'Go West' with Buster Keaton on Sunday, Aug. 29 at Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

'Go West' (1925) with Buster Keaton, today at 2 p.m. in Wilton, N.H.

Today's forecast: cloudy with rain possible at any time. In other words, perfect movie weather!

So come on over the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H., where this afternoon we're finishing up a summer-long series of silent Westerns with a dose of comedy.

Today's main attraction: 'Go West' (1925), Buster Keaton's comic send-up of the genre. If you've never seen this picture with an audience, you've never really seen it. 

Also, we'll run what's left of 'Womanhandled' (1925), a Richard Dix comedy that survives only partially but I think holds up really well. Come and we'll find out together.

The show starts at 2 p.m. See you there!

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MONDAY, AUG. 23, 2021 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Go West' with Buster Keaton at Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, Aug. 29

Classic silent film comedy masterpiece to be screened with live musical accompaniment

WILTON, N.H.—He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of "the Great Stone Face." But Buster Keaton's comedies rocked Hollywood's silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.

See for yourself with a screening of 'Go West' (1925), one of Keaton's landmark features, on Sunday, Aug. 29 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

The screening is free and open to the public; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film programming.

The program will feature live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

'Go West' marks the finale of the Town Hall Theatre's summer-long salute to silent film westerns.

"After a season filled with intense dramas, we figured we'd finish our western series with something lighter— a comedy," Rapsis said.

The show will also include portions of 'Womanhandled' (1925), a partially lost comedy Western feature starring Richard Dix.

In 'Go West,' Buster heads out to ranch country, where the stone-faced comedian encounters romance in a highly unusual way.

Rustle up some belly laughs as Buster must once again prove himself worthy to all those who doubt him.

'Go West' was an unusual film for Keaton. With its portrayal of a down-and-out wanderer who becomes a reluctant hero, 'Go West' could have been a vehicle for Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp.

The film was praised by critics and did well at the box office, but today is lesser known than Keaton classics such as 'The Navigator' (1924) and 'The General' (1926).

Co-starring in 'Go West' is a mourn-faced cow named Brown Eyes, with whom Keaton worked extensively prior to the filming.

Brown Eyes received a credit in the movie, and even got a salary of $13 a week for her acting.

Keaton's female co-star is actress Kathleen Myers. Joe Keaton, the comedian's father and a popular vaudeville performer, appears briefly in a barbershop scene.

Much of 'Go West' was shot on location in Kingman, Ariz., during the summer of 1925, in temperatures approaching 120 degrees.

"These films are audience favorites, and people continue to be surprised at how engrossing and exhilarating they can be when shown as they were intended: in a theater, and with live music," said Rapsis, who accompanies more than 100 screenings each year at venues around the nation.

Rapsis improvises live scores for silent films using a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of the full orchestra.

"It's kind of a high wire act," Rapsis said. "But for me, the energy of live performance is an essential part of the silent film experience."

‘Go West' (1925) starring Buster Keaton will be shown with live music on Sunday, Aug. 29 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

The screening is free and open to the public; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film programming.

For more information, visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com or call (603) 654-3456. For more about the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

 

Nosferatu: Not just for Halloween anymore! (During a pandemic, any time is Nosferatu time)

I'll never travel basic economy again!

Screening 'Nosferatu' with more than two months to Halloween? Really?

Well, consider. It's Friday the 13th. And we're in pandemic. So yes, it's as good a time as any for the original screen adaptation of the plague-infused Dracula tale.

And 'Nosferatu' (1922) is what I'll be accompanying tonight, starting at 8 p.m., on the lawn outside the Custom House Maritime Museum, 25 Water St., Newburyport, Mass. 

(And all the sailing ship action makes it a good fit for the Maritime Museum, too.)

Tickets are $15 each and are still available. And it's outdoors, so the screening may or may not include bats!

I don't actively seek out outdoor screenings to accompany, as just too many things can go wrong: summertime cloudbursts, bugs swarming around the keyboard light, fire trucks responding to a call. (Hopefully not at the screening.)

But outdoors or not, a gig is a gig, and summer is the time they happen in my part of the world. 

And so I'll be playing al fresco again on Tuesday, Aug. 17 up at Alton, N.H. Town Bandstand for a screening of 'Clash of the Wolves' (1925) starring Rin Tin Tin.

I was invited up there to be part of the town's extended "Old Home Days" festival in 2019, the year before the pandemic. We ran Buster Keaton's 'Seven Chances' (1925), and the response was good enough to merit a return this summer.

However, it came with an unusual request: for this year, please run a movie with a lot more action in it. 

Wow! It's a tough audience when Buster Keaton in 'Seven Chances' doesn't offer enough action. 

So this year I went with 'Clash' because it starts off fast (Rinty rescuing his own dog family from a raging forest fire) and then just never stops moving. (Also, the raging forest fire makes it as timely as Nosferatu during the pandemic.

And in between, I'm back indoors on Sunday, Aug. 15 to do music for the early 1916 silent adaptation of Jules Verne's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.' The voyage starts at 4 p.m. at the Center for the Arts in Natick, Mass.

Lots more info in the press release below. Hope to see you there, or under the stars (and among the mosquitos) in Newburyport, Mass. tonight or Alton, N.H. next Tuesday!

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MONDAY, JULY 26, 2021 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Natick Center for the Arts to screen original 1916 silent film version of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'

Early adaptation of Jules Verne classic pioneered underwater photography; shown with live music on Sunday, Aug. 15

NATICK, Mass.—The original silent film version of the Jules Verne classic '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' (1916) will be shown with live music on Sunday, Aug. 15 at 4 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.

Tickets are $18; Center for the Arts members $15.

Live music will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist.

In production for more than two years by Universal, the original silent film version of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' is an epic retelling of the classic Jules Verne novel, and with elements from other Verne stories mixed in.

Allen Holubar stars as the domineering Captain Nemo, who rescues the passengers of an American naval vessel after ramming them with his iron-clad steampunk submarine, The Nautilus.

On board 'The Nautilus' in '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' (1916).

Incorporating material from Verne’s 'Mysterious Island,' the film also follows the adventures of a group of Civil War soldiers whose hot-air balloon crash lands on an exotic island, where they encounter the untamed “Child of Nature” (Jane Gail).

Calling itself “The First Submarine Photoplay Ever Filmed,” the film is highlighted by pioneering underwater photography, including an underwater funeral and a deep sea diver’s battle with a giant cephalopod.

The film, directed by Stuart Paton, was filmed largely in the Bahamas to take advantage of shallow seas and bright sunshine.

Several methods were devised to capture scenes underwater, including a sort of "reverse periscope lens" that used mirrors in long tubes to enable a camera onboard ship to film below the surface.

The film has little in common with a later adaption released in 1954 by Walt Disney Studios and starring James Mason.

In honor of extraordinary technical and artistic achievement, the silent version of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Accompanist Jeff Rapsis will create a musical score for '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' live during the screening, in the manner of theater organists during the height of silent cinema.

"For most silent films, including '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,' there was never any sheet music and no official score," Rapsis said. "So creating original music on the spot to help the film's impact is all part of the experience of silent cinema."

"That's one of the special qualities of silent cinema," Rapsis said. "Although the film itself is well over a century old, each screening is a unique experience — a combination of the movie, the music, and the audience reaction."

The original silent film version of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' (1916) will be screened with live music on Sunday, Aug. 15 at 4 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.

Tickets are $18; Center for the Arts members $15. Tickets must be purchased in advance online at www.natickarts.org. For more information, call the Center box office at (508) 647-0097 or visit www.natickarts.org.
 

Heading west once again, this time with John Ford: two early features at Town Hall Theatre

A darkly lit scene from 'Hell Bent' (1918), directed by a very young John Ford.

Heading west today—west to Wilton, N.H., that is—to accompany two early John Ford dramas starring Harry Carey.

It's the latest installment in our summertime salute to silent film Westerns at the Town Hall Theatre.

This afternoon, we're screening 'Straight Shooting' (1917) and 'Hell Bent' (1918), a pair of features that mark the first westerns directed by a very young John Ford. (Billed in these here titles as "Jack" Ford.)

So gather round the cinematic campfire (not the best image for nitrate film) and take in two rarely screened tales from long ago. More info in the press release below.

Also, I'd like to report that silent Garbo remains a top box office attraction. Last night in Brandon, Vt., 'Wild Orchids' (1929), a late MGM silent starring the Swedish sphinx, drew a sizeable crowd on a humid evening.

Perfect conditions for a steamy, tropical romantic thriller! 

Original promotional materials for 'Wild Orchids' (1929).

But I've found 'Wild Orchids,' with its "stalking big game" metaphor threaded throughout a cat-and-mouse story, always makes a strong impact on audiences. Coming as it did at the very end of the silent era, it was produced by people who were at their peak of fluency in the medium.

And the result is a film that really holds up well. After last nights screening, I had an interesting conversation with a couple who said that for a silent film, they were surprised at how sophisticated it was.

Well, I'm surprised that 'Wild Orchids' is not more embraced by critics. But then Garbo always wanted to be left alone, anyway.

If you're eager to see 'Wild Orchids' on the big screen, I'll do it again later this month—on Wednesday, Aug. 18 at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

In the meantime, hope to see you at this afternoon's double helping of John Ford silent westerns. The round-up begins at 2 p.m.!

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Early cowboy star Harry Carey plays as "Cheyenne Harry" in two early John Ford westerns.

MONDAY, JULY 26, 2021 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Director John Ford's first two Westerns to be shown in Town Hall Theatre double feature

Summer series of rare silent Westerns with live music continues with Harry Carey films on Sunday, Aug. 8 in Wilton, N.H.

WILTON, N.H.—Even if you've won four Oscars for Best Director (more than anyone else), you had to start somewhere.

See the very first Westerns helmed by John Ford, who would later win multiple Academy Awards, in the next installment of the Town Hall Theatre's summer salute to silent film westerns.

'Straight Shooting' (1917) and 'Hell Bent' (1918), both directed by Ford when he was in his early 20s, will be shown as a double feature on Sunday, Aug. 8 at 2 p.m.

The screening is free and open to the public; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film programming.

The program will feature live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

"Both of these early John Ford Westerns are more than a century old," said Rapsis. "They didn't need to pretend to be in the 'Old West' because it was there all around them."

Critics regard 'Straight Shooting' as a landmark in the history of the Western. The first feature directed by Ford, it revived the career of early superstar Harry Carey, who gives a rough and tumble performance as a hired gun who turns on his employers to defend an innocent farmer and his family.

In 'Hell Bent,' "Cheyenne Harry" (Harry Carey playing the same character from Straight Shooting) flees the law after a poker game shootout, and arrives in the town of Rawhide, where he becomes friendly with local cowboy Cimarron Bill and dance hall girl Bess Thurston.

When gang leader Beau Ross kidnaps Bess, Harry goes to desperate lengths travelling across the deadly desert in order to free Bess from her hard-bitten captor.

“Cheyenne Harry” is a role Carey would play into the 1930s, an amiable antihero who pals around with outlaws but who really has a heart of gold. Carey's work was a pivotal influence on John Wayne, a later Ford collaborator.

Carey's rugged frame and craggy features were well suited to westerns and outdoor adventures. When sound films arrived, Carey displayed an assured, gritty baritone voice that suited his rough-hewn screen personality.

As he aged, Carey transitioned from leading roles to character parts, including the President of the Senate in Frank Capra's 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.' (1939).

John Ford, the only four-time 'Best Director' Oscar winner, stands as an iconic figure in American cinema. In a career spanning five decades, Ford directed more than 140 films. He's widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation.

Ford's work was held in high regard by his colleagues, with Orson Welles and Ingmar Bergman among those who named him one of the greatest directors of all time.

Ford made frequent use of location shooting and wide shots, in which his characters were framed against a vast, harsh, and rugged natural terrain.

Upcoming titles in the Town Hall's summer series of silent Westerns include:

• Sunday, Aug. 22 at 2 p.m.: Set in western Canada, 'Mantrap' (1926) tells the story of a New York divorce lawyer on a camping vacation to get away from it all, but gets more than he bargained for with Clara Bow, then fast on her way to becoming Hollywood's 'It' girl. Directed by Victor Fleming, who would go on to helm 'Gone With the Wind' (1939) and 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939).

• Sunday, Aug. 29 at 2 p.m.: Our look at silent-era Westerns concludes with the genre's lighter side. In 'Womanhandled' (1925), Richard Dix tries to win his girlfriend by taking up the rugged cowboy life, only to find it not so rugged. In 'Go West' (1925), Buster Keaton sends up the legends of the West with his timeless brand of visual comedy; includes perhaps the most unlikely love story in any mainstream 1920s Hollywood film.

Accompanist Jeff Rapsis will create musical scores for each film live during its screening, in the manner of theater organists during the height of silent cinema.

"For most silent films, there was never any sheet music and no official score," Rapsis said. "So creating original music on the spot to help the film's impact is all part of the experience."

"That's one of the special qualities of silent cinema," Rapsis said. "Although the films themselves are often over a century old, each screening is a unique experience — a combination of the movie, the music, and the audience reaction."

'Straight Shooting' (1917) and 'Hell Bent' (1918), two early westerns directed by John Ford and starring Harry Carey, will be screened on Sunday, Aug. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Free admission; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film series.

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

Tonight: Original silent version of 'Ben Hur' with live music at Flying Monkey in Plymouth, N.H.

It's a world threatened by pandemic, climate change, and pharmaceutical commercials! What we need is a good old-fashioned Hollywood religious epic to give us hope.

And we'll get just that tonight (Thursday, Aug. 5) with the original silent version of 'Ben Hur' (1925) at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H.

The journey starts at 6:30 p.m. More details in the press release below. See you there!

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An original poster for the original silent version of 'Ben Hur' (1925).

MONDAY, JULY 26, 2021 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent film epic ‘Ben Hur’ (1925) at Flying Monkey on Thursday, Aug. 5

Hollywood's original Biblical-era blockbuster to be screened with live music at historic venue

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—One of early Hollywood's greatest epics returns to the big screen with a showing of 'Ben Hur, A Tale of The Christ' (1925) on Thursday, Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth.

The screening, the latest in the Flying Monkey'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 $10 per person, general admission. Tickets are available online at flyinghmonkeynh.com or at the door.

The silent version of 'Ben Hur' was originally slated for a screening earlier this year at the Flying Monkey, but was postponed to Thursday, Aug. 5.

'Ben Hur,' starring Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman, was among the first motion pictures to tell a Biblical-era story on a large scale.

The film, which helped establish MGM as a leading Hollywood studio, employed a cast of thousands and boasted action sequences including a large-scale sea battle.

The film is highlighted by a spell-binding chariot race that still leaves audiences breathless with excitement.

Set in the Holy Land at the time of Christ's birth, 'Ben Hur' tells the story of a Jewish family in Jerusalem whose fortune is confiscated by the Romans and its members jailed.

The enslaved family heir, Judah Ben Hur (played by Novarro, a leading silent-era heartthrob) is inspired by encounters with Christ to pursue justice. This leads him to a series of epic adventures in his quest to find his mother and sister and restore his family fortune.

'Ben Hur,' directed by Fred Niblo, was among the most expensive films of the silent era, taking two years to make and costing between $4 million and $6 million. When released in 1925, it became a huge hit for the newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio.

The chariot race scene in 'Ben Hur,' with Novarro and other cast members driving teams of horses at high speed on a mammoth dirt racetrack in a gigantic replica of a Roman stadium, was among the most complicated and dangerous sequences filmed in the silent era. It remains noted for its tight editing, dramatic sweep, and sheer cinematic excitement.

The chariot race was re-created virtually shot for shot in MGM's 1959 remake, and more recently imitated in the pod race scene in 'Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.'

Besides Novarro in the title role, the film stars Francis X. Bushman (at right) as Messala, the Roman soldier who imprisons the Hur family; Betty Bronson as Mary, mother of Jesus; May McAvoy as Ben Hur's sister Esther; and Claire McDowell as Ben Hur's mother.

'Ben Hur' was based on the best-selling 1880 novel by General Lew Wallace, which interwove the story of Christ's life with the Ben Hur clan, a fictional Jewish merchant family.

Celebrity "extras" in the chariot race scene included stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Harold Lloyd, Lionel Barrymore, John Gilbert, Joan Crawford, Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford, and a very young Clark Gable.

The film was remade by MGM in the 1950s in a color and wide-screen version starring Charleston Heston that garnered 11 Academy Awards. Some critics believe the original 1925 version offers superior drama and story-telling.

In creating music for silent films, accompanist Jeff Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra and creates a traditional "movie score" sound.

For each film, Rapsis improvises a music score using original themes created beforehand. No music is written down; instead, the score evolves in real time based on audience reaction and the overall mood as the movie is screened.

'Ben Hur, A Tale of The Christ' (1925) will be shown on  Thursday, Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H. Admission is $10 per person general admission. Tickets are available online at flyingmonkeynh.com or at the door. For more information, call the Flying Monkey at (603) 536-2551.

Improv comedy on a grand scale: 'Seven Chances' on Aug. 4 at Leavitt Theatre, Ogunquit, Maine

A Swedish poster for 'Seven Chances' (1925). Wow, what happened to Buster's hat?

It's a film Buster Keaton didn't really want to make. But it turned out to be among his most memorable,  thanks to a climactic sequence added only after the picture was considered finished.

It's 'Seven Chances' (1925), and the way it was put together is a great example of how things got done in 1920s Hollywood, and at the Keaton Studio in particular.

I'll accompany 'Seven Chances' on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre In Ogunquit, Maine. More details about the screening are in the press release below.

When introducing the film, I often relate the story of how Buster felt 'Seven Chances,' originally a stage farce, wasn't really his kind of comedy. But felt obligated to make it because his producer, Joe Schenck, had purchased the rights.

Turned into a motion picture, 'Seven Chances' originally ended with an outdoor chase: a tuxedo-clad Buster pursued across the landscape by an army of angry would-be brides. 

Later in life, Keaton recalled his team feeling they had an ending that was "okay. Not a world-beater, but just okay."

But when the rough cut was previewed to a Los Angeles audience, the crew noticed something: at the very end of the chase, they audience perked up. 

On screen, as Buster tumbled down a hill, he accidentally dislodged three small rocks, which started bouncing down the hill with him, as the chase faded out. "I had to scram to get out of the way," Buster recalled.

That, and the reaction it got, inspired Buster and his crew to go back create the now-legendary "rock slide" sequence, which was then spliced into the picture.  

If three rocks were good, then three hundred rocks would be better!

It was improv comedy on a grand scale. And it's a great example of how Keaton's comedy was to a great extent "found" in the world around him. 

No formal scripts were used, either for his short comedies or his features of the 1920s. He and his team would decide on a story, figure out how to start it, and then come up with a "finish," as shown above with 'Seven Chances.'

And then off they'd go, either in the studio or, more often, into the streets of Los Angeles or the surrounding California countryside. As Buster said late in life, "We figured the middle would take care of itself."

Of course there had to be a certain amount of preparation, especially when the story was set in a historical period. 'The General' (1926), with its minutely detailed costumes, locales, and props from the Civil War era, did not happen by accident. 

But the comedy often did.

This Wednesday's screening of 'Seven Chances' won't happen by accident: it's at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine. The venue opened in 1923 as a silent movie house, and remains largely intact. 

It's likely that 'Seven Chances' played there in the summer of 1925. And if it didn't, then we'll remedy that on Wednesday night. Hope to see you there!

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Buster in 'Seven Chances.' I've always been intrigued by the bearded bride in the center of the crowd.

MONDAY, JULY 26, 2021 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton comedy 'Seven Chances' (1925) on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at Leavitt Theatre

Silent film presentation with live music features classic race-to-the-finish romantic farce

OGUNQUIT, Maine—He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of "the Great Stone Face." But Buster Keaton's comedies rocked Hollywood's silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.

See for yourself with a screening of 'Seven Chances' (1925), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1 in Ogunquit.

Admission is $12 per person. Live music for the movie will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

Adapted from a stage play, the story finds Buster learning that he'll inherit $7 million if he's married by 7 p.m. on his 27th birthday—that very day!

Buster's hurried attempts to tie the knot on his own go awry. But then a newspaper story changes the game, creating an avalanche of would-be brides who relentlessly pursue Buster as he searches for his one true love before the deadline.

'Seven Chances' was the first screen adaptation of the now-familiar story, since used in movies ranging from the Three Stooges in 'Brideless Groom' (1947) to Gary Sinyor's 'The Bachelor' (1999), a romantic comedy starring Chris O'Donnell and Renee Zellwinger.

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands today as one of the silent screen's three great clowns. Some critics regard Keaton as the best of all; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."

As a performer, Keaton was uniquely suited to the demands of silent comedy. Born in 1895, he made his stage debut as a toddler, joining his family's knockabout vaudeville act and learning to take falls and do acrobatic stunts at an early age.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era with no post-production special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts, including some spectacular examples in 'Seven Chances.'

The historic Leavitt Theatre opened in 1923 as a summer-only silent movie house. Now approaching 100 years of operation, it continues to show movies, but also functions as a restaurant, bar, and lounge.

In reviving Keaton's 'Seven Chances,' the Leavitt Theatre aims to show silent film as it was meant to be seen—in restored prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Rapsis, who will accompany the film. "Recreate those conditions, and classics of early Hollywood such as 'Seven Chances' leap back to life in ways that audiences still find entertaining."

Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra, creating a traditional "movie score" sound. He improvises the complete score in real time during the screening.

"Creating a movie score on the fly is kind of a high-wire act, but it can often make for more excitement than if everything is planned out in advance," Rapsis said.

Buster Keaton's 'Seven Chances' (1925) will be screened with live music on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1 in Ogunquit. Admission $12 per person; tickets available at the door.

For more information, call (207) 646-3123 or visit www.leavittheatre.com.

Coming up this weekend: Perfect weather for a Yakima Canutt double feature in Wilton, N.H.

'The Iron Rider' (1927), one of a pair of Yakima Canutt pictures we'll show with live music (by me) this afternoon at the Town Hall Theatre of Wilton, N.H.

We're blessed rainy weather this Sunday: perfect weather to take in a double feature starring everyone's favorite early cinema cowboy hero, Yakima Canutt!

Yakima Canutt!? 

Yes! It's pronounced YAK-i-mah Kah-NOOT. 

His given first name was "Enos," so appropriating the name of the Yakima Valley of his home state of Washington was probably a good idea, even if he'd never gone into the movies.

But he did, and we'll see two of his starring pictures, with live music by me on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, Wilton, N.H. 

So park that speedboat out of the rain today, then hop on your horse and canter on over to the thee-a-tar for a double dose of Yak! 

More info in the press release below, including a round-up of Yak's considerable off-screen contributions to Hollywood right up until the 1980s.

First, though, I had occasion to visit the Big Apple this past Thursday and found myself attending a screening of Buster Keaton's 'Our Hospitality' (1923) at the Museum of Modern Art.

Hearing live accompaniment by my colleague Ben Model was a treat. (How nice to enjoy a picture without worrying about the music!) And a pleasant surprise was to find fellow vintage film enthusiasts Karl Mischler and Rob Arkus in attendance. 

Rb Arkus, Ben Model, me, and Karl Mischler.

One unusual thing about New York in the summer of 2021: the Museum of Modern Art is the first venue I've attended that required proof of vaccination to enter.

But the real surprise was finding enormous billboards atop buildings along 8th Avenue promoting my home state of New Hampshire as a vacation destination. Wow!

Never thought I'd see idyllic images of the Granite State in the same view as the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Strange times indeed!

Also, this was my first visit to the new Moynhihan Train Hall, newly opened this year as part of the Penn Station complex. 

If there is an afterlife, and heaven exists, my version of it would probably look something like the original Penn Station, which was demolished in the 1960s and which I never saw except in pictures like this:

Well, here's the Moynihan Train Hall, which opened this past January in what used to be the mail sorting room of the James Farley U.S. Post Office, across the street from the original station:

It's a vast improvement over the existing Penn Station, most of which remains squished under Madison Square Garden. 

I don't know if the new Moynihan Train Hall is enough to make me think I've died and gone to heaven, but it did cause me to die of embarrassment.

How? Because going home, I somehow boarded the wrong Acela train and wound up heading toward Washington, D.C. instead of Boston!

I was able to get out at Newark and return to Penn Station to catch the next train to Beantown. So no big deal, other than the extra $5.25 I had to shell out to New Jersey Transit to get back to the starting line.

You'd think clear track assignments and boarding announcements would be basic things in $1.6 billion train station development. 

But they're not—departing trains aren't displayed at the gate until the last minute, and lines snake all around the concourse when it's time to board. Staff make no announcements down on the platforms or in the train prior to departure.

Not quite paradise just yet!

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Yakima Canutt during the prime of his silent film starring career.

TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2021 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Meet Yakima Canutt, Hollywood's pioneering master of horsemanship and stunting

Summer series of rare silent Westerns with live music continues with double feature on Sunday, July 25 at Town Hall Theatre

WILTON, N.H.—He's the most influential cowboy you've never heard of.

He's Yakima Canutt, a silent era Western star who later went on to a behind-the-scenes career working on some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters.

Canutt, famous for his equine skills and stunting ability, will be featured in a pair of action-packed early features in the next installment Town Hall Theatre's series on the origins of the Hollywood Western.

'Branded a Bandit' (1924) and 'The Iron Rider' (1927), both starring Canutt, will be shown on Sunday, July 25 at 2 p.m.

The screening is free and open to the public; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film programming.

The program will feature live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

"In this series of early Westerns, many of these films are nearly 100 years old, and so they're not far removed from the 'Old West' depicted in them," Rapsis said.

In 'Branded a Bandit,' Canutt (pronounced "kah-NOOT") is accused of murdering a miner whose family he was trying to aid; in 'The Iron Rider,' Canutt cheated in a poker game, and later learns the card sharks are wanted men, prompting a pursuit for justice.

In 'Branded a Bandit,' Canutt broke his nose in a 12-foot fall from a cliff. The picture was delayed several weeks, and when it resumed, all of Canutt's close-ups were shot from the side. A plastic surgeon reset the nose, which prompted Canutt to remark that the fall actually improved his looks.

But Canutt's starring pictures were only a small part of a long and influential Hollywood career.

Born in 1895 in rural Washington state, Canutt started out as a rodeo cowboy and then became a stuntman in silent westerns. Canutt later doubled for such stars as Clark Gable and John Wayne.

Canutt, whose given first name was Enos, later adopted the nickname "Yakima" after the Yakima River Valley in Washington.

Canutt was known for his proficiency in dangerous activities such as jumping off the top of a cliff on horseback, leaping from a stagecoach onto its runaway team, being "shot" off a horse at full gallop and other such potentially life-threatening activities.

During the golden age of the Hollywood studio system, Canutt became expert at staging massive events involving livestock, such as cattle stampedes and covered-wagon races, as well as Indians-vs.-cavalry battles on a grand scale.

Canutt's most noteworthy achievement as a second-unit director came in his staging and direction of the chariot-race sequence in William Wyler's Ben-Hur (1959) which, from initial planning to final execution, took two years.

Films on which Canutt served as second unit director include 'Stagecoach' (1939), 'Ivanhoe' (1952), 'Old Yeller' (1957), 'The Swiss Family Robinson' (1960), 'El Cid' (1961), 'The Fall of the Roman Empire' (1964), and 'Rio Lobo' (1970).

Canutt was awarded a special Oscar in 1966 for his contributions to film. He died in 1986 at age 90, widely regarded as the most respected stuntman of all time.

Upcoming titles in the Town Hall's summer series of silent Westerns include:

• Sunday, Aug. 8 at 2 p.m.: The first Westerns directed by a young John Ford, these two films feature popular cowboy star Harry Carey as 'Cheyenne Harry,' the outlaw with a heart of gold. In 'Straight Shooting' (1917), Carey plays a hired gun of cattle rustlers; in 'Hell Bent' (1918), Carey rescues a virtuous woman from banditos. A rare chance to see early Ford learning his craft.

• Sunday, Aug. 22 at 2 p.m.: Set in western Canada, 'Mantrap' (1926) tells the story of a New York divorce lawyer on a camping vacation to get away from it all, but gets more than he bargained for with Clara Bow, then fast on her way to becoming Hollywood's 'It' girl. Directed by Victor Fleming, who would go on to helm 'Gone With the Wind' (1939) and 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939).

• Sunday, Aug. 29 at 2 p.m.: Our look at silent-era Westerns concludes with the genre's lighter side. In 'Womanhandled' (1925), Richard Dix tries to win his girlfriend by taking up the rugged cowboy life, only to find it not so rugged. In 'Go West' (1925), Buster Keaton sends up the legends of the West with his timeless brand of visual comedy; includes perhaps the most unlikely love story in any mainstream 1920s Hollywood film.

Accompanist Jeff Rapsis will create musical scores for each film live during its screening, in the manner of theater organists during the height of silent cinema.

"For most silent films, there was never any sheet music and no official score," Rapsis said. "So creating original music on the spot to help the film's impact is all part of the experience."

"That's one of the special qualities of silent cinema," Rapsis said. "Although the films themselves are often over a century old, each screening is a unique experience — a combination of the movie, the music, and the audience reaction."

'Branded a Bandit' (1924) and 'The Iron Rider' (1926), two early westerns starring Yakima Canutt, will be screened on Sunday, July 25 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Free admission; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film series.

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

A thrilling start at the Rex Theatre; bringing Monty Banks to Vermont on Saturday, 7/17

Pre-show remarks at the inaugural silent film program at the Rex Theatre. I look like I'm hosting a beauty pageant. Photo by Tom Murphy.

Last night's inaugural silent film program at the newly renovated Rex Theatre in downtown Manchester was quite the thing. 

The restored theater prove to be a marvelous venue for silent film with live music. And our first outing attracted an audience of well over a hundred people!

Our double bill of Buster Keaton's 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924) and 'Our Hospitality' (1923) met with laughter right at the start, and it never let up. 

 I've done 'Sherlock' dozens of times, and I've never heard such a vocal response to the film's first 10 minutes. And that was nothing compared to the reaction when Buster attempts to "follow his man closely."

For this, I undercut my "Buster detective theme" with a descending bass, played as lightly but as crisply as possible. The result: serious-sounding music that I think worked really well with Buster's comedy.

Most gratifying moment: when Buster casually catches the cigarette that Ward Crane tosses over his shoulder, taking a puff and discarding it, all while never breaking stride, people actually shrieked with delight. 

Oh my god, this is why I do this!

Thanks to everyone at the Rex Theatre for finding a place for silent film with live music on the venue's calendar. We have three more shows scheduled through next year, and if the success of our initial outing is any indication, we're in for a heckuva ride!

Next up: we journey up to Brandon, Vt., where Saturday night brings a "Planes and Trains and Monty Banks" program. Looking forward to the opportunity to uncork some rarely screened vintage comedy in one of my favorite silent film venues.

More details in the press release below. If you're in the area, please join us. And if you're not in the area, there's still time to take the train or the plane, in keeping with the spirit of the program.

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Promotional art for 'Flying Luck' (1927) starring Monty Banks.

 
TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Planes and Trains and Monty Banks' at Brandon Town Hall on Saturday, July 17

Rediscover forgotten silent film comedian Monty Banks; two vintage movies screened with live music

BRANDON, Vt. — His real name was "Mario Bianchi," but on screen he was "Monty Banks."

But both names are now forgotten, and so are most of the films he starred in during the golden age of silent film comedy.

Rediscover the unique comic style of Monty Banks with a screening of two of his surviving films on Saturday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at Brandon Town Hall, 1 Conant Square, Route 7, Brandon, Vt.

Admission is free; donations are encouraged, with all proceeds supporting ongoing restoration of the Town Hall.

On the bill: an excerpt from 'Play Safe' (1927) featuring a hair-raising rescue aboard an out-of-control train; and the feature film 'Flying Luck' (1927), an aviation comedy inspired by Lindbergh's successful solo flight across the Atlantic earlier that year.

Both films will be screened with live music by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist.

The screening is sponsored by Peter and Louise Kelley, Heritage Family Credit Union, John and Lynn Wilson.

Monty Banks was a short, stocky but somehow debonair Italian-born comic actor, later also writer and director.

Banks has faded into obscurity in part because most of his starring films are lost or unavailable.

The two films being shown at Brandon Town Hall are among the best surviving examples of his work.

A lobby card for 'Flying Luck' starring Monty Banks.

In featured attraction 'Flying Luck,' (1927), hapless aviator Monty is so inspired by Lindbergh's solo Atlantic flight that he joins the U.S. Army Air Corps, where it's one comical disaster after another.

Co-starring with Banks in 'Flying Luck' is young actress Jean Arthur, who would later appear in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' (1939) and 'Shane' (1953).

The feature will be preceded by an excerpt from 'Play Safe' (1927), which includes a hair-raising chase sequence set aboard an out-of-control freight train barreling through the California countryside.

"Monty Banks was once a popular star, but that was a long time ago," said Rapsis, who will create live improvised musical accompaniment for both pictures.

"So it's a real treat to screen these films and rediscover a gifted performer and visual comedian with a style uniquely his own."

Emigrating from Italy to the U.S. in 1914, Banks first appeared on stage in musical comedy and cabaret. By 1917 he was working as a dancer in New York's Dominguez Cafe.

After this he turned to films, acting and doing stunt work at Keystone, Universal and other studios.

Banks appeared in many short comedies until the mid-1920s, when he formed his own production company to make feature films.

Although successful, Banks never achieved the popularity of silent comedy superstars Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or Harold Lloyd.

In the late 1920s, he moved to England; after the transition to talkies, he stopped acting in films and instead concentrated on directing.

Later in life, Banks donated money to build several children's hospitals in his native Italy, which are still operational.

Upcoming programs in the Brandon Town Hall silent film series include:

• Saturday, Aug. 7, 7 p.m.: 'Wild Orchids' (1928) starring Greta Garbo. Steamy romantic thriller just in time for the humid doldrums of summer; sponsored by Tracy Holden and Kirk Thomas.

• Saturday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m.: 'Tramp, Tramp, Tramp' (1926) starring Harry Langdon. Rediscover forgotten comedian Harry Langdon in riotous visual comedy about a cross-country foot race; sponsored by Bill and Kathy Mathis in memory of Maxine Thurston.

• Saturday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.: 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) starring Lon Chaney. Victor Hugo's classic novel about a deformed bellringer in medieval Paris, filled with classic scenes and capped with a thrilling climax; sponsored by Harold and Jean Somerset, Kathy and Wayne Rausenberger, Pat Hanson, and Brian and Stephanie Jerome.

• Saturday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.: 'College' (1927) starring Buster Keaton. Head back to school with Buster, a bumbling freshman who discovers sports is the only sure-fire route to popularity; sponsored by Lucy and Dick Rouse, Edward Loedding and Dorothy Leysath, Sam and Sharon Glaser, Peter and Louise Kelley, Bar Harbor Bank and Trust.

The feature-length 'Flying Luck' (1927) and an excerpt from 'Play Safe' (1927), both starring Monty Banks, will be shown on Saturday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at Brandon Town Hall, 1 Conant Square, Route 7, Brandon, Vt.

Admission is free; donations are encouraged, with all proceeds supporting ongoing restoration of the Town Hall.

For more information and the latest updates on Covid-19 safety protocols at the Town Hall, visit www.brandontownhall.com.

This week: starting a new silent film series with comedy at the Rex Theatre in Manchester, N.H.

From 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924): Buster examines the world he lives in.

Let's hear it for obsolete pop culture!

Yes, silent cinema is making a comeback in New Hampshire's largest city. 

This week marks the start of silent film screenings with live music at the Rex Theatre, a recently restored performance venue in downtown Manchester, N.H.

And we kick things off with comedy: on Thursday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m., I'll accompany Buster Keaton's detective-in-the-movies fantasy 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924) followed by the period comedy 'Our Hospitality' (1923).

Subsequent screenings include such classics as 'Nosferatu' (1922), Harold Lloyd's get-to-the-church-on-time comedy 'Girl Shy' (1924), and the epic silent version of 'Ben Hur' (1925).

But Keaton will be in the house (or on the screen) to kick things off. If you're in the area, come check it out. These days, we can use all the laughs we can get.

Here's a press release with more information. See you Thursday night!

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Buster and equine friend in 'Our Hospitality' (1923). 

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton double feature with live music at Rex Theatre on Thursday, July 15

Venue launches silent film series with two vintage masterpieces starring iconic visual comedian

MANCHESTER, N.H.—He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of "the Great Stone Face." But Buster Keaton's comedies rocked Hollywood's silent era with laughter.

Acclaimed for their originality and timeless visual humor, Keaton's films remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'Our Hospitality' (1923) and 'Sherlock Jr. (1924), two classic Keaton comedies, on Thursday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.

The double feature, which launches a series of silent film programs at the Rex, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating music for silent films.

Admission is $10 per person, general admission. Tickets are available online at www.palacetheatre.org or at the door.

An original poster for 'Our Hospitality' (1923).

'Our Hospitality,' a period comedy set in the 1830s, tells the story of a young man (Keaton) raised in New York City but unknowingly at the center of a long-running backwoods family feud.

Highlights of the picture include Keaton's extended journey on a vintage train of the era, as well as a climatic river rescue scene.

The film stars Keaton's then-wife, Natalie Talmadge, as his on-screen love interest; their first child, newborn James Talmadge Keaton, makes a cameo appearance, playing Buster as an infant. Keaton's father also plays a role in the film.

Buster at work in the projection booth in 'Sherlock Jr.'

In 'Sherlock Jr.,' Buster plays a small-town movie projectionist who dreams of working as a detective. But then Buster's romantic rival frames him for stealing a watch from his girlfriend's father.

Fortunately, the situation mirrors the plot of the movie currently playing at Buster's theater. Inspired by the movie, can Buster find the real thief and win back his girl?

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands as one of the three great clowns of the silent screen.

Many critics regard Keaton as the most timeless; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."

As a performer, Keaton was uniquely suited to the demands of silent comedy.

Born in 1895, he made his stage debut as a toddler, joining his family's knockabout vaudeville act and learning to take falls and do acrobatic stunts at an early age. He spent his entire childhood and adolescence on stage, attending school for exactly one day.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions ranging from sadness to surprise. In an era when movies had few special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts.

All those talents are on display in 'Our Hospitality' and 'Sherlock Jr.,' the two titles to open the silent film series at the Rex.

"These films are audience favorites, and people continue to be surprised at how engrossing and exhilarating they can be," said Rapsis, who accompanies more than 100 screenings each year at venues around the nation and abroad.

Rapsis, who lives in Bedford, N.H., improvises live scores for silent films using a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of the full orchestra.

"It's kind of a high wire act," Rapsis said. "But for me, the energy of live performance is an essential part of the silent film experience."

The Rex Theatre is launching the series to give local audiences a chance to experience the best of early Hollywood the way it was meant to be seen—on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"These films weren't intended to be shown on a laptop," Rapsis said. "It's worth putting the whole experience together, because you can still see why audiences first fell in love with the movies," Rapsis said.

Later screenings include:

• Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, 7:30 p.m.: 'Nosferatu' (1922) directed by F.W. Murnau. Just in time for Halloween: 'Nosferatu,' the original vampire film. This loose German adaptation of the 'Dracula' story just gets weirder and creepier as the years go by.

• Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, 7:30 p.m.: 'Girl Shy' (1924) starring Harold Lloyd. Celebrate Valentine's Day with 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.

• Thursday, April 21, 2022, 7:30 p.m.: 'Ben Hur' (1925) starring Ramon Novarro and a cast of thousands. In the Holy Land, a Jewish prince is enslaved by the occupying Romans; inspired by encounters with Jesus, he lives to seek justice. One of the great religious epics of Hollywood's silent film era, including a legendary chariot race that's lost none of its power to thrill.

A double feature of two classic Buster Keaton films, 'Our Hospitality' (1923) and 'Sherlock Jr. (1924) will be shown on Thursday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H. General admission is $10 per person.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.palacetheatre.org or call (603) 668-5588.

Finding Harold south of the border, then back home for 'The General' tonight in Plymouth, NH

How much is that brass sousaphone in the window? I was sorely tempted, but it would have exceeded my carry-on limit. Also, in air travel, tubas are classified as lethal weapons.

I'm back from 10 days south of the border: Mexico! (One of the very few places we could go where it wouldn't going to be a huge hassle to get back home.) 

We spent most of the time in Oaxaca (pronounced "Wah HAH ka") in the uplands of southern Mexico, where this time of year it's cool and wet, with frequent rains. Kind of a nice surprise!

Also surprising: although this trip had nothing to do with silent film, we found intimations of Harold Lloyd all around us. 

For one thing, we stayed at the "Hotel Parador," which I thought was the same name as the fictional south-of-the-border country Harold visits in 'Why Worry?' 

(I was wrong: Harold visits Paradiso, substituted for the original location of Mexico when that nation raised objections to its on-screen depiction.) 

But then Harold was present at the ruins of Monte Alban, an enormous set of mountaintop ruins outside (and above) Oaxaca that date back 2,500 years and are on a scale of the legendary Inca city Machu Picchu. 

Well, not exactly Harold, but Alfonso Caso, "discoverer" of Monte Alban, whose bronze relief at the entrance to the ruins sports a very Lloyd-like pair of glasses:

 Look like Harold? You decide...

And then there was this Harold-like visage adorning one of Oaxaca's many food carts:

So upon getting home earlier this week, I was primed to accompany 'Safety Last' (1923), Harold's great building-climbing comedy, at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

The screening took place last night, and I'm pleased to report it all came together very effectively. I've done this film often enough so that during the climbing climax, I know pretty much all of Harold's "almost lose his grip" moments.

There are four or five of these — times when Harold makes a false grab or misses a handhold and stops cold for a moment before continuing on. 

It's really effective, I've found, to punctuate these moments by interrupting whatever sustained harmony or ostinato I've got going with a quick dissonance — nothing big, just a sharp stab, and then silence before picking up the building-climb music, which inexorably must continue, just as Harold must keep climbing.

But it needs to come right on the button to be effective. Last night I think I got every one of them!

From Harold's 1920s masterpiece, tonight we turn the clock back to Buster Keaton's Civil War-era masterpiece, 'The General' (1926), which I'm accompanying at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center. 

Showtime is 6:30 p.m. If you're in the area, please join us! Rain, thunderstorms...great weather to take in a movie! More details on the press release below.

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MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton's 'The General' with live music at Flying Monkey on Thursday, July 8

Civil War railroading comedy/adventure film lauded as stone-faced comic moviemaker's masterpiece

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of "the Great Stone Face." But Buster Keaton's comedies rocked Hollywood's silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.

Acclaimed for their originality and timeless visual humor, Keaton's films remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'The General' (1926), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Thursday, July 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

The screening, the latest in the Flying Monkey'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 $10 per person general admission. Tickets are available online at www.flyingmonkeynh.com or at the door.

The show will allow audiences to experience 'The General' the way Keaton originally intended it to be seen: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

'The General,' set during the U.S. Civil War, tells the story of a southern locomotive engineer (Keaton) whose engine (named 'The General') is hijacked by Northern spies with his girlfriend onboard.

Keaton, commandeering another train, races north in pursuit behind enemy lines. Can he rescue his girl? And can he recapture his locomotive and make it back to warn of a coming Northern attack?

Critics call 'The General' Keaton's masterpiece, praising its authentic period detail, ambitious action and battle sequences, and its overall integration of story, drama, and comedy.

It's also regarded as one of Hollywood's great railroad films, with much of the action occurring on or around moving steam locomotives.

Accompanist Jeff Rapsis will improvise an original musical score for 'The General' live as the film is shown.

"When the score gets made up on the spot, it creates a special energy that's an important part of the silent film experience," said Rapsis, who uses a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of a full orchestra for the accompaniment.

With the Flying Monkey's screening of 'The General,' audiences will get a chance to experience silent film as it was meant to be seen—in a high quality print, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," Rapsis said. "Recreate those conditions, and the classics of early Hollywood leap back to life in ways that can still move audiences today."

Rapsis performs on a digital keyboard that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra and creates a traditional "movie score" sound.

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands today as one of the silent screen's three great clowns. Some critics regard Keaton as the best of all; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."

As a performer, Keaton was uniquely suited to the demands of silent comedy. Born in 1895, he made his stage debut as a toddler, joining his family's knockabout vaudeville act and learning to take falls and do acrobatic stunts at an early age.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era with no post-production special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts.

Critics review 'The General':

"The most insistently moving picture ever made, its climax is the most stunning visual event ever arranged for a film comedy."
—Walter Kerr

"An almost perfect entertainment!"
—Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

"What makes the film so special is the way the timing, audacity and elegant choreography of its sight gags, acrobatics, pratfalls and dramatic incidents is matched by Buster's directorial artistry, his acute observational skills working alongside the physical élan and sweet subtlety of his own performance."
—Time Out (London)

Upcoming titles in the Flying Monkey's silent film series include:

• Thursday, Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m.: 'Ben Hur' (1925) starring Ramon Novarro. In the Holy Land, a Jewish prince is enslaved by the occupying Romans; inspired by encounters with Jesus, he lives to seek justice. One of the great religious epics of Hollywood's silent film era, including a legendary chariot race that's lost none of its power to thrill.

• Thursday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m.: 'The Shakedown' (1929). Recently restored boxing drama about a low-rent prizefighter who finds reasons outside the ring to find success inside it. Recently restored; directed by William Wyler, who would go on to a storied Hollywood career that included directing the 1959 remake of 'Ben Hur.'

‘The General’ (1926) starring Buster Keaton will be shown with live music on Thursday, July 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

Tickets $10 per person general admission, available online or at the door. For more info, visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com or call (603) 536-2551. For more about the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Harold says...time to take a break! Plus: I'm interviewed on Nitrateville podcast

Harold reminds us it's time to take a break!

Okay, after a busy nearly post-pandemic June, I'm hitting the "pause" button on silent film accompaniment until after the July 4th weekend.

I'll return for the second half of 2021 with 'Safety Last' (1923), Harold Lloyd's great building climbing comedy, on Wednesday, July 7 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

Well: 7/7 at 7 p.m.  If I was a gambling man...

For now: check out the most recent Nitrateville Podcast, in which host Mike Gebert interviewed me about silent film accompaniment. To my surprise, I sounded reasonably coherent!

Also on the program: Rodney Sauer of the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, and academic Lisa Stein Haven. Enjoy, and best wishes for a happy 4th!