Monday, August 26, 2024

See Chaplin's classic comedy 'The Gold Rush' (1925) with live music on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at Rex Theatre in Manchester, N.H.

A German poster promoting 'The Gold Rush' (1925).

Coming up on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.: I'll be accompanying Chaplin's 'The Gold Rush' (1925) at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in downtown Manchester, N.H.

It's the latest in the Rex Theatre's ongoing silent film series, which gives local audiences a chance to see great early cinema as it was intended: in a theatre, with live music, and (most importantly) with an audience.

Be a part of this shared experience—and besides, there's nothing on television this Wednesday night.

More info in the press release below. See you there!

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Charlie Chaplin tries to keep warm in 'The Gold Rush' (1925).

MONDAY, AUG. 19, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent masterpiece 'The Gold Rush' to screen at Rex Theatre on Wednesday, Aug. 28

Chaplin's epic comedy to feature live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis

MANCHESTER, N.H.—He was a comedic icon of the silent era, and 'The Gold Rush' was the movie that he wished to be remembered for.

He was Charlie Chaplin, whose Little Tramp character was beloved by early film audiences and remains a global icon to this day.

See for yourself when 'The Gold Rush' (1925), a feature-length film regarded as Chaplin's masterpiece, is screened on Wednesday, Aug. 28 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, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating music for silent films.

'The Gold Rush,' a landmark comedy and one of the top-grossing films of the silent era, finds Chaplin's iconic 'Little Tramp' character journeying to the frozen wastelands of the Yukon. There as a prospector, the Tramp's search for gold turns into a pursuit of romance, but with plenty of laughs along the way.

The film contains several famous scenes, both comic and dramatic, including a starving Chaplin forced to eat his shoe for Thanksgiving dinner and a heart-breaking New Year's Eve celebration.

As a comedian, Chaplin emerged as the first superstar in the early days of cinema. From humble beginnings as a musical hall entertainer in England, he came to Hollywood and used his talents to quickly rise to the pinnacle of stardom in the then-new medium of motion pictures. His popularity never waned, and his image remains recognized around the world to this day.

'The Gold Rush,' regarded by many critics as Chaplin's best film, is a prime example of his unique talent for combining slapstick comedy and intense dramatic emotion.

" 'The Gold Rush' is still an effective tear-jerker," wrote critic Eric Kohn of indieWIRE. "In the YouTube era, audiences — myself included — often anoint the latest sneezing panda phenomenon as comedic gold. Unless I’m missing something, however, nothing online has come close to matching the mixture of affectionate fragility and seamless comedic inspiration perfected by the Tramp."

Chaplin celebrates Thanksgiving by eating his show in 'The Gold Rush' (1925).

Rapsis, who uses original themes to improvise silent film scores, said the best silent film comedies often used visual humor to create laughter out of simple situations. Because of this, audiences continue to respond to them in the 21st century, especially if they're presented as intended — with an audience and live music.

"These comedies were created to be shown on the big screen as a communal experience," Rapsis said. "With an audience and live music, they still come to life as their creators intended them to. So this screening is a great chance to experience films that first caused people to fall in love with the movies," he said.

Rapsis achieves a traditional movie score sound for silent film screenings by using a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra.

"Seeing a Charlie Chaplin film with live music and an audience is one of the great experiences of the cinema of any era," Rapsis said.

"Films such as 'The Gold Rush' were designed for a specific environment. If you can put those conditions together again, you can get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies," Rapsis said.

'The Gold Rush' will be screened with live music on Wednesday, Aug. 28 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.

For more information, call (603) 668-5588.

Monday, August 19, 2024

This week: music for MGM late silent 'The Pagan' (1929), then Murnau's 'The Last Laugh' (1924)

An original lobby card promoting MGM's 'The Pagan' (1929).

This week finds me creating music for a silent film I've never before accompanied, then two well-known favorites: one a drama, the other a comedy.

First up is 'The Pagan' (1929) a late MGM silent starring Ramon Novarro and Renée Adorée, which I'm accompanying on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

This is the one I've never done before. (By my count, it'll be #396 on my list of film titles I've accompanied in theatrical screenings.) It's an exotic tale of romance and adventure set in the South Pacific, which means plenty of opportunities for Novarro to go shirtless.

Like many late silents, 'The Pagan' was released with a recorded musical soundtrack (but without dialogue) that could be used by theater that had the ability to handle synchronized sound. 

Interestingly, the recorded soundtrack featured a tune called “Pagan Love Song” composed by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, the same team responsible for “Singing in the Rain” and so many other popular songs of the era.

However, for the many theaters not yet "wired for sound," music was provided the same way it had been throughout the silent era: by live musicians playing whatever music they felt would help support what was on the screen.

That's what I'll be doing on Wednesday night for 'The Pagan,' a film I've never seen before. Despite the title, pray it goes well. 

Then, on Saturday, Aug. 24, it's up to Ludlow, Vt. for my annual appearance at 'Silent Film Night' at Ludlow Town Hall. This year's films is F.W. Murnau's 'The Last Laugh' (1924) starring Emil Jannings in a towering performance as a doorman who loses his job at a fancy downtown hotel.

Showtime for 'The Last Laugh' is 7 p.m.; more info in the press release below.

And on Sunday, Aug. 25, we turn to comedy with Buster Keaton's 'Spite Marriage' (1929), which I'm accompanying at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. Showtime there is 2 p.m. Admission is free, with donations welcome to support this independent theater.

All the best and enjoy this last stretch of summer before Labor Day weekend arrives!

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Promotional poster for 'The Last Laugh' (1924) starring Emil Jannings.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'The Last Laugh' to screen with live music at Ludlow Town Hall on Saturday, Aug. 24

Oscar-winning actor Emil Jannings stars in ground-breaking 1924 silent drama from German director F.W. Murnau

LUDLOW, Vt.—'The Last Laugh' (1924), a German silent film drama about a hotel doorman demoted to washroom attendant, will be screened with live music on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. in Heald Auditorium in Ludlow Town Hall, 37 Depot St., Ludlow.

Presented by the Friends of Ludlow Auditorium, the screening will feature accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating live music for silent film presentations.

Admission is free and all are welcome to this family-friendly event. Donations are accepted at the door to support the Friends of Ludlow Auditorium.

In 'The Last Laugh,' regarded as one of German director F.W. Murnau's best pictures, the story is told entirely in visual terms, without the use of title cards.

The film, a character study that chronicles the mental breakdown of an aging man who loses his position of authority, is also noted for its revolutionary use of camera movement.

Playing the lead role is Swiss/German actor Emil Jannings, widely recognized as one of the most versatile actors of early cinema.

Jannings would later move to Hollywood, where he earned the first-ever Best Actor Oscar at the inaugural Academy Awards for his towering performances in 'The Last Command' (1928) and 'The Patriot' (1928).

Critics and film writers regard 'The Last Laugh' as a landmark of early cinema.

" 'The Last Laugh' is a masterpiece of psychological study, perhaps the best ever portrayal of what goes through one man's mind under varying situations ... It is absolutely mind-boggling to see Emil Jannings age at least 10 or 15 years right in front of our eyes in the course of a couple of minutes," wrote author Robert K. Klepner in 'Silent Films' (2005).

Critic David Kehr of the Chicago Reader described 'The Last Laugh' as "the 1924 film in which F.W. Murnau freed his camera from its stationary tripod and took it on a flight of imagination and expression that changed the way movies were made."

The film's director of photography, Karl Freund, set new standards of cinematography in 'The Last Laugh,' setting up the camera to move through corridors and "see" action through a character's eye-view.

Freund's long career later included work in television in the 1950s in Hollywood, when he developed the "three camera" system for the "I Love Lucy" show, which became the standard format for shooting situation comedies.

'The Last Laugh' will be accompanied by live music by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who performs at venues across the region and beyond.

"Films such as 'The Last Laugh' were created to be shown on the big screen and in a theater as a communal experience," Rapsis said. "With an audience and live music, they still come to life in the way their makers intended them to.

'The Last Laugh' (1924) will be screened with live music on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. in Heald Auditorium in Ludlow Town Hall, 37 Depot St., Ludlow.

Admission is free and all are welcome to this family-friendly event. Donations are accepted at the door to support the Friends of Ludlow Auditorium.
 
A scene from F.W. Murnau's 'The Last Laugh' (1924) starring Emil Jannings.

Monday, August 12, 2024

Up next: Harold Lloyd in 'Speedy' (1928) on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Leavitt Theatre

A poster promoting the original release of 'Speedy' (1928).

If you're anywhere near Ogunquit, Maine this week, I invite you to join us for a screening of Harold Lloyd's great silent comedy 'Speedy' (1928) at the historic Leavitt Theatre.

I'm doing live music for this one-time-only screening, which is on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. Lots more info about the film is in the press released pasted in below.

'Speedy' takes place in the Big Apple, and much of the film was shot on location in New York City in the summer of 1927. 

So in addition to being an entertaining movie, the film is filled with visions of what New York looked like nearly 100 years ago, at the height of the Roaring '20s.

It's not just Manhattan, either—scenes were films in The Bronx and in Brooklyn, including a sequence in Coney Island that shows Harold and co-star Barbara Kent riding amusement rides that would send chills up the spine of an insurance adjuster. 

See it for yourself! Join us on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. for Harold Lloyd in 'Speedy' (1928) at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit!

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A vintage lobby card promoting Harold Lloyd's comedy 'Speedy' (1928).

MONDAY, JULY 29, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic Harold Lloyd comedy 'Speedy' on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Leavitt Theatre

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

OGUNQUIT, Maine—He was the bespectacled boy next door whose road to success was often paved with perilous detours.

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

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

The film, shot on location in New York City, will be shown on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event; admission is $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.

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

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

Harold Lloyd with baseball legend Babe Ruth on location during 'Speedy' (1928).

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

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

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

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

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

'Speedy' (1928) will be screened with live music on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine. All are welcome to this family-friendly event.

Admission is $15 per person; the Leavitt's full dinner menu and bar service will be available during the program. For more info, call (207) 646-3123 or visit www.leavittheatre.com. 

Harold Lloyd rides the subway in 'Speedy' (1928).


Friday, August 9, 2024

Join us Sunday, Aug. 11 for Keaton double feature—and help the West Newton Cinema stay open!

The West Newton Cinema in West Newton, Mass.

Coming up on Sunday, Aug. 11: I'll accompany a 1 p.m. program of two Buster Keaton comedies at the venerable West Newton Cinema, a family-owned independent moviehouse in a Boston suburb.

The films: Keaton's 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924), celebrating its 100th anniversary, and 'Our Hospitality' (1923).

It's my first appearance at the West Newton venue, which is currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign to remain open and serving the community, which it's been doing since 1937.

Fundraising is happening via the West Newton Foundation, and they're tackling quite a task: to raise $14 million to save the theater from demolition by acquiring it, renovating it, and converting its operation to a not-for-profit model.

It seems to be workng. Earlier this year, the group received a pledge of $5.2 million from a local philanthropist. Other donations have been made. For details, check out a story from last spring in the Boston Globe.

And then there's Sunday's silent film program. It's also a fundraiser—and at $20 per ticket, I hope you'll consider joining us. Not only are Keaton's films worth seeing with an audience, but you'll be helping keep the West Newton Cinema open and showing movies. (Presumably some silent titles, too!)

Here's a brief press release about the program with more info on each film. See you on Sunday at the West Newton Cinema!

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Buster Keaton in the projection booth in 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924)

MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton double feature, live music on Sunday, Aug. 11 at West Newton Cinema

Classic silent comedies 'Sherlock Jr.' and 'Our Hospitality' to run on the big screen as fundraiser to keep theatre open

WEST NEWTON, 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, and remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of two Keaton comedies, 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924) and 'Our Hospitality' (1923) on Sunday, Aug. 11 at 1 p.m. at the West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington St., West Newton, Mass.; (617) 964-8074. Admission $20 per person; buy tickets online at Eventbrite.

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

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?

This year, 'Sherlock Jr.' is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its release.

A vintage trade ad for the original release of 'Our Hospitality' (1923).

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

Resolving to return and claim his family homestead, he sets in motion a perilous cat-and-mouse game in which every move could be his last.

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.

The Keaton program is designed to showcase classic early movies as they were 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 improvise a musical score for both films, which was how the films were originally presented.

"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."

Buster Keaton and co-star in 'Our Hospitality' (1923).

Keaton entered films in 1917 and was quickly fascinated with the then-new medium. After apprenticing with popular comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Keaton set up his own studio in 1920, making short comedies that established him as one of the era's leading talents.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his entire body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era without special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts.

Although not all of Keaton's films were box office successes, critics later expressed astonishment at the sudden leap Keaton made from short comedies to the complex story and technical demands required for full-length features.

'Sherlock Jr.' and ‘Our Hospitality’ will be shown with live music on Sunday, Aug. 11 at 1 p.m. at the West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington St., West Newton, Mass.; (617) 964-8074. Admission $20 per person; buy tickets online at Eventbrite.

Monday, August 5, 2024

Accompanying 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' on Saturday, Aug. 10 at Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall

Rudolph Valentino introduces the tango in 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' (1921).

Two anniversaries will be honored this weekend when I accompany 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' (1921) on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. at Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall and Community Center.

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

The first anniversary is that August 2024 marks the 110th anniversary of the start of events that led to what we now call World War I. You know, Sarajevo and all that.

The second is that August 2024 marks the 98th anniversary of the untimely death of Rudolph Valentino, a star whose popularity was such that his name is still recognized today.

'Four Horsemen' is a worthy vehicle to honor both milestones, I think. A sprawling historical drama, I've come to see it as one of the first "breakthrough" films. 

To me, it's one of the earliest films to show and make full use of the unique story-telling capabilities of the motion picture camera.

I also think it has one of the most moving endings in all of cinema: when Nigel De Bruiler stretches out his hands in the vast cemetery, and cries "I knew them all!"

Nigel De Bruiler (at left) waits to say his big line at the end of 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.'

Wow! Come see for yourself next Saturday in Brandon. Details below!

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An original lobby card for 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' (1921).

MONDAY, JULY 29, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Brandon Town Hall to screen epic movie that launched Valentino as silent-era megastar

'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,' which introduced both Rudolph Valentino and the tango, to screen with live music on Saturday, Aug. 10

BRANDON, Vt.—The movie that introduced the nation to silent film heartthrob Rudolph Valentino—and also the tango—will be shown on the big screen in Brandon, Vt.

'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' (1921), a multi-generational family saga that climaxes during World War I, will be screened with live music on Saturday, Aug. 10 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. 

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

'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'  is being shown both in honor of the 110th anniversary of World War I's outbreak and the 98th anniversary of Valentino's untimely death in 1926.

Based on a novel by Spanish author Vicente Blasco Ibañez, 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' tells the story of an extended Argentine family with mixed ethnic background: one side is German, while the other is French.

The family gets drawn into World War I in far-off Europe, with members ending up on opposing sides. With brothers pitted against one another on the battlefield, the destruction of war changes lives forever.

'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' had a huge cultural impact, becoming the top-grossing film of 1921, beating out Charlie Chaplin's 'The Kid,' and going on to become the sixth-best-grossing film of the silent era.

Also, the film turned then-little-known actor Rudolph Valentino into a superstar, associating him with the image of the Latin Lover. In addition, the film inspired a tango craze and fashion fads such as gaucho pants.

Directed by Rex Ingram for Metro Pictures (a predecessor of MGM studios), 'Four Horsemen' grew into a mammoth production: over $1 million was spent in making it and more than 12,000 people were involved. The film was hugely successful at the box office, grossing nearly $5 million during its initial run, an enormous sum at the time.

The film was notable as one of the first major Hollywood productions to include World War I (then known as the 'Great War') in its storyline, and also in that it did not glorify the recent conflict or look past the tragedy that it brought. 
It's also among the first U.S. feature films to make full use of the unlimited visual power of the new motion picture medium.

Although Valentino dominates the film, other actors of note are featured. Alice Terry, the billed co-star as well as Ingram's wife, was a popular actress of her day.

Alan Hale Sr. appears in a supporting role; he was perhaps best known as Errol Flynn's sidekick in numerous films, his role of Little John in several Robin Hood flicks, and as the father of Alan Hale, Jr., who played the Skipper on the television series Gilligan's Island.

In 1995, the silent version of 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Regarding the title: the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are mentioned in the Bible in chapter six of the Book of Revelation, which predicts that they will ride during the Apocalypse. The four horsemen are traditionally named War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death.

"This is a big sprawling drama, and a great chance to see Rudolph Valentino in the picture that launched his celebrity," said Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who will create live music for the screening.

Rapsis will improvise live musical accompaniment during the show, using a digital synthesizer to recreate the sound of a full orchestra and other more exotic textures.

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

The screening of 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' is sponsored by Jean and Harold Somerset, John and Lynn Wilson; Dorothy Leysath and Edward Loedding; Donna Malewicki; and Pam and Steve Douglass.
Other films in this year's Brandon Town Hall silent film series include: 

• Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, 7 p.m.: "Speedy" (1928) starring Harold Lloyd. Harold's final silent feature cis a tribute to New York City, baseball, and the idea that nice guys can indeed finish first, highlighted by one of the most exciting races to the finish in all silent cinema. Complete with an extended cameo from none other than Babe Ruth! 

• Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, 7 p.m.: "Phantom of the Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney. Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber created the hit stage musical, this silent film adaptation starring Lon Chaney put 'Phantom' firmly in the pantheon of both horror and romance. Just in time for Halloween! 

• Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, 7 p.m.: "Barbed Wire" (1927) starring Pola Negri, Clive Brook. During World War I, the French government commandeers a family farm for use as a camp for German POWs, setting the local population at each other. Intense drama about forbidden love and the human condition, with a special holiday twist. 
 
 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' (1921) will be screened with live music on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Route 7, in Brandon, Vt. 
 
Admission is free, with free will donations accepted in support of ongoing Town Hall renovations. For information, visit www.brandontownhall.com.