Here's a running list of upcoming screenings of silent film with live music by Jeff Rapsis.
• Sunday, June 4, 2023, 2 p.m.: "Our Hospitality" (1923) starring Buster Keaton; The Residence at Otter Creek, 350 Lodge Road, Middlebury, Vt. Silent comic
Buster Keaton's film about a backwoods feud in the 1830s
pokes fun at everything from southern customs to early railroad trains.
Filled with great gags and a timeless story that culminates in a
dramatic river rescue in which Buster almost lost his life for real! Free and open to the public; guests required to wear face masks.
• Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1916); The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance
Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/.
Early version of the classic Jules Verne tale, with a few other tales mixed in. Feature film that pioneered
underwater photography techniques. Monthly silent film series at a restored moviehouse
in Plymouth, N.H.
• Sunday, June 11, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Wind" (1928) starring Lillian Gish; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. A frail young woman from the east moves in with her cousin in the west, where she causes tension within the family and is slowly driven mad. Towering, intense performance by Lillian Gish in one of MGM's last major silent dramas; told with visual style by Swedish director Victor Seastrom. One of the all-time silent classics and not to be missed. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 6 p.m.: "Safety Last" (1923) starring Harold Lloyd; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; http://www.leavittheatre.com. The iconic image of Harold Lloyd dangling from the hands of a downtown clock is only one small piece of a remarkable thrill comedy that has lost none of its power over audiences. See it for yourself on the big screen and with a lot of other people—the way it was meant to be shown! Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Sunday, June 18, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Kid" (1921) starring Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan; Wilton Town Hall
Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Chaplin's breakthrough comedy/drama finds the Tramp raising an infant
against all odds. Highlighted by amazing work of five-year-old Coogan,
who delivers one of the most remarkable child performances in all of
cinema. As the film tells us: "A story with a smile, and perhaps a
tear."Silent film
with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912.
Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 6 p.m.: "The Covered Wagon" (1923);
Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123;
http://www.leavittheatre.com. Epic Western adventure and top hit of 1923. Two wagon caravans converge at what is now Kansas City, and combine for
the westward push to Oregon. On their quest the pilgrims experience
desert heat, mountain snow, hunger, and Indian attack. Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt
Theatre. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater
opened in 1925 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Sunday, July 9, 2023, 2 p.m.: Salute to Canada Double Feature! "Mantrap" (1926) starring Clara Bow and "The Canadian" (1926); Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.; http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com. To mark "Canada Day" (July 1), we salute our neighbors with a double helping of vintage cinema set north of the border. In 'Mantrap' (1926), silent-era 'It" girl Clara Bow stars in a battle-of-the-sexes comedy about a big city divorce lawyer hoping to get away from it all at a Canadian wilderness retreat. 'The Canadian' (1926) stars Thomas Meighan in the tale of a pioneering couple homesteading in Alberta, where they battle bad weather and financial woes. Both titles shown via 35mm prints from the Library of Congress on the big screen at the Somerville Theatre, a 1914 moviehouse. For more info, call the theater box office at (617) 625-5700.
• Wednesday, July 12, 2023, 6 p.m.: "Our Hospitality" (1923) starring Buster Keaton; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; http://www.leavittheatre.com. Silent comic Buster Keaton's film about a backwoods feud in the 1830s pokes fun at everything from southern customs to early railroad trains. Filled with great gags and a timeless story that culminates in a dramatic river rescue where Buster almost lost his life for real! Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Saturday, July 15, 2023, 7 p.m.: "The General" (1927) starring Buster Keaton; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.org. Buster's Civil War-era masterpiece tells the story of a Confederate railroad engineer whose train is hijacked by Northern spies. One of the great movies of any era! Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Sunday, July 16, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Circle" (1925) starring Eleanor Boardman, Joan Crawford, directed by Frank Borzage; Wilton Town Hall
Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Set among the aristocrats of Edwardian Britain, a comedy about an unhappy woman who considers leaving her dull husband for another man. Based on the 1921 play The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham. Silent film
with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912.
Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, July 19, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "The General" (1927) starring Buster Keaton; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/. Buster's Civil War-era masterpiece that tells the story of a Confederate railroad engineer whose train is hijacked by Northern spies. One of the great films of any era! Monthly silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H.
• Sunday, July 23, 2023, 4 p.m.: "The Kid Brother" (1927) starring Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston; The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508) 647-0097; http://www.natickarts.org/. Often cited as Lloyd's masterpiece, this ambitious silent film comedy/drama tells the story of Harold Hickory, youngest son of a powerful rural sheriff. When his father is unjustly accused, Harold is forced to prove himself and clear his father's name. Silent film with live music in a renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $12, Center for the Arts members $10.
• Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 7 p.m.: "Ononko's Vow" (1910); Deerfield Community Center (part of Historic Deerfield), 16 Memorial St., Deerfield, Mass. In 1910, the Edison Company released Ononko’s Vow, an early
silent movie filmed on location in Deerfield and Whately, Mass. View a newly digitized version of this almost-forgotten film
followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Carolyn Anderson, silent film
historian and Professor Emerita of Film and Television at UMass Amherst,
and Dr. Margaret Bruchac, Associate Professor of Anthropology,
Coordinator of Native American and Indigenous Studies, and Associate
Faculty in the Penn Cultural Heritage Center at the University of
Pennsylvania.
• Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 6 p.m.: "Zaza" (1923) starring Gloria Swanson;
Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123;
http://www.leavittheatre.com. Romance set in France in which Swanson plays a hot-tempered provincial
actress who gets entangled with a married diplomat. Swanson's ebullience
in Zaza was unfeigned; she called it "the fastest, easiest, most
enjoyable picture I ever made." Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt
Theatre. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater
opened in 1925 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Sunday, July 30, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Apple Tree Girl" (1917) starring Shirley Mason; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Rarely screened early feature film produced by Thomas Edison. Shirley Mason stars as a poor girl who goes to live with a wealthy aunt and her snooty cousin. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023, 8 p.m.: "Safety Last"
(19230 starring Harold Lloyd, at the Alton Town Gazebo in Alton Bay, N.H. The iconic image of Harold Lloyd dangling from the hands of a downtown
clock is just one highlight of a remarkable thrill comedy that has lost
none of its power over audiences. See for yourself as we celebrate the
100th anniversary of the movie's original release. Silent film under the stars at the
Alton Town Gazebo in Alton Bay, N.H.
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, 6 p.m.: Comedy double feature! "The Pilgrim" (1923) starring Charlie Chaplin and "Bell Boy 13" (1923) starring Douglas MacLean;
Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123;
http://www.leavittheatre.com. Two vintage comedies, one by a world famous performer and another from one unjustly forgotten. In 'The Pilgrim,' Chaplin's tramp impersonates a man of the cloth, with unexpected results. Chaplin's final short film. In 'Bell Boy 13,' Douglas MacLean plays a disowned heir who takes a menial job at a hotel to be near his sweetheart. Join us for
the 100th season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt
Theatre. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater
opened in 1923 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, 7 p.m.: "The Ten Commandments" (1923); Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.org. Long before Charlton Heston played Moses in Technicolor, director Cecil B. DeMille filmed this silent blockbuster on a grand scale. Many say it surpasses the remake—see for yourself as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the film's original release. Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, 2 p.m.: "Beau Brummel" (1924) starring John Barrymore; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Opulent silent drama about the rise and fall of the famous London gentleman, a commoner who nevertheless circulates in royal circles due to his influence and sartorial prominence. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, 6 p.m.: "A Woman of Paris" (1923) directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring Edna Purviance; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; http://www.leavittheatre.com. Charlie's full-length drama about kept woman (Edna Purviance) who runs into her former fiancé and finds herself torn between love and comfort. No Little Tramp here, as Charlie stays behind the camera except for a small role as a porter in a train station. Join us for asummer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, 7 p.m.: "The Gold Rush" (1925) starring Charlie Chaplin; Heald Auditorium in Ludlow Town Hall, 37 Depot St., Ludlow, Vt. The Little Tramp prospects in the Klondike in Chaplin's silent comedy epic. Silent film with live music in the lovingly restored Heald Auditorium in Ludlow Town Hall in Ludlow, Vt.
• Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Divine Lady" (1929) starring Corrine Griffith; Wilton Town Hall
Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Frank Lloyd won the 'Best Director' Oscar for this romantic melodrama about the scandalous love affair between British naval hero Horatio Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton. Silent film
with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912.
Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "My Best Girl" (1927); The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/. In a big city department store, what happens when romance blossoms between a humble clerk and the store owner's son? A sparkling “rich man, poor girl” romantic comedy from 1927 starring screen icon Mary Pickford with Charles 'Buddy Rogers,' her future husband. Monthly silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H.
• Monday, Sept. 4, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "Our Hospitality" (1923)
starring Buster Keaton, Natalie Talmadge; Greenfield
Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St.,
Greenfield, Mass.; call (413) 773-9260 or visit www.gardencinemas.net. Silent comic
Buster Keaton's film about a backwoods feud in the 1830s
pokes fun at everything from southern customs to early railroad trains.
Filled with great gags and a timeless story that culminates in a
dramatic river rescue in which Buster almost lost his life for real. Join us for this special 100th anniversary screening! Tickets $10.50 adults;
$8.50 students, seniors, and veterans.
• Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, 6 p.m.: "Haldene of the Secret Service" (1923) starring Harry Houdini; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; http://www.leavittheatre.com. In Houdini's final starring vehicle, he plays the son of a detective slain by a gang of counterfeiters. Seeking vengeance, he rescues a girl (Leslie) from the gang, but is thrown into river by them for dead, and escapes. Join us for summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, 7 p.m.: "The Freshman" (1925) starring Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.org. We welcome football season with Harold Lloyd's blockbuster hit about a college boy who dreams of gridiron greatness. One of Lloyd's all-time best! Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Fire Brigade" (1926); Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.; http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com. MGM’s blockbuster production stars Charles Ray, the youngest in a long line of fearless Irish American firefighters, who falls in love with the daughter (May McEvoy) of a crooked building contractor. Spectacular fire sequences with hand-colored effects included in this recent Library of Congress restoration. Silent film shown in 35mm prints on the big screen at the Somerville Theatre, a 1914 moviehouse and theater. For more info, call the theater box office at (617) 625-5700.
• Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "Scaramouche" (1923) starring Ramon Novarro, Alice Terry; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/. When a nobleman murders his best friend, a lawyer becomes a revolutionary with his heart set on vengeance. Swashbuckler based on the best-selling 1921 novel by Rafael Sabatini. Monthly silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H.
• Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, 2 p.m.: "Eagle of the Night" (1928) starring Frank Clarke, Shirley Palmer; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. High-flying aviation drama! An inventor creates a new muffler for airplanes to silence engine sounds, but look out! The bad guys are out to steal the invention and put it to evil use. A feature-length thriller assembled from surviving pieces of a 10-part Pathe serial. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, 6 p.m.: "The Ten Commandments" (1923) directed by Cecil B. DeMille; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; http://www.leavittheatre.com. Long before Charlton Heston played Moses in Technicolor, director Cecil B. DeMille filmed this silent blockbuster on a grand scale. Many say it surpasses the remake—see for yourself as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the film's original release. Join us for a summer season of movies and entertainment at the historic Leavitt Theatre. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1925 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, 2 p.m.: Salute to Marion Davies and Q & A with author Lara Gabrielle; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.; http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com. Join us for a salute to iconic 1920s star Marion Davies, including a screening of one of her box office hits (title to be announced) plus a Q & A / book-signing with Lara Gabrielle, author of the recently published 'Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies.' More details TBA. Film to be shown via 35mm print on the big screen at the Somerville Theatre, a 1914 moviehouse. For more info, call the theater box office at (617) 625-5700.
• Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, 7 p.m.: "Seven Chances" (1925) starring Buster Keaton; The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.; (603) 668-5588; https://www.palacetheatre.org/rex-theatre/. In this 1925 farce, Buster is about to be saved from bankruptcy by an unexpected inheritance of $7 million—but only if he gets married by 7 p.m. that very day. One of Keaton's best comedies, climaxed by one of the great chase scenes in all film, silent or otherwise. Join us for a series of silent film programs with live music in a wonderful restored theater in downtown Manchester. Timeless silent film on the big screen! Tickets $10 per person general admission.
• Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, 7 p.m.: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) starring Lon Chaney; Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry; sponsored by Derry Public Library. Join us for a 100th anniversary screening of the original screen adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel
about a deformed bellringer in medieval Paris. A moving and timeless
drama filled with classic scenes and capped with a thrilling climax. Timeless silent film on the big
screen
and with live music. Free admission! For more information, contact the
Derry Public Library at (603) 432-6140.
• Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, 4 p.m.: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) starring Lon Chaney; The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508) 647-0097; http://www.natickarts.org/. Join us for a 100th anniversary screening of the original screen adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel about a deformed bellringer in medieval Paris. A moving and timeless drama filled with classic scenes and capped with a thrilling climax. Silent film with live music in a renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $12, Center for the Arts members $10.
• Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1920)
starring John Barrymore; Greenfield
Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St.,
Greenfield, Mass.; call (413) 773-9260 or visit www.gardencinemas.net. John Barrymore plays both title roles in the original silent film
adaptation of the classic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. A
spook-tacular performance that helped establish Barrymore as one of the
silent era's top stars, highlighted by Barrymore's on-camera
transformations done without special effects. Tickets $10.50 adults;
$8.50 students, seniors, and veterans.
• Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, 7 p.m.: "My Best Girl" (1927) starring starring Mary Pickford, Charles "Buddy" Rogers; Brandon Town Hall
and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.;
http://www.brandontownhall.org. In a big city department store, romance blossoms between a humble stockroom clerk and the store owner's son—who is already engaged! A sparkling “rich man, poor girl” romantic comedy from 1927 starring screen icon Mary Pickford and Charles 'Buddy Rogers,' her future real-life husband. Join us for a series
of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in
Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations
accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Red Kimona" (1925); Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. A small-town girl finds escape from her cruel home life in the arms of a handsome stranger. Soon she finds herself working as a prostitute in New Orleans, desperately clinging to the belief that he really loves her. Film produced from a woman's point of view by trio of female cinematic pioneers: Adela Rogers St. John, Dorothy Arzner, and Dorothy Davenport Reid. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, Oct.11, 2023, "The Cat and the Canary" (1927); Townsend (Mass.) Public Library, 12 Dudley
Road, Townsend, Mass.; (978) 597-1714; http://www.townsendlibrary.org.
Perfect for Halloween! 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. Co-sponsored by the Townsend Senior Center. Silent film with live music; free admission and
program open to the public.
• Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Colonial Theatre, 95 Main Street, Keene, N.H.; (603) 352-2033; https://thecolonial.org/. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1924. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, 7 p.m.: "To Be Announced." Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline, Mass.; (617) 734-2501; www.coolidge.org. Silent film on the big screen with live music: the Coolidge's long-running 'Sounds of Silence' program recreates the experience of early cinema so today's audiences can experience why movie-goers first fell in love with the silver screen.
• Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "Lon Chaney Double Feature"; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/. Two strange late silent thrillers, both starring Chaney at the peak of his career and directed by Todd Browning, who would later helm the cult film 'Freaks' (1932). In 'The Unknown' (1927), Chaney plays 'Alonzo the Armless,' a circus knife-thrower (he uses his feet!) with a dark past who lusts after trapeze artist Joan Crawford, who is pursued by the circus strong man, but she has a phobia about being held by a man. See where this is going? In 'West of Zanzibar' (1928), Chaney plays a vaudeville magician who loses use of his legs in an accident but still journeys to Africa to seek revenge on the wealthy businessman (Lionel Barrymore) who stole his beloved. Monthly silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H.
• Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, 7 p.m.: "Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) starring Lon Chaney; The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.; (603) 668-5588; https://www.palacetheatre.org/rex-theatre/. Join us for a 100th anniversary screening of the original screen adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel about a deformed bellringer in medieval Paris. A moving and timeless drama filled with classic scenes and capped with a thrilling climax! Join us for a series of silent film programs with live music in a wonderful restored theater in downtown Manchester. Timeless silent film on the big screen! Tickets $10 per person general admission.
• Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, 7:30 p.m.: "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney; The Jane Pickens Theatre, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.; (401) 846-5474; https://janepickens.com/. Get in the mood for Halloween with one of the all-time classic thrillers. Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber created the hit stage musical, this silent film adaptation starring Lon Chaney helped place 'Phantom' firmly in the pantheon of both horror and romance. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown for more than a century. Admission prices and more info to come.
• Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, 7 p.m.: "The Cat and the Canary" (1927); Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.org. 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, a movie filled with deep shadows, dark secrets, and a surprisingly timeless mix of humor and horror that will keep you guessing. Remember: in silent film, no one can hear you scream! Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, 6 p.m.: "Warning Shadows" (1923);
Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123;
http://www.leavittheatre.com. During a dinner given by a wealthy count (Fritz Kortner), his beautiful wife (Ruth Weyher) and four of her suitors come together at the 19th-century German manor. A magician (Alexander Granach), rescues the count's marriage by giving all the guests a vision of what might happen if the count cannot restrain his jealousy and the suitors continue to make advances towards his wife. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater
opened in 1925 and barely changed since. Admission $12 per person.
• Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, 7:30 p.m. "To Be Announced"; the Edison Theatre at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, 37417 Niles Boulevard, Niles, Calif. Wonderful vintage Edison theater from 1913 now fully restored; shows silent films with live music. More information about program to come.
• Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "The Scarlet Letter" (1926) starring Lillian Gish; Greenfield Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St., Greenfield, Mass.; call (413) 773-9260 or visit www.gardencinemas.net. Splashy MGM adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic tale of old New England, with Lillian Gish in the leading role as Hester Prynne. After having a child out of wedlock, a young Puritan woman is pressured to reveal the name of her lover. Ah, the good old days! Tickets $10.50 adults; $8.50 students, seniors, and veterans.
• Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "The Three Musketeers" (1921) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr.; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/. Original screen adaptation that set the bar for movie versions of The Three Musketeers as well as for the swashbuckler genre itself. An action-adventure tale of a young Gascon, D'Artagnan, whose dream is to join the King's Musketeers, and travels to Paris to do so. Monthly silent film series at a restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H.
• Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, 8 p.m.: "Wings" (1927) starring Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Richard Arlen; Epsilon Spires, 190 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vt.; www.epsilonspires.org. Tickets $20. In honor of Veterans Day, a sweeping drama about fighter pilots in World War I; one of the great achievements of the silent cinema, winner of "Best Picture" at the first-ever Academy Awards. Compelling story, great performances, battle scenes filmed on an immense scale, and in-air aviation sequences that remain thrilling even today. Epsilon Spires is an organization illuminating the relationships between creative arts, natural sciences and sustainability using multimedia platforms. Epsilon Spires operates out of a renovated Baptist church built in 1868.
• Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, 2 p.m.: "A Sailor-Made Man" (1921)
starring Harold Lloyd, "Shoulder Arms" (1918) starring Charlie Chaplin; The Residence at Otter Creek, 350 Lodge Road,
Middlebury, Vt. Special salute to Veterans Day courtesy two of the masters of silent comedy. In 'Sailor Made Man' (1921), pampered socialite Harold Lloyd enlists in the U.S. Navy to impress his girlfriend, only to discover he can't leave after the first afternoon. In 'Shoulder Arms' (1918), the Kaiser will never recover after Charlie's Little Tramp serves his country on the European battlefields of World War I. See what it was like to serve one's country more than a century ago while enjoying timeless visual comedy with live music. Free and open to the public.
• Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, 7 p.m.: "The Big Parade" (1925) starring John Gilbert, Renée Adoree; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.org. We salute Veterans Day with this sweeping saga about U.S. doughboys signing up and shipping off to France in 1917, where they face experiences that will change their lives forever—if they return. MGM blockbuster directed by King Vidor; one of the biggest box office triumphs of the silent era. Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.
• Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, 2 p.m.: "The Big Parade" (1925) starring John Gilbert, Renée Adoree; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.; http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com. We salute Veterans Day with this sweeping saga about U.S. doughboys signing up and shipping off to France in 1917, where they face experiences that will change their lives forever—if they return. MGM blockbuster directed by King Vidor; one of the biggest box office triumphs of the silent era. Silent film shown in 35mm prints on the big screen at the Somerville Theatre, a 1914 moviehouse and theater. For more info, call the theater box office at (617) 625-5700.
• Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, 2 p.m.: "To Be Announced"; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Silent film with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged.
• Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, 6:30 p.m.: "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1922) starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.; Greenfield Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St., Greenfield, Mass.; call (413) 773-9260 or visit www.gardencinemas.net. Blockbuster adaptation of the tales of Robin Hood and his merry men. Massive sets, great action, and Doug Fairbanks in the lead made this the top grossing film of 1922! See it for yourself! Tickets $10.50 adults; $8.50 students, seniors, and veterans.
• Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, 4 p.m.: "My Best Girl" (1927) starring Mary Pickford, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers; The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.; (508) 647-0097; http://www.natickarts.org/. In a big city department store, what happens when romance blossoms between a humble clerk and the store owner's son? In case you missed Valentine's Day: a sparkling “rich man, poor girl” romantic comedy from 1927 starring screen icon Mary Pickford with Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, her future husband. Silent film with live music in a renovated firehouse that's now a terrific arts center. Tickets $12, Center for the Arts members $10.
• Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, 7 p.m.: "To Be Announced." Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline, Mass.; (617) 734-2501; www.coolidge.org. Silent film on the big screen with live music: the Coolidge's long-running 'Sounds of Silence' program recreates the experience of early cinema so today's audiences can experience why movie-goers first fell in love with the silver screen.
• Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, 7 p.m.: "Speedy" (1928) starring Harold Lloyd, Barbara Kent; The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.; (603) 668-5588; https://www.palacetheatre.org/rex-theatre/. Romantic comedy perfect for Valentine's Day. Lloyd's final silent feature finds him at the peak of his career playing a baseball-crazed go-getter forced to rescue the business of his girlfriend's father from being destroyed by thugs. Filled with great scenes of 1920s NYC, with notable cameo by baseball's Babe Ruth. Join us for a series of silent film programs with live music in a wonderful restored theater in downtown Manchester. Timeless silent film on the big screen! Tickets $10 per person general admission.
• Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, Kansas Silent Film Festival at
Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Annual pilgrimage to multi-day
celebration of silent film with live music. Check it out at www.kssilentfilmfest.org.
My 25th consecutive year of
attending this festival, which includes during the pandemic in 2021, when it was
held online but we recreated it in New Hampshire. See you in the Sunflower State!
• Thursday, March 28, 2024, 7 p.m.: "The Ten Commandments" (1923), directed by Cecil B. DeMille; The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.; (603) 668-5588; https://www.palacetheatre.org/rex-theatre/. Long before Charlton Heston played Moses in Technicolor, director Cecil B. DeMille filmed this silent blockbuster on a grand scale. Many say it surpasses the remake—see for yourself as we mark the Christian calendar's Holy Week with this ground-breaking (and Red Sea-parting) Biblical epic. Join us for a series of silent film programs with live music in a wonderful restored theater in downtown Manchester. Timeless silent film on the big screen! Tickets $10 per person general admission.
• Wednesday, April 3, 2024, 7:30 p.m.: "The Kid Brother" (1927) starring Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston; The Walker Lecture Series, Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince Street, Concord, N.H. Free and open to the public. Often cited as Lloyd's masterpiece, this ambitious silent film
comedy/drama tells the story of Harold Hickory, youngest son of a
powerful rural sheriff. When his father is unjustly accused, Harold is
forced to prove himself and clear his father's name. Program includes a Lloyd short comedy.
• Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, time TBA: "The Lost World" (1925) at the 50th Annual Sci-Fi Marathon presented by the Case Western Reserve University Film Society, 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. Live music for 'The Lost World,' a featured attraction in this year's annual 36-hour (!) sci-fi marathon at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. First-ever movie adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary tale of British explorers who discover prehistoric creatures still thriving atop a remote South American plateau. Great entertainment; ground-breaking special effects by the same team that later created 'King Kong' mesmerized early movie audiences and remain impressive today.
• Wednesday,March 19, 2025, 7:30 p.m.: "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy"
starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy; The Walker Lecture Series,
Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince Street, Concord, N.H. Free and open
to the public. See the famous comedy duo make the transition from silent films to talkies. Details to be announced.
