2024 Silent Film Season in Brandon, Vt. concludes Saturday, Nov. 16 with 'Barbed Wire' (1927)

A lobby card for Paramount's 'Barbed Wire' (1927) starring Pola Negri.

This Saturday, it's up to Brandon, Vt. (about 2.5 hours) for the final screening of the 2024 season: 'Barbed Wire' (1927), a World War I drama that kind of bridges the season between Veterans Day and the holiday season.

It's also the final screening of silent films organized by the Friends of the Town Hall, a volunteer group that's worked for a quarter-century to rescue and restore Brandon's vintage 19th century town hall after a long period of abandonment and neglect.

The group is disbanding after this season, with the town recreational department taking over management of the venue. I'm pleased to say arrangements are in place for another season of monthly silent film programs starting in May 2025.

But I will certainly miss working with the Friends of the Town Hall volunteers and their long-tenured leader, Dennis Marden. He's the one who got me to start coming to Brandon back in 2010, and he's kept things fun and lively ever since.

He and his group have also transformed the formerly forbidding facility into a warm, inviting and versatile community center. Through physical improvements (like adding heat!) to bringing in a wide range of programming (yes, silent films, too!), their labors have given the Brandon community a great big gift—a vibrant gathering place that most communities can only dream of.

The imposing exterior of Brandon Town Hall, which dates from the 1860s.
 

The interior of Brandon Town Hall set up for an event. 

And my feeling is that in this day and age, we need places to gather and have shared experiences more than ever.

So if you happen to be within sledding distance of Brandon, Vt. this Saturday, why not join us for the shared experience of Pola Negri in 'Barbed Wire' (1927)? 

Lots more info in the press release below...

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A vintage one-sheet promoting the World War I drama 'Barbed Wire' (1927).

MONDAY, NOV. 11, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent film classic 'Barbed Wire' at Brandon Town Hall on Saturday, Nov. 16

Drama starring Pola Negri set in World War I prison camp to be screened with live music; highlighted by unusual Christmas scene

BRANDON, VT. — A rarely shown World War I prison camp drama with an unusual Christmas sequence will fill the big screen when 'Barbed Wire' (1927) is revived on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. at 7 p.m. at the Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Route 7, in Brandon, Vt.

'Barbed Wire,' a silent drama starring Pola Negri and Clive Brook, will be screened with live music by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event. Admission is free, with free will donations accepted in support of ongoing Town Hall renovations.

Set in rural France, 'Barbed Wire' dramatizes the human conflicts that occurred throughout Europe during what was known as 'The Great War.'

In a small village, Mona Moreau (Pola Negri) and her aging father work their farm to feed the brave young men fighting for France. But when their farm is commandeered to build a camp for German POWs, they must feed the prisoners as well.

In the beginning, Mona resents the German prisoners she is forced to feed, but soon she begins to empathize with them. Mona's sympathies begin to raise the suspicion of her neighbors and worst of all, she fears she may be falling in love with handsome prisoner Oskar Muller (Clive Brook).

The relationship is opposed by the townspeople, who ostracize the girl's family, setting in motion dramatic events shaped by war, prejudice, forbidden love, and shared humanity.

"The ending of 'Barbed Wire' astounds viewers today because of the bitter lessons it tries to extract from the wartime experience, and how applicable they are to our world right now, so many years later," Rapsis said.

"At the time, society had just been through a global conflict fueled by hatred, bigotry, and intolerance, and people knew what that led to. They knew. And we can learn from them still," Rapsis said.

An original lobby card for 'Barbed Wire' (1927).

Directed by Rowland V. Lee for Paramount Pictures, a highlight of 'Barbed Wire' is a sequence in which the German prisoners celebrate a traditional Teutonic Christmas, by turns solemn and rowdy, despite being incarcerated.

Accompanist Jeff Rapsis specializes in creating music that bridges the gap between an older silent film and the expectations of today's audiences.

Using a digital synthesizer that recreates the texture of a full orchestra, he improvises scores in real time as a movie unfolds, so that the music for no two screenings is the same.

"It's kind of a high wire act, but it helps create an emotional energy that's part of the silent film experience," Rapsis said. "It's easier to support the emotional line of the movie and the audience's reaction when I'm able to follow what's on screen, rather than be buried in sheet music," he said.

Because silent films were designed to be shown to large audiences in theaters with live music, the best way to experience them is to recreate the conditions in which they were first shown, Rapsis said.

The screening is sponsored by Jean and Harold Somerset, Nancy and Gary Meffe, Bethany and Andrew Menkart, and the American Legion Post 55, Brandon.

'Barbed Wire' will be shown with live music on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. at 7 p.m. at the Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Route 7, in Brandon, Vt. All are welcome to this family-friendly event. Admission is free, with free will donations accepted in support of ongoing Town Hall renovations. 

Thoughts on 'Daughter of the Dawn' in San Francisco, and remembering Joe Yranski

Me and silent film accompanist Rodney Sauer at the Essanay Silent Film Museum in Niles, Calif.

Saturday, Nov. 2 brought a double-helping of my favorite dish: silent film delight.

I got to accompany 'Daughter of the Dawn' (1920), an unusual Native American drama, at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Niles, Calif.

And I also got to see and visit with all the folks who maintain the Niles museum, the only venue I know of that runs a silent film program with live music every week all year round.

Really! Sometimes the programs can be quite creative. Later this month, Jon Mirsalis (a Bay area resident and Niles regular) will accompany the classic drama 'The Wind' (1928) in what's being described as 'Blow-A-Rama.'

All I know is that it involves the use of fans in the Niles venue, which is an original 1913 Edison theater. Wish I could be on hand. Still, it's a good enough idea that I'm considering stealing it.

Niles is a natural gathering place for the silent film community, which is why I've been journeying out there off and on (thank you, frequent flier miles!) for the past 10 years or so.

This time, I was joined by another guest accompanist: Rodney Sauer of the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, who was on hand to help out with a program honoring Native American Heritage Month, which happens to be November.

It was Rodney and his Mont Alto group (a five-member combo that specializes in scoring silent films) that first got me pointed toward exploring the craft on my own—almost 25 years ago now!

It was March 2000. On a whim, I attended the Kansas Silent Film Festival (this time, thank you Delta flight passes!) in Topeka, Kansas, where I'd never been before. There, I heard the Mont Alto group accompany the silent 'Peter Pan' (1924) and Buster Keaton's 'The Cameraman' (1928).

And I met people, including Rodney, who were so encouraging and welcoming that it eventually led to my trying my hand (or rather, both hands) at it. And here we are.

I've since had occasion to appear on the same program as Rodney, mostly at subsequent Kansas festivals, and it's always great to see him and the other Mont Alto members, catch up, and trade stories. 

Rodney helped me find sheet music for when I recorded a score for Gloria Swanson's 'Zaza' (1923), and he's always been friendly and encouraging and bemused and generous.

Rodney was visiting Niles to speak about and accompany 'Ramona' (1929), starring Delores Del Rio and directed by Edwin Carewe, one of the few motion picture directors of Native American heritage, then or now.

He also introduced 'Daughter of the Dawn' (1920), the film I accompanied, providing the Saturday afternoon audience a good summary of how the film came to be, and how it was rediscovered only recently as part of a business legal settlement in Oklahoma. 

Although the film has been reissued with a recorded score using appropriate and authentic Native American music, Niles is committed to showing silent films with live accompaniment. Since I qualify as live, I got the assignment. 

But the thing is, I don't qualify as Native American. With me, you can take your pick: I'm one quarter Irish, Polish, Lithuanian, and/or French-Canadian. Call my ethnicity "assorted."

So my musical heritage, such as it is, is a melange of Polish polkas played on accordian (which Rodney could do, if needed), Irish step-dancing, and what I'll call Quebec-style country & western. Plus all the marching band music I absorbed in high school.

But it was Rodney who gave me a clue about how to approach 'Daughter of the Dawn'—not at Niles, but years ago at a Kansas Silent Film Festival, when he accompanied the wilderness docu-drama 'Chang' (1928) on solo piano.

I don't think Rodney's heritage includes any of the indigenous tribal peoples of southeast Asia, where the film was shot. 

But I remember Rodney saying that to create an effective atmosphere, he tried to avoid "Western-style" chord progressions and modal scales—scales that to our ears might sound somewhat medieval, as in a Gregorian chant.

It seemed to work for Rodney back then. So that's what I did for 'Daughter of the Dawn.'

I took a handful of melodic scraps heavy with intervals of fourths, some flourishes built on modal scales, and wove it together as best I could to support what unfolded on the screen.

I think I struck paydirt right away with a simple device during the opening titles: a single note repeated twice, alternating off the beat in octaves, pulsing steadily along, over and over.

This not only provided a way to enter the world of the movie, but became a kind of textural signal that could be brought back whenever needed. And just by dumb luck, it worked really well when the movie went in a "two hearts that beat as one" direction. 

Under this pulsing note figure, I began weaving different harmonies, mostly using minor chords or often just open fifths. Then I could shift from the pulsing notes, bring in my melodies and work up music as the movie unfolded. 

The one really prominent dance in 'Daughter of the Dawn' is not some kind of theatrical call to war, but was a quiet and modest 'Dance of Thanksgiving' after a successful hunt. Shown onscreen, it consisted of a modest shuffling in a circle, with little footwork and no arm movement. 

For music, this was a lucky break. I was able to do it justice, I think, but a quiet percussive shifting of chords deep in the piano's bass notes. 

In the end, the music for 'Dawn of the Dead' fell together pretty well, I thought. I neither overplayed or underplayed—a balance it's taken me some time to achieve. And thus I created music for my 399th silent feature film. (Yes, I keep track right on this blog.)

And now it's back to New England for a run of shows leading into the holiday season, highlighted by a 100th anniversary screening of 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924) on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Mass., and later (in December) what will be my 400th film: the silent 'Oliver Twist' (1922), starring Jackie Coogan and Lon Chaney, which I'll accompany on Friday, Dec. 13 as part of a Dickens festival at the Park Theatre in Jaffrey, N.H.

Joe Yranski, 1951-2024.

Before moving on, I would be remiss to not mention the recent passing of Joe Yranski, well-known and well-loved film buff who died unexpectedly on Oct. 31.

Joe was one of the major figures in the vintage film community. To account for the scope of Joe's work over the years in any complete way would be nearly impossible. 

Organizations he worked with include the Library of Congress, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Mary Pickford Foundation, and Warner Bros. Joe helped preserve and reclaim an untold number of classic films.

On a personal note: like Rodney Sauer, Joe was a person whose generosity and friendliness and overall example encouraged me to take up the practice of silent film accompaniment.

I first encountered Joe in 2008 through fellow accompanist Ben Model, who at the time was working with Joe in programming silent film screenings at the old Donnell Library Center branch of the New York City Public Library on West 53rd St.

Through Ben, I was invited to participate in a "Meet the Music Makers" series that Joe was running, even though at the time I had just started accompanying silent film programs and hadn't made much music at all.

Still, Joe invited me to come down to Manhattan and accompany 'Lessons in Love' (1921), a Constance Talmadge film that hadn't been available since it probably first ran, but which Joe had resurrected and was screening as part of the series, which took place in the facility's basement auditorium.

(I had never heard of 'Lessons in Love' before this, but Joe provided a screener on VHS in advance of the show. I remember my big idea was to play off the 'Lessons in Love' idea by basing large parts of the accompaniment on my Hanon piano technical exercises.)

It turned out Joe and I were both graduates of Fordham University in New York. Based on that, and a mutual interest in vintage film, Joe and I struck up a friendship and correspondence that never flagged over the years. Although a die-hard New Yorker, he occasionally took vacation trips to New England, so we shared that in common as well, though our paths never crossed during these travels.

As I got to know Joe, he revealed himself as a man fully in thrall with life. This took various forms: most obviously his zest for cinema, and in particular his strong connection to silent-era star Colleen Moore, whom he befriended, and whose family he remained in contact with.

But there was more. I could see he had a passion for New York City—its history, its presence, all that it offered. He was part of it and it was part of him. Throughout his life, he held the same wonder that I recall having as a high school kid from New Hampshire arriving at Fordham, except Joe never outgrew that.

I'm sure Joe's life wasn't always easy, but he never failed to be anything less than courteous and solicitous and gracious and charming. These are all qualities in short supply, in our times especially, but not when Joe Yranski was present.

Soon after my Donnell Library debut, Joe invited me to accompany films at Cinefest, the annual vintage film confab that used to take place every March in Syracuse, N.Y. 

I still consider this my "big break," in that I was able to finally meet and work alongside many other accompanists, film scholars, authors, and all the characters that make up the vintage film community.

Under Joe's guidance, I remained in the rotation at Syracuse until the final blow-out year in 2015, when no less than eight accompanists were brought in to share the duties as a kind of last hurrah. 

I'll never forget sitting in the room before the film screenings started, as legendary accompanists including Phil Carli and Gabriel Thibaudeau and Makia Matsumura and Judy Rosenberg and Andrew Simpson and the aforementioned Jon Mirsalis and Ben Model were dividing up the films, and thinking to myself, "What am I doing here?"

But Joe felt I should be included, and that was all I needed to jump in and do my best with a film no one wanted: the silent film version of Harold Lloyd's early talkie, 'Welcome Danger' (1929). It came together marvelously, I thought, and remains a highlight of my silent film accompaniment career—all thanks to Joe.

After a long run, Cinevent ended in 2015. But the years rolled on, and Joe kept in touch. Holidays brought friendly notes. Sending out my schedule of upcoming performances often brought encouraging remarks. I didn't get to see Joe very often, but he was always there.

Until now. All I can say is that I'm very sorry that he's no longer among us. I don't think it's really quite sunk in yet. 

But I do know this: the example of good cheer and friendly openness that Joe Yranski always set is something that I will continue to try to emulate.

And with a nod to our Fordham connection, I will say one more time: Go Rams!

Up next: Native dancing in San Francisco, then accompanying 'The General' on Monday, Nov. 4

In front of the Rex Theatre in downtown Manchester, N.H. prior to last night's screening.

Last night's Lon Chaney Double Feature marked the last event of this year's Halloween silent film decathalon. After a dozen shows over the past two weeks, I can relate to Lon Chaney's character in 'The Unknown' (1927), a circus performer with no arms.

Well, even so, I'd better find them as I'm off to San Francisco (and boy are my arms tired!), where on Saturday, Nov. 2, I'll accompany a screening of 'Daughter of the Dawn' (1920) at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum.

The showing is part of weekend of programming celebrating National Native American Heritage Month. Also on hand will be Rodney Sauer of the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, who will accompany the Delores Del Rio drama 'Ramona' (1928) on piano.

A scene from 'Daughter of the Dawn' (1920).

I've never done music for 'Daughter of the Dawn' before, and it's a real honor to be asked to score the film at the Niles Essenay museum, one of the premier venues in the nation for what I do. Thanks in advance to Rena Azevedo Kiehn and everyone there for giving me this opportunity!

'Daughter of the Dawn' stands as one of the very few motion pictures made by and for Native Americans during the silent era. It's a trove of authentic practices of the time, and includes rare scenes of traditional tribal dancing. 

I'll do my best to do justice to these scenes, which will be interesting, considering my own personal heritage of native dance is Polish polkas and Irish step dancing.

Then it's back East, where on Monday night I'll accompany a film about the Old South: Buster Keaton's 'The General' (1926) at the Garden Cinemas in Greenfield, Mass.

Below is a press release with details about the film and the screening. Hope to see you there!

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Buster and his costar in 'The General' (1926).

MONDAY, OCT. 28, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton's 'The General' with live music at Garden Cinemas on Monday, Nov. 4

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

GREENFIELD, Mass.— 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 'The General' (1926), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Monday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Greenfield Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St., Greenfield, Mass..

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

Admission is $10.50 adults, $8:50 for children, seniors, and students. Tickets are available online or at the door.

The show is intended to give area movie-goers the opportunity to experience early cinema as it was intended: 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 on board.

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?

Buster Keaton astride a cowcatcher sporting a period-authentic haircut in 'The General' (1926).

 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 movie is shown, as was typically done during the silent film era.

"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 Garden Cinema'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."

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."

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, author of 'The Silent Clowns'

"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)

The Keaton films are a great introduction to silent films for modern audiences, accompanist Rapsis said.

"Keaton's comedy is as fresh today as it was a hundred years ago — maybe more so, because his kind of visual humor is a lost art," Rapsis said.

‘The General’ (1926) starring Buster Keaton will be shown with live music on Monday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Greenfield Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St., Greenfield, Mass..

Admission is $10.50 adults, $8:50 for children, seniors, and students.

Tickets available at the door; advance tickets are available at www.gardencinemas.net. For more information, call the box office at (413) 774-4881.

One without arms, the other with no legs: scoring a pair of Lon Chaney's most challenging roles

 In front of the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I., where I accompanied 'Dracula' (1931) on Tuesday, Oct. 29.

This year's Halloween Season Silent Film Steeplechase concludes tonight with a Lon Chaney double feature: 'The Unknown' (1927) and 'West of Zanzibar' (1928).

Both films will be shown on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre in downtown Manchester, N.H. More details in the press release pasted in below.

It's a compelling pair of movies that feature Chaney in two of his physically most demanding roles. 

In 'The Unknown,' he's Alonzo the Armless, a circus knife-thrower forced to use his legs instead of hands, which he lacks. In 'West of Zanzibar,' he plays Phroso the Magician, who loses the use of his legs in an accident, but who still travels to Africa to get revenue on the man (Lionel Barrymore) who stole his wife.

It's often observed that Chaney put his whole body into his portrayals, with his work in title roles of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame '(1922) and 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) often cited as examples.

But 'The Unknown' and 'West of Zanzibar' take this one step further. In each film, Chaney plays characters who are denied the full use of their bodies. Instead, he must work around serious physical limitations.

The result, with macabre director Tod Browning helming both films, are portrayals that rank among the most extreme of all mainstream cinema of any era. They must be seen to be believed, and even then you may not believe what you're seeing.

Which all makes for a great Halloween experience! So I hope you'll join me this evening at the Rex Theatre for a show you won't forget—even if you try!

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An original release poster for Lon Chaney in 'The Unknown' (1927).

MONDAY, OCT. 21, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Lon Chaney Halloween 'Creepfest' double feature at Rex Theatre on Wednesday, Oct. 30

Among Chaney's most challenging roles: In 'The Unknown,' he's without arms; in 'West of Zanzibar,' he's paralyzed from the waist down

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Get into the Halloween spirit with classic silent thrillers starring legendary actor Lon Chaney.

A pair of movies starring Chaney, 'The Unknown' (1927) and 'West of Zanzibar' (1928), combine for a creepy double feature on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.

General admission is $10 per person; tickets are available at the door or online at www.palacetheatre.org.

Live music for the movie will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

'The Unknown' (1927) features Chaney as "Alonzo the Armless," a circus knife-thrower with a dark past who uses his feet to perform his act. The film co-stars a very young Joan Crawford.

In 'West of Zanzibar' (1928), Chaney plays a vaudeville magician who seeks revenge after becoming paralyzed from the waist down. The film co-stars Lionel Barrymore.

Both films were produced by MGM and directed by Tod Browning, who specialized in exploring the dark and creepy side of circus life. Browning's career later culminated with his bizarre early talkie film 'Freaks' (1932), starring a cast of deformed carnival performers.

Lon Chaney is today regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of early cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted characters, and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup.

Chaney remains famous for his starring roles in such silent horror films as 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) and 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces."

But Chaney starred in dozens of other films throughout the silent era, many of them aimed at the growing appetite among movie audiences for the strange, macabre, or downright weird.

In 'The Unknown,' Chaney's character "Alonzo the Armless" is indeed without both arms. This forces him to use his feet to perform tasks that range from throwing knives in his circus act to smoking a cigarette. In one scene, Chaney uses his feet to strum a guitar.

'West of Zanzibar' requires Chaney to play his role without using his legs. When not using a wheelchair, he uses his hands and arms to crawl across floors.

To modern viewers, the passage of time has made these unusual films seem even more strange and otherworldly.

It's an atmosphere that silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis will try to enhance by improvising live music on the spot for the screenings.

A very young Joan Crawford comforts an armless Lon Chaney in 'The Unknown' (1927). Notice the lit cigarette between Chaney's toes. 

"Many of the Lon Chaney features seem to get creepier as more time goes by," said Rapsis, who is based in New Hampshire and ranks as one of the nation's leading silent film accompanists. "Today, they're a great way to celebrate Halloween and the power of silent film to transport audiences to strange and unusual places."

Both films are suitable for all family members, but the overall program may be too much for very young children to enjoy.

Modern critics say 'The Unknown' still packs a powerful cinematic punch.

The film "...revels in the seedy circus life, and creates some incredible set pieces, from Chaney's knife-throwing act to a sinister, cavernous doctor's lab,” wrote Jeffrey M. Anderson of Combustible Celluloid.

'The Unknown’ (1927) and 'West of Zanzibar' (1928) will be shown on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.

General admission is $10 per person; tickets are available at the door or online at www.palacetheatre.org.

Tonight! Live scoring for 'Dracula' (1931) at the Jane Pickens Theatre, Newport, R.I.

Bela Lugosi plays the title role in 'Dracula' (1931).

 

Live scoring—it's not just for silents anymore!

And that's what I'll be doing tonight in Newport, R.I., where the early talkie version of 'Dracula' (1931) starring Bela Lugosi will fly onto the screen at 7:30 p.m.

More info about the show and venue are in the press release below.

In the past few years, I've done a few live scores for early talkies: 'Dracula' and also 'Frankenstein' (1931) starring Boris Karloff. 

It's possible to do this because in the first few years of synchronized soundtracks, some studios didn't bother with recorded music.

Partly it  was function of economics: no music = no cost. 

 

I think it was also due to uncertainty on the part of some filmmakers and studios of how sound should be used: for dialogue, yes, of course. But background music?

Unless you could SEE the musicians on screen, where was it supposed to be coming from?

 

It was one of those things that took awhile to sort out—similar to the foreign language issue.

 

Now that films talked, what about different languages? 

 

For a time, studios made several versions of films, with the players repeating all dialogue in different tongues, with a pronunciation coach on set when needed and sometimes significant differences in supporting players, story, and so on.

 

Thus we have a German language version of Buster Keaton's early MGM talkie 'Free and Easy' (1930), with the formerly silent comic spouting dialogue in Deutsch.

Which brings us to the Spanish language version of 'Dracula,' filmed concurrently on the same sets with the English version but with a different director as well as a different actor, Carlos Villarius, in the title role!

Well, tonight in Newport, the language will be heavily accented English, with music from me. Details below!

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An original release poster for Bela Lugosi as 'Dracula' (1931).

MONDAY, OCT. 21, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Halloween special: Lugosi's 'Dracula' on big screen with new live score

Horror classic to be shown at the Jane Pickens Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 29 for one screening only

NEWPORT, R.I. — Do you dare prepare for Halloween by braving 'Dracula' on the big screen?

That's the question at the Jane Pickens Theatre, 49 Touro St. in Newport, where the classic 1931 version of 'Dracula' will run for one showing only on Tuesday, Oct. 29.

Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Admission is $17 per person. Tickets available online at https://janepickens.com or at the door.

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

Although 'Dracula' is a talking picture, it was released with virtually no musical score, a common practice during the transition period from silent to sound pictures.

Rapsis will perform original music live during the screening using a digital keyboard to recreate the texture of a full orchestra.

Directed by Tod Browning, 'Dracula' was a sensational box office success and has mesmerized movie audiences ever since with its eerie visuals and Lugosi's iconic performance.

The story opens in far-off Transylvania, where mysterious Count Dracula hypnotizes a British soldier, Renfield (Dwight Frye), into becoming his mindless slave.

Welcome to Transylvania!

Dracula then travels to England and takes up residence in an old castle. Soon the Count begins to wreak havoc, sucking the blood of young women and turning them into vampires.

When he sets his sights on Mina (Helen Chandler), the daughter of a prominent doctor, vampire-hunter Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is enlisted to put a stop to Dracula's never-ending bloodlust.

The Halloween screening of 'Dracula' will include live music by Jeff Rapsis, a composer and performer who specializes in creating accompaniment for silent films.  

'Dracula' was released when Hollywood and movie theatres were still undergoing the transition from the silent era to pictures with synchronized sound and dialogue.

During the silent era, studios did not produce official scores for most films. Instead, accompaniment was left up to local musicians, and could vary greatly from one moviehouse to another.

When studios converted to talking pictures, the tradition of recording a musical score was not well established. In the case of 'Dracula,' Universal omitted music in part to save production costs.

As a result, after the opening credits, the 1931 'Dracula' contains no music except for a brief scene in an opera house.

In recent decades, composers have experimented with creating original music for the movie—most notably Philip Glass, who composed a score in 1998 for the Kronos string quartet.

Another spooky spectacular from director Tod Browning.

Rapsis sees 'Dracula' as closely linked to the silent-era tradition of films shown with live music.

"Tod Browning was a prolific director of silent films, including many thrillers that anticipate 'Dracula,' " Rapsis said. "So even though 'Dracula' is a talking picture, Browning's filmmaking style is strongly rooted in the silent era, when it was assumed that local musicians would be important collaborators in a picture's effect on an audience."

Unlike the Glass score, which plays almost continuously during the movie, Rapsis will use music only in certain places where he feels it will either enhance the mood, heighten tension, or signify a change in the emotional line of the story.

"Although 'Dracula' is not a silent film, there are definitely places where the silence speaks volumes and remains very effective," Rapsis said. "I hope to leave those intact, but enrich other parts of the film in the way that only music can."

Rapsis works largely by improvising as a film plays in the theater, in the tradition of theatre organists of the 1920s.

"There's something very special about the in-the-moment energy of a live improvised performance," Rapsis said. "It's never the same, and at its best it really can help a film connect with an audience and make the whole experience come together."

The original 'Dracula' (1931) starring Bela Lugosi will be shown with live music for one screening only on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre Film and Event Center, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I. Admission is $17 per person. Tickets available online at https://janepickens.com or at the door. For more information, call the box office at (401) 846-5474.

Monday, Oct. 28: See 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) in a 100-year-old Maine theater

A poster for the original release of 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) starring Lon Chaney.

Halloween is upon us! And if you're still not in the spirit (har!), then the Phantom is for you.

'The Phantom of the Opera,' that is—the classic 1925 thriller starring Lon Chaney and (as the poster says) a cast of 5,000 others.

And your final chance to see it this season (with me accompanying it, anyway) is Monday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

An original 100-year-old silent moviehouse, it's a great venue for this picture. Also, it's the last event before the Leavitt shuts down for the off-season, so there's a kind of ghoulish finality about the whole affair.

So come on out to the coast on Monday night and join us for 'Phantom.' Afterwards, if you're not ready for Halloween—well, perhaps you're already a member of the undead.

Bwah hah hah hah! More info in the press release below.

*    *    *

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

MONDAY, OCT. 21, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Phantom of the Opera' with live music at Leavitt Theatre on Monday, Oct. 28

Just in time for Halloween: Classic silent horror flick starring Lon Chaney shown on the big screen with live music

OGUNQUIT, Maine—Get into the Halloween spirit with a timeless silent horror film!

'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), the silent big screen adaptation of the classic thriller, will be shown with live music on Monday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Fine Arts Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event; tickets are $15 per person general admission. 

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

The show will allow movie-goers to experience the 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.

"The original 'Phantom' is a film that seems to get creepier as more time passes," said Rapsis, who accompanies films at screenings throughout the nation. "It's a great way to celebrate Halloween, and also the power of silent film to transport audiences to strange and unusual places."

'The Phantom of the Opera,' adapted from a 1910 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.

Ready for his close-up: Lon Chaney as the Phantom.

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."

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 on Broadway and in productions around the world.

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ (1925) will be shown on Monday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Fine Arts Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event; tickets are $15 per person general admission. Tickets available at the door or online at https://www.leavittheatre.com/

A fresh take on silent spookiness: 'The Bat' (1926) on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Somerville Theatre

A lobby card promoting 'The Bat' (1926) in its original release.

Something new—well, sort of—is flying into the Somerville Theatre  this Halloween season.

On Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m., I'll accompany the silent thriller 'The Bat' (1926) at the Somerville as part of the venue's 'Silents, Please!' series.

Based on a popular stage play, 'The Bat' was very successful in its original release at the height of the silent era.

But since then, it's rarely been screened or seen anywhere. That's surprising, in part because it's a good film that holds up well, but also because it had a lot of influence on the creation of an iconic superhero character: Batman!

Why has 'The Bat' been so elusive?

Well, it's not one of the silent era's many "lost" films. A circulating 35mm print of it has been available from the UCLA Film & Television Library for a long time, but has almost never been booked.

It might be that the film has no "star" performers with names still recognizable today. There's no Clara Bow or Rudolph Valentino in it. It does have Louise Fazenda and Jack Pickford in it, but they're not exactly household names anymore.

Also, the film was produced independently and released through United Artists. So it was not part of the output of a major studio such as MGM or Paramount, so after its original release it kind of got lost in the shuffle.

Another reason is that 'The Bat' has never been released on home video—that is, until now.

This Halloween season, 'The Bat' is getting a new attention thanks to a home video release of the film (on Blu-ray dis)c thanks to Ben Model, my friend and fellow silent film accompanist.

Cover art for the home video release of 'The Bat' (1926) by Undercrank Productions.

Ben accompanied the film at a screening some time ago, and was so impressed he organized a Kickstarter campaign to release the film through his label, Undercrank Productions.

The home video version of 'The Bat' came out just recently, and looks great! (I was a Kickstarter backer, so received a copy when the project was completed.) You can buy it online: for more information, visit the Undercrank website.

Or you can see it as it was intended: on the big screen at the Somerville Theater, with live music, on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. We'll be showing the new digital restoration from Underground/UCLA in DCP format. (Earlier references to using the 35mm print were my mistake!)

For more about 'The Bat' and Sunday's screening, check out the press release below. And happy Halloween!

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A trade ad promoting the original release of 'The Bat' (1926) to movie theater bookers.

MONDAY, OCT. 21, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Halloween treat! Rarely screened thriller 'The Bat' (1926) to fly at Somerville Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 27

Calling all Batman fans! Early silent comedy/mystery to be shown with live music; inspired Bob Kane to create Batman superhero

SOMERVILLE, MASS.—It's a rarely screened movie credited with inspiring comic book artist Bob Kane to create the iconic 'Batman' character.

It's 'The Bat' (1926), a silent comedy/mystery directed by Roland West.

See 'The Bat' via a new digital restoration on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

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

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

The show will allow audiences to experience 'The Bat' the way its makers originally intended: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

 

The film recently underwent a digital restoration and release by Undercrank Productions. The new restoration will be show in DCP format. 

The story: throughout the city a mysterious thief known only as The Bat is looting the wealthy. The Bat, who wears a full-head bat mask and cape, enjoys toying with his prey by sending notes telling where he is going to strike next. 

As the seearch intensifies, at the country estate of the recently deceased bank owner, Courtleigh Fleming, a disparate group assembles, each with their own agenda.

When Courtleigh Fleming’s nephew is shot to death on the mansion’s grand staircase, the race is on to unmask the killer, stop The Bat, and find a fortune in stolen money hidden within the house.

'The Bat' was originally a popular stage play by Mary Roberts Rinehart before being transformed into a movie during Hollywood's silent film era.

The cast, which includes period favorites Louise Fazenda, Arthur Housman, Jack Pickford, and Jewel Carmen, supports the ominous mood while providing plenty of amusement.

Director Roland West was a master visual stylist with a penchant for the macabre. In 'The Bat,' he expertly manipulated light and shadow.

West also assembled a top notch production crew that included art direction by William Cameron Menzies and photography by Gregg Toland, who would later shoot 'Citizen Kane' (1941) with Orson Welles. 

'The Bat' was a hit when first released, and was also influential, as the masked figure of 'The Bat' had a profound effect on young artist Bob Kane, who cited the film as one of his main inspirations for the creation of Batman.

Rapsis, a composer who specializes in film music, will create a score for 'The Bat' on the spot, improvising the music as the movie unfolds to enhance the on-screen action as well as respond to audience reactions. 

Rapsis performs the music on a digital synthesizer, which is capable of producing a wide range of theatre organ and orchestral textures.

"Live music was an integral part of the silent film experience," Rapsis said. "At the time, most films weren't released with sheet music or scores. Studios relied on local musicians to come up with an effective score that was different in every theater. At its best, this approach created an energy and a connection that added a great deal to a film's impact. That's what I try to recreate," Rapsis said.

‘The Bat’ (1926) will be shown with live music on Sunday, Oct. 27 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.