Up next: 'Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at Derry (N.H.) Opera House

A scene from 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920).

It's gonna be one crowded cabinet!

This morning I got word that more than 130 people have pre-registered for a screening of 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920), which I'll accompany on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Derry (N.H.) Opera House.

Wow! Unless a lot of people ghost us (it IS the Halloween season, after all), that's a big turnout, which always adds to the excitement.

But there's still room for more. Check out the press release below, which has info about the film plus how to register for the screening. 

For now, I'm pleased to report that last night's screening of 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) attracted more than 100 spooks to what the final silent film program for the 100th anniversary season of the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

If it seemed even more crowded than that, it's because for the Halloween season the Leavitt Theatre populates is main screening room with stuffed scarecrow-like goblins that occupy a fair number of seats.

Such as:

Here's an overview...

Great crowd full of people willing to shriek at the famous "unmasking" scene—and which continued to shriek at all of Chaney's big moments afterwards. This might have had something to do with the Leavitt now offering bar service, but who can say?

I'll do 'Phantom' again this afternoon at the Mattapoisett Free Library in Mattapoisett, Mass. (showtime is 5:30 p.m.) and then once more on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the recently reopened Crandell Theatre in Chatham, N.Y. 

They're both new venues for me and I look forward to spreading the silent film gospel to newcomers and diehard fans alike. 

Boris Karloff makes a friend, sort of, in 'Frankenstein' (1931), an early talkie with no musical score. 

In addition, on Thursday, Oct. 30 at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I., I'm doing a live score for 'Frankenstein' (1931) starring Boris Karloff.

Wait, isn't that a talking picture? It is, but like many early sound films, studios hadn't quite gotten into the habit of creating recorded soundtracks as we know them today.

The Bela Lugosi' Dracula' (1931) is the same way—very eerie and atmospheric visuals, but not a scrap of dramatic music. 

With 'Frankenstein,' I've found adding music in certain places can—well, help bring the film to life.

It's alive! It's alive! 

To see what a difference music makes with 'Frankenstein' (especially in the laboratory sequences), check out a screening of this vintage horror classic on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I.

And for now, here's all the details on 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at the Derry (N.H.) Opera House. 

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A scene from 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920).

MONDAY, OCT. 20, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Halloween special! 'Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at Derry Opera House

Screening of breakthrough silent thriller to feature live musical accompaniment

DERRY, N.H.—This halloween, a creepy silent film regarded as the forerunner of all horror movies is coming to haunt southern N.H.

'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) will be shown live music on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Derry Opera House, 29 West Broadway, Derry, N.H.

The screening will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating music for silent films.

The event is organized by the Derry Public Library, the Taylor Library, and the Greater Derry Arts Council.

Admission is free; advance registration is requested. To register, visit the Derry Public Library's website at derrypl.org and click on the online 'Events' calendar.

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.

Actor Conrad Veidt in the actual cabinet from 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920).

'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.

"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 Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) will be shown with live music on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Derry Opera House, 29 West Broadway, Derry, N.H. 

Admission is free; advance registration is requested. To register, visit the Derry Public Library's website at derrypl.org and click on the online 'Events' calendar.

Next up: 'Phantom of the Opera' on Monday, Oct. 27 at Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine

A poster for the original silent film version of 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925), which I'm accompanying six times this Halloween season!

It's a show 100 years in the making—in a vintage theater celebrating its 100th season!

It's the silent thriller 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), which I'll accompany on Monday, Oct. 27 at the Leavitt Theatre in downtown Ogunquit, Maine. 

It's the last hurrah for this season's schedule of silent films with live music at the Leavitt, which has been celebrating its 100th season in part by screening films released in 1925.

That includes 'Phantom,' with the timing just right for a spooky Halloween experience. Lots more about the movie and the screening are in the press release, which is pasted in below.

I can report a responsive crowd turned out for last night's screening of 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928), which I accompanied at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H. 

The event was augmented by something new at the Monkey: a promotional chalkboard set out on the sidewalk. Nice!

And here's me doing my best Conrad Veidt impersonation underneath the marquee before the show.

 How did I do?

I know, I need to work on the hair. And the wardrobe. And the eyes and face. And the posture. I think other than those minor details, it's dead on!

While I work on my impressions, you can work on making your way to the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine, where they're screening 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) on Monday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. with music by me. More details in the press release below. 

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Lon Chaney menaces Mary Philbin in 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925).

MONDAY, OCT. 20, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Phantom of the Opera' starring Lon Chaney at Leavitt Theatre on Monday, Oct. 27

Just in time for Halloween Pioneer classic silent thriller to be shown with live musical accompaniment—see it if you dare!

OGUNQUIT, Maine—It was a film considered so frightening when first released that theaters were advised to have doctors standing by in case moviegoers fainted.

It was the original big screen adaptation of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), starring iconic actor Lon Chaney in the title role.

This classic Universal thriller will be shown on Monday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1, Ogunquit.

General admission tickets are $20 per person.

The screening will feature live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating music for silent films.

The film is suitable for all ages, although young children may find some scenes intense and frightening.

The show will enable audience members to experience the original silent 'Phantom' the way it was intended to be seen: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.  

'The Phantom of the Opera,' starring legendary actor Lon Chaney in the title role, remains a landmark work of the cinematic horror genre. To modern viewers, the passage of time has made this unusual film seem even more strange and otherworldly.

It's an atmosphere that silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis will enhance by improvising live music on the spot for the screening.

"The original 'Phantom' is a film that seems to get creepier as more time passes," said Rapsis, who accompanies films at venues around the nation. "It's a great way to experience the power of silent film to transport audiences to strange and unusual places."

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

The film is most famous for Lon Chaney's intentionally horrific, self-applied make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere.

Chaney transformed his face by painting his eye sockets black, creating a cadaverous skull-like visage. He also pulled the tip of his nose up and pinned it in place with wire, enlarged his nostrils with black paint, and put a set of jagged false teeth into his mouth to complete the ghastly deformed look of the Phantom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Even with all the different versions of this story, Chaney's performance in the lead role stands the test of time," Rapsis said. "And remember—in silent film, no one can hear you scream!"

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ (1925) will be shown with live music on Monday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; admission is $20 per person, general seating. For more information, visit www.leavittheatre.com. 

Get into the Halloween spirit with 'The Man Who Laughs' on Thursday, Oct. 23 in Plymouth, N.H.

That look! That face! Conrad Veidt stars as 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928).

I suppose it's too late to approach the American Dental Association about sponsoring tomorrow's screening of 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928) in Plymouth, N.H. It's one film in which teeth play a featured role!

But it's not too late for you to make your way tomorrow night to the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, where I'll  accompany this classic silent thriller on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Lots more info on the screening and the film is in the press release pasted in below.

Meanwhile, a few recent notes from the road:

• Since late September, I've been out straight with my day job as director of the Aviation Museum of N.H., as this time of year brings our annual fundraising Gala plus holiday preparations and so much else. Hence the lack of silent film posts and updates as we head into high Halloween season. However, I do have a busy line-up of spooky screenings in the coming two weeks and I'll try to highlight them here.

• The first part of October brought several silent film adventures, including my debut at the Pittsburgh Silent Film Festival on Friday, Oct. 3 scoring 'The Big Parade' and then on Saturday, Oct. 4 (the next day!) accompanying a program of rare local silent films presented by noted archivist Ed Lorusso in Augusta, Maine. This was another of those occasions when I combined the art of silent film music with the joys of long haul trucking. I do plan to write about this and other screenings, so stay tuned.  

 • This is the first 'Nosferatu'-free Halloween season I've experienced in at least a decade. The main reason, I think, is that 2025 is the 100th anniversary of the Lon Chaney 'Phantom of the Opera,' and this time around everyone wants to run that. I've done it twice in recent weeks, and will do it three more times before Halloween is out. At every screening, I get laughs with this line: "If you've joined us this evening to hear the haunting melodies of the famous musical version of 'Phantom' by Andrew Lloyd Webber, you will be sadly disappointed."

Okay, before the Phantom makes his next appearance, it's Conrad Veidt in 'The Man Who Laughs' at the Flying Monkey. And remember—in silent film, no one can hear you scream!

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An original lobby card (hiding the hideous grin) for 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928).

MONDAY, OCT. 6, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'The Man Who Laughs' (1928) to screen with live music on Thursday, Oct. 23 at Flying Monkey

Just in time for Halloween: Creepy silent film thriller inspired the look of Batman's nemesis 'The Joker'

PLYMOUTH, N.H. — Based on a Victor Hugo novel, it paved the way for early horror classics such as 'Dracula' (1931) and 'Frankenstein' (1931).

It was 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928), a silent film thriller that inspired the look of Batman's nemesis 'The Joker.'

The rarely screened film will be shown with live music on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

General admission is $15 per person. Tickets may be purchased online at www.flyingmonkeynh.com or at the door.

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

'The Man Who Laughs,' directed by Paul Leni and starring Conrad Veidt, is a silent thriller about a disfigured man forced to wear an insane grin all his life.

The movie was a popular and ground-breaking silent film adaptation of a sprawling Victor Hugo novel set in 17th century England. 

Veidt stars as Gwynplaine, a child born of English nobility. After his father is executed, a cruel King James II orders a royal surgeon to hideously disfigure young Gwynplaine's face into a permanent smile, so that he may always laugh at his father's foolishness.

Abandoned and shunned, young Gwynplaine is left to make his way on his own. He learns to conceal his face from strangers, befriending Dea, a blind girl who is not aware of his disfigurement.

The pair are then adopted and put to work by a travelling impresario, who makes use of Gwynplaine's startling face in his theatrical productions.

Gwynplaine and Dea grow to adulthood and eventually fall in love, but complications arise when Gwynplaine's noble lineage is revealed, entitling him to his father's estate—provided he marry another woman of noble birth.

Veidt, who starred earlier in the German expressionist horror classic 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1919), played the role of Gwynplaine by using a prosthetic device inside his mouth to force his face into a hideous grin and display outsized teeth.

This striking look was later adapted by Batman creator Bob Kane as a model for the physical appearance of iconic villain 'The Joker.'

Critics have praised 'The Man Who Laughs' for its dark visual style and daring story content.

"'The Man Who Laughs' is a melodrama, at times even a swashbuckler, but so steeped in Expressionist gloom that it plays like a horror film," wrote Roger Ebert in 2004. "The film is more disturbing than it might have been because of Leni's mastery of visual style."

Director Leni, originally trained as an artist, made ample use of shadows and darkness in 'The Man Who Laughs,' which set the stage for many legendary Universal horror classics soon to follow, including 'Dracula' (1931) and 'Frankenstein' (1931).

'The Man Who Laughs' (1928) will be screened with live music by Jeff Rapsis on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

General admission is $15 per person. Tickets may be purchased online at www.flyingmonkeynh.com or at the door. For more info, call (603) 536-2551.  

 

 An original production still from 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928).