on Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested.

 

Tonight at 7 p.m. in Plymouth, N.H.: Milton Sills seeks ocean-going vengeance in 'The Sea Hawk'

An original poster promoting 'The Seahawk' (1924).

I'm back from Bavaria and back at the keyboard!

Last night was a spectacular screening of 'The Lost World' (1925) as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

Tonight it's 'The Sea Hawk,' the swashbuckling big screen adaptation of the Rafael Sabatini novel, which I'll accompany at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H.

Lots more info about the screening and the picture are in the press release, which I've pasted in below.

These are the first screenings—and the first time I've been at a keyboard—after about a month layoff for traveling and clearing my head. 

What was I doing in Bavaria? Well, I thought it was high time someone got to the bottom of this "Bavarian Creme" filling used in some U.S. bakery products.

Turns out there's no such equivalent in actual Bavaria. From what I saw in bakeries around Garmish-Partenkirchen, where we were staying, I think they'd laugh at it. 

Actually, we saw some of Munich, and then did some bopping around the Bavarian countryside. I'm now much more familiar with the story of the Bavarian royal family, the Wittelsbachs, and in particular Ludwig II, the 'Mad King' of Bavaria. 

King Ludwig played a major role in financing and encouraging composer Richard Wagner, and so it probably should haven't been a surprise to find that a Broadway-style musical about his life is currently playing in Fussen, the town closest to his two big castles. 

More about that in a later post. Here's the press release about 'The Sea Hawk.' Hope to see you on deck this evening at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey!

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An original lobby card for 'The Sea Hawk' (1924).

MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent film classic 'The Sea Hawk' to screen on Thursday, July 17 in Plymouth, N.H.

Sea-faring swashbuckler presented with live music at Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—Travel back to the time of sailing ships and piracy on the high seas as shown in a classic movie released almost a century ago.

'The Sea Hawk' (1924), an epic silent adventure film, will be screened with live music on Thursday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

General admission is $16 per person. Tickets may be purchased online at www.flyingmonkeynh.com or at the door.

Live music for the sea-going tale will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating music for silent films.

'The Sea Hawk' is an American silent adventure film about an English nobleman sold into slavery who escapes and turns himself into a pirate king.

A scene from 'The Sea Hawk' (1924).

Directed by Frank Lloyd, the screen adaptation was written by J. G. Hawks based upon a 1915 novel by Rafael Sabatini.

'The Sea Hawk' boasts an all-star silent era cast that includes Milton Sills, Enid Bennett, Wallace Beery, Lloyd Hughes, and George Bancroft.

The swashbuckler was a big-budget extravaganza produced by First National Studios, a predecessor of Warner Bros.

Director Lloyd recognized that moviegoers of 1924 wouldn't accept miniature models, and so instructed that full-sized ships be created for use in the film at the then-enormous cost of $200,000.

This was done by outfitting the wooden exteriors of existing craft to the design of Fred Gabourie, known for his work in constructing props used in Buster Keaton films.

More action from 'The Seahawk' (1924).

The ocean scenes were filmed off the coast of California's Catalina Island, with 150 tents set up on the island for housing and support of the film's 1,000 extras, 21 technicians, 14 actors, and 64 sailors.

When the film was released, a New York Times critic called it "far and away the best sea story that's yet been done up to that point."

A movie with the same title (but an entirely different plot) was released in 1940 starring Errol Flynn. The studio used some key scenes from battles in the 1924 film. They spliced the scenes into the 1940 film, believing they could not have been done better.

See the sea-faring epic 'The Sea Hawk' (1924) with live music on Thursday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

General admission is $16 per person. Tickets may be purchased online at www.flyingmonkeynh.com or at the door. For more info, visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com or call (603) 536-2551.