Flying to Florida for 'The Flying Fleet,' then back to Boston for 'The Blot' at the Lois Weber Festival

Ramon Novarro poses with a prop in 'The Flying Fleet' (1929).

Heading down to the Sunshine State this morning for an unusual gig: doing live music for a screening of 'The Flying Fleet' (1929) at the Leeward Air Ranch in Ocala, Fla. 

What's going on is that awhile back I was up for auction as part of a fundraising event for the non-profit Aviation Museum of N.H., where I serve as Executive Director.

And the winning bidder, a longtime supporter of the museum, suggested that the best use of her "prize" would be for me to do my silent film accompaniment thing for residents of Leeward, where several Aviation Museum people have second homes. 

The suggestion was contingent on "when you're in Florida," with the only flaw in that being that I'm never in Florida. But a winning bid is a winning bid, and so, thanks to Rapid Rewards points, I'm now sitting at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport waiting for the 5:35 a.m. flight to Baltimore, then connecting to Orlando, where the temperature today is in the mid-80s.

So this evening, 'The Flying Fleet' will screen in the community center of the Leeward Air Ranch, with live accompaniment by me. (Get ready for a lot of 'Anchors Aweigh.') 

An original lobby card promoting 'The Flying Fleet' (1929).

Although no masterpiece, it's actually a great film for aviation buffs because it's filled with scenes of U.S. Navy flying as it was in the late 1920s. Filmed in partnership with the U.S. Navy, it includes scenes filmed on the U.S.S. Langley, the nation's first aircraft carrier—actually a converted coal barge.

And then the next morning, I'll zip back up north and be at my desk at the Aviation Museum before noon. Ah, the glamorous life of a silent film accompanist!

Next up after that is music for 'The Blot' (1921), the opening night attraction of the 4th Annual Lois Weber Film Festival, taking place this year at the West Newton Cinema in West Newton, Mass.

A trade publication ad promoting 'The Blot' (1921).

Conceived in the spirit of pioneering female filmmaker Lois Weber, the festival ... well, here's the official description: "The Lois Weber Film Festival is a female-forward 501(c)3 dedicated to promoting gender equality in the film industry by celebrating the legacy of silent film pioneer Lois Weber and the history of women in film, past, present, and future."

So it's not the usual silent film audience. But you can't have a festival named after Lois Weber and not show one of her films, and so each year I've been invited to accompany her work as part of the "Red Carpet Opening Night" festivities. 

It's my observation that most of those in attendance, although filmmakers themselves, have rarely experienced silent cinema in a theater with live music. So these screenings fall into the category of "so old it's new to us" category. 

And each time I've done this, the reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, with many comments along the lines of "It was so much better than I expected." And something about this inspires me to really bring my A Game, knowing that it's the first time many of those present have experienced silent cinema. 

Not that I don't always try my best at every screening. But it's definitely the case where the presence of an audience that's into the film, reacting to it and discovering something new, can influence the accompaniment just as much as what's on screen.

After that, following a relatively quiet period, things pick up with no less that eight screenings in 11 days leading up to Easter, including a spate of Cecil B. DeMille biblical epics—one silent 'Ten Commandments' (1923) and a couple showings of 'King of Kings' (1927).

Meanwhile, the one-quarter of me that's Irish wishes you all a happy St. Patrick's Day, and also somewhere in there spring arrives—a welcome development after an unusually cold and snowy winter in our part of the world.

Maybe I'll bring some of the Florida weather back with me! 

Saturday, March 14: accompanying the cape-wearing 'Phantom of the Opera' at a Cape Cod library

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

Next up: doing music for a screening of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) at the Falmouth Public Library in Falmouth, Mass. The show is Saturday, March 14 at 3 p.m.

It seems somehow fitting to accompany a screening of the cape-wearing 'Phantom' on Cape Cod!

A press release with more info about the film and the screening is pasted in below.

Before pushing ahead, however, I'd like to report that this weekend's screening were well-received and quite successful. 

At the West Springfield Public Library in West Springfield, Mass., about 50 people enjoyed 'Sherlock Holmes' (1916) on Saturday, March 7, including members of the "Monadnock Sherlockians," a group of Holmes buffs who came down from New Hampshire to take in the screening.

And on Sunday, March 8, not sure if the first nice weather we've had in months helped, but a sizeable crowd cheered the exploits of canine stars Thunder and Klondike in a pair of dog-centric thrillers I accompanied at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

Okay, next up (after a private gig at a retirement community this week in Concord, N.H.), it's 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) on Saturday, March 14 at 3 p.m. at the Falmouth Public Library in Falmouth, Mass.

See you on the Cape—and at the movies!

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

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

'Phantom of the Opera' starring Lon Chaney at Falmouth Library on Saturday, March 14

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

FALMOUTH, Mass.—It was a film considered so frightening when first released that theaters were advised to have doctors standing by in case moviegoers fainted.

It was the original big screen adaptation of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), starring iconic actor Lon Chaney in the title role.

This classic Universal Studios thriller will be shown on Saturday, March 14 at 3 p.m. at the Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main St., Falmouth, Mass.

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

The screening is free and open to the public. 

The film is suitable for all ages, although young children may find some scenes intense and frightening.

The show will enable audience members to experience the original silent 'Phantom' the way it was intended to be seen: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.  

'The Phantom of the Opera,' starring legendary actor Lon Chaney in the title role, remains a landmark work of the cinematic horror genre. To modern viewers, the passage of time has made this unusual film seem even more strange and otherworldly.

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

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

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

'The Phantom of the Opera,' adapted from a 19th century novel by French author Gaston Leroux, featured Chaney as the deformed Phantom who haunts the opera house. The Phantom, seen only in the shadows, causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to force the opera's management to make the woman he loves into a star.

The film is most famous for Lon Chaney's intentionally horrific, self-applied make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere.

Chaney transformed his face by painting his eye sockets black, creating a cadaverous skull-like visage. He also pulled the tip of his nose up and pinned it in place with wire, enlarged his nostrils with black paint, and put a set of jagged false teeth into his mouth to complete the ghastly deformed look of the Phantom.

Chaney's disfigured face is kept covered in the film until the now-famous unmasking scene, which prompted gasps of terror from the film's original audiences.

"No one had ever seen anything like this before," Rapsis said. "Chaney, with his portrayal of 'The Phantom,' really pushed the boundaries of what movies could do."

Chaney, known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" due to his versatility with make-up, also played Quasimodo in the silent 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) and circus performer 'Alonzo the Armless' in Tod Browning's 'The Unknown' (1927).

The large cast of 'Phantom of the Opera' includes Mary Philbin as Christine Daaé, as the Phantom's love interest; character actor Snitz Edwards; and many other stars of the silent period.

'The Phantom of the Opera' proved so popular in its original release and again in a 1930 reissue that it led Universal Studios to launch a series of horror films, many of which are also regarded as true classics of the genre, including 'Dracula' (1931), 'Frankenstein' (1931), and 'The Mummy' (1932).

The silent film version of 'Phantom' also paved the way for numerous other adaptations of the story, up to and including the wildly successful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical from 1986 that continues to run in productions around the world.

"Even with all the different versions of this story, Chaney's performance in the lead role stands the test of time," Rapsis said. "And remember—in silent film, no one can hear you scream!"

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ (1925) will be shown with live music on Saturday, March 14 at 3 p.m. at the Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main St., Falmouth, Mass.

The screening is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.falmouthpubliclibrary.org or call the library at (508) 457-2555.

 

Before Basil Rathbone, there was William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes; see for yourself on Saturday, March 7

A poster promoting the 1916 release of 'Sherlock Holmes' starring William Gillette.

One of the first times I got to stay up late was in junior high, when I got in the habit of watching Sherlock Holmes movies that Channel 38 in Boston showed on Saturday nights starting at 11:30 p.m.

They would run one of the Universal series of pictures from the late 1930s into the 1940s starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock and Nigel Bruce as a slightly-befuddled Watson. The series was interesting to me because several of the films were set in the then-present, with Holmes matching wits with Nazi super-villains. 

The duo was so popular, Universal would occasionally give them cameos in other pictures, such as this throwaway 15-second appearance in 'Crazy House' (1943), an Olsen and Johnson comedy:

To many—including me—Basil Rathbone's portrayal of Holmes set the standard for all subsequent portrayals. What I didn't know was that before Basil Rathbone played Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous fictional detective, the role was originated by stage actor William Gillette.

Gillette, collaborating with the author himself, portrayed Holmes on stage for decades, touring around the country and aboard. Many aspects of the Holmes characters originated from his stage portrayal, including the iconic pipe and the deerstalker hat.

Because Gillette was a stage performer, his work vanished when the curtains closed on his long career. However, in 1916, for the first and only time in his career, he was persuaded to perform as Holmes in front of the movie camera.

He did, but alas, the film vanished after its initial release, joining the thousands of silent titles of which no copies survived.  

Until now! A few years back, a nearly complete copy of the 1916 film starring Gillette as Holmes was found in a French archive. It's since been restored and is available for viewing.

And you won't have to wait until 11:30 p.m. to see it. I'm accompanying 'Sherlock Holmes' (1916) this afternoon at 2 p.m. at the West Springfield Public Library in West Springfield, Mass.

If you're in the area, stop by and see William Gillette portray Sherlock Holmes long before Basil Rathbone—or anyone else—took on the role.

It's free; more information in the press release below... 

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William Gillette in the title role of 'Sherlock Holmes' (1916)

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

It's elementary! Rediscovered 'Sherlock Holmes' movie at West Springfield Public Library on Saturday, March 7

Original silent film adaptation, missing for nearly a century, to be screened with live musical accompaniment; free and open to the public

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—The first-ever movie adaptation of 'Sherlock Holmes,' a silent film released in 1916 and recently rediscovered, will screen next month at the West Springfield Public Library.

The original 'Sherlock Holmes' will be shown with live music on Saturday, March 7 at 2 p.m. the West Springfield Public Library, 200 Main St., West Springfield, Mass.

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

The program is free and open to the public.

Like many films from the silent era, the 'Sherlock Holmes' movie was long considered lost until a nearly complete copy was discovered in 2014 at the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris.

The film has since been restored, allowing movie-goers to again see the only screen appearance of stage actor William Gillette.

Gillette originated the role of Sherlock Holmes in a popular stage adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's tales of the legendary British detective.

Gillette performed as the brilliant Holmes more than 1,300 times over three decades, touring the nation and popularizing Conan Doyle's sleuth.

A popular stage actor, Gillette made no other known movie appearances. But his interpretation of the Holmes character laid the groundwork for all actors who would later play the role, including Basil Rathbone and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Set in Victorian-era London, the original 'Sherlock Holmes' is an episodic crime drama that incorporates the plots of several Conan Doyle tales.

William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes.

Running about 90 minutes, it features all major characters of the Holmes stories, including companion Dr. Watson and nemesis/rival Prof. Moriarty.

It was filmed in 1915 in the Chicago studios of the Essanay Film Co., with exterior shots of the Windy City doubling for Victorian London.

The film will be shown with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer regarded as one of the nation's leading silent film musicians.

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."

The original ‘Sherlock Holmes' (1916), starring William Gillette in the title role, will be shown with live music on Saturday, March 7 at 2 p.m. the West Springfield Public Library, 200 Main St., West Springfield, Mass.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.wspl.org or call the library at 413-736-4561. 

Making the annual pilgrimage to Kansas to commune with the best piano I play all year

The Steinway D concert grand piano on stage at White Concert Hall at Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas.

And the star of the show is...the piano!

Well, not entirely. Each year, the Kansas Silent Film Festival is worth experiencing for the films, and also the fine people who organize it and attend it, and the community that hosts it.

And this year was no exception. 

The 29th annual edition of the event featured a wide-ranging program of great movies accompanied by live music, strong audience response, plus special guest Melissa Talmadge Cox, granddaughter of Buster Keaton.

Melissa Talmadge Cox carrying a picture of her famous grandfather into the White Concert Hall at Washburn University, home of the Kansas Silent Film Festival.

(29 years! The Kansas festival has now been running longer than the silent film era it celebrates.)

But then there's that piano. 

The films may change from year to year, but one thing remains constant: the enormous Model D Steinway grand piano that lives on the stage of White Concert Hall at Topeka's Washburn University, where the festival takes place.

How else can I put it? It's the best piano I play all year. 

As you may know, not all pianos are the same—each carries its own special blend of sound, action, touch, and many other variables. Even with identical models from the same manufacturer, each will have a different personality.

For me, the D Model Steinway I've been privileged to play at Washburn University for nearly 20 years now is a dream to work with. It has weight and power, but also lightness of touch. It responds well to my at-times percussive style of playing, but can also make lyrical passages sound like a human voice.

It feels exactly right under my fingers. I can do things on it that I can't do on other pianos.

I remember once the festival brought in a well-known guest accompanist who had heard me play years before, when I was just starting out. In Kansas, he heard me play again, and afterwards congratulated me on doing a good job—wondering aloud if it was the instrument that made the difference. 

Frankly, it probably was! 

So why not get one for myself? The Steinway D is the firm's top-of-the-line concert grand piano, and currently retails for between $200,000 and $250,000. Should I start a crowd-funding campaign?

From the podium, host Denise Morrison snaps a photo of the audience at this year's Kansas Silent Film Festival.

Outside of Kansas, most of my film accompaniment work is done using a Korg digital keyboard, which has 88 keys but is small enough to be portable (just barely!), and enables me to score films with the texture of a full orchestra. The Korg boasts a weighted-action keyboard that has a nice feel to it, and is useful in calling up different settings just based on how "hard" I play. 

But it's totally unlike performing on a mighty all-acoustic Steinway, with the tangible physical connection between your fingers and the keys and the hammers and the strings. Nothing to plug in except the built-in humidity control system and the piano light. 

There's talk of the Kansas Silent Film Festival at long last taking place in the Jayhawk Theatre in downtown Topeka. If that ever happens, I sure hope they'll haul the Steinway over as a crucial part of the festival.

A still from 'The Toll Gate' (1920) with costars Anna Q. Nilsson and William S. Hart. In the "small world" department, Nilsson would much later be one of the "waxworks" silent-era stars playing poker in 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950).

Of the films I accompanied, 'The Toll Gate' (1920), a dark Western starring William S. Hart, was the most satisfying and came off the best, I thought. It's a strong film for music, with moments of intense emotion that music can augment very effectively, and action sequences that pair well with busy minor-key passages.

There's also something unusual in the film's structure. The first two-thirds of the movie is filled with men and guns and horses and everything else you'd associated with an outlaw in the Old West. But then, for the final third, we meet a woman and her young boy living alone in a remote cabin.

It's through them that the hard heart of William S. Hart begins to soften. And with that, a whole new type of music seemed called for: something more gentle and tender than anything that had come before.

What I came up with was a simple diatonic phrase built of six notes. With light accompaniment underneath, it sounded like the beginning of a Chopin Etude. Quite a contrast with all the musical drama that preceded it—but which made it stand out all the more.

As I worked through the last two reels, it became one of those times I savor as an accompanist: when you have good material to work with, and you're "ahead of the film" (meaning you have a strong sense of what's coming and what you want to do with it), and the right pieces are falling into place for it to all come together. 

Those in attendance seemed to enjoy the results. "Jeff Rapsis provided a hauntingly beautiful score," commented Bruce Calvert in his annual write-up of the festival's program, found online at the Nitrateville silent film site. Thanks, Bruce!

The busy lobby between screenings at this year's Kansas Silent Film Festival.

Next year will mark a significant milestone for the little Kansas festival that could: its 30th year!

I hope you'll join me in marking your calendar for Feb. 26 & 27, 2027—and joining me in Topeka when those dates roll around!

For now, thanks and congratulations to all the people who work all year around to make the Kansas Silent Film Festival a success. I remain grateful to all that this event has given me in the 27 years I've been attending—and not just the chance to play that piano! 

The amazing "bio-hazard" pattern carpeting used throughout the White Concert Hall at Washburn University, home of the Kansas Silent Film Festival.