Tonight! A mid-summer 'Phantom,' plus rounding up recent screenings, notes from Lake Wobegon

Film preservationist Ed Lorusso and me prior to last Saturday's all-canine program at the Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner, Maine.

This evening (Tuesday, Aug. 12) I have the privilege of accompanying 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) at the Moultonborough (N.H.) Public Library. 

I just read in the local news that Moultonborough, perched on the northern end of Lake Winnipesaukee, is one of New Hampshire's fastest-growing towns. Undoubtedly the reason for this is that the library programs silent films with live music. Other towns, take note!

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

Before I head up to the Lakes Region, here's a look back at two notable screenings from this past weekend.

Sporting my '101 Dalmations' necktie for 'Dog Day Afternoon.'

On Saturday, Aug. 9, I served as accompanist for 'Dog Day Afternoon: A Celebration of Canine Stars in Silent Film' at the Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner, Maine. The program was, yes, all films starring dogs!

Organized by film preservationist (and Maine resident) Ed Lorusso, attendees were treated to rarely seen short films starring Jean the Vitagraph Dog (including two shot in Maine), Shep the Dog, Teddy the Wonder Dog, plus the feature-length 'Clash of the Wolves' (1925) starring Rin Tin Tin.

At least one dog, Uncas, attended, and seemed to enjoy the program. In the "You Never Know Who Will Attend a Screening" Department, his owner was a descendant of Laurence Trimble, the man who owned and trained Jean the Vitagraph Dog, the most popular dog star in the movies circa 1910.

Uncas and his owner, a descendant of the owner of Jean the Vitagraph Dog, were among those assembling prior to the show.

We saw why in three short films starring Jean, each of which I'd never seen before but had a great time finding the right music to bring them to life. I kept the textures light and tuneful, with occasional forays into drama when warranted.

I'd never seen the other films, either, with the exception of the Keystone comedy 'Teddy at the Throttle' (1916), which I must have accompanied at some point, and 'Clash of the Wolves' (1925), an audience favorite that I've accompanied many times.

A rare photo of me at the keyboard in which I look like I know what I'm doing. Thank you, Alexander Wall!

For 'Clash,' I switched the synthesizer to full orchestra to reflect the film's outdoorsy sweep and to amp up the drama. You might say I pulled out all the stops, although that's a phrase from the world of pipe organs.

About 80 people turned out for the program, which at four hours was a fairly big gulp, but which actually seemed to rocket right by. Audience reaction was strong throughout. Kudos to Ed Lorusso for not only restoring many of the shorter films, but also curating a program in which every film was a winner.

The show was Lorusso's 3rd Annual Silent Film Festival in support of the Colonial Theater in Augusta, Maine, which is undergoing extensive renovations, hence the use of the Johnson Hall Opera House, an equally worthy venue.

Many thanks to all who made this event something to bark about!

And in a weird coincidence, I found that after the silent film festival, the next act at the Johnson Hall Opera House would be none other than Garrison Keillor. Really! Check out the photo:

Next up at the Johnson Hall Opera House: Garrison Keillor!

I've been a life-long admirer of Keillor's work as a writer and also improviser. Really—the weekly 'News from Lake Wobegon' monologues he did for decades on the 'Prairie Home Companion' radio show were largely improvised on the spot.

I've often felt this was an act of sustained creativity on the same level as Bach churning out entire cantatas for weekly services at St. Thomas in Leipzig. 

I also believe his writing is under-rated. In particular, I think he captured something very special about life in America in 'Lake Wobegon Day,' the 1985 novel in which he stitched together and wrote down much of the material he'd been working out in front of audiences for the radio show.

There's stuff in there that captures life in as it was lived in smaller communities in the United States in the mid-20th century. And it does it with a simplicity and plainness that I've never found in any other writing. 

I think a long time from now, if historians want to know what it was like to grow up in the era that so many of us did (post World War II, pre-Internet), they could do worse than read this book. 

And here's the thing. I didn't grow up in Minnesota, but long stretches of 'Lake Wobegon Days' captures exactly what I remember experiencing as I came of age (in my case, in the mill town of Nashua, N.H.) and began to see the world around me.

So although the book is about a very specific time and place, I consider it an example of how the universal can be found in what's most familiar and all around us.

Maybe that's why I return to 'Lake Wobegon Days' every few years and read through it. Maybe that's why I included a small excerpt as one of the texts read at my wedding, which will be 30 years ago next month.

"Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known." 

That gloriously convoluted sentence, but made up entirely of one- and two-syllable words, and in that unmistakable voice and cadence, with the emergence of the realization embedded within it. I imagine a lot of work went into shaping that sentence, which appears at the very end of the book. Wow!

And maybe that's why I got tickets to see Garrison Keillor appear earlier this year in that very same town, Nashua, N.H., and maybe that's why I went up to him afterwards and asked if he'd sign my aging paperback copy of 'Lake Wobegon Days,' which he did:

So from one improviser to another: Garrison, I hope I warmed up the Johnson Hall Opera House audience.

Another kind of warmth was to be found on Sunday, Aug. 10, when I ventured down to the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, Somerville, Mass., where I accompanied a screening of 'Padlocked' (1926), a newly restored drama that's only recently become available.

What a blast of 1920s everything! Based on a popular story published in Cosmopolitan Magazine (ever hear of it?) 'Padlocked' has intense family drama, laugh-out-loud comedy, incredible dancing, rich men preying on young women, extremely weird theme parties, and much more, all drenched in Jazz Age atmosphere. 

Me outside the Somerville Theatre prior to showtime for 'Padlocked' (1926).

The film—directed by Allan Dwan and photographed by James Wong Howe, and featuring an A-list cast including Noah Beery, Florence Turner, Richard Arlen, Josephine Crowell, and, most interesting of all, Lois Moran, who would go on to have an affair with F. Scott Fitzgerald, who then rewrote the character of Rosemary Hoyt in his novel 'Tender is the Night' to resemble her—was considered lost for nearly a century.

But a print turned up in Czech National Archive in Prague, and we can now see 'Padlocked' again on the big screen. Kudos to the San Francisco Silent Film Festival for pursuing the restoration of this high energy chestnut, and also for making a 35mm print available for screening, which we used, and which looked great on the Somerville's big screen. 

Okay, onward to tonight's screening of 'Phantom' in the fast-growing town of Moultonborough. See you at the library!

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An original release poster for 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925).
 

MONDAY, AUG. 4, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Phantom of the Opera' starring Lon Chaney at Moultonborough Library on Tuesday, Aug. 12

Free to the public! Pioneer classic silent thriller to be shown with live musical accompaniment

MOULTONBOROUGH, N.H.—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 Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Moultonborough Public Library, 4 Holland St., Moultonborough, N.H. 

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

The screening is free and open to the public. Attendees are asked to register in advance at moultonboroughlibrary.org; look under the 'Events' area. 

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.

Lon Chaney in the title role in 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925).

"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."

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

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 Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Moultonborough Public Library, 4 Holland St., Moultonborough, N.H. 

The screening is free and open to the public. Attendees are asked to register in advance at moultonboroughlibrary.org; look under the 'Events' area. 

This Saturday in Maine: music for silent films starring canines; this Sunday in Massachusetts: 'Padlocked' (1926) at Somerville Theatre

A fairly evocative trade ad promoting the Paramount drama 'Padlocked' (1926).

My upcoming weekend consists of music for dogs in Maine, then music for people in Massachusetts. 

Ye—on Saturday, Aug. 9, I'll accompany a program of silent films starring canines at the Johnson Opera House in Gardiner, Maine. 

Then on Sunday, Aug. 10, I'll do music for 'Padlocked,' a 1920s morality drama, at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, Mass.

Lots more about 'Padlocked' in the press release below. It's a film that hasn't been seen since 1926, but is now available after a 2023 restoration by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

But about the dog program, which takes place on Saturday, Aug. 9 starting at noon. Officially, it's the Augusta Colonial Theatre's 3rd Annual Silent Film Festival. (It's being held in another venue, the Johnson Opera House in Gardiner, Maine, but don't let that throw you.)

Subtitled 'Dog Day Afternoon,' the program (curated by film restoration guru Ed Lorasso) is being promoted like this:

"Come join us for a paws-itively fun time at Johnson Hall Opera House for our 3rd Annual Silent Film Festival! Watch classic movies starring all the great furry friends of the silent film era: Jean the Vitagraph Dog, Shep the Dog, Teddy the Wonder Dog, and everyone's favorite Rin-Tin-Tin! Enjoy popcorn, drinks, and a tail-wagging good time. Don't miss out on this doggone awesome event!"

Dog puns aside, it promises to be a pretty compelling program.

It's a good variety of early short films, plus the full-length spectacular Warner Brothers feature 'Clash of the Wolves' (1925) starring Rin Tin Tin.

If you'd like to know why Rin Tin Tin was known as the "mortgage lifter" among theater owners, 'Clash of the Wolves' is a good example.  

Canine star Rin Tin Tin on set with 'Clash of the Wolves' costar June Marlow.

I've done many animal-themed silent film programs over the years. It was a popular genre in early cinema, and their charm and excitement still comes through. 

The dogs themselves are as compelling as any human performer. Really—after all, lacking the power of speech is no handicap in silent films. 

See for yourself by attending this off-beat program on Saturday, Aug. 9. For more info, a complete list of films, and to buy tickets, visit the festival's Eventbrite page.

And what about 'Padlocked' (1926), which I'm accompanying on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre? Lots of info in the press release below. See you there!

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A scene from the long-unseen Paramount drama 'Padlocked' (1926).

MONDAY, AUG. 4, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Somerville Theatre to screen rare silent 'Padlocked' with live music on Sunday, Aug. 10

Restored 1920s morality drama from Paramount Pictures, based on provocative Cosmopolitan story; film unseen since its original 1926 release

SOMERVILLE, Mass. — Released at the height of the Roaring '20s, it played up the clash of Jazz Age temptations with traditional conservative morality.

It was 'Padlocked' (1926), a silent-era drama from Paramount Pictures—a movie unseen since its original release, but now available following a recent restoration.

The rarely screened film will be shown on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

Admission $17 adults; $13 members; $12 seniors/children. Tickets are available at somervilletheatre.com or at the door.

Live musical scoring will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer who specializes in music for silent film screenings.

'Padlocked,' based on a serialized story published in Cosmopolitan magazine, is an urbane 1920s drama that skewers the cruelty and hypocrisy of moral reformers.

The film stars Noah Beery Sr., Florence Turner, Lois Moran, Louise Dresser, Helen Jerome Eddy, Allan Simpson, and Richard Arlen.

A vintage trade ad promoting Paramount's drama 'Padlocked' (1926).
 

Beery plays Henry Gilbert, a wealthy do-gooder and domestic tyrant whose puritanism destroys the lives of his wife and daughter, played by Florence Turner and Lois Moran.

Gilbert's myopia about human character proves his undoing: he sees evil in innocent amusements, but is easily taken in by a gold-digging con artist.

For the film's original release, Paramount's publicity machine played up the story's scandalous nature and contemporary relevance.

"A theme so powerful and so certain of overwhelming popularity," trumpeted ads promoting 'Padlocked.' "What a sweeping revelation of this restless age—and how superbly produced, with every possible box office value!"

'Padlocked' boasted several well-known names among its creative team.

Director Allan Dwan, already a Hollywood veteran, would go on to direct such classics as 'Sands of Iwo Jima' (1949) starring John Wayne.

'Padlocked' was an early example of the work of cinematographer James Wong Howe, who would later be nominated for 10 Academy Awards for cinematography, winning twice for 'The Rose Tattoo' (1955) and 'Hud' (1963).

 

A scene from Paramount's drama 'Padlocked' (1926).
 

The film, part of the Somerville's 'Silents, Please!' series, will be shown via a 35mm print produced by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which restored the film in 2023.

'Padlocked' hadn't been screened since its original release in1926; a sole surviving print was found in the Czech National Film Archive. Titles were translated back to English and other work restoration work done so the film could be made available to U.S. theaters.

"This is one reason why we continue to program silent films," said Ian Judge, the Somerville's creative director. "Rediscoveries from the silent era are being made all the time. We aim to give movie-goers the chance to experience these classic films as intended—on the big screen, with live music, with an audience, and shown using 35mm prints whenever possible."

To help bring 'Padlocked' to life at the Somerville, silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis will create a soundtrack that mixes 1920s-style tunes with elements of contemporary movie scoring.

" 'Padlocked' is a great film for music," Rapsis said. "It has several lively cabaret scenes that I think today's audiences will find highly entertaining."

'Padlocked' (1926), a Paramount drama unseen since its original release, will be shown on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

Admission $17 adults; $13 members; $12 seniors/children. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.somervilletheatre.com or call the box office at (617) 625-5700.

Why you should see Emil Jannings in 'The Last Command' (1928) on Sunday, 8/3 in Natick, Mass.

Original poster art promoting 'The Last Command' (1928).

If a person wants to experience a great example of the story-telling power of silent film, I would point said person to 'The Last Command' (1928).

It has everything: an imaginative story, inventive camera-work, intense drama, and a great cast highlighted by a towering performance by Emil Jannings that helped him win the first-ever Academy Award for Best Actor.

'The Last Command' is not an art film—it was a standard-issue drama on Paramount's 1928 release schedule. 

At the same time, it's an example of silent film technique at its height. As directed by Josef von Sternberg, the movie makes fluent use of the vocabulary of visual story-telling.

What's especially impressive to me is how the film uses its specific dramatic material to explore universal questions such as the nature of power, the value of loyalty, the meaning of patriotism, the role of chance, and many other issues people have grappled with throughout human experience.

In doing so, I think 'The Last Command' transcends mere entertainment and becomes timeless art. It's a great example of how the best silent cinema can stand alongside the best literature, paintings, sculpture, drama, and music. 

You may find this surprising due to silent film's limitations as an art form, such as no dialogue. But I think these limitations are what prompted the best silent filmmakers to produce work that "speaks" to us today.

If can't wait to experience this silent masterwork as intended—on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience—then you're in luck. It's screening on Sunday, Aug. 3 at 4 p.m. at the Center for the Arts in Natick, Mass., with me accompanying.

Press release is below with a lot more info about the film and the screening. Hope to see you there!

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Emil Jannings romances Evelyn Brent in 'The Last Command' (1928).

TUESDAY, JULY 1, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent epic 'The Last Command' with live music at Natick Center for Arts on Sunday, Aug. 3

Josef von Sternberg's groundbreaking psychological drama won 'Best Actor' for Emil Jannings at first-ever Academy Awards

NATICK, Mass.—'The Last Command' (1928), a silent film drama that won Emil Jannings 'Best Actor' honors at the first-ever Academy Awards, will be screened with live music on Sunday, Aug. 3 at 4 p.m. at TCAN Center for the Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.

The screening, the latest in the Center for the Art's silent film series, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating music for silent films.

Admission is $12 per person for members; $14 for non-members. Tickets are available online at www.natickarts.org or at the door.

'The Last Command,' directed by Josef von Sternberg, tells the sweeping story of a powerful general in Czarist Russia (Jannings) forced to flee his homeland during the Bolshevik Revolution. He emigrates to America, where he is reduced to living in poverty.

Finding work as an extra at a Hollywood studio, the former general lands the part of a commanding officer in a movie about the Revolution, causing flashbacks to his traumatic experiences. The conflict leads to a spectacular climax and a towering performance that earned Jannings 'Best Actor' honors.

The film takes audiences on a journey through big emotions as well as issues of history, time, power, and especially a man's duty to his country and to his fellow citizens—and what happens when the two obligations diverge.

'The Last Command' is also one of early Hollywood's most creative and challenging looks at the global conflicts that contributed to World War I.

The film also stars a young William Powell as a Hollywood movie director who crosses paths with the general during the Revolution, and 1920s starlet Evelyn Brent as a seductive Russian revolutionary.

Rapsis, the accompanist, will create the film's score live as the movie is shown.

"Making up the music on the spot is kind of a high wire act," Rapsis said. "But there's nothing like the energy and excitement that comes with improvised live performance, especially when accompanying a silent film."

Critic Leonard Maltin hailed 'The Last Command' as "a stunning silent drama...a fascinating story laced with keen observations of life and work in Hollywood." Time Out of London called it "the first Sternberg masterpiece, expertly poised between satire and 'absurd' melodrama. The cast are fully equal to it; Jannings, in particular, turns the characteristic role of the general into an indelible portrait of arrogance, fervor and dementia."

Director Sternberg, a master of lighting and black-and-white photography, created 'The Last Command' as a visual tour de force. The film is often cited as a prime example of the emotional range and visual accomplishment of silent films at their height, just prior to the coming of pictures with recorded soundtracks.

Rapsis said great silent film dramas such as 'The Last Command' told stories that concentrate on the "big" emotions such as Love, Despair, Anger, and Joy. Because of this, audiences continue to respond to them in the 21st century, especially if they're presented as intended—in a theater on the big screen, with a live audience and live music.

"Dramas such as 'The Last Command' were created to be consumed as a communal experience," Rapsis said. "With an audience and live music, they come to life as their creators intended them to. This screening at TCAN is a great chance to experience films that first caused people to fall in love with the movies."

'The Last Command' (1928) will be screened with live music on Sunday, Aug. 3 at 4 p.m. at TCAN Center for the Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.

Admission is $12 per person for members; $14 for non-members. Tickets available online at www.natickarts.org or at the door. For more info, call (508) 647-0097. 

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. 

Up next! Scoring original dinosaur flick 'The Lost World' on Wednesday, 7/16 at Leavitt Theatre

An original release poster for 'The Lost World' (1925).

Even pre-history had to start somewhere!

And with the movies, 'The Lost World' (1925) generally gets the credit as the first-ever dinosaur movie. 

Based on the Arthur Conan Doyle story, the film pioneered stop-motion animation techniques that allowed long-extinct creatures to be brought to life on the big screen.

It'll be my privilege to create live music for a screening of this classic adventure thriller on Wednesday, July 16 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre in downtown Ogunquit, Maine.

Lots more info in the press release below. Hope to see you at the Leavitt for this amazing picture, which really must be seen on the big screen, as dinosaurs are not small creatures.

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'The Lost World' combined stop motion animation with live action footage.

MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Dinosaurs! Silent film classic 'The Lost World' at Leavitt Theatre on Wednesday, July 16

Ground-breaking thriller, first to bring prehistoric creatures to the big screen, to be shown with live music; based on Arthur Conan Doyle story

OGUNQUIT, Maine—Before there was 'Jurassic Park' or 'Godzilla' or even 'King Kong,' there was 'The Lost World.'

The movie, a blockbuster hit when released in 1925, paved the way for Hollywood's enduring fascination with stories pitting mankind against dinosaurs and other larger-than-life creatures.

See for yourself when a restored version of 'The Lost World' is screened on Wednesday, July 16 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

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

Tickets are $15 general admission and available at the door.

The Leavitt is celebrating its 100th anniversary, having served the community continuously since 1925. To honor this long record, the venue has planned a season of vintage silent movie classics from 1925 with live music.

The series gives area film fans a chance to see movies from the pioneering days of cinema as they were intended to be shown—on the big screen, with an audience, and accompanied by live music.

 

A two-page trade journal ad for 'The Lost World' (1925). Click on the image to enlarge.

 

'The Lost World' is a silent fantasy adventure film based on Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel of the same name. The movie was produced by First National Pictures, a precursor to Warner Brothers, and stars Wallace Beery in the lead role as Professor Challenger.

'The Lost World' tells the tale of a British exploration team that journeys to South America to confirm reports of long-extinct creatures still roaming a remote high plateau deep in the jungle.

The landscape they discover, filled with a wide range of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures, was enough to astonish movie-goers when 'The Lost World' first hit movie screens in February 1925. Scenes of a brontosaurus on the loose in central London broke new ground in terms of cinema's visual story-telling possibilities.

Early viewers of the film were especially impressed by special effects breakthroughs that allowed live actors to appear simultaneously on-screen with stop motion models of prehistoric creatures. This led to rumors that the filmmakers had actually discovered living prehistoric creatures.

Terrorizing downtown London—and predating Godzilla in Tokyo by three decades.

The film featured pioneering stop motion special effects by Willis O'Brien, who would go on to create the effects used to bring 'King Kong' to the screen in 1933.

Arthur Conan Doyle's novel and the movie version of 'The Lost World' proved so influential in the dinosaur genre that the title was borrowed by author Michael Crichton for his 1995 novel, and then used by director Steven Spielberg for 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' (1997), the sequel to the original 'Jurassic Park' movie of 1993.

In 1998, the original 'The Lost World' (1925) was deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Despite the film's popularity, only incomplete copies of 'The Lost World' survived from its initial run in the silent era. In recent years, historians have been piecing together 'The Lost World' from fragments found scattered among the world's film archives.

The version to be shown at the Leavitt includes footage from eight different prints. At 93 minutes in length, it's the most complete version of 'The Lost World' available. The edition includes rare footage of Arthur Conan Doyle that has been missing from most prints since the film's original release.

To accompany the film, Rapsis will use a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of a full orchestra. For each film, the score is created live in real time as the movie is screened.

Rather than focus on authentic music of the period, Rapsis creates new music for silent films that draws from movie scoring techniques that today's audiences expect from the cinema.

Following 'The Lost World' (1925) on Wednesday, July 16 at 7 p.m., other programs in this year's Leavitt silent film series include:

• Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Freshman" (1925) starring Harold Lloyd. 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!

• Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Risky Business" (1925) starring Vera Ralston, Zazu Pitts. No, not the 1986 film starring Tom Cruise. In this silent-era 'Risky Business,' Zasu Pitts stars with Vera Reynolds 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.

• Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Phantom of the Opera" (1925). 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!

The restored 'The Lost World' will be shown with live music on Wednesday, July 16 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; admission is $15 per person, general seating.

For more information, visit www.leavittheatre.com.

Up next: 'Don Q' at Coolidge on June 17, 'Unholy Three' at Leavitt on June 18

Outside the Somerville Theatre prior to a screening of 'Forgotten Faces' (1928).

Hi everyone! It's been a busy time in my other life as executive director of the Aviation Museum of N.H., so there hasn't been a lot of posting about silent film screenings.

I'm still out there. Recent screenings I've accompanied include Harold Lloyd's 'Speedy' (1928) at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H.; 'Forgotten Faces' (1928) at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, Mass.; 'Underworld' (1927) at Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall; 'The Shakedown' (1929) at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.; and Buster Keaton's 'Go West' (1925) at both the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine and the  

I just haven't had time to write about all this. 

Apologies and hope to get back to a more regular cadence later in the summer when I hope the schedule clears up. 

For now, it's all I can do to just mention my next two upcoming screenings: 'Don Q, Son of Zorro' (1925) on Tuesday, June 17 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Mass., and 'The Unholy Three' (1925) on Wednesday, June 18 at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine. 

A press release for 'The Unholy Three' is pasted in below.  See you at the movies!

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Lon Chaney stars in 'The Unholy Three' (1925).

 

THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more info, contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Lon Chaney stars as criminal ventriloquist in bizarre silent film thriller at Leavitt Theatre

Historic Ogunquit venue continues 100th anniversary season with screening of 'The Unholy Three', crime melodrama with live music

OGUNQUIT, Maine—Who else but Lon Chaney would star as a ventriloquist-turned-scam-artist in a silent crime thriller?

That's the premise of 'The Unholy Three' (1925), a bizarre MGM film to be shown with live music on Wednesday, June 18 at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre.

Tickets are $15 general admission and available at the door.

The Leavitt, located at 259 Main St. Route 1 in Ogunquit, is celebrating its 100th anniversary, having served the community continuously since 1925.

To honor this long record, the Leavitt Theatre has planned a season of vintage silent movie classics from 1925 with live music.

The series gives area film fans a chance to see movies from the pioneering days of cinema as they were intended to be shown—on the big screen, with an audience, and accompanied by live music.

 

The three conspirators in 'The Unholy Three' (1925).
 

'The Unholy Three' is a 1925 American silent crime melodrama involving a trio of circus conmen, directed by Tod Browning and starring iconic actor Lon Chaney.

The three criminals develop an elaborate criminal enterprise based on their circus skills, which include Chaney's skill at throwing his voice.

Chaney, then at the height of his career, was known as 'The Man of a Thousand Faces' for his ability to transform himself to tackle challenging roles in films such as 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) and 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925).

 

'The Unholy Three' marked the establishment of the notable artistic alliance between director Browning and actor Chaney that would deliver eight films to MGM studios during the late silent film era. 

The film enjoyed tremendous success in its original release, adding luster to Chaney's reputation and revealing Browning as a remarkable film stylist. 'The Unholy Three' was named as one of The New York Times 10 Best Films of 1925.

The Leavitt, a summer-only moviehouse, opened in 1925 at the height of the silent film era, and has been showing movies to summertime visitors ever since.

More recently, the Leavitt has added restaurant and bar service, and has expanded its entertainment schedule to include live music and special events.

The silent film series honors the theater's long service as a moviehouse that has entertained generations of Seacoast residents and visitors, in good times and in bad.

"These movies were intended to be shown in this kind of environment, and with live music and with an audience," said Max Clayton, the Leavitt's manager. "Put it all together, it's great entertainment that still has a lot of power to move people."

Live music for each program will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer and composer who specializes in scoring silent films.

In accompanying silent films live, Rapsis uses a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of the full orchestra. He improvises the music in real time, as the movie is shown.

In scoring a movie, Rapsis creates music to help modern movie-goers accept silent film as a vital art form rather than something antiquated or obsolete.

"Silent film is a timeless art form that still has a unique emotional power," Rapsis said.

After 'The Unholy Three' (1925) on Wednesday, June 11 at 7 p.m., other programs in this year's Leavitt silent film series include:

• Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Lost World" (1925) starring Wallace Beery. 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.

• Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, 7 p.m.: "The Freshman" (1925) starring Harold Lloyd. 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!

• Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Risky Business" (1925) starring Vera Ralston, Zazu Pitts. No, not the 1986 film starring Tom Cruise. In this silent-era 'Risky Business,' Zasu Pitts 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.

• Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Phantom of the Opera" (1925). 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!

The silent film series continues with 'The Unholy Three' (1925) on Wednesday, June 18 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Fine Arts Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; admission is $15 per person, general seating.

For more information, visit www.leavittheatre.com.

Up next: Harold Lloyd heads east in 'Speedy,' then reversing direction with Keaton's 'Go West'

An original poster promoting Harold Lloyd's 'Speedy' (1928).

Memorial Day weekend may be upon us, but there's no holiday in the silent film schedule.

Coming up, I'm doing music for three screenings in three different states, all of them comedies. (The films, not the states.)

On Thursday, May 22, it's Harold Lloyd's 'Speedy' (1928), which I'll accompany at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H.

More details about the film and the screening are in a press release pasted in below.

Then it's two screenings of Buster Keaton's comedy 'Go West' (1925).

The first is on Sunday, May 25, when I'll accompany it at the Center for the Arts in Natick, Mass.

Then, on Wednesday, May 28, the same film will serve as the opening night attraction of this year's silent film series at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

The Leavitt is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season, so the silent film series will feature all films from 1925, the year it opened.

Lots more about that, and my theory on how 'Go West' is a parody of Chaplin's epic comedy 'The Gold Rush' (also from 1925), in a future post.

For now, I invite you to attend our screening of 'Speedy' (1928) at the Flying Monkey. Check out the press release below, and see you at the theater!

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Harold Lloyd takes the subway to Coney Island in 'Speedy' (1928).

TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic Harold Lloyd comedy 'Speedy' on Thursday, May 22 in Plymouth, N.H.

Screening features live music; 1920s rom-com filmed on location in NYC with cameo featuring Babe Ruth

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—He was the bespectacled boy next door whose road to success was often paved with perilous detours.

He was Harold Lloyd, whose fast-paced comedies made him the most popular movie star of Hollywood's silent film era.

See for yourself why Lloyd was the top box office attraction of the 1920s in a revival of 'Speedy' (1928), one of his most popular comedies.

The film, shot on location in New York City, will be screened on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

General admission is $15 per person.

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

'Speedy,' Lloyd's final silent feature before the transition to talkies, finds Harold as a baseball-crazed youth who must rescue the city's last horse-drawn streetcar from gangsters bent on running it out of business.

Filmed almost entirely on location in New York, 'Speedy' features remarkable glimpses of the city at the end of the 1920s, including footage of Coney Island and the original Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The latter scenes include an extended appearance by Babe Ruth, then at the height of his career during the team's storied 1927 season.

"In 'Speedy,' New York City is practically a part of the cast," Rapsis said. "In filming it on location, Lloyd knew scenes of New York would give the picture added interest to audiences across the nation and around the world.

"But what he didn't anticipate was that today, the location shots now provide a fascinating record of how life was lived in the Big Apple in the 1920s," Rapsis said.

 

Harold Lloyd on location in Coney Island in 'Speedy' (1928).

Rapsis will improvise a musical score for 'Speedy' as the film is screened. In creating accompaniment for vintage classics, Rapsis tries to bridge the gap between silent film and modern audiences.

"Creating the music on the spot is a bit of a high-wire act, but it contributes a level of energy that's really crucial to the silent film experience," Rapsis said.

 

'Speedy' (1928) will be screened with live music on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H. 

General admission is $15 per person. For more info, visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com or call (603) 536-2551. 

 

Up next: Douglas Fairbanks in 'Zorro' on Tuesday, May 13 then 'The Gaucho' on Sunday, May 18

An original lobby card for Douglas Fairbanks in 'The Gaucho' (1927).

The silent film programming gods are smiling on Douglas Fairbanks Sr. of late.

This week, I'll accompany a screening of 'The Mark of Zorro' (1920) on Tuesday, May 13 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Mass. (It's part of a package in which I'll accompany the sequel, 'Don Q: Son of Zorro' (1925) on Tuesday, June 17.)

Then, on Sunday, May 18, I'll do music for 'The Gaucho' (1927), another Douglas Fairbanks swashbuckler that's less frequently screened but regarded by some critics as his best film of all. 

Come see for yourself—the screening is at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. For more info, check out the press release below, and see you at the movies!

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Lupe Velez and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. dance the tango in 'The Gaucho' (1927).

MONDAY, MAY 12, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'The Gaucho' (1927) to screen with live music on Sunday, May 18 at Town Hall Theatre

Set in Argentina: Douglas Fairbanks Sr. stars as legendary outlaw and ladies man in classic silent adventure film

WILTON, N.H. — He was the Harrison Ford of his time—an action hero who entertained movie audiences with thrilling on-screen adventures.

He was silent screen idol Douglas Fairbanks Sr., whose best work includes 'The Gaucho' (1927), a timeless adventure film with a great story, spectacular settings, and memorable performances.

'The Gaucho' will be shown with live music on Sunday, May 18 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to defray expenses and support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film series.

The screening will feature live music by Jeff Rapsis, the Town Hall Theatre's silent film accompanist.

'The Gaucho' opens in dramatic fashion, with a young girl saved by a miracle after falling from a high cliff in the Argentine Andes. She is blessed with healing powers, causing a shrine to be built on the site. A city grows around it, rich with gold from grateful worshipers.

The wealth eventually catches the eye of bandits, including the Gaucho (Fairbanks), charismatic leader of a legendary band of mountain outlaws. The Gaucho, who spurns religion, makes plans to plunder the treasure.

But then the city is overtaken by Ruiz, an evil and sadistic general, who closes the shrine, confiscates the gold, and brings oppression to the pilgrims.

Can the Gaucho and his band ride to the rescue? And can the love of a woman help the Gaucho find meaning and inspiration in good deeds as well as the spirituality he once spurned?

Written by Fairbanks and directed by F. Richard Jones, 'The Gaucho' set new standards for visual design in the movies, with action scenes taking place in stylized mountain passes that looked spectacular on screen.

'The Gaucho' also marked a departure for Fairbanks, who until then had played characters with virtue on their side throughout each film. 

In 'The Gaucho,' however, Fairbanks portrayed a genuine outlaw who, as the story progresses, must grapple with serious moral questions about his life and his beliefs.

'The Gaucho' is "one of the best, most mature and most interesting films in his career," wrote critic Sean Axmaker following a screening at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in 2009.

Fairbanks took the role in part because as he entered middle age, he needed to broaden and deepen the complexity of the characters he portrayed.

The film is also highlighted by the screen debut of actress Lupe Velez, playing a mountain girl whom the Gaucho romances.  

Their spats are "amazing, she all tempestuous, hot-blooded, impulsive, a star-struck fan turned jealous sex-kitten, he the smiling bandit king with a playful spirit and a patronizing attitude that tolerates and even appreciates her tantrums," wrote Axmaker.

Rounding out the cast is actress Eve Southern as the Girl of the Shrine.

Live music for 'The Gaucho' will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis, who uses a digital synthesizer to recreate the sound and texture of the full orchestra.

"'The Gaucho' is a terrific film for music," said Rapsis, who improvises accompaniment using themes or melodies he composes beforehand. "The dramatic settings, especially the scenes in the South American Andes, lend themselves to some evocative scoring to heighten the drama and tension."

'The Gaucho' is appropriate for family audiences, although it includes intense scenes that may frighten very small children.

The screening of 'The Gaucho' is part of the Town Hall Theatre's monthly silent film series, which gives today's audiences a chance to experience the great films of Hollywood's early years as they were intended: in restored prints, in a theater on the big screen, and with live music and an audience.

"If you've never seen a silent film in a theater with live music and an audience, this is a great way to experience the medium at its best," Rapsis said. "When you put all the elements together, silent film still has an ability to stir up an audience in a way that no other medium can."

'The Gaucho' (1927) will be screened with live music on Sunday, May 18 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to defray expenses.

For more info, visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com or call (603) 654-3456.