Up next: 'The General' with live music in Newport, R.I. on Thursday, May 21, plus the perils of using Vivaldi for Civil War battle scenes

Buster with his co-star in 'The General' (1926).

Even if we weren't celebrating the 100th anniversary of its release, Buster Keaton's 'The General' stands as one of the most requested silent films 

But this year, thanks to the big round number, I'm accompanying 'The General' more than ever. Next up: Thursday, May 21 at 6 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I. 

More details on this screening in the press release pasted in below.

My experience with 'The General' dates back to my undergraduate days at Fordham University in the 1980s. 

I was involved with the 'Cinevents' committee, the student group that scheduled and showed feature films on campus. 

This was back in the days before anything was available at any time via streaming—but that's a whole other topic.

Even then, long before I actively started doing live music for silent film screenings, I was notorious for advocating for their inclusion in college schedule, forever pleading for 'Safety Last' to be screened at Fordham.

At one point, by classmates relented, and we booked Keaton's 'The General' as part of Fordham's classic film series, which took place on Tuesday nights at Keating Hall.

Keating Hall at Fordham, where we showed movies to the students on campus.

However, when the 16mm print arrived from the Swank rental agency, it turned out to be truly silent, with no recorded soundtrack!

What to do? 

 Someone got a cassette tape of Vivaldi's 'The Seasons,' and that's what we pumped through the sound system as Buster's Civil War epic unfolded.

I have to say, for the most part it worked wonderfully. A lot of Vivaldi's music is repeated notes chugging along, which went well with all the scenes set on moving trains. At one point, a movement ended just as a scene faded out. Wow!

Alas, our luck didn't hold. As the film reached its climax, the large scale Civil War battle scenes were accompanied by the lilting strains of Vivaldi's 'Spring,' a pairing that didn't quite work. 

I'm hoping to avoid that fate when I do live music for 'The General' on Thursday, May 21 at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I. More info and details in the press release below.

*    *    *

 Buster Keaton in 'The General' (1926).

Buster Keaton's 'The General' with live music at Jane Pickens Theatre on Thursday, May 21

100th anniversary screening! Civil War railroading comedy/adventure film lauded as stone-faced comic moviemaker's masterpiece

NEWPORT, R.I. — 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 100th anniversary screening of 'The General' (1926), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Thursday, May 21 at 6 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.

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

Admission is $18; members $16. Tickets at the door; advance tickets are available online at janepickens.com. For more information, call the box office at (401) 846-5474.

The screening is a chance to experience this landmark film as it was intended to be seen: in a high quality print 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?

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," Rapsis said.

With the screening of 'The General' at the Jane Pickens Theatre, 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.

 

Buster Keaton on location while shooting 'The General' (1926).

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 Thursday, May 21 at 6 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.

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

Admission is $18; members $16. Tickets at the door; advance tickets are available online at janepickens.com. For more information, call the box office at (401) 846-5474.

 

Leavitt Theatre opens silent film season with 'Girl Shy' (1924) on Saturday, May 16; D.W. Griffith's 'America' provides a surprisingly satisfying afternoon at the movies

Silent film comedian Harold Lloyd showing his aggressive side in 'Girl Shy' (1924).

Up next: it's Harold Lloyd's 'Girl Shy' (1924), which I'm accompanying on Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

More info on the film and this screening, which opens the 2026 silent film series at the historic venue, in the press release pasted in below. 

But first, a report on an unusual screening yesterday: D.W. Griffith's rarely shown Revolutionary War epic 'America' (1924), which I did music for at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

The screening was part of a week-long celebration of the nation's upcoming 250th birthday, organized just a bit early so Wilton wouldn't have to compete with other towns as we get closer to the 4th of July.

I had never done 'America' before, and really wasn't aware of the film until longtime Town Hall Theatre proprietor Dennis Markevarich asked if it would work as part of the town's event schedule that weekend.

How would I know? Only one way to find out...

A poster promoting D.W. Griffith's epic 'America' (1924).

And what happened followed a pattern. With every D.W. Griffith film I've ever done, the same thing happens. Previewing it by myself, I always come away thinking "How is an audience going to buy this?"

Hoaky plots. Cardboard characters. Obvious plots. Cornpone humor. Moralizing intertitles. Stodgy film technique. And with 'America,' we don't even get stalwart Griffith leading lady Lillian Gish, but instead Carol Dempster, who is many things, but is not Lillian Gish. 

It would all add up, I thought, to a long and unsatisfying afternoon at the movies. 

But then, when you DO put a Griffith epic in front of audience, as the film was intended to be shown, it somehow comes to life. Audiences respond, just as they did in Griffith's heyday. The technique, though primitive, still works.

And that's what happened with 'America' on Sunday in Wilton, N.H. About 60 people became quickly engrossed in the movie, and stayed "in the zone" for the full 2½ hours. They laughed at the comic relief. They cheered when villain Lionel Barrymore finally met his end. It worked!

It was the shared experience of silent film at its best—afterwards, attendees came up to say they thoroughly enjoyed it. And so did I! Overall, it made for a very satisfying afternoon at the movies. So bravo, Mr. Griffith.

In fact, it was so successful, it made me curious about another lesser-known Griffith film starring Neil Hamilton and Carol Dempster: 'Isn't Life Wonderful' (1924). I now plan to program it next year to see if it holds up as well when presented as intended: on a big screen, in a theater, with live music, and with an audience.

Speaking of the big screen: that's where you can see Harold Lloyd's comedy 'Girl Shy' (1924) on opening night of this year's silent film series at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

More info and details below. See you Saturday by the seaside! 

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 Harold Lloyd and co-star Jobyna Ralston in 'Girl Shy' (1924).

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more info, contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Leavitt Theatre to screen Harold Lloyd comedy 'Girl Shy' with live music on Saturday, May 16

Classic comedies, action-packed dramas highlight 2026 Silent Film Series schedule for historic Ogunquit venue's 101st anniversary season

OGUNQUIT, Maine—Classics of the silent film era return to the big screen this summer at Ogunquit's Leavitt Theatre, which is planning another season of vintage cinema with live music in the historic venue.

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

The Leavitt, located at 259 Main St. Route 1 in Ogunquit, is celebrating its 101sst anniversary, having served the community continuously since 1925.

The silent film season starts on Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. with 'Girl Shy' (1924), a classic silent comedy starring Harold Lloyd. Admission is $18 per person.

Live music will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based musician and composer who specializes in accompanying silent film screenings.

'Girl Shy' (1924) stars Harold Lloyd as a timid young man from a small town who pens a book about imaginary female conquests.

Trouble begins when bashful Harold falls in love for real, and then must rescue his beloved from marrying the wrong man in the big city.

Harold's dilemma prompts a climactic race to the altar that stands as one of the great chases in all of cinema. The sequence was so successful that MGM used it as a model for the famous chariot race in the original silent film version of 'Ben Hur' (1925).

The film is bursting with visual comedy typical of the silent era, but the romantic storyline was strong enough to act as a counterweight, creating a new hybrid genre now known as the romantic comedy, or "rom-com."

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

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

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

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

Following 'Girl Shy' (1924) on Saturday, May 16, other programs in this year's Leavitt silent film series include:

•  Friday, June 19, 2026, 6:30 p.m.: "Three Ages" (1923) starring Buster Keaton. Keaton's first feature-length comedy interweaves tales of romance from three epochs: the Stone Age, the Roman Empire, and "Modern Times," meaning 1920s California. See why Buster is regarded as one of the great clowns of the silent era. 

• Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, 7 p.m.: "Beau Geste" (1926) starring Ronald Colman. Michael "Beau" Geste leaves England in disgrace and joins the infamous French Foreign Legion. He is reunited with his two brothers in North Africa, where they face greater danger from their own sadistic commander than from the rebellious Arabs. 

• Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Cat and the Canary" (1927); Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123. Can a group of distant relatives survive the night in a haunted house to learn the secret of a madman's will? Find out in the original Gothic thriller from silent film director Paul Leni. Just in time for Halloween!

Harold Lloyd's classic silent comedy 'Girl Shy' (1924) will lead off this season's silent film series on Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Fine Arts Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; admission is $18 per person, general seating.

For more information, visit www.leavittheatre.com.

 

Celebrate our 250th birthday (a little early) with D.W. Griffith's 'America' (1924) on Sunday, May 10

A poster promoting 'America' (1924) and highlighting the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, which is depicted in the film.

This weekend, I'll be at the keyboard to accompany a screening of D.W. Griffith's historical epic 'America' (1924), a drama set during the American Revolution.

The film, which I've never scored before, will be shown on Sunday, May 10 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. 

The screening is part of the town's slightly early multi-day celebration of the nation's upcoming 250th birthday. For more info about all of this weekend's events, visit https://www.wiltonnh250.com/.

(The showing of 'America' is described as "a silent film masterpiece meets a powerful live piano score." Well, I'll do my best.)

The fact that Sunday, May 10 is Mother's Day...well, I don't how that might affect attendance. Celebrate Mom's Big Day by taking her to a film about the War for Independence! 

But before moving ahead, here's a quick look back in the rear view mirror at recent screenings.

Selfie in front of Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall and Community Center.

Saturday, May 2 saw this year's Silent Film Series at the Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall and Community Center open with a screening of the MGM historical epic 'Annie Laurie' (1927) starring Lillian Gish and with live music by me.

I've worked up some strong material, I think, for this film, which is set in Scotland and includes lots of on-screen bagpipe playing. It's a challenge to create music that evokes the sound of bagpipes when called for, but also speaks to the story line which under pins it all. 

About 75 people enjoyed the program, which made for a strong start to this year's season of monthly silent film screenings, which runs through November. 

We saw an equally strong turnout for Buster Keaton's 'Steamboat Bill, Jr.' (1928), which I accompanied on Sunday, May 3 at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

Audience reaction was strong throughout—I guess we could all use a laugh these days. But people were so into the experience, spontaneous applause and cheers erupted at two scenes: when a two-story building front falls onto Buster, who is saved by an open window; and when he pilots a riverboat into a floating structure to rescue his father. 

More shows coming up later in May. But for now, I hope you'll join us for a rare screening of D.W. Griffith's 'America' (1924) on Sunday, May 10 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. More details in the press release below.

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D.W. Griffith directing actors in costume during the filming of 'America' (1924).

MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

D.W. Griffith's epic 'America' (1924) to screen on Sunday, May 10 at Town Hall Theatre

In honor of the nation's 250th birthday! Revolutionary War drama to be shown with live music at historic venue in downtown Wilton, N.H.

WILTON, N.H.—It was among Hollywood's first attempts to bring the story of the American Revolution on the big screen.

It was 'America' (1924), a sprawling epic directed by D.W. Griffith, which thrilled audiences by recreating Paul Revere's midnight ride, the Boston Tea Party, and Washington's encampment at Valley Forge.

In honor of the nation's upcoming 250th birthday, the rarely screened film will be shown on Sunday, May 10 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

The program is free and open to the public; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film programming. The screening is part of the town's commemoration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.

Live music will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who performs regularly at silent film screenings around the nation.

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.

Adapted from a 1905 novel 'The Reckoning' by Robert W. Chambers, 'America' tells the heroic story of events during the American Revolutionary War. The plot mainly centers on the Northern theatre of the war, with romance spliced into individual movie scenes.

'America' resulted from a 1923 petition by the Daughters of the American Revolution to Motion Picture Production Association President Will H. Hays to make a historical epic about the American Revolution. Hays convinced D.W. Griffith to direct the film. 'America' was produced by Griffith's New York-based studio and released by United Artists.

Griffith prepared for the film by visiting historic battlefields and meeting with historical societies such as the DAR, the Sons of the Revolution, the Smithsonian Institution, the New York Public Library, the Lexington Historical Society, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, and the Massachusetts Historical Society.

The first half of the film portrays the struggle of the under-armed, under-manned colonists against the British Redcoats at Lexington, Bunker Hill and Valley Forge. Other landmarks of the American Revolution shown include the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's midnight ride and Patrick Henry's inflammatory speeches to the VIrginia House of Burgesses. 

The battles of Lexington and Concord were staged with a wealth of authentic detail and enhanced by skillful editing. During the filming of a recreation of the Battle of Bunker Hill, a 19-year-old soldier's arm was blown off while reloading a cannon.

The second half dwells on the bloody Indian War of Mohawk Valley, and is highlighted by a "race to the rescue" action sequence, a Griffith specialty.

The film concludes with the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 and the first inauguration of George Washington as president of the United States in 1789.

The parts are tied together by the troubled romance between a young patriot, Nathan Holden (played by Neil Hamilton) and Nancy Montague (Carol Dempster), the daughter of a Tory Judge.

Hamilton, a popular silent-era leading man, would many years later achieve fame as "Commissioner Gordon" in the 1960s 'Batman' television series.

Also in the cast is Lionel Barrymore, who plays an English Loyalist; decades later, he would play 'Old Man Potter' in Frank Capra's 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946).

After completion, the film was screened to President Calvin Coolidge before its release, and the U.S. Army used it for recruitment purposes.

However, 'America' was not as successful as Griffith's previous films. Costing nearly $1 million to produce, box office for 'America' was a disappointing $1.8 million. Changing public tastes in the Roaring '20s meant this would be Griffith's last big-budget historical epic.

A battle scene from D.W. Griffith's 'America' (1924).

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

Rapsis will create the accompaniment on the spot, improvising music as the movie unfolds to enhance the action on the screen as well respond to audience reactions. He will perform the music on a digital synthesizer 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. "Because most films at the time weren't released with sheet music or scores, studios depended 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.

D.W. Griffith's epic drama 'America' (1924) will be screened with live music on Sunday, May 10 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

The program, in honor of the nation's 250th birthday, is free and open to the public. A donation of $10 per person is suggested to support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film programming. For more information, call (603) 654-3456.