Hitchcock's 'The Ring' (1927) today at 2 p.m.: thoughts on silent film, boxing, and ballet

A scene from Alfred Hitchcock's boxing drama 'The Ring' (1927). 

Today at 2 p.m., the bell rings for the next installment of our mini-series of silent boxing films at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

This afternoon, it's Alfred Hitchcock's early film 'The Ring' (1927), a drama in which two men do battle over a woman inside the ring and out.

Late this summer, the series conclude son Sunday, Aug. 24 with 'Battling Butler' (1926), Buster Keaton's boxing comedy.

I'm drawn to silent films that feature boxing because they show the enduring fascination a sport that's so basic and elemental.

Boxing: No teams, just two opponents. No fancy equipment. Everything out in the open for once, with no second-guessing what you're there to do.

Also, talking and words aren't important in the ring. So that's something that silent film and boxing share. Sometimes words aren't enough, or sometimes they're too much.

So there's a certain expressive power shared by boxing and silent film.

You could also make the same connection between boxing and ballet. No words there either: just music and movement—telling stories so elemental that words aren't needed.

Yes, kind of like boxing. 

This reminds me that a friend of mine had a T-shirt that said: "Boxing is like ballet except the dancers hit each other."

There's also the time element of boxing and silent film. When the bell rings, the fighters have no choice to face each other until the contest comes to an end one way or another.

Likewise, when the opening titles of a silent film appear on the screen, the accompanist has no choice to stay in the ring until the story is told—in this case, when 'The End' shows up, which is the cinematic equivalent of going the distance.

There may be other connections with silent film and boxing. So far, no one has thrown a punch at me during a screening, but that could happen at any time. 

If it happens this afternoon, be there to see it by getting a ringside seat at the Town Hall Theatre at 2 p.m. 

Here's the press release with a lot more info  about the film and the screening.

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A scene from Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Ring' (1927).

 

MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Early Hitchcock film highlights Town Hall Theatre summer series of vintage boxing movies

'The Ring' (1927), silent drama of two fighters in love with same woman, to be screened on Sunday, July 20 with live musical accompaniment

WILTON, N.H.—An early film directed by Alfred Hitchcock is next up in a summer series of vintage boxing movies at the Town Hall Theatre.

'The Ring' (1927), an intense tale of two fighters battling over the same woman, will be screened with live music on Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m.

The boxing series is part of the Wilton Town Hall Theatre's monthly silent film program. Admission to the screenings is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested.

Live accompaniment will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician.

'The Ring,' an early Hitchcock effort, was made when the director was still working in his native Great Britain.

The future "master of suspense" was just 28 years old when he helmed this silent drama set in the colorful world of English carnivals and fairgrounds.

'The Ring' is based on Hitchcock's only original screenplay, although he worked extensively alongside other writers throughout his career.

Silent-era boxing dramas are of interest to fans because they're filled with scenes of the sport at the height of its mainstream popularity.

At the time, boxing rivaled baseball as the nation's most popular sport. Neighborhoods, communities, and ethnic groups all rooted for their favorite fighters, and heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey ranked as an international celebrity.

Boxing stories were popular with early movie audiences as well.

"As an elemental contest between two opponents, boxing inspired some great work by early filmmakers," Rapsis said. "It's a visual sport that doesn't require a lot of dialogue or commentary to understand, and so was perfect for silent movies."

The Wilton Town Hall Theatre has been showing films since 1912. The venue's silent series gives local audiences the chance to experience early cinema as it was intended to be seen: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

The silent film boxing series concludes on Sunday, Aug. 24 with 'Battling Butler' (1926), Buster Keaton's uproarious comedy about a pampered millionaire mistaken for a champion fighter.

The Summer Silent Boxing Film Series continues with a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Ring' (1927) on Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested.

 

Next up: Hitchcock's 'The Lodger' (1927) on Tuesday, March 28 in Newport, R.I.

Ivor Novello stars in 'The Lodger' (1927).

Ready to move in: Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Lodger' (1927), which I'm accompanying on Tuesday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I.

Although it's not Hitchcock's first movie, it's generally regarded as the first true "Hitchcock" film, meaning it has elements of what became his signature style.

Among them: 'The Lodger' contains the first Hitchcock cameo, a trademark he would continue for the duration of his long directing career.

It occurs right near the start of the film, and might not be obvious because Hitchcock is only seen from behind, and he also has hair. Here's a quick preview so you'll know what to look for:

Lots more info in the press release pasted in below. If you're in the Newport area, I hope you'll join us to experience this film as intended: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

Yesterday saw a surprisingly healthy turnout for 'The Regeneration' (1915), an early drama that's part of our ongoing 'Silent New York' series at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

The film was included because it was shot mostly on New York's Lower East Side, then a warren of slums and tenements that housed many poor and newly arrived immigrants.

Because of that, I made that point that because none of the actors are remembered today, we should really regard the city itself as the film's star.

But I now realize that many people actually would have recognized the film's female lead if I had mentioned an extraordinary role she played long after the silent era ended.

Since I didn't say it then, I'll include it here.

Remember in 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950), there's a scene where faded silent star Norma Desmond (played by Gloria Swanson) plays cards with cronies from her glory days.

At the table are Buster Keaton, H.B. Warner, and...Anna  Q. Nilsson, who starred in 'The Regeneration' way back in 1915!

I'll have to remember that the next time I accompany the film.

Okay, here's more info on 'The Lodger.' See you when you check in Tuesday night at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I.!

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I scream, you scream, we all scream for 'The Lodger' (1927).

MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2023 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Hitchcock's first thriller, 'The Lodger,' to screen Tuesday, March 28 at Jane Pickens Theatre

Creepy silent drama about killings in London marked legendary director's debut; to be shown with live music at historic Newport venue

NEWPORT, R.I.—A half-century of murder has to start somewhere.

And for movie director Alfred Hitchcock, it began with 'The Lodger' (1927), a silent thriller that stunned audiences when first released, and which contained many of his trademark touches.

'The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog,' will be shown on Tuesday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre Film and Event Center, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.

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.

Admission is $15 per person; members $13. Tickets are available online or at the door.

'The Lodger,' shot in England and based on a story and stage play by Marie Belloc Lowndes, concerns the hunt for a serial killer in London.

British matinee idol Ivor Novello plays Jonathan Drew, a quiet, secretive young man who rents a room in a London boarding house. Drew's arrival coincides with the reign of terror orchestrated by a mysterious "Jack The Ripper"-like killer, who murders a blonde woman every Tuesday evening.

As the film progresses, circumstantial evidence begins to mount, pointing to Drew as the murderer. Suspense and drama escalate in true Hitchcock fashion as the viewer wonders if the lodger really could be the killer—and if so, what danger awaits the landlord's daughter, who is developing feelings for the mysterious stranger.

The all-British cast includes Malcom Keen, Arthur Chesney, and Marie Ault.

'The Lodger' introduced themes that would run through much of Hitchcock’s later work: an innocent man on the run, hunted down by a self-righteous society; a strong link between sexuality and murder; and a fixation on blonde women.

About 'The Lodger,' Hitchcock scholar Donald Spoto wrote that for "the first time Hitchcock has revealed his psychological attraction to the association between sex and murder, between ecstasy and death."

'The Lodger' also launched the Hitchcock tradition of making a cameo appearance in each of his films. In 'The Lodger,' Hitchcock appears briefly about three minutes into the film, sitting at a desk in a newsroom with his back to the camera and using a telephone.

The cameo appearance tradition, which continued for the rest of his long career, came about in 'The Lodger' when the actor hired to play the part of the telephone operator failed to turn up, and Hitchcock filled the role.

Some critics say 'The Lodger' broke new ground in the previously moribund British cinema, showing a truly cinematic eye at work.

In creating the movie, Hitchcock evoked contemporary films by German directors F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang, whose influence can be seen in the ominous camera angles and claustrophobic lighting.

While Hitchcock had made two previous films, in later years the director would refer to 'The Lodger' as the first true "Hitchcock" picture. The movie has since been remade several times, most recently in 2009, in an updated version starring Alfred Molina and Hope Davis.

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

In creating music for silent films, Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra and creates a traditional "movie score" sound.

'The Lodger' will be shown on Tuesday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre Film and Event Center, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.

Admission is $15 per person; members $13. Tickets are available online at www.janepickens.com or at the door. For more information, call the box office at (401) 846-5474.

Heading Downeast to accompany Buster's 'Butler,' but first some thoughts on 'North by Northwest'

Cary Grant vs. cropduster in 'North by Northwest' (1959).

Yesterday I went down to the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square to catch a matinee screening of 'North by Northwest' (1959) in 35mm.

Why? Because I plan to someday work on a book that tells a story based on Hitchcock's spy thriller. I'm not quite there yet, but soon.

For now, all I can do is report what I overheard yesterday afternoon in the theater, which was surprisingly crowded.

Young Person Behind Me Before Show Started: "Wait, this film is in color? So did they invent color between the last film we saw and this one?"

This caught my attention. Further discussion revealed that they'd recently seen the Orson Welles' 'Touch of Evil' (1958), made the year before 'North by Northwest,' and the assumption was apparently was that once color was available, everything just switched over to it. Wow.

Well, whatever. We all discover the world around us in our own way And people have to start somewhere. 

And I should be glad that they're willing to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon in a darkened theater with Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint and Bernard Herrmann, or watch a film such as 'Touch of Evil' in a theater. (Which they apparently had done.)

After the Hitchcock film ended, the comment I caught was: "Was that supposed to be good in a kind of 'so bad it's good' kind of way?" Again, wow.

Well, not sure what they'd make of Buster Keaton in 'Battling Butler' (1926), but that's the film I'm accompanying this Wednesday at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

My Brattle neighbors may not be in attendance, but I hope you will. Below is the press release with all the info...

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Buster in a posed shot with his porkpie hat (which he doesn't wear in the film) from 'Battling Butler' (1926).

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton's 'Battling Butler' at Leavitt Theatre on Wednesday, July 13

Silent film series continues with knockout boxing comedy focusing on the fight game, accompanied by live music

OGUNQUIT, Maine—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.

Acclaimed for their originality, clever visual gags, and amazing stunts, Keaton's films remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'Battling Butler' (1926), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St, Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

Admission is $12 per person. Live music will be provided by accompanist Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer who specializes in creating music for silent film presentations.

'Battling Butler' tells the story of pampered millionaire Alfred Butler (Keaton) who tries to impress the girl of his dreams (Sally O'Neil) by pretending to be a championship boxer with the same name.

The masquerade leads to knockout comedy both in and outside the ring, giving Keaton ample opportunity to display his gifts for physical and visual comedy.

In the 1920s, boxing rivaled baseball as the nation's most popular sport. Neighborhoods, communities, and ethnic groups all rooted for their favorite fighters, and heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey ranked as an international celebrity.

Because of this, boxing stories were popular with early movie audiences as well.

"As an elemental contest between two opponents, boxing inspired early filmmakers to do some great work," Rapsis said. "It's a visual sport that doesn't require a lot of dialogue or commentary to understand, and so was perfect for silent movies."

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands as one of the silent screen's three great clowns.

Many 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."

While making films, Keaton never thought he was an artist, but an entertainer trying to use the then-new art of motion pictures to tell stories and create laughter.

All those talents are on display in 'Battling Butler,' which holds the distinction of being the top-grossing title of Keaton's silent features.

The Leavitt Theatre's silent film screenings provide local audiences the opportunity to experience silent film as it was intended to be shown: on the big screen, in restored prints, with live music, and with an audience.

“These films are still exciting experiences if you can watch them as they were designed to be shown,” said Rapsis, accompanist for the screenings.

“There’s a reason people first fell in love with the movies, and we hope to recreate that spirit. At their best, silent films were communal experiences in which the presence of a large audience intensifies everyone’s reactions.”

The Leavitt, a summer-only moviehouse, opened in 1923 at the height of the silent film era, and has been showing movies to summertime visitors for nearly a century.

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

Following 'Battling Butler' on Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m., other programs in this year's Leavitt silent film series include:

• Wednesday, July 27 at 7 p.m.: Greta Garbo in 'The Temptress' (1926). MGM drama with Garbo destroying the lives of men everywhere. Unusual in that the film was made with two very different endings per order of studio boss Louis B. Mayer; both will be screened.

• Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m.: Clara Bow stars in 'Mantrap' (1926). Battle-of-the-sexes comedy; city boy Richard Dix tries to win his girlfriend by taking up the rugged cowboy life, only to find it not so rugged. Rarely screened comedic gem from the height of the silent era.

• Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.: 'Blood and Sand' (1922). Rudolph Valentino in his first starring role, as a sexy bullfighter in this romantic thriller. Will Rudy choose the pure love of Carmen, or the sinister charms of the exotic Doña Sol? And will he survive the choice?

• Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.: Rare race drama: 'The Flying Ace' (1926). All-Black motion picture added to the National Film Registry last year. Rare example of 'race' cinema, produced for audiences in Black-only theaters commonly found in segregated parts of the nation.

• Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.: F.W. Murnau's 'The Last Laugh' (1924). Towering performance by Emil Jannings as aging doorman at posh city hotel whose unexpected change of jobs robs him of self-respect and identity. Directed by Murnau as a purely visual tale, no dialogue intertitles.

• Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.: 'Der Golem' (1920). Prepare for Halloween with one very weird flick! In 16th-century Prague, a rabbi creates a giant creature from clay, called the Golem. Using sorcery, he brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.

Buster Keaton stars in 'Battling Butler,' to be shown on Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St, Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

Admission is $12 per person, general seating. For more info, call (207) 646-3123 or visit www.leavittheatre.com.

Summertime double-header: Hitchcock's 'The Ring,' then Fairbanks in 'Thief of Bagdad'

An original poster for Alfred Hitchcock's film 'The Ring' (1927)

They do it in baseball. So why not in silent film?

Today is one of those "two screenings in one day" days. A double-header, just like baseball.

Unlike baseball, today's screenings are in two different stadiums—er, theaters. And this being New England, they're in two different states, too.

This afternoon, I'll be at the Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre for the next installment of our summertime series of silent boxing movies.

This time it's Alfred Hitchcock's early drama 'The Ring' (1927), which I've never done before.

But in terms of music, I've found the Hitchcock silents lend themselves to a sort of reverse-engineered Bernard Herrmann approach. So that's what I'll be taking.

Today happens to be a spectacular mid-summer day (mid-80s, sunny but not humid), so we'll see what kind of turnout we get.

In our favor: the Hitchcock name, plus some good exposure in the local media.

The bell rings at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are always welcome.

More details in the press release below.

And after the final punch is thrown in 'The Ring,' I then haul myself and my gear down to the Aeronaut Brewery in Somerville, Mass., where we're running the epic Douglas Fairbanks Sr. film 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924) at 8 p.m.

It's a great summertime flick: the granddaddy of all fantasy adventure movies. Flying carpets, magical spells, swashbuckling adventure, and more!

Artwork for the original release of 'The Thief of Bagdad.'

Doug was really firing on all cylinders in this big budget spectacular, which I think is the best of his 1920s epics.

I love presenting 'Thief,' in part because it always makes me feel like what a small kid in the 1920s must have felt like when he or she saw it in its original release.

I think of a small kid in some dusty plains town getting to go the moviehouse some hot Saturday afternoon, and seeing this.

I'm not a little kid, but 'The Thief of Bagdad' turns me into one every time.

And seeing it in a brewery with a big screen and a kick-ass sound system ought to be a really fun way to experience the movie.

The only issue is that because I'm a kid, I can't enjoy a few brews during the show, right?

Actually, I find I can't have any alcohol prior to accompanying a film. Even the slightest sip of wine seems to affect my ability to respond to a film musically.

Afterwards, it's another story entirely!

But back to tonight's show: We sometimes sell out screenings at the Aeronaut, which has limited capacity due to their occupancy permit.

But I just checked and it seems like there's room this evening for last-minute drop-ins. So come on down!

More info in the press release, which I'm posting below the one (below) about 'The Ring.'

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A scene from Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Ring' (1927).

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2016 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Early Hitchcock film highlights Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre summer series of vintage boxing movies

'The Ring' (1927), silent drama of two fighters in love with same woman, to be screened on Sunday, July 24 with live musical accompaniment

WILTON, N.H.—An early film directed by Alfred Hitchcock is next up in a summer series of vintage boxing movies at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre.

'The Ring' (1927), an intense tale of two fighters battling over the same woman, will be screened with live music on Sunday, July 24 at 4:30 p.m.

The boxing series is part of the Wilton Town Hall Theatre's monthly silent film program. Admission to the screenings is free; a donation of $5 per person is suggested.

Live accompaniment will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician.

'The Ring,' an early Hitchcock effort, was made when the director was still working in his native Great Britain.

The future "master of suspense" was just 28 years old when he helmed this silent drama set in the colorful world of English carnivals and fairgrounds.

'The Ring' is based on Hitchcock's only original screenplay, although he worked extensively alongside other writers throughout his career.

Silent-era boxing dramas are of interest to sports buffs because they're filled with scenes of the fight game at the height of its mainstream popularity.

At the time, boxing rivaled baseball as the nation's most popular sport. Neighborhoods, communities, and ethnic groups all rooted for their favorite fighters, and heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey ranked as an international celebrity.

Boxing stories were popular with early movie audiences as well.

"As an elemental contest between two opponents, boxing inspired early filmmakers to do some some great work," Rapsis said. "It's a visual sport that doesn't require a lot of dialogue or commentary to understand, and so was perfect for silent movies."

The Wilton Town Hall Theatre has been showing films since 1912. In addition to running current releases on its two screens, the theater remains committed to alternative programming such as its ongoing series of silent films with live music.

The silent series gives local audiences to experience early cinema as it was intended to be seen: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

Keaton in 'Battling Butler,' to be shown in August.

The series concludes on Sunday, Aug. 28 with 'Battling Butler' (1926), Buster Keaton's uproarious boxing comedy about a pampered millionaire mistaken for a champion fighter.

The Summer Silent Boxing Film Series continues with a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Ring' (1927) on Sunday, July 24 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 60 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Admission is free; a donation of $5 per person is suggested.

For more info, call (603) 654-3456 or visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

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Douglas Fairbanks Sr. plays the title role in 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924).

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Aeronaut Brewing to screen 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924) with live music on Sunday, 7/24

Epic silent film fantasy classic starring Douglas Fairbanks set new standards for Hollywood magic

SOMERVILLE, Mass. — Silent film with live music returns to the Aeronaut Brewing Co. this month with a screening of one of early Hollywood's most exciting fantasy adventure movies.

Douglas Fairbanks Sr. stars in 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924), to be shown on Sunday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Aeronaut Brewery, 14 Tyler St. (near Union Square), Somerville, Mass.

Live music will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. Admission is $10 per person.

Tickets are available online at www.eventbrite.com; search on "Aeronaut Brewery."

Or here's a direct link to tickets.

The program is open to the public and is part of the Aeronaut's commitment to showcase local music, art, and performance.

The athletic Fairbanks was the Harrison Ford of his time—a pioneering action hero among the first to entertain movie audiences with thrilling on-screen adventures.

Among his best work is 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924), a timeless adventure boasting a great story, spectacular sets, and magical special effects.

In 'The Thief of Bagdad,' a bare-chested Fairbanks plays a crafty rogue who easily steals everything his heart desires—everything, that is, except the love of a beautiful princess, daughter of the powerful Caliph of Bagdad.

To win her hand, he must not only change his ways, but also convince her of his worthiness over many other highly placed suitors.

Doug flies carpet class in 'The Thief of Bagdad.'

In making the film, Fairbanks spared no expense for what some critics still regard as the most lavish fantasy movie ever made, a show-stopping adaptation of the traditional "A Thousand and One Nights" story in which a flying carpet is just one of many eye-popping sights that astounded movies audiences at the time.

Fairbanks, swaggering through massive marketplace sets and cavernous throne rooms as an incorrigible pickpocket, scales towering walls (with the help of a magic rope) and leads merry chases through crowded bazaars in his pursuit of loot—until he falls in love with the princess and vows to win her heart.

The jaunty opening is a preamble to the film's spectacular second half, in which the repentant thief embarks on an odyssey through caverns of fire, underwater palaces, and even outer space. Special effects range from a giant smoke-belching dragon to a magical flying horse, and still glow with a timeless sense of wonder from the early days of movies.

William Cameron Menzies's sets were among the largest ever created for a motion picture. Especially noteworthy is his design for a mythical Bagdad, a unique combination of Art Deco and Islamic elements—a dream city inspired by illustrations from story books.

Fairbanks, one of the most popular stars of the 1920s, was the inspiration for the character of George Valentin in the recent Oscar-winning Best Picture 'The Artist' (2011). Fairbanks was known for films that used the then-new medium of motion pictures to transport audiences to historical time periods for grand adventures and athletic stunts. He's often referred to as "Douglas Fairbanks Sr." to avoid confusion with his son, the actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

More than 90 years after its premiere, 'The Thief of Bagdad' continues to be held in high regard. In 1996, the film was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Fairbanks himself considered 'The Thief of Bagdad' to be his personal favorite of all of his films.

Live music for 'The Thief of Bagdad' will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis, who uses a digital synthesizer to create a traditional full orchestra "movie score" sound.

The screening continues the Aeronaut's silent film series, which aims to revive big-screen showings of great silent features that first caused audiences to fall in love with the movies.

"If you've never seen a silent film in a theater with live music and an audience, the Fairbanks pictures are a great way to experience the medium at its best," Rapsis said. "When you put all the elements together, silent film has an ability to stir up emotions in a way that no other medium can."

'The Thief of Bagdad' is appropriate for family audiences, although very small children may find some sequences frightening. The film runs 2 hours and 34 minutes.

'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924) starring Douglas Fairbanks will be screened with live music on Sunday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Aeronaut Brewery, 14 Tyler St. (near Union Square), Somerville, Mass. Admission is $10 per person. Tickets are available online at www.eventbrite.com; search on "Aeronaut Brewery." For more info, visit www.aeronautbrewing.com.

Here's a direct link to tickets.

In this corner—a summer of the 'sweet science' of boxing on the silent screen in Wilton, N.H.

Buster Keaton in 'Battling Butler' (1926).

Even if boxing isn't your bag, I hope you'll join us for a series of silent films this summer that center on the sweet science.

Heck, even if you're not into silent film, I hope you'll check out this series. :)

It's at the Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre, where we'll run boxing-related dramas, comedies, and love stories in the coming months.

Several heavyweight filmmakers headline the action, with Alfred Hitchcock and Buster Keaton among them.

But the undercard includes many other hopefuls and wanna-bes, all eager for their shot in the ring.

First up is 'Dress Parade' (1927), a Cecil B. DeMille drama starring William Boyd as a prizefighter who falls for the daughter of a West Point Commandant.

Boyd would later go on to lasting fame as cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy. "Dress Parade" was filmed on location at West Point, and so doubles as our annual Memorial Day weekend silent film tribute.

Actually, it's more of a military story than a boxing tale, and so it'll serve as a transition into the boxing flicks.

The screening is Sunday, May 29 at 4:30 p.m, at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Live music is by me.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $5 per person to defray expenses.

A full line-up of the other contenders in our boxing series is found in the press release below.

Taken as a whole, these movies form a time capsule into an era when boxing rivaled baseball as the nation's most popular sport.

That's no longer the case, of course, especially with today's emphasis on safety and injury prevention.

But back in the 1920s, the fight game enjoyed a national popularity that extended right down to the grassroots.

Neighborhoods, ethnic groups, you name it: every town had a fight arena, and just about everyone had a favorite fighter to root for.

And kids idolized champions such as Jack Dempsey, whose "long count" bout with Gene Tunney in 1927 was one of the era's big stories.

This popularity is reflected in the movies of the time. Watch films from the silent era, and you'll find boxing a constant presence.

Consider that all the great silent comedians—Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Langdon—spent time in the prize ring.

Just last night at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H., I introduced a screening of Chaplin's 'City Lights' (1931).

Judging from audience reaction, the superbly choreographed boxing scene was the highlight of the evening.

So boxing, and the struggle it symbolized, was regarded as part of everyday life.

Moreover, boxing was visual. Words weren't necessary to tell the story of two men pushed to their physical limits and striving to beat each other into submission.

So moviemakers were naturally inclined to use boxing and its world as a setting for their stories.

By the way, I say "men" because at the time, boxing was completely male-dominated. Female boxing, if it occurred at all, was considered a novelty. In an era of sharply defined gender roles, a woman just didn't do such things as fight in the ring.

Surprisingly, female boxing does show up in some silent films, although usually as a gimmick. One example is Clara Bow's 'Roughhouse Rosie' (1927), in which Bow gets her men "by treating them rough!" It's a film that, alas, no longer survives.

Clara Bow in 'Roughhouse Rosie.'

Filmmakers also sometimes used boxing's raw physicality to punch up the visuals, so to speak.

There's a remarkable night club scene in Fritz Lang's film 'Spies' (1928) where two boxers in a makeshift ring beat each other senseless while a glittering society crowd looks on.

From Fritz Lang's 'Spies' (1928).

When one finally succumbs, a band strikes up, and dancing couples immediately crowd onto the floor to foxtrot. Among them are the protagonist and the mysterious woman he is battling, so I can see where Lang was going.

Well, boxing is no longer mainstream. But the elemental nature of the sport retains its fascination, I think, and also its status as a vivid metaphor for—well, everything.

It's sport reduced to its essence: two competitors facing each other in a battle for victory. What could be simpler?

And it was George Foreman who observed that boxing is "the sport to which all other sports aspire."

It continues to inspire writers, including Joyce Carol Oates, whose "On Boxing" is a minor modern classic, I think.

And it's still with us. Even if you've never set foot in a fight arena, you've used the language and imagery of boxing, which pervades everyday conversation.

Consider: a beautiful woman is a knockout. A supportive friend is in your corner.

To persevere is to go the distance. A setback is a body blow. To give up is to throw in the towel.

All these are boxing phrases.

To do something against the rules is hitting below the belt. And if you want to really hurt someone, the gloves come off.

That last phrase is a strange one. In boxing, the gloves actually allow more damage because they protect a fighter's hands.

I once thought to show someone the ropes was a boxing phrase, but it actually comes from sailing.

Well, whatever phrasing you use...I find that in a complex world of uncertainties and interdependencies and compromises, the direct simplicity of boxing can be refreshing.

I'm no fan of violence, and don't wish a concussion on anyone.

But to me, boxing is a way for us to explore and express the aggressive side of our nature. Just as the simplicity of silent film allows us to reconnect with big primal emotions, boxing allows us to experience being alive in a physical way that's intense and riveting and unlike any other.

The bell rings this weekend with 'Dress Parade' on Sunday, May 29 at 4:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. Below is the press release with info about other films in the series.

On the fight card: Hitchcock's early drama 'The Ring' (1927).

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Put up your dukes! Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre to screen series of vintage boxing movies

Bell rings this summer on line-up of silent films spotlighting the fight game; all screened with live musical accompaniment

WILTON, N.H.—Alfred Hitchcock and Buster Keaton are among filmmakers featured in a summer series of vintage boxing movies at the Town Hall Theatre.

The series opens on Memorial Day weekend with a screening on Sunday, May 29 of 'Dress Parade' (1927), a drama filmed on location at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

All movies in the series are from the silent film era, and will be presented with live music by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist.

"At the time these films were made, boxing rivaled baseball in mainstream popularity in the United States," Rapsis said. "So early on, filmmakers naturally turned to the boxing world as a great source of drama, action, and visual excitement. In the silent era, it was a popular sub-genre."

The boxing films are part of the Wilton Town Hall Theatre's ongoing monthly silent film series. Admission to the screenings is free; a donation of $5 per person is suggested.

The Town Hall Theatre's "Summer Boxing Series" opens on Sunday, May 29 at 4:30 p.m. with 'Dress Parade' (1927).

Produced by Cecil B. Demille and released by MGM, 'Dress Parade' is the story of an amateur boxer who enrolls in West Point, where he must battle for the affection of the Commandant's daughter.

The film stars a young William Boyd, who would later achieve enduring fame as Hopalong Cassidy in countless Hollywood Westerns.

'Dress Parade' includes scenes filmed on location at West Point, which prompted its screening on Memorial Day weekend.

Other titles in the Summer Boxing Series include Alfred Hitchcock's early boxing drama 'The Ring' (1927) on Sunday, July 24.

A scene from Hitchcock's 'The Ring.'

"Hitchcock's drama of two fighters in love with the same woman shows many of the characteristics that would later earn him the nickname 'The Master of Suspense,' " Rapsis said.

The series concludes on Sunday, Aug. 28 with 'Battling Butler' (1926), Buster Keaton's uproarious boxing comedy about a pampered millionaire mistaken for a champion fighter.

The series will also include several vintage boxing-themed short films.

Silent-era boxing dramas are of particular interest to sports buffs because they're filled with scenes of the fight game at the height of its mainstream popularity.

"As an elemental contest between two people, boxing inspired early filmmakers to do some of their best work," Rapsis said. "It's a very visual sport that lends itself to the movies."

All shows in the silent film series start at 4:30 p.m. The Town Hall Theatre's screenings are free and open to the public; a donation of $5 per person is suggested to help defray expenses.

Each film in the series has been selected for its overall story quality and lasting audience appeal.

"Even if you're not a boxing fan, each of these movies offers a great story told at a fast pace," Rapsis said. "These films were designed to be crowd-pleasers, and they still work today. They're the kind of films that caused audiences to first fall in love with the movies."

The Wilton Town Hall Theatre has been showing films since 1912. In addition to running the best current releases on its two screens, the theater remains committed to alternative programming such as its ongoing series of silent films with live music.

The silent series gives local audiences to experience great work of early cinema as it was intended to be seen: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

The complete line-up of films in this summer's boxing series includes:

• Sunday, May 29, 4:30 p.m.: 'Dress Parade' (1927) starring William Boyd, Bessie Love. An amateur boxing champ visits the U.S. Military Academy and falls for the commandant's daughter. He wins an appointment to the Academy and then begins a rivalry for her affection. Our annual Memorial Day weekend program, filmed on location at West Point!

• Sunday, July 3, 4:30 p.m.: A Boxing Double Feature. A two-fisted pair of vintage silent boxing tales. In 'Battling Bunyan' (1924), a young mechanic turns to the prize ring to earn money to start his auto repair business; in 'The Shock Punch' (1925), a boxer takes a construction job only to find his boss is a former opponent he once defeated in the ring.

ADDITIONAL SHOW! • Sunday, July 17, 4:30 p.m.: Melodramas that Pack a Punch! Up first is 'The Battling Fool' (1924), in which a minister's son takes up boxing. In 'American Pluck' (1925), a cowboy-turned-prizefighter comes to the rescue of a visiting foreign princess.

• Sunday, July 24, 4:30 p.m.: 'The Ring' (1927) directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The master of suspense was very young, and still in England, when he made this silent drama about two boxers in love with the same woman. Who will win the fight for her heart? Full of trademark Hitchcock touches even at this early stage in his career.

• Sunday, Aug. 28, 4:30 p.m.: 'Battling Butler' (1926) starring Buster Keaton. Our series of silent boxing movies concludes with Keaton's riotous comedy. Keaton plays Alfred Butler, a pampered rich idler with the same name as a feared boxing champion. When a girl he fancies thinks he's the fighter, Keaton has no choice but to start training.

The Summer Silent Boxing Film Series will begin with a screening of 'Dress Parade' (1927) on Sunday, May 29 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 60 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Admission is free; a donation of $5 per person is suggested.

For more info, call (603) 654-3456 or visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

The Halloween home stretch: 'Caligari,' 'The Lodger,' and Chaney in 'West of Zanzibar'

Lon Chaney as 'Phroso the Magician' and companion in 'West of Zanzibar' (1928).

Coming up: one final long weekend of Halloween-themed silent film screenings.

Highlights include accompanying a 35mm print of 'West of Zanzibar' (1928), the lurid Chaney/Browning thriller, on Saturday, Oct. 31, and no less than three screenings of Hitchcock's 'The Lodger' (1927).

But the spooky fun starts tonight with 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) at Wellesley College, just outside Boston. Screening is at 6:30 p.m. at Collins Cinema in the Davis Museum Complex.

Admission is free; the film is part of retrospective on film-making of Weimar-era Germany. 'Cabinet' is a good choice this close to Halloween—the proto-Tim Burton set design alone is worth seeing this film, which probably seems more creepy today than it did when first released.

The twisted visual landscape of 'Caligari.'

One of the challenges of 'Caligari' is that the film has several instances of the title character ringing a sizable (and seemingly very loud) hand bell to attract attention from passersby in a carnival midway.

So for an accompanist, the question becomes: "Should I try to match the obvious on-screen action by ringing a real bell right there during the screening?"

In the case of Caligari, I do actually ring a bell. Specifically, it's a large clangy brass bell that once belonged to my grandmother. It makes quite a racket, and the cues in Caligari are easy to match, so I go for it.

Likewise in the case of the Keaton short 'The Haunted House,' where the ghost traffic is so heavy, Buster ends up playing traffic cop to control a busy hallway. To do this, he uses a whistle to signal stop and go, and blowing an actual whistle (while keeping the music going) helps punch up the gag, I think.

But if I'm unsure of where the cues might be, or if a sound effect might distract from the on-screen moment, I hold off on matching what are often literally the "bells and whistles."

Why? Because if you're even just a little bit off, it breaks the spell that a successful silent movie screening creates. Or if it's a key dramatic moment, you don't want to rob it of any significance by doing something unexpected in the accompaniment.

Anyway, it's my only screening of 'Caligari' this Halloween season, so come to Wellesley College tonight if you're hankering for a Halloween helping of German Expressionism.

Ivor Novello dressed to kill (really?) in Hitchcock's 'The Lodger.'

Then follows three screenings of Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Lodger' (1927), the title I've focused on for this Halloween cycle, having played for it twice already this month.

Let's see. The schedule looks like this:

• Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, 7 p.m.: 'The Lodger'; Putnam Arts Lecture Hall, Keene State College, Keene, N.H. There's usually an admission charge for these screenings but I just checked and apparently this one is free and open to the public.

• Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, 7 p.m.: 'The Lodger'; Red River Theatres, 11 South Main St., Concord, N.H.; (603) 224-4600; http://www.redrivertheatres.org/. Great small non-profit venue that specializes in offbeat and independent films that otherwise wouldn't get shown in this part of the world. Admission $10 per person.

• Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015, 8 p.m.: 'The Lodger'; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; http://www.leavittheatre.com. The season-ending show in a vintage seaside resort one-screen theater that opened in 1923 and has barely changed since. Admission $10 per person.

That's a whole lot of Lodgers. But I think I have some good material in the style of Bernard Herrmann that helps bring out the "Hitchcock" qualities of the film, which can be found throughout this early feature from the director.

For more specifics about each screening, check the "Upcoming Silent Film Screenings" link at upper right.

But there's one more: 'West of Zanzibar' (1928), also on Saturday, Oct. 31.

A screening of the Chaney/Browning silent MGM thriller will open a 12-hour Halloween marathon of feature films, all shown in 35mm, at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. The marathon is on Halloween Day and runs from noon to midnight.

From what I understand, the 35mm print of 'Zanzibar' is exceptionally well struck and in great shape. Also, it's very difficult to source 35mm prints of any of the MGM/Chaney/Browning pictures, so this is an extremely rare chance to see 'Zanzibar' in its native film format, projected on the enormous screen of the Somerville Theater's vintage 1914 main house.

It's quite a privilege to do live music for a film as bizarre as 'Zanzibar,' with Chaney playing a magician paralyzed from the waist down and bent on revenge against the man who crippled him and stole his beloved—a 20-year quest that leads to a showdown in the remote jungles of Africa. Classic Tod Browning madness, with no less than Lionel Barrymore in a key role.

Lurid, twisted, dark—and perfect for Halloween.

The marathon program begins at noon with 'West of Zanzibar'; other titles (all in 35mm) include 'Dracula' (1931), 'The Monster That Challenged the World' (1957); 'Seconds' (1966); 'Aliens' (1986); and 'The Lost Boys' (1987). Admission is one price for the whole 12-hour program, with tickets $30 per person.

I urge any classic film buffs in the Boston or New England area to consider making a pilgrimage to the Somerville to experience 'West of Zanzibar' on the big screen in 35mm, as well as the other marathon titles, all under the watchful eye and legendarily exacting standards of head projectionist David Kornfeld. It's an event not to be missed.

And then comes November, which brings silent film gigs in California and Virginia, among other places. More on that after Halloween!

One other thought: I'm always eager for new ways to attract audiences to silent cinema. So the other day, a friend suggested promoting the Chaney film as an inspirational tale for the disabled.

Being differently abled didn't prevent him from realizing his dreams of revenge!

Er—still thinking about that one.

'Cat and Canary' thriller on 10/22 in Plymouth; then 'Nosferatu,' 'Dr. Jekyll' and 'Unknown'

A gripping tale: Haunted house thriller 'The Cat and the Canary' comes to the Flying Monkey on Thursday, Oct. 22.

Last weekend brought Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Lodger' in Vermont, two Buster Keaton features in New Hampshire, and a flat tire.

This week brings haunted house thriller 'The Cat and the Canary' (1927) on Thursday night, then 'Nosferatu' (1922) on Saturday.

Then that's followed by two shows on Sunday: a matinee of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' (1920) in New Hampshire, then an evening screening of Lon Chaney in 'The Unknown' (1927) down in Massachusetts.

All I can say is: glad I got the flat tire out of the way last weekend.

Last Saturday's 'Lodger' brought an end to the 2015 silent film season at Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall and Community Center, which uses the programs to raise money for ongoing renovations.

The Halloween-themed program was dubbed "chiller theater" in part because the vintage building lacks any kind of central heating.

Marie Ault and Ivor Novello take the chill out of "Chiller Theater."

Turnout was a little light, but only when compared to the capacity crowds we got for several shows this summer.

Music for 'The Lodger' came together effectively, I thought, despite me being slightly rattled by having to swap out a tire on the way there.

I used a strings-only texture until the last 10 minutes, when the film's action begins to take place on a wider scale, which I feel calls for a more robust orchestral palette.

Response in Brandon is never less than enthusiastic, and this time included a jar of homemade apple/rhubarb preserves left for me at the keyboard after the show was over.

The next day's program in Charlestown, N.H. was a hoot because nearly 30 years ago, I covered the town as a reporter for the Claremont Eagle-Times, a local daily paper.

The show was jointly sponsored by the Charlestown Historical Society and the Silsby Free Library, and was held in the library's basement function room.

It turns out that in the first half of the previous century, movies were a regular attraction at what's called the old "Town Hall" in Charlestown. (Town offices long ago moved out to a modern building.)

The "Town Hall" of Charlestown, N.H.

The woman from the historical society, which now looks after the building, told me the original projector is still in place in a booth far up the rear wall.

There wasn't time to check it out on Sunday, but I've added it to my list of places to explore when I get a chance. Who knows what might be up there?

Looking ahead: first up is this year's only screening of 'The Cat and the Canary' (1927), one of my own Halloween favorites. It's on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

More details are in the press release below. I'll post info about the other screenings later this week.

Thanks, and remember: "In Silent Film, No One Can Hear You Scream."

* * *

Martha Maddox and Laura LaPlante in 'The Cat and the Canary' (1927)

FRIDAY, OCT. 16, 2015 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Cat and Canary' (1927) to play Flying Monkey with live music on Thursday, Oct. 22

Just in time for Halloween: Creepy haunted house silent film thriller to be shown after sundown

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—'The Cat and the Canary' (1927), a haunted house thriller from Hollywood’s silent film era, will be screened with live music on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth.

Live music for the movie will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. Admission is $10 per person.

'The Cat and the Canary' stands as the original movie thriller—the first picture to feature the reading of a will in a haunted mansion complete with clutching hands, a masked killer, disappearing bodies, and secret passageways.

Silent film starlet Laura LaPlante leads the cast as a young heiress who must spend the night in the creepy old mansion, which is filled with relatives who all have motives to frighten her out of her wits. Meanwhile, a dangerous escaped lunatic is loose on the grounds. Can she and the others make it through the night?

Created for Universal Pictures by German filmmaker Paul Leni and based on a hit stage play, 'The Cat and the Canary' proved popular enough to inspire several remakes, including one starring Bob Hope. It was also the forbearer of all the great Universal horror classics of the 1930s and '40s.

The Flying Monkey screening will use a fully restored print that shows the film as audiences would have originally experienced it. 'The Cat and the Canary' will be accompanied by live music by New Hampshire composer Jeff Rapsis, who specializes in silent film scoring.

Rapsis will improvise the score on the spot during the screening.

"Silent film is all about the audience experience, and this one is a perfect Halloween crowd-pleaser," Rapsis said. "It has something for everyone—spooky scenes, some good comedy, and it's all fine for the whole family."

Critics praise the original 'Cat and the Canary' for its wild visual design and cutting edge cinematography.

Film reviewer Michael Phillips singled out the film for using "a fluidly moving camera and elaborate, expressionist sets and lighting to achieve some of the most memorable shots in silent film, from the amazing tracking shots down the curtain-lined main hallway to the dramatic zooms and pans that accompany the film's shocks."

Leonard Maltin called the original 'Cat and the Canary' a "delightful silent classic, the forerunner of all "old dark house" mysteries."

The Flying Monkey originally opened as a silent film moviehouse in the 1920s, and showed first-run Hollywood films to generations of area residents until closing several years ago.

The theater has since been renovated by Alex Ray, owner of the Common Man restaurants, who created a performance space that hosts a wide range of music acts.

Movies of all types, however, are still a big part of the Flying Monkey's offerings, and the silent film series is a way for the theater to remain connected to its roots.

'Cat and the Canary' will be shown on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H. Admission $10 per person. For more info, call (603) 536-2551 or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com. For more about the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

An upcoming schedule like a popular guesthouse—absolutely packed with 'Lodgers'

A French poster for Hitchcock's 'The Lodger' (1927), which translates as 'Golden Hair.'

The weeks leading up to Halloween are among the busiest for a silent film accompanist. Screenings abound!

To make it manageable, and to not overdo familiar warhorses such as 'Nosferatu' and 'The Phantom of the Opera,' each year I try to pick a lesser-known silent that would work well for Halloween and put it into the rotation for the season.

This time around it's Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Lodger' (1927), which I'm accompanying at no less than five different screenings before the end of October.

First up is a show this Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Rogers Center for the Performing Arts in North Andover, Mass. More info is in a press release tacked onto the end of this.

It's then followed by 'Lodger' screenings on Saturday, Oct. 17 in Brandon, Vt.; on Thursday, Oct. 29 in Keene, N.H.; on Friday, Oct. 30 in Concord, N.H.; and then on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Ogunquit, Maine.

This is one "Lodger" that won't stay put!

In addition, there's a half-dozens screenings of other titles on the docket, including 'The Cat and the Canary' on Thursday, Oct. 22 in Plymouth, N.H.; 'Nosferatu' on Saturday, Oct. 24 in Somerville, Mass.; and the original silent 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' on Sunday, Oct. 25 in Wilton, N.H.

Also on Sunday, Oct. 25: Lon Chaney's 'The Unknown' at the Aeronaut Brewery in Somerville, Mass.; 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass.; and another Chaney film, 'West of Zanzibar' as part of a day-long Halloween Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Somerville, Mass.

But before we plunge headlong into Halloween silent film mayhem, a few notes about an unusual booking yesterday (Saturday, Oct. 10) at the venerable Brattle Theatre off Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass.

Yesterday I did live music for not one but two screenings of 'Underworld' (1927), the highly regarded Josef von Sternberg drama widely credited with starting a craze for gangster movies that continued for the duration of the Prohibition era.

The two shows, part of a "proto-film-noir" series at the Brattle, were at 4 p.m. and then 7:30 p.m., with Edgar G. Robinson in 'Little Caesar' (1931) sandwiched in between. Both titles were in 35mm.

It's not often I get a chance to play for the same film twice in one day. Hey, just like in the silent film era! But I did, and found a curious thing happened in trying to create live music on the spot for one show after another of the same movie.

The first screening went superbly, I thought—I had the right material, and it all fell into place just as it should to help the film leap off the screen. Lots of strong moments where the music was just what I would have wanted.

The only thing that didn't work right was that I forgot about the on-screen alarm whistle that's shown sounding when Bancroft, as 'Bull Weed,' attempt to break out of prison. Oh well!

Between screenings, I went for a walk around Harvard Square, where everyone is so young! I was surprised to find the area overrun with tour groups from Japan and China, apparently in our part of the world to catch some foliage. Mt. Auburn Street was lined with tour buses as far as the eye could see.

I stopped in at Boathouse for dinner, but only realized after I sat down surrounded by beer taps that I really shouldn't consume adult beverages in advance of accompanying a film. So it was ginger ale.

I returned to the Brattle for the tail end of 'Little Caesar,' in time to see it conclude in a hail of gunfire. And then had plenty of time to warm up at the keyboard for the second screening of 'Underworld.'

And you know what? No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to recapture the magic "rightness" of the first screening.

Moment after moment passed with the music not quite hitting the mark, I thought. I was using the same melodic material, but it didn't seem to fit as well, and didn't morph fluidly from one emotional moment to the next.

As an example: Brancroft's 'Bull Weed' character inspired a rhythmic pattern of repeated notes that cycled among the musical interval of a minor third. Not so much a theme, but a musical signature for the character. Played without accompaniment, the melody's implied harmony made it sound tough and aggressive.

But if you played the same melody with a dominant seventh chord underneath it (so that the notes fit into the middle part of the chord), it could sound upbeat and jazzy, even jolly.

In the first screening, I made great use of this, I thought, in getting the right kind of music to fit Bull Weed's personality, which is mostly jovial but with occasional outbursts of shocking violence.

But in the second screening, I just couldn't find the chord when I needed it. Too often, it was too stern for what was happening on screen. And this threw my mind out of the moment, and took away from the score, I thought.

Well, the film keeps going, so you have to keep playing. The second screening did have its moments, but far fewer than the first. Too often, I think I was hoping to recreate what had happened at the first show, which takes you out of the moment, which is never a good thing with my method of accompaniment.

And weirdly, although this time I remembered the whistle, by the time it was time to use it, I had "dry mouth" and it didn't come off the way it should have.

If I ever face this two-at-a-time situation again (and I hope I do, as the Brattle is an excellent venue and often runs multiple screenings of titles), I'll have to see what I can do to avoid this trap.

Maybe I should have had a few beers at the Boathouse. Next time, I'll try that—all in the name of science, of course.

Okay, here's more details about 'The Lodger' on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Hope to see you there!

* * *

>Ivor Novello as 'The Lodger' (1927), directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

FRIDAY, OCT. 2, 2015 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Hitchcock's first, 'The Lodger,' to screen Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Rogers Center

Creepy silent thriller about killings in London marked legendary director's debut; to be shown on the big screen with live music

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.—A half-century of murder has to start somewhere.

And for movie director Alfred Hitchcock, it began with 'The Lodger' (1927), a silent thriller that stunned audiences when it was first released, and contained many of his trademark touches.

'The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog,' will be shown at the Rogers Center for the Arts, Merrimack College, 315 North Turnpike St., North Andover, Mass. on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.

The program, the latest in the Rogers Center's silent film series, will be accompanied by live music performed by silent film composer Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free and the show is open to the public.

"What better way to get into the Halloween spirit a little early than a silent film from Alfred Hitchcock?" Rapsis asked.

The film, shot in England and based on a story and stage play by Marie Belloc Lowndes, concerns the hunt for a serial killer in London. British matinee idol Ivor Novello plays Jonathan Drew, a quiet, secretive young man who rents a room in a London boarding house. Drew's arrival coincides with the reign of terror orchestrated by a mysterious "Jack The Ripper"-like killer, who murders a blonde woman every Tuesday evening.

As the film progresses, circumstantial evidence begins to mount, pointing to Drew as the murderer. Suspense and drama escalate in true Hitchcock fashion as the viewer wonders if the lodger really could be the killer—and if so, what danger awaits the landlord's daughter, who is falling in love with the mysterious stranger. The all-British cast includes Malcom Keen, Arthur Chesney, and Marie Ault.

'The Lodger' introduced themes that would run through much of Hitchcock’s later work: an innocent man on the run, hunted down by a self-righteous society, a strong link between sexuality and murder, and a fixation on blonde women. About 'The Lodger,' Hitchcock scholar Donald Spoto wrote that for "the first time Hitchcock has revealed his psychological attraction to the association between sex and murder, between ecstasy and death."

'The Lodger' also launched the Hitchcock tradition of making a cameo appearance in each of his films. In 'The Lodger,' Hitchcock appears briefly about three minutes into the film, sitting at a desk in a newsroom with his back to the camera and using a telephone. The cameo appearance tradition, which continued for the rest of his long career, came about in 'The Lodger' when the actor supposed to play the part of the telephone operator failed to turn up, and Hitchcock filled the breach.

The back of Hitchcock's head—look for this first-ever cameo early in 'The Lodger.'

Some critics say 'The Lodger' broke new ground in the previously moribund British cinema, showing a truly cinematic eye at work. In creating the movie, Hitchcock had clearly been watching contemporary films by German directors F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang, whose influence can be seen in the ominous camera angles and claustrophobic lighting.

While Hitchcock had made two previous films, in later years the director would refer to 'The Lodger,' his first thriller, as the first true "Hitchcock thriller." The movie has since been remade several times, most recently in 2009, in an updated version starring Alfred Molina and Hope Davis.

In reviving the original 'The Lodger,' the Rogers Center aims to show silent movies as they were meant to be seen—in high quality prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Jeff Rapsis, who will improvise a musical score during the screening. "Recreate those conditions, and the classics of early cinema leap back to life. They all featured great stories with compelling characters and universal appeal, so it's no surprise that they hold up and we still respond to them."

Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra and creates a traditional "movie score" sound.

Upcoming feature films in the Rogers Center's silent film series include:

• Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, 7 p.m.: 'Intolerance' (1916), directed by D.W. Griffith and starring (literally) a cast of thousands. D.W. Griffith's early blockbuster about man's inhumanity to man weaves together four stories spanning four eras of civilization. Filmed an a vast scale, setting a new standard for Hollywood extravagance. A movie made for the big screen, and here's your chance to see it!

• Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 7 p.m.: 'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' (1925) starring Ramon Novarro, Francis X. Bushman. Just in time for Easter! In the Holy Land, a Jewish prince is enslaved by the occupying Romans; inspired by encounters with Jesus, he lives to seek justice. One of the great religious epics of Hollywood's silent film era, including a legendary chariot race that's lost none of its power to thrill.

‘The Lodger' will be shown on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Rogers Center for the Arts, Merrimack College, 315 North Turnpike St., North Andover, Mass. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Rogers box office at (978) 837-5355. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Early Hitchcock: 'The Lodger' (1927) on Thursday, Sept. 11 in Plymouth, N.H.

That's British actor Ivor Novello on the poster for this week's screening of 'The Lodger.'

Think about it: Alfred Hitchcock began directing movies when they came without soundtracks.

And for the rest of his long career, he maintained that silent film was "the purest form of cinema."

How odd that a man who ended up helming wide-screen color spectaculars such as 'North by Northwest' (1959) should yearn for the silent film era, with all its limitations.

What he meant, I think, was that if you stripped cinema down to its essence, you'd have one thing: pictures that move.

That was silent cinema. And this limitation forced Hitchcock (and other filmmakers, too) to make the most of this essential quality of cinema. (At right, an unflattering picture of a very young Hitchcock.)

And for the best directors, the limitations of silent film weren't limitations at all. They actually served to concentrate all the energy on telling a story visually, which I think helped establish some of the unique qualities of cinema at a very early time in its development.

For instance: even within the confines of silent film, Hitchcock was already finding ways to be Hitchcock. 'The Lodger' (1927) shows much of Hitchcock's style already in place. Heck, the film started his long-running practice of playing brief cameo roles in his films.

So 'The Lodger' is worth seeing, especially if you're a Hitchcock fan. You'll find it interesting, I think, to see how Hitchcock could still be unmistakably Hitchcock using just moving images on the screen.

For me, Hitchcock's movies hold an honored place in my "Great Movie Experiences Hall of Fame," mostly because of fortuitous timing.

While I was in college, five of Hitchcock's big 1950s spectaculars were restored and released to theaters for the first time in decades.

This was in the early 1980s, just before home video became widespread, and so it was big news. These films hadn't been seen in public (or television) for decades.

And as a freshman at Fordham University, I was able to see pictures such as 'Rear Window' (1954) and 'Vertigo' (1958) at the most prestigious theaters in New York City, often with packed houses. What an impression they made!

(I recall 'The Trouble With Harry' (1955), set in New England, made me feel terribly homesick. But then so did 'On Golden Pond,' which had come out that summer and was filmed in New Hampshire.)

The re-release of the Hitchcock films was my first experience being among a lot of people who really enjoyed older cinema. For me, it was quite a rush, and helped me realize the importance of screening films in a theater with an audience: something I advocate for strongly today.

With that in mind, I hope you'll join us for our screening of 'The Lodger' (1927) on Thursday, Sept. 11 at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H.

For more info, check out the press release below. Thanks!

* * *

Ivor Novello plays the title role in 'The Lodger' (1927).

THURSDAY, AUG. 21, 2014 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Hitchcock's first, 'The Lodger,' to screen
Thursday, Sept. 11 at Flying Monkey Moviehouse

Creepy silent thriller about killings in London marked legendary director's debut; to be shown on the big screen with live music

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—A half-century of murder has to start somewhere. And for movie director Alfred Hitchcock, it began with 'The Lodger' (1927), a silent thriller that stunned audiences when it was first released, and contained many of his trademark touches.

'The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog,' will be shown at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. The program, the latest in the theater's silent film series, will be accompanied by live music performed by silent film composer Jeff Rapsis. Admission is $10 per person.

The film, shot in England and based on a story and stage play by Marie Belloc Lowndes, concerns the hunt for a serial killer in London. British matinee idol Ivor Novello plays Jonathan Drew, a quiet, secretive young man who rents a room in a London boarding house. Drew's arrival coincides with the reign of terror orchestrated by a mysterious "Jack The Ripper"-like killer, who murders a blonde woman every Tuesday evening.

As the film progresses, circumstantial evidence begins to mount, pointing to Drew as the murderer. Suspense and drama escalate in true Hitchcock fashion as the viewer wonders if the lodger really could be the killer—and if so, what danger awaits the landlord's daughter, who is falling in love with the mysterious stranger. The all-British cast includes Malcom Keen, Arthur Chesney, and Marie Ault.

'The Lodger' introduced themes that would run through much of Hitchcock’s later work: an innocent man on the run, hunted down by a self-righteous society, a strong link between sexuality and murder, and a fixation on blonde women. About 'The Lodger,' Hitchcock scholar Donald Spoto wrote that for "the first time Hitchcock has revealed his psychological attraction to the association between sex and murder, between ecstasy and death."

'The Lodger' also launched the Hitchcock tradition of making a cameo appearance in each of his films. In 'The Lodger,' Hitchcock appears briefly about three minutes into the film, sitting at a desk in a newsroom with his back to the camera and using a telephone. The cameo appearance tradition, which continued for the rest of his long career, came about in 'The Lodger' when the actor supposed to play the part of the telephone operator failed to turn up, and Hitchcock filled the breach.

Some critics say 'The Lodger' broke new ground in the previously moribund British cinema, showing a truly cinematic eye at work. In creating the movie, Hitchcock had clearly been watching contemporary films by German directors F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang, whose influence can be seen in the ominous camera angles and claustrophobic lighting.

While Hitchcock had made two previous films, in later years the director would refer to 'The Lodger,' his first thriller, as the first true "Hitchcock movie." The movie has since been remade several times, most recently in 2009, in an updated version starring Alfred Molina and Hope Davis.

In reviving the original 'The Lodger,' the Flying Monkey aims to show silent movies as they were meant to be seen—in high quality prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Jeff Rapsis, who will improvise a musical score during the screening. "Recreate those conditions, and the classics of early cinema leap back to life. They all featured great stories with compelling characters and universal appeal, so it's no surprise that they hold up and we still respond to them."

Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra and creates a traditional "movie score" sound.

Upcoming feature films in the Flying Monkey's silent film series include:

• Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.: 'Chicago' (1927). The original big screen adaptation of the notorious Jazz Age tabloid scandal, based on real events. Dancer Roxie Hart is accused of murder! Is she innocent or headed for the slammer? Later made into the popular Broadway musical. A film long thought lost but recovered only recently.

• Thursday, Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m.: 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925). Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber created the hit stage musical, this silent film adaptation of the classic French novel starring Lon Chaney helped place 'Phantom' firmly in the pantheon of both horror and romance. Just in time for Halloween—see it if you dare!

‘The Lodger' will be shown on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551. Admission $10. For more information, visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.