Here's a running list of upcoming screenings of silent film with live music by Jeff Rapsis.
• Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Scarlet Letter" (1926) starring Lillian Gish; First Congregational Church of Reading United Church of Christ, 25 Woburn St., Reading, Mass. 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!
• Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Navigator" (1924) starring Buster Keaton; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Set sail with Buster Keaton in his classic comedy about a spoiled rich couple marooned all alone on a drifting ocean liner. Visual comedy at its finest! 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. 8, 2026, 2 p.m.: "Grass" (1925); Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.; Somerville Theatre. Early documentary follows nomadic tribesman (in what is today Iran) on their 48-day trek across deserts, rivers and mountains to reach summer pasture for their flocks. There are hardships and conquests for the 50,000 tribesmen leading their 500,000 animals across the treacherous land. First is fording the raging waters of the Karun River by floating on rafts buoyed by inflated goatskins. Back and forth they go in the frigid waters as some animals drown. Hardest of all is the ascending in bare feet of an almost perpendicular mountain. Join us for 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.
• Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, 6:30 p.m.: "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) directed by Sergei Eisenstein; Epsilon Spires, 190 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vt.; www.epsilonspires.org. Tickets $25. With its advanced editing techniques, director Sergei Eisenstein's revolutionary film about mutiny aboard a Russian warship stands as one of the top achievements of early cinema. Today, more than a century later, it endures as a thought-provoking mediation on propaganda, military service, and war. 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.
• Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, 2 p.m.: "Girl Shy" (1924) starring Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston; Fairlee Town Hall, 75 Town Common Road, Fairlee, Vt. Join us for the original rom-com, a Harold Lloyd gem starring one of the masters of silent comedy and featuring an unforgettable race-to-the-church finish. See Harold's best work as he intended it: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience. Silent film with live music presented by the Fairlee Community Association.
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Black Pirate" (1926) starring Douglas Fairbanks; Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline, Mass.; (617) 734-2501. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the granddaddy of all pirate films, with Fairbanks as an athletic young aristocrat who seeks revenge by joining the pirate band responsible for his father's death. Filmed in color! 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. For ticket prices, call the theater box office at (617) 734-2501.
• Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, 7:30 p.m.: "Sherlock Jr." (1924) starring Buster Keaton; Pothole Pictures, Memorial Hall, 51 Bridge St., Shelburne Falls, Mass.; (413) 625-2896; www.facebook.com/potpix/ In 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924), amateur detective Buster attempts to solve the mystery of who stole a watch, but instead dreams himself into the crime drama at a local theater. Silent film with live music as part of a community movie program in a vintage municipal auditorium. More details to come! $10/ticket $6 for children.
• Sunday, Nov. 29, 2026, 2 p.m.: "A Sailor-Made Man" (1921) starring Harold Lloyd; "Shoulder Arms" (1918) starring Charlie Chaplin; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. This Thanksgiving weekend, a salute to those in uniform 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 at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026, 4 p.m.: "When the Clouds Roll By" (1919) starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.; The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508) 647-0097. Wacky romantic comedy starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. as a rich young man who attempts to solve his problems by undergoing the brand-new science of psychiatry. Directed by a very young Victor Fleming, who would later helm 'Gone With the Wind' (1939). Silent film with live music in a renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $14, Center for the Arts members $12.
• Thursday, Dec. 10, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Unholy Three" (1925) starring Lon Chaney; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. In this hypnotic mix of creepiness and crime, the man of a thousand faces (Chaney) plays a ventriloquist who dons a granny disguise to team with a strongman and a little person in a bizarre robbery scheme that ends in murder. The film is the first collaboration between Chaney and director Browning, who would helm seven more Chaney movies before making sound era horror history with 'Dracula' (1931) and 'Freaks' (1932). Probably the strangest Christmas-themed film ever made—see it if you dare! Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Black Pirate" (1926) starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr; Crandell Theatre, 48 Main St., Chatham, N.Y.; (518) 392-3445. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the granddaddy of all pirate films, with Fairbanks as an athletic young aristocrat who seeks revenge by joining the pirate band responsible for his father's death. One of the first films shown at the Crandell, a vintage movie theater that first opened on Dec. 26, 1926—100 years ago this month! Happy birthday to a wonderful community venue as it enters its second century of bringing people together. Ticket price TBA. (Preceded by a family friendly silent film screening earlier in the day as part of 'WinterFest!' Details to come.)
TENTATIVE! • Friday, Jan. 15, 2027, time TBA: "The Kid Brother" (1927) starring Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston; Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Art, 11610 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio; (216) 421-7450. 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 jailed, Harold is forced to prove himself and clear his father's name.
• Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027, time TBA: "Metropolis" (1927) at the 52nd Annual Sci-Fi Marathon presented by the Case Western Reserve University Film Society, 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. Live music for 'Metropolis,' a featured attraction in this year's annual 36-hour (!) sci-fi marathon at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The eye-popping silent film sci-fi masterpiece of German filmmaker Fritz Lang is a vintage look at things to come. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, '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!
• Sunday, Jan. 17, 2027, 2 p.m.: "Peter Pan" (1924); Taylor County Public Library, 725 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Campbellsville, Kentucky; (270) 465-2562. 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 more than 100 years old, but which has lost none of its power over children of all ages. Family-friendly screening free and open to the public.
• Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2027, 6 p.m.. "The Kid" (1921) starring Charlie Chaplin, Lillian Gish; Jonathan Bourne Public Library, 19 Sandwich Road, Bourne, Mass.; (508) 759-0600 ext. 6302. Chaplin's breakthrough comedy/drama finds the Tramp raising an infant against all odds. Highlighted by amazing work of five-year-old Coogan, who delivers one of the most remarkable child performances in all of cinema. As the film tells us: "A story with a smile, and perhaps a tear." Free and open to the public.
• Sunday, Jan. 24, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Thursday, Feb. 11, 2027, 7 p.m.: "The Tempest" (1928) starring John Gilbert, Camilla Horn; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. Epic drama in which an officer in the Czar's army (Barrymore) falls hard for a haughty princess (Horn), who spurns him and causes him to be stripped of rank. But the tables are turned with the Russian revolution, which upends the aristocracy and puts the soldier and the princess at the mercy of forces that no one can control. Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27, 2027, Kansas Silent Film Festival at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Annual pilgrimage to multi-day celebration of silent film with live music, celebrating its 30th year! Check it out at www.kssilentfilmfest.org. My 28th 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 7, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Saturday, March 13, 2027, 2 p.m.: "The Count of Monte Cristo" (1923) starring John Barrymore; West Springfield Public Library, 200 Park St., West Springfield, Mass.; (413) 736-4561. The original screen adaptation of the Andre Dumas swashbuckler about a man unjustly imprisoned who later seeks revenge. A film thought lost for decades until a print surfaced in the Czech Republic! More details TBA.
TENTATIVE! • Sunday, March 14, 2027, 2 p.m.: "Peter Pan" (1924) starring Betty Bronson, Ernest Torrence; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. 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 that has lost none of its power over children of all ages. Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Friday, March 19, 2027, 7 p.m. "Idle Wives" (1916) directed by Lois Weber; West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington St., West Newton, Mass.; (617) 964-8074. Opening night of the 5th annual Lois Weber Film Festival. More details to come!
• Sunday, April 4, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Thursday, April 8, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Sherlock Jr." (1924) and "The Cameraman" (1928) starring Buster Keaton; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. Legendary silent film comedian Buster Keaton in a pair of his great starring films, both centering on the subject of movies themselves. In 'Sherlock Jr.,' Buster breeches the fourth wall big-time as a movie projectionist who dreams himself into a crime thriller In 'The Cameraman,' to impress the girl of his dreams, mild-mannered portrait photographer Buster takes up the glamorous profession of newsreel cameraman. One of the best comedies of the silent era.Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Sunday, May 2, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Saturday, May 15, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Why Worry?" (1923) starring Harold Lloyd; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Opening night of the 2027 Silent Film Series at Brandon Town Hall! Rich hypochondriac Harold Lloyd takes a restful voyage to South America, only to become embroiled in a full-scale revolution. Regarded as one of Lloyd's most original feature comedies. 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, May 23, 2027, 2 p.m.: "Wings" (1927) directed by William Wellman, starring Clara Bow, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Richard Arlen; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. 100th anniversary screening! 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. Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Sunday, June 6, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Thursday, June 10, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Beggars of Life" (1928) starring Louise Brooks, Wallace Beery, and Richard Arlen; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. After killing her abusive stepfather in self-defense, a young woman disguises herself as a boy and flees toward Canada alongside a fellow transient named Jim. As they ride the rails, they navigate the brutal world of a hobo camps. Classic late silent drama. Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Saturday, June 12, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Beggars of Life" (1928) starring Louise Brooks, Wallace Beery, and Richard Arlen; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. After killing her abusive stepfather in self-defense, a young woman disguises herself as a boy and flees toward Canada alongside a fellow transient named Jim. As they ride the rails, they navigate the brutal world of a hobo camps. Classic late silent drama. 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 18, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Saturday, July 24, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Our Hospitality" (1923) starring Buster Keaton; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Silent comic Buster Keaton's film about a backwoods feud in the 1830s pokes fun at everything from southern customs to early railroad trains. Filled with great gags and a timeless story that culminates in a dramatic river rescue in which Buster almost lost his life for real. 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, Aug. 8, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Thursday, Aug. 12, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Hot Water" (1924) starring Harold Lloyd; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. Unusual for Lloyd, a domestic comedy in which he's already married the girl of his dreams, but now must deal with a house full of dreadful in-laws. Great silent film comedy! Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Saturday, Aug. 14, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Wings" (1927) directed by William Wellman, starring Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Richard Arlen; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. 100th anniversary screening! 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. 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, Sept. 18, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Sunrise" (1927), directed by F.W. Murnau, starring George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. 100th anniversary screening of Academy Award-winning romantic drama. Critics rank this visually stunning fairy tale about joy, sadness, hope, and love as among the best silent pictures ever made. 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. 19, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Saturday, Oct. 16, 2027, 7 p.m.: "The Man Who Laughs" (1928), directed by Paul Leni, starring Conrad Veidt; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. Celebrate Halloween with a 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. 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.
• Thursday, Oct. 21, 2027, 7 p.m.: "The Man Who Laughs" (1928) starring Conrad Veidt; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. 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 series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Saturday, Oct. 23, 2027, Time TBA: "Safety Last" (1923) starring Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis; Methuen Memorial Music Hall, 192 Broadway, Methuen, Mass. (978) 685-5914. The iconic image of Harold Lloyd dangling from the hands of a downtown clock is only one piece of a remarkable thrill comedy that has lost none of its power over audiences more than a century after its release. See it for yourself on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience. Admission charge TBA.
• Sunday, Oct. 24, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Saturday, Oct. 30, 2027, 2 p.m.: "The Cat and the Canary" (1927) directed by Paul Leni; West Springfield Public Library, 200 Park St., West Springfield, Mass.; (413) 736-4561. 100th anniversary screening! 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!
• Saturday, Nov. 13, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Metropolis" (1927) directed by Fritz Lang; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt. 100th anniversary screening of the eye-popping silent film sci-fi masterpiece of German filmmaker Fritz Lang; 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! 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.
• Thursday, Nov. 18, 2027, 7 p.m.: "Spies" (1928) directed by Fritz Lang; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. 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! Silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Tickets $15 per person.
• Sunday, Nov. 28, 2027, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456. Enjoy films from the silent era with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, March 15, 2028, 7:30 p.m.: "Silent Films Starring Dogs" featuring Rin Tin Tin and humans including Charlie Chaplin; The Walker Lecture Series, Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince Street, Concord, N.H. Free and open to the public. In the silent era, not being able to speak was no barrier to stardom. See talented canines do their stuff in a pair of dog-focused silent films: the Charlie Chaplin comedy 'A Dog's Life' (1918) and 'Clash of the Wolves' (1925), a thrilling adventure starring Rin Tin Tin set in the American West.
