Here's a running list of upcoming screenings of silent film with live music by Jeff Rapsis.
• Saturday, May 10, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Strong Man" (1926) starring Harry Langdon; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. With World War I over, baby-faced soldier Harry Langdon searches for the girl who sent such moving letters to him in the trenches. Directed by a very young Frank Capra, 'The Strong Man' is today hailed as Langdon's best feature, and also one of the greatest comedies of the silent film 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 support the silent film series.
• Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Mark of Zorro" (1920) starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.; Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline, Mass.; (617) 734-2501. Douglas Fairbanks Sr. stars in the
still-thrilling original big screen adaptation of the classic 'Zorro' tale. Great crowd-pleaser that had an
enormous impact on popular culture, including inspiration for the
"Batman" comic book series. 'Zorro' was so popular it inspired Hollywood's first-ever big budget sequel, 'Don Q, Son of Zorro' (1925), an equally entertaining film that we'll screen next month, giving local audiences a rare chance to experience both films in sequence. 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, May 18, 2025, 2 p.m.: "The Gaucho" (1927) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr.; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. The leader of a band of outlaws in Argentina must help save a religious shrine from being taken over and closed by a corrupt general. Rarely screened and widely regarded as Fairbanks' darkest role. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Thursday, May 22, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Speedy" (1928) starring Harold Lloyd; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. Harold's final silent feature cis a tribute to New York City, baseball, and the idea that nice guys can indeed finish first, highlighted by one of the most exciting races to the finish in all silent cinema. Complete with an extended cameo from none other than Babe Ruth! Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Sunday, May 25, 2025, 4 p.m.: "Go West" (1925) starring Buster Keaton;
The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508)
647-0097. Buster's ranch comedy about the stone-faced comedian and his enduring
romance with—a cow! Rustle up some belly laughs as Buster proves
himself worthy once again. Silent film with live music in a
renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $14,
Center for the Arts members $12.
• Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Go West" starring Buster Keaton; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123.Buster's ranch comedy about the stone-faced comedian and his enduring romance with—a cow! Rustle up some belly laughs as Buster proves himself worthy once again. Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre, celebrating its 100th anniversary. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since.
• Sunday, June 1, 2025, 2 p.m.: "Forgotten Faces" (1928) starring Clive Brook, Mary Brian, Olga Baclanova, William Powell; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. Late Paramount silent gripping thriller about a gentleman thief trying to save his daughter by outwitting his vengeful ex-wife. Shown via 35mm print from Library of Congress. Silent film 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. Tickets TBA.
• Saturday, June 7, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Underworld" (1927) starring George Bancroft, Evelyn Brent, Clive Brook; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Director Josef von Sternberg's groundbreaking tale of big city mobsters, widely considered the father of all gangster pictures. Tale follows crime boss "Bull" Weed (George Bancroft) as he battles rival 1920s gangsters. Incredible black-and-white photography; winner of first-ever Oscar for original story by Ben Hecht. 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 support the silent film series.
• Sunday, June 8, 2025, 2 p.m.: "The Shakedown" (1929) starring James Murray, Barbara Kent; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Summer mini-series of silent boxing movies. Round 1: Recently restored prize-fighting drama about a low-rent pugilist who finds reasons outside the ring to find success inside it. Directed by William Wyler, who would go on to a storied Hollywood career that included directing the 1959 remake of 'Ben Hur.' Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, June 11, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Unholy Three" (1925) starring Lon Chaney; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123. In 'The Unholy Three,' Chaney plays a criminal with a talent for ventriloquism who runs a pet store that fronts a masterful scheme for fleecing unsuspecting wealthy clients. Yes, a silent film about ventriloquism! Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre, celebrating its 100th anniversary. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since.
• Thursday, June 12, 2025, 5:30 p.m.: "World War II Letters From Home," event at Manchester Historic Association's Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford St., Manchester, N.H.. Join the Manchester Historic Association for this exciting new program where guests will enjoy dramatic readings from costumed actors retelling the riveting events on World War II from the perspective of Isabel Morse, a longtime Manchester resident. Taken from actual diaries in the MHA collection, Isabel dictates everyday life amidst the turmoil of WWII. She recalls news of D-Day, frustration over rations and the pain only a mother can feel having her son deployed across the ocean. Accompanied by the musical stylings of Jeff Rapsis, this is sure to be an evening to remember! Tickets $15 MHA Members, $20 non-members. For more info, visit www.manchesterhistoric.org or call (603) 622-7531.
• Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Don Q, Son of Zorro" (1925) starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.; Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline, Mass.; (617) 734-2501. Sequel to megahit 'The Mark of Zorro' (1920) starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., and screened last month at the Coolidge. A rare chance to see both films in sequence and discover all the linkages and crossovers that helped make 'Don Q' a runaway hit on its own. (Plus you'll see how far Hollywood filmmaking technique had come in just five years.) Don Q also hold the distinction of being Hollywood's first-ever big budget sequel, plus it's the 100th anniversary of the film's original release. Do you need any more reasons to see it? 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.
• Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Lost World" (1925) starring Wallace Beery; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123. First-ever movie adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary tale of British explorers who discover pre-historic 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. Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre, celebrating its 100th anniversary. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since.
• Thursday, July 17, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Sea Hawk" (1924) starring Milton Sills; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. Swashbuckling historical adventure on the high seas about an English noble sold into slavery. He later escapes and turns himself into a pirate king, bent on seeking revenge from those who wronged him. Based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini; later remade into a famous talkie starring Errol Flynn. Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Saturday, July 19, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Grandma's Boy" (1922) starring Harold Lloyd; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. A cowardly young man must learn to conquer his fears before dealing with a larger menace to his community. Riotous small town comedy that helped propel Harold Lloyd into the most popular movie comedian of the 1920s. 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 support the silent film series.
• Sunday, July 27, 2025, 2 p.m.: "The Ring" (1927) directed by Alfred Hitchcock; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Round 2: We continue our summer of silent boxing films with this British thriller from a very young Alfred Hitchcock. A woman married to an amateur boxer finds herself drawn to a champion pro fighter. The two men then must face each other in the squared circle.Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, 4 p.m.: "The Last Command" (1928) starring Emil Jannings, Evelyn Brent, William Powell;
The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508)
647-0097. Emil Jannings won the first-ever Best Actor Academy Award for his
towering portrayal of a Czarist general and patriot forced to contend
with the Russian Revolution in this sweeping late silent drama directed
by Josef von Sternberg.
Silent film with live music in a
renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $14,
Center for the Arts members $12.
• Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, Time TBA: 3nd Annual Silent Movie Fest;
Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water St., Gardiner, Maine. Hosted by
noted film archivist Ed Lorusso. Tentative date; program to be announced. Presented in conjunction with the Augusta Colonial Theatre.
• Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, 2 p.m.: "Padlocked" (1926) directed by Allan Dwan; Somerville Theatre,
55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. An early example of cinematographer James Wong Howe’s brilliant technique; tells
the story of a family undone by the morality of the time. Daughter
Edith is shipped off to a reformatory while her controlling father gets
his comeuppance. Silent film 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. Tickets TBA.
• Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Phantom of the Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney; Moultonborough Public Library, 4 Holland St, Moultonborough, N.H.;
(603) 476-8895. 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. See it if you dare! Enjoy a classic silent film with live music.
Free and open to the public; attendees are asked to register in advance
at moultonboroughlibrary.org; look under the 'Events' area.
• Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Freshman" (1925) starring Harold Lloyd;
Leavitt Theatre,
259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123. Welcome football season with Harold Lloyd's blockbuster silent-era hit about a
college boy who dreams of success on the gridiron. One of Lloyd's
all-time best!Join us for a
summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt
Theatre, celebrating its 100th anniversary. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater
opened in 1925 and barely changed since.
• Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Manhandled" (1924) starring Gloria Swanson; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Uproarious comedy from silent screen legend Swanson tells the story of a down-on-her-luck salesgirl who climbs the social ladder by pretending to be a Russian countess. 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 support the silent film series.
• Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Our Hospitality" (1923) starring Buster Keaton. Silent film with live music in the lovingly restored Ludlow Auditorium in Ludlow Town Hall in Ludlow, Vt.
• Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, 2 p.m.: "Battling Butler" (1926) starring Buster Keaton; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Round 2 of our mini-series of silent boxing movies. Buster Keaton's rarely screened boxing comedy gives the star a chance to be even more physical than usual. Rich and pampered Buster reluctantly takes up the Sweet Science to impress his girl, leading to knockout comedy both in and outside the ring. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Risky Business" (1925) starring Vera Ralston, Zazu Pitts; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123. No, not the 1986 film starring Tom Cruise. In this silent-era 'Risky Business,' Zasu Pitts (from Parsons, Kansas) stars with Vera Ralston in a tale of a society girl's love for a country doctor in a film that is by turns harrowing, hilarious, and heart-warming. Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre, celebrating its 100th anniversary. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since.
• Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Seven Chances" (1925) starring Buster Keaton; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. Buster is about to be saved from bankruptcy by an unexpected inheritance of $7 million—but only if he gets married by 7 p.m. that very day. Can Buster somehow find the girl of his dreams while being pursued by an army of women eager to marry a soon-to-be millionaire? One of Buster's best comedies, climaxed by one of the great chase scenes in all silent film comedy. Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Spies" (1928) directed by Fritz Lang; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Director Fritz Lang's tale of espionage was the forerunner of all movie spy sagas, packed with double agents, hi-tech gadgets, beautiful (and dangerous) women, and an evil genius with a plan to take over the world, mwah-ha-ha-ha! 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 support the silent film series.
• Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, 2 p.m.: "J'Accuse" (1919) directed by Abel Gance; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. French silent film directed by Abel Gance that juxtaposes a romantic drama with the background of the horrors of World War I. Work on the film began in 1918, with some scenes filmed on real battlefields. The film's powerful depiction of wartime suffering, particularly its climactic sequence of the "return of the dead," made it an international success and confirmed Gance as one of the most important directors in Europe. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Metropolis"
(1927) directed by Fritz Lang; Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry;
sponsored by Derry Public Library. The eye-popping silent film sci-fi masterpiece of German filmmaker Fritz
Lang is a vintage look at things to come. 'Metropolis' stands as
an stunning example of the power of film to tell a compelling
story without words, and reach across the generations to touch
movie-goers from the real future that came to pass: us! Timeless silent film on the big
screen
and with live music. Free admission! For more information, contact the
Derry Public Library at (603) 432-6140.
• Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, 4 p.m.: "The Freshman" (1925) starring Harold Lloyd";
The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508)
647-0097. Celebrate football season with Harold Lloyd's
blockbuster hit about a college boy who dreams of success on the
gridiron. One of Lloyd's all-time best!Silent film with live music in a
renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $14,
Center for the Arts members $12.
• Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Magician" (1926) starring Paul Wegener, Alice Terry; directed by Rex Ingram; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Just in time for Halloween: a scientist (Paul Wegener) uses an ancient spell to reanimate a dead body. The secret missing ingredient is, of course, the blood of a virgin, making it a good bet for all kinds of creepy goings-on. 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 support the silent film series.
• Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, 2 p.m.: "Faust" (1926); Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Special Halloween screening of F.W. Murnau's last film made in Germany, an ambitious and visually stunning cinematic adaptation of the "Faust" legend, with Emil Jannings in a towering performance as Mephisto. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Man Who Laughs" (1928) starring Conrad Veidt, directed by Paul Leni; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. Just in time for Halloween: Silent film adaptation of Victor Hugo's historical novel about a man cursed with a permanent carnival-freak-like grin on his face. The make-up job for actor Conrad Veidt inspired the look of Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker. Directed by Paul Leni, who pioneered the visual style used in Universal horror classics such as 1931's 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein.' See it if you dare! Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, 2 p.m.: "Nosferatu" (1922) directed by F.W. Murnau; Lempster (N.H.) Historical Society, Lempster, N.H. Details TBA.
• Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Phantom of the Opera" 91925); Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123. 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. See it if you dare! Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre, celebrating its 100th anniversary. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since.
• Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. Silent film 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. Tickets TBA.
• Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920) starring Conrad Veidt; Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry; sponsored by Derry Public Library. More than a century after its release, the German expressionist film widely regarded as the world's first horror movie still has capacity to creep out audiences. See it if you dare! Timeless silent film on the big screen and with live music. Free admission! For more information, contact the Derry Public Library at (603) 432-6140.
• Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, Time TBA: "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney; Crandell Theatre, 48 Main St, Chatham, N.Y.; (518) 392-3445. 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. See it if you dare! Enjoy a classic silent film with live music. Ticket prices TBA.
• Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Somerville Theatre,
55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. Silent film 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. Tickets TBA.
• Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Seven Chances" (1925) starring Buster Keaton; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Buster is about to be saved from bankruptcy by an unexpected inheritance of $7 million—but only if he gets married by 7 p.m. that very day. Can Buster somehow find the girl of his dreams while being pursued by an army of women eager to marry a soon-to-be millionaire? One of Buster's best comedies, climaxed by one of the great chase scenes in all silent film comedy. 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 support the silent film series.
• Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, 2 p.m.: Raymond Griffith comedy double feature: "Paths to Paradise" (1925) and "Hands Up!" (1926); Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Rediscover the forgotten Raymond Griffith, the 'Silk Hat Comedian,' whose unique character and sly wit made him a major player in 1920s Hollywood. In 'Paths to Paradise,' Griffith is a jewel thief forced to match wits with a female rival. 'Hands Up!' (1926), set during the U.S. Civil War, finds Griffith as a Confederate spy assigned to prevent a shipment of gold to support the Union Army. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, 4 p.m.: "The Man Who Laughs" (1928) starring Conrad Veidt; The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508) 647-0097. Silent film adaptation of Victor Hugo's historical novel about a man cursed with a permanent carnival-freak-like grin on his face. Make-up job for actor Conrad Veidt inspired the look of Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker. Silent film with live music in a renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $14, Center for the Arts members $12.
• Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, 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 27th 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!
