Here's a running list of upcoming screenings of silent film with live music by Jeff Rapsis.
• Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, 4 p.m.: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) starring Lon Chaney; The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508) 647-0097; http://www.natickarts.org/. Join us for a 100th anniversary screening of the original screen adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel about a deformed bellringer in medieval Paris. A moving and timeless drama filled with classic scenes and capped with a thrilling climax. Silent film with live music in a renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $12, Center for the Arts members $10.
• Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1920)
starring John Barrymore; Greenfield
Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St.,
Greenfield, Mass.; call (413) 773-9260 or visit www.gardencinemas.net. John Barrymore plays both title roles in the original silent film
adaptation of the classic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. A
spook-tacular performance that helped establish Barrymore as one of the
silent era's top stars, highlighted by Barrymore's on-camera
transformations done without special effects. Tickets $10.50 adults;
$8.50 students, seniors, and veterans.
• Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, 7 p.m.: "My Best Girl" (1927) starring starring Mary Pickford, Charles "Buddy" Rogers; Brandon Town Hall
and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.;
http://www.brandontownhall.com. In a big city department store, romance blossoms between a humble stockroom clerk and the store owner's son—who is already engaged! A sparkling “rich man, poor girl” romantic comedy from 1927 starring screen icon Mary Pickford and Charles 'Buddy Rogers,' her future real-life husband. Join us for a series
of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in
Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations
accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Red Kimona" (1925); Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. A small-town girl finds escape from her cruel home life in the arms of a handsome stranger. Soon she finds herself working as a prostitute in New Orleans, desperately clinging to the belief that he really loves her. Film produced from a woman's point of view by trio of female cinematic pioneers: Adela Rogers St. John, Dorothy Arzner, and Dorothy Davenport Reid. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, Oct.11, 2023, "The Cat and the Canary" (1927); Townsend (Mass.) Public Library, 12 Dudley
Road, Townsend, Mass.; (978) 597-1714; http://www.townsendlibrary.org.
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. Co-sponsored by the Townsend Senior Center. Silent film with live music; free admission and
program open to the public.
• Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, 7 p.m.: "Phantom of the Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney; Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline, Mass.; (617) 734-2501; www.coolidge.org. Get in the mood for Halloween with one of the all-time classic thrillers. Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber created the hit stage musical, this silent film adaptation starring Lon Chaney helped place 'Phantom' firmly in the pantheon of both horror and romance. Silent film on the big screen with live music: the Coolidge's long-running 'Sounds of Silents' program recreates the experience of early cinema so today's audiences can experience why movie-goers first fell in love with the silver screen.
• Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "Lon Chaney Double Feature"; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/. Two strange late silent thrillers, both starring Chaney at the peak of his career and directed by Todd Browning, who would later helm the cult film 'Freaks' (1932). In 'The Unknown' (1927), Chaney plays 'Alonzo the Armless,' a circus knife-thrower (he uses his feet!) with a dark past who lusts after trapeze artist Joan Crawford, who is pursued by the circus strong man, but she has a phobia about being held by a man. See where this is going? In 'West of Zanzibar' (1928), Chaney plays a vaudeville magician who loses use of his legs in an accident but still journeys to Africa to seek revenge on the wealthy businessman (Lionel Barrymore) who stole his beloved. Monthly silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H.
• Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, 2 p.m.: "Nosferatu" (1922); Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Experience the original silent film adaptation of Bram Stoker's famous 'Dracula' story. Still scary after all these years—and some critics believe this version is not only the best ever done, but has actually become creepier with the passage of time.Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, 7 p.m.: "Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) starring Lon Chaney; The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.; (603) 668-5588; https://www.palacetheatre.org/rex-theatre/. Join us for a 100th anniversary screening of the original screen adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel about a deformed bellringer in medieval Paris. A moving and timeless drama filled with classic scenes and capped with a thrilling climax! Join us for a series of silent film programs with live music in a wonderful restored theater in downtown Manchester. Timeless silent film on the big screen! Tickets $10 per person general admission.
• Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, 7:30 p.m.: "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney; The Jane Pickens Theatre, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.; (401) 846-5474; https://janepickens.com/. Get in the mood for Halloween with one of the all-time classic thrillers. Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber created the hit stage musical, this silent film adaptation starring Lon Chaney helped place 'Phantom' firmly in the pantheon of both horror and romance. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown for more than a century. Admission prices and more info to come.
• Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, 7 p.m.: "The Cat and the Canary" (1927); Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.com. 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. Just in time for Halloween, a movie filled with deep shadows, dark secrets, and a surprisingly timeless mix of humor and horror that will keep you guessing. Remember: in silent film, no one can hear you scream! Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, 6 p.m.: "Warning Shadows" (1923); Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; http://www.leavittheatre.com. During a dinner given by a wealthy count (Fritz Kortner), his beautiful wife (Ruth Weyher) and four of her suitors come together at the 19th-century German manor. A magician (Alexander Granach), rescues the count's marriage by giving all the guests a vision of what might happen if the count cannot restrain his jealousy and the suitors continue to make advances towards his wife. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, 7 p.m.: "Dracula" (1931) starring Bela Lugosi; at the Park Theater, 19 Main St., Jaffrey, N.H.; (603) 532-9300; https://theparktheatre.org/ Universal's original sound version of Dracula featured the inspired casting choice of Bela Lugosi in the title role, but virtually no music! So this Halloween, we present 'Dracula' with an added musical score by renowned silent film accompanist (and N.H. resident) Jeff Rapsis. Celebrate Halloween with an all-time classic horror film accompanied by live music. Admission prices and more info to come.
• Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, 7:30 p.m. "Raffles the Amateur Cracksman" (1925); the Edison Theatre at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, 37417 Niles Boulevard, Niles, Calif. Raffles, the debonair society burglar, can’t resist a dare, when a noted criminologist claims that he would prevent a threatened theft in the home of an upper crust family. Of course, Raffles gets the pearls, but he promises the beautiful Lady Gwendolyn that he will return them and reform. With House Peters, Miss Du Pont, Hedda Hopper, Walter Long. Dir. King Baggott (Not to be confused with the John Barrymore version (1917), in which the story line is somewhat different.) Plus short subjects TBA. Wonderful vintage Edison theater from 1913 now fully restored; shows silent films with live music. More information about program to come.
• Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "The Scarlet Letter" (1926) starring Lillian Gish; Greenfield Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St., Greenfield, Mass.; call (413) 773-9260 or visit www.gardencinemas.net. Splashy MGM adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic tale of old New England, with Lillian Gish in the leading role as Hester Prynne. After having a child out of wedlock, a young Puritan woman is pressured to reveal the name of her lover. Ah, the good old days! Tickets $10.50 adults; $8.50 students, seniors, and veterans.
• Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "The Three Musketeers" (1921) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr.; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/. Original screen adaptation that set the bar for movie versions of The Three Musketeers as well as for the swashbuckler genre itself. An action-adventure tale of a young Gascon, D'Artagnan, whose dream is to join the King's Musketeers, and travels to Paris to do so. Monthly silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H.
• Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, 8 p.m.: "Wings" (1927) starring Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Richard Arlen; Epsilon Spires, 190 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vt.; www.epsilonspires.org. Tickets $20. In honor of Veterans Day, a sweeping drama about fighter pilots in World War I; one of the great achievements of the silent cinema, winner of "Best Picture" at the first-ever Academy Awards. Compelling story, great performances, battle scenes filmed on an immense scale, and in-air aviation sequences that remain thrilling even today. Epsilon Spires is an organization illuminating the relationships between creative arts, natural sciences and sustainability using multimedia platforms. Epsilon Spires operates out of a renovated Baptist church built in 1868.
• Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, 2 p.m.: "A Sailor-Made Man" (1921)
starring Harold Lloyd; "Shoulder Arms" (1918) starring Charlie Chaplin; The Residence at Otter Creek, 350 Lodge Road,
Middlebury, Vt. Special salute to Veterans Day courtesy two of the masters of silent comedy. In 'Sailor Made Man' (1921), pampered socialite Harold Lloyd enlists in the U.S. Navy to impress his girlfriend, only to discover he can't leave after the first afternoon. In 'Shoulder Arms' (1918), the Kaiser will never recover after Charlie's Little Tramp is deployed to the European battlefields of World War I. See what it was like to serve one's country more than a century ago while enjoying timeless visual comedy with live music. Free and open to the public.
• Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, 7 p.m.: "The Big Parade" (1925) starring John Gilbert, Renée Adoree; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.com. We salute Veterans Day with this sweeping saga about U.S. doughboys signing up and shipping off to France in 1917, where they face experiences that will change their lives forever—if they return. MGM blockbuster directed by King Vidor; one of the biggest box office triumphs of the silent era. Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Big Parade" (1925) starring John Gilbert, Renée Adoree; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.; http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com. We salute Veterans Day with this sweeping saga about U.S. doughboys signing up and shipping off to France in 1917, where they face experiences that will change their lives forever—if they return. MGM blockbuster directed by King Vidor; one of the biggest box office triumphs of the silent era. Silent film shown in 35mm prints on the big screen at the Somerville Theatre, a 1914 moviehouse and theater. For more info, call the theater box office at (617) 625-5700.
• Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1922) starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.; Greenfield Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St., Greenfield, Mass.; call (413) 773-9260 or visit www.gardencinemas.net. Blockbuster adaptation of the tales of Robin Hood and his merry men. Massive sets, great action, and Doug Fairbanks in the lead made this the top grossing film of 1922! See it for yourself! Tickets $10.50 adults; $8.50 students, seniors, and veterans.
• Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, 4 p.m.: "My Best Girl" (1927) starring Mary Pickford, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers; The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508) 647-0097; http://www.natickarts.org/. In a big city department store, what happens when romance blossoms between a humble clerk and the store owner's son? In case you missed Valentine's Day: a sparkling “rich man, poor girl” romantic comedy from 1927 starring screen icon Mary Pickford with Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, her future husband. Silent film with live music in a renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $12, Center for the Arts members $10.
• Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, 7 p.m.: "Why Worry?" (1923) starring Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston; Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline, Mass.; (617) 734-2501; www.coolidge.org. Rich hypochondriac Harold Lloyd takes a restful voyage to South America, only to become embroiled in a full-scale revolution! One of Lloyd's funniest feature comedies. Preceded by the holiday-themed short comedy 'Big Business' (1929) starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Silent film on the big screen with live music: the Coolidge's long-running 'Sounds of Silence' program recreates the experience of early cinema so today's audiences can experience why movie-goers first fell in love with the silver screen.
• Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, 4 p.m.: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) starring Lon Chaney; Colonial Theatre, 95 Main Street, Keene, N.H.; (603) 352-2033; https://thecolonial.org/. Join us for a 100th anniversary screening of the original screen adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel
about a deformed bellringer in medieval Paris. A moving and timeless
drama filled with classic scenes and capped with a thrilling climax! Silent film
with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1924.
Admission 35 cents per person.
• Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, 7 p.m.: "Speedy" (1928) starring Harold Lloyd, Barbara Kent; The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.; (603) 668-5588; https://www.palacetheatre.org/rex-theatre/. Romantic comedy perfect for Valentine's Day. Lloyd's final silent feature finds him at the peak of his career playing a baseball-crazed go-getter forced to rescue the business of his girlfriend's father from being destroyed by thugs. Filled with great scenes of 1920s NYC, with notable cameo by baseball's Babe Ruth. Join us for a series of silent film programs with live music in a wonderful restored theater in downtown Manchester. Timeless silent film on the big screen! Tickets $10 per person general admission.
• Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, Kansas Silent Film Festival at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Annual pilgrimage to multi-day celebration of silent film with live music. Check it out at www.kssilentfilmfest.org. My 25th consecutive year of attending this festival, which includes during the pandemic in 2021, when it was held online but we recreated it in New Hampshire. See you in the Sunflower State!
• Sunday, March 10, 2024, 1:30 p.m.: "Peter Pan" (1924); Bedford Public Library, Bedford, N.H.; The original silent film adaptation of J.M. Barrie's immortal tale of the boy who wouldn't grow up. Join the Darling children as they follow Peter to Never Never Land to do battle with the evil Captain Hook. A film celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and which has lost none of its power over children of all ages. Silent film with live music, part of a monthly series of performances at my hometown's public library.
• Thursday, March 28, 2024, 7 p.m.: "The Ten Commandments" (1923), directed by Cecil B. DeMille; The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.; (603) 668-5588; https://www.palacetheatre.org/rex-theatre/. Long before Charlton Heston played Moses in Technicolor, director Cecil B. DeMille filmed this silent blockbuster on a grand scale. Many say it surpasses the remake—see for yourself as we mark the Christian calendar's Holy Week with this ground-breaking (and Red Sea-parting) Biblical epic. Join us for a series of silent film programs with live music in a wonderful restored theater in downtown Manchester. Timeless silent film on the big screen! Tickets $10 per person general admission.
• Wednesday, April 3, 2024, 7:30 p.m.: "The Kid Brother" (1927) starring Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston; The Walker Lecture Series, Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince Street, Concord, N.H. Free and open to the public. Often cited as Lloyd's masterpiece, this ambitious silent film comedy/drama tells the story of Harold Hickory, youngest son of a powerful rural sheriff. When his father is unjustly accused, Harold is forced to prove himself and clear his father's name. Program includes a Lloyd short comedy.
• Saturday, May 11, 2024, 7 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Brandon Town Hall
and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.;
http://www.brandontownhall.com. Join us for a series
of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in
Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations
accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Saturday, June 1, 2024, 7 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.com. Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Saturday, July 13, 2024, 7 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.com. Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, 7 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.com. Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, 7 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.com. Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Saturday, Oct. 16, 2024, 7 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.com. Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, 7 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Brandon Town Hall
and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.;
http://www.brandontownhall.com. Join us for a series
of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in
Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations
accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, time TBA: "The Lost World" (1925) at the 50th Annual Sci-Fi Marathon presented by the Case Western Reserve University Film Society, 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. Live music for 'The Lost World,' a featured attraction in this year's annual 36-hour (!) sci-fi marathon at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. First-ever movie adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary tale of British explorers who discover prehistoric creatures still thriving atop a remote South American plateau. Great entertainment; ground-breaking special effects by the same team that later created 'King Kong' mesmerized early movie audiences and remain impressive today.
• Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 7:30 p.m.: "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy"
starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy; The Walker Lecture Series,
Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince Street, Concord, N.H. Free and open
to the public. See the famous comedy duo make the transition from silent films to talkies. Details to be announced.
