Tonight (Wednesday, 7/24) in Arlington, Mass.: One last voyage to the moon at Regent Theatre

Prepare for launch, 1929-style.

Never mind the Apollo astronauts. I've been to the moon no less than four times in the last 10 days!

Take that, Richard Branson and Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and all you other billionaire wannabees!

And I make my final voyage tonight, when the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Mass. screens Fritz Lang's epic moon journey pic, 'Woman in the Moon' (1929) at 7 p.m.

Details are in the press release below.

Yes, it's the fourth time I've blasted off for the moon since earlier this month: Saturday, July 13 in Brandon, Vt.; Wednesday, July 17 in Ogunquit, Maine; Thursday, July 18 in Concord, N.H., and now tonight in Ahh-lington, Mass.

That's a lot of space travel. Wish I got frequent flier credit for all these journeys.

Lots more coming up but wanted to make sure: your last chance to travel with me to the lunar surface (until anyone asks me to accompany 'Woman in the Moon' again) is tonight at the Regent in Arlington.

See you there! We blast off at 7 p.m.

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Original German poster for 'Woman in the Moon' (1929).

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2019 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Regent Theatre to mark Apollo 11 anniversary with vintage lunar voyage masterpiece

'Woman in the Moon,' early sci-fi fantasy about mankind's first space mission, to be screened Wednesday, July 24 with live music

ARLINGTON, Mass.—A sci-fi adventure hailed as the first feature film to depict realistic space travel will be screened this month at the Regent Theatre in honor of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.

'Woman in the Moon' (1929), directed by German filmmaker Fritz Lang ('Metropolis,' 1927), will be shown with live music on Wednesday, July 24 at 7 p.m. at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, Mass.

The screening is open to the public. Admission is $10 per person in advance, or $12 on day of show. Tickets may be booked online at www.regenttheatre.com.

"We felt it was worth marking this important milestone by sampling visions of space travel before the Apollo program put mankind on the moon," said Leland Stein of the Regent Theatre. "And what better way to do that was to go back to the silent era and 'Woman in the Moon,' an epic fantasy about the German space program that never happened."

The rarely seen full-length version of 'Woman in the Moon' follows an intrepid band of space pioneers as they attempt mankind's first voyage to the lunar surface, where they hope to find large deposits of gold.

The film, made with German rocket experts as technical advisers, anticipated many of the techniques used by NASA for the Apollo moon launch program 40 years later. For example, a multi-stage rocket is employed to escape Earth's gravity, and a separate capsule is used to reach the lunar surface.

The film is also noted for introducing the idea of a dramatic "countdown" prior to launch, which later became standard procedure in actual space flight. Critics regard the film's extended launch sequence as a masterpiece of editing and dramatic tension.

Visiting the moon is no day at the beach, although both places features a lot of sand.

But 'Woman in the Moon,' with its melodramatic plot, also stands as the forerunner of many sci-fi soap opera elements that quickly became clichés: the brilliant but misunderstood professor; a love triangle involving a female scientist and her two male crewmates; a plucky young boy who yearns to join the expedition; fistfights and gunfire and treachery on the lunar surface.

Added to the mix is a vision of the moon (created entirely on a massive studio set in Berlin, Germany) that features a breathable atmosphere, giant sand dunes, distant mountain peaks, and bubbling mud pits.

The film's showing at the Regent coincides with the 50th anniversary to the day (July 24) that Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins splashed down after their successful voyage to the moon. It's also the 90th anniversary of the original theatrical release of 'Woman in the Moon.'

"This is a great and at-times bizarre film, one that must be seen to be believed," said Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who will create live music for the Regent's screening. "It's as entertaining as any spy-thriller. And as a past vision of a future that didn't quite come to be, it really gets you thinking of time and how we perceive it."

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

'Woman in the Moon,' a full-length feature than runs more than 2½ hours, should not be confused with the much earlier film 'A Trip to Moon,' a primitive "trick" short movie made by French filmmaker George Méliès in 1902 and famous for the image of a space capsule hitting the eye of an imaginary moon man.

"Unlike the Méliès film, there's nothing primitive about 'Woman in the Moon,' " Rapsis said. "It's silent film story-telling at the peak of its eloquence, with lively performances, imaginative camera angles, and superb photography."

Director Fritz Lang, responsible for the groundbreaking sci-fi epic 'Metropolis' (1927), planned 'Woman in the Moon' as another step in his quest to stretch cinema's visual, story-telling, and imaginative capabilities.

When traveling to the moon, big windows make a lot of sense.

Bad timing is one reason that 'Woman in the Moon' (titled 'Frau im Mond' in German) is not as well known today as 'Metropolis,' its legendary predecessor. Lang completed 'Woman in the Moon' just as the silent film era was coming to a close.

As one of the last silent films of German cinema, 'Woman in the Moon' was unable to compete with new talking pictures then in theaters, making it a box office flop at its premiere in October, 1929.

However, German rocket scientist Hermann Oberth worked as an adviser on the movie, and it developed cult status among the rocket scientists in Wernher von Braun's circle starting in the 1930s. During World War II, the first successfully launched V-2 rocket at the German rocket facility in Peenemünde had the "Woman in the Moon" logo painted on its base.

During the war, the Nazis tried to recall and destroy all prints of 'Woman in the Moon' due to its detailed depiction of state-of-the-art rocket propulsion technology; in later years, this served to make the film even more hard to find. For many years, the film was available only in cut-down 16mm versions that ran as short as one hour.

But pristine and complete 35mm copies of 'Woman in the Moon' did survive in several European archives. Today, restored prints are amazingly clear and sharp, Rapsis said.

" 'Woman in the Moon' is technically one of the best-looking silent films I've ever seen," he said. "If you think all silent films are grainy and scratchy-looking, 'Woman in the Moon' will change your mind. It's like an Ansel Adams photograph come to life."

"Although 'Woman in the Moon' is available for home viewing, this is a motion picture that should be experienced as intended: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience," Rapsis said. "There's nothing like it."

‘Woman in the Moon’ will be shown with live music on Wednesday, July 24 at 7 p.m. at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, Mass. The screening is open to the public. Admission is $10 per person in advance, or $12 on day of show. Tickets may be booked online at www.regenttheatre.com.

For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

In this corner, 'Her Sister From Paris,' then later a true heavyweight: 'The Last Laugh'

Ronald Colman proves no match for Constance Talmadge in 'Her Sister From Paris.'

If silent films were classified like boxers, the next two evenings will see action in the lightweight and heavyweight divisions.

• On Wednesday, Sept. 12, I'll accompany a screening of 'Her Sister From Paris' (1925), a frothy society comedy starring Ronald Colman and Constance Talmadge.

Although both stars are in peak form, I'd say the fluffy nature of the story puts the film squarely in the lightweight division.

However, it's often described as a "battle of the sexes" comedy, so expect lots of quick action and fancy footwork—typical of the lighter weight classes.

The screening starts at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Ogunquit, Maine. Admission $10 per person.

For more info, visit the Leavitt Theatre online.

Emil Jannings ponders his fate in 'The Last Laugh' (1924).

• Then, on Thursday, Sept. 13, it's down to Arlington, Mass. for a true heavyweight experience: Emil Jannings in F.W. Murnau's 'The Last Laugh' (1924).

In a silent film "main event," Murnau takes a simple situation and uses the then-new medium of cinema to depict a man's emotional journey with immense power.

I'll accompany Jannings as he does battle with a formidable opponent: his own sense of self-worth.

Showtime is 8 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, Mass.

An original 'Wings' poster featuring Clara Bow.

• And then this weekend brings me to the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, Iowa, where I'll accompany a screening of the great WWI classic 'Wings' (1927) on the Mighty Wurlitzer.

It's part of the annual Sioux City International Film Festival, and I'm thrilled to be going out again to do live music in this incredible venue.

Showtime for this one is Sunday, Sept. 16 at noon. For more info, visit the Sioux City International Film Festival online.

More screenings at the end of the month, including Josef von Sternberg's amazing 'The Last Command' (1928) at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Mass. and the original silent film version of 'Chicago' (1927).

Stay tuned, or check the schedule: there's a link at the top right of every page!

The problem with ice cream for dinner, plus 'Her Sister' tonight and again Saturday night

Constance Talmadge and Ronald Colman in 'Her Sister from Paris' (1925), which I'm accompanying tonight (Thursday, Aug. 16) at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington and on Saturday, Aug. 18 in Ludlow, Vt.

Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it's changing tastes. Maybe I did a lousy job with the music.

For whatever reason, a program last night of two-reelers from Chaplin's Mutual period failed produce what I would call an abundance of laughter.

People enjoyed it, I thought, and the applause seemed hearty enough after each film.

But while the comedies were running, little evidence of chortles or guffaws or belly laughs reached my ears.

That's unusual, as the Mutuals are when Chaplin really first hit his stride in a big way, I think. And they're proven laugh-getters.

Last night at the Leavitt Theatre, we ran four: 'Behind the Screen,' 'The Rink,' 'Easy Street' and 'The Cure.'

All are what I would consider crackerjack comedies. They're full of classic Chaplin gags and sequences that produce uproarious laughter.

Chaplin and company in 'The Rink.'

So what happened last night? Well, on top of the factors already mentioned, let me add these:

1. We had about 60 people in attendance. And weirdly, everyone sat way in the back of the theater. And the Leavitt now offers a bar and food service up in the "balcony" (actually an area even further back) and a lot of people were up there.

So it might have been the case that me, sitting way down under the stage, wasn't able to hear the laughter. Could be. But I heard enough to know I wasn't hearing enough, if that makes any sense.

2. The "Ice Cream for Dinner" factor. By that I mean it's one thing to watch one 20-minute comedy short. But it's a whole other ballgame when you string four of them together in a row, like cars in a freight train.

Like most short comedies of the period, Chaplin's two-reelers were intended to be just one part of a varied program that would include newsreels, dramas, travelogues, live vaudeville acts, and who-knows-what else.

As such, they functioned quite well, giving audiences a dose of high energy yucks to liven things up. It's a little like how dessert functions as part of a whole meal: a little sweet reward for all the other good stuff we've consumed.

But when you string four comedies together, it's too much. It's like having four ice cream sundaes in a row. After awhile, the appeal can't help but wear thin.

Look! I actually found a picture of four ice creams sundaes!

Yes, I've seen cases where comedies are strung together at film conventions, and they do quite well. But film conventions are often for the hard core, and that's a very different audience than the general public that's not familiar with the silent film idiom.

So last night's Great Laughter Draught of 2018 might be the cause of too much comedy all at once. Something to remember when people ask for a "night of Charlie Chaplin" or similar programs.

Well, onward we go. Tonight finds me accompanying the first of two screenings this week of 'Her Sister From Paris' (1925), a comedy starring Ronald Colman and Constance Talmadge.

On Thursday, Aug. 16, it's at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Mass. Showtime is 8 p.m. For information about the show, I've pasted in the press release for this screening below.

Then I'll be repeating it on Saturday, Aug. 18 up in Ludlow, Vt., at the Ludlow Auditorium, as this year's "silent film with live music" event, which is always a pleasure to be a part of.

Coming up: lots of news about screenings in Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Sioux City, Iowa. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, hope to see you at a screening near or far!

Constance Talmadge in 'Her Sister from Paris' (1925).

TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'Her Sister From Paris' on Thursday, Aug. 16 at Arlington's Capitol Theatre

Uproarious 'battle of the sexes' silent comedy starring Constance Talmadge, Ronald Colman to be presented with live music

ARLINGTON, Mass.—The scene: Europe. The cast: Rich people. Get swept off your feet by not one but two privileged ladies, both played by amazing actress Constance Talmadge, in this effervescent battle-of-the-sexes comedy.

Silent film with live music returns to the Capitol Theatre, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, Mass. with the comedy 'Her Sister from Paris' on Thursday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m.

The special program will be presented with live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. Admission is $12 adults, $10 kids and seniors.

In 'Her Sister from Paris,' Ronald Colman and Constance Talmadge play a wealthy American society couple living in Vienna.

Due to an argument, she leaves to stay with her mother. At the railway station she meets her identical twin, a celebrated dancer in Paris (also played by Talmadge), who agrees to trick the husband to help rekindle her sister's marriage.

The fun starts when both the husband and his friend, an official at the British Embassy, fall in love with the sister, leading to a dizzying round of complications.

Among the most popular stars of the silent era, Constance Talmadge specialized in light "society" comedies. However, she had acting and pantomime skills that made her a versatile actress able to tackle any role.

In 'Her Sister From Paris,' Talmadge delivers a virtuoso performance playing both sisters. Although their appearance is identical, each woman is quite different from the other, which Talmadge conveys through body language and on-screen attitude.

Ronald Colman, whose career would go on to span radio and television, was already a popular leading man in films at the time 'Her Sister From Paris' was made. Colman more than holds his own as the two sisters conspire against him.

Ronald Colman and Constance Talmadge in 'Her Sister from Paris.'

The screening of 'Her Sister from Paris' provides 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.

"If you can put pieces of the experience back together again, it's surprising how these films snap back to life," said Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who creates music for silent film screenings at venues around the country.

"By showing the films as they were intended, you can really get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies."

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.

Upcoming titles in the Capitol's silent film series include:

• Thursday, Sept. 13, 8 p.m.: 'The Last Laugh' (1924). In this ground-breaking character study from director F. W. Murnau, Emil Jannings delivers a tour-de-force performance as a doorman in a swanky Berlin hotel.

• Thursday, Oct 18, 8 p.m.: 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923). Just in time for Halloween: Lon Chaney stars as Quasimodo in this sprawling silent film adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic story.

'Her Sister From Paris' (1925) starring Constance Talmadge and Ronald Colman, will be screened with live music on Thursday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, Mass.

Admission is $12 adults, $10 kids and seniors. For more info, call (781) 648-6022 or visit www.capitoltheatreusa.com.

A mad dash of silent film accompaniment, plus working Curly Howard into a press release

Tonight at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine: tall ships on the big screen!

Happy 4th of July! A few notes before breaking into a silent film accompaniment sprint in the next week: five performances prior to departing for Laos and Cambodia.

The mad musical dash begins today with a screening of 'The Yankee Clipper' (1927) at the venerable Leavitt Theatre in downtown Ogunquit, Maine.

Looking forward to this (showtime 7 p.m.) because the old all-wood Leavitt Theatre sort of reminds me of one of those old all-wood tall ships. They're both grand contraptions from another era.

Also, Ogunquit is on the Maine coast, which means it'll be about 20 degrees cooler than inland New Hampshire today.

We're enduring a week-long heat wave in New England, which may be good training for Laos and Cambodia (and for global warming in general) but that doesn't make it pleasant.

Last night's bike ride in particular felt less like New Hampshire and more like Death Valley, with added humidity.

Even at 7 p.m., temps were stuck near 100 and the air was not moving. It was like bicyling through a giant oven. So Ogunquit will be a relief, I hope.

Plus, I'm going out a bit early to avoid traffic, and also to make a pilgrimage to what I consider the finest run-down clam shack on the East Coast.

(Everyone knows that the best fried seafood comes from run-down shacks within view of the Atlantic—the more run-down, the better. I think it's the same dynamic at work as not ever cleaning a frying pan but letting it become "seasoned" over time.)

It's Ceal's Clam Shack in Seabrook, N.H. Open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day, it's my Holy Shrine of Fried Food I Should Not Eat. But once or twice a year, I don't care.

A view from 2016. They update the painted date every season.

And about tonight's screening: I think 'Yankee Clipper' is a great choice to celebrate Independence Day, and not because it has 'Yankee' in the title.

Rather, it depicts a time when the young United States was first making waves on the world stage: specifically, the lucrative China tea trade in the 1850s.

So it harks back to a time long past, which makes it easy to forget today's troubles and relive the good old days, with their slavery and disease and cruelty and...wait, never mind.

Still, it's a great flick because it stars leading man William Boyd (long before he aged into the "Hop-along Cassidy sidekick role in innumerable Westerns) and, most importantly, it'll get out before the Ogunquit fireworks start.

See you there tonight!

Then tomorrow night it's John Barrymore in 'The Beloved Rogue' (1927), a film well-suited for heat wave relief because it's set in mid-winter medieval Paris.

It's running on Thursday, July 5 at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Mass. More details in the press release below.

But this is an under-rated picture with great performances from Barrymore, Conrad Veidt, and Marceline Day. Worth checking it out as a kind of pre-Bastille Day experience.

And then it's a two-fer on Sunday, July 8: a 35mm print of 'Docks of New York' (1928) at the Somerville Theatre at 2 p.m., and then a Western-themed silent double feature at the Aeronaut Brewery (also in Somerville, Mass.) at 7:30 p.m.

With the latter, we're running William S. Hart's ultra-serious 'Hell's Hinges' (1916) followed by Buster Keaton's Western send-up 'Go West' (1925). The Hart film is the set-up, with Keaton the punchline.

More on these two programs a bit later this week, but both are really worth catching.

And then I cross the finish line on Wednesday, July 11 with a screening of 'Peter Pan' (1924) at the Groton (Mass.) Public Library, a new venue for me. Looking forward to this one, too!

Then it's throw the toothbrush and malaria tablets in a bag, and off we go!

For now, though, consider taking in William Boyd tonight in 'The Yankee Clipper' (1927) tonight at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, and John Barrymore in 'The Beloved Rogue' tomorrow night at the Capitol in Arlington.

A press release for the latter is pasted in below. And I'm particularly proud of this one, as I was able to work in references to beloved stooge Curly Howard. (They're both beloved rogues of a sort.) Check it out!

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Forget the heat wave and lose yourself in frozen mid-winter Paris courtesy 'The Beloved Rogue.'

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

John Barrymore's 'The Beloved Rogue’ with live music Thursday, July 5 at Capitol Theatre

Exploits of 'Poet, Pickpocket, Patriot' of medieval France captured in spectacular silent film epic

ARLINGTON, Mass.—See Drew Barrymore's grandfather in one of his most celebrated performances!

It's legendary actor John Barrymore in 'The Beloved Rogue' (1927), an epic about the exploits of Francois Villon, the legendary "poet, pickpocket, patriot" of medieval France.

See this rarely screened silent adventure flick on Thursday, July 5 at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, Mass. Admission is $12 adults, $10 kids and seniors.

A live musical score for the movie will be performed by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist.

John Barrymore swashbuckles in 'The Beloved Rogue' (1927).

'The Beloved Rogue' follows the life of Francois Villon, beloved by the citizens of medieval Paris but banished from the city by King Louis XI for impudence.

But when the king is threatened by a rival, dark horse Villon emerges as the only hope of winning the day. Can Villon save the monarchy, and also win the hand of the aristocratic Charlotte de Vauxcelles?

In one of his most colorful, energetic performances. Barrymore—known during the silent era as "The Great Profile"—stars as Villon,

German actor Conrad Veidt delivers a memorable performance as the superstitious King Louis XI, while Marceline Day plays Villon's love interest, Charlotte de Vauxcelles.

Of special note: an appearance by diminutive character actor Angelo Rossitto, a dwarf. 'The Beloved Rogue' was his first film in a long career that spanned all the way to 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' (1985).

Set in a snowbound wintertime Paris, a highlight of 'The Beloved Rogue' are imaginative sets created by legendary art director William Cameron Menzies.

Critics continue to cite 'The Beloved Rogue' as one of Barrymore's strongest performances.

"Not history, just an eye-filling, spirited, tongue-in-cheek costume tale with Barrymore in great form," wrote Leonard Maltin.

Barrymore was a member of a legendary acting clan that included film actor Lionel Barrymore and stage actress Ethel Barrymore. Among his John Barrymore's descendants are actress Drew Barrymore, his granddaughter.

Barrymore's trademark "profile" was immortalized by comic Curly Howard in 'Movie Maniacs' (1936) when he turns sideways to the camera and asks, "Ain't I gettin' to look more and more like Barrymore?"

Produced and released by United Artists, 'The Beloved Rogue' was lost for some 40 years until a copy was discovered in the late 1960s in the collection of film pioneer Mary Pickford.

Pickford, an early champion of film preservation, tried saving all things "United Artists", the production company she co-founded.

'The Beloved Rogue' is the latest in a series of monthly silent film screenings at the Capitol Theatre.

The series aims to recreate the lost magic of early cinema by assembling the elements needed for silent film to be seen at its best: superior films in best available prints; projection on the big screen; live musical accompaniment; and an audience.

“These films are still exciting experiences if you show them as they were designed to be screened,” 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.”

For each film, Rapsis improvises a music score using original themes created beforehand. None of the the music is written down; instead, the score evolves in real time based on audience reaction and the overall mood as the movie is screened.

Upcoming titles in the Capitol's silent film series include:

• Thursday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m.: 'Her Sister from Paris' (1925) starring Constance Talmadge, Ronald Colman. Talmadge in top form playing two very different sisters in this effervescent battle-of-the-sexes romantic comedy.

• Thursday, Sept. 13, 8 p.m.: 'The Last Laugh' (1924). In this ground-breaking character study from director F. W. Murnau, Emil Jannings delivers a tour-de-force performance as a doorman in a swanky Berlin hotel.

• Thursday, Oct 18, 8 p.m.: 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923). Just in time for Halloween: Lon Chaney stars as Quasimodo in this sprawling silent film adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic story.

'The Beloved Rogue' will be shown on Thursday, July 5 at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, Mass. Admission is $12 adults, $10 kids and seniors. For more info, call (781) 648-6022 or visit www.capitoltheatreusa.com.

From the big city (Boston) to small town New England: Four days, four shows, three states

Gibson Gowland in 'Greed' (1924), to be screened in 35mm with live music on Sunday, May 14 at the Somerville Theatre. Now there's something to make for a memorable Mother's Day!

Heading into a busy performing stretch, with shows every day from Thursday, May 11 through Sunday, May 14.

And it's quite a variety of programs and locations, too.

Films range from one of the biggest (the sprawling WW! aviation drama 'Wings') to comedy short subjects, while the venues go from big city movie palaces (the Somerville Theatre) to rural town halls.

Here's what's on the silent film accompaniment to-do list. Hope you can join in for some or all!

• Thursday, May 11, 7:30 p.m.: "The Winning of Barbara Worth" (1926) starring Gary Cooper, Ronald Coleman, Vilma Banky; The Capitol Theatre, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, Mass.; (781) 648-6022; http://capitoltheatreusa.com/. Admission $12, $10 student/senior.

The skinny: Epic Western about the settling and irrigation of California's Imperial Valley, once a wasteland but now an agricultural paradise. Shot on location by director Henry King in Nevada's Black Rock desert, one of the first films to take audiences to the wide open spaces of the great American West. With a young Gary Cooper playing a key role. Silent film with live music at a terrific locally owned neighborhood cinema!

• Friday, May 12, 2017, 6 p.m.: "Wings" (1927) starring Clara Bow, Buddy Rogers, Richard Arlen; Webster, N.H., Webster Public Library/Town Hall, 947 Battle St., Webster N.H. 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.

The inside track: Compelling story, great performances, battle scenes filmed on an immense scale, and in-air aviation sequences that remain thrilling even today. Presented by the Webster (N.H.) Public Library and the Webster (N.H.) Historical Society as part of a program to commemorate the U.S. entry in World War I. Free admission, all welcome to attend.

• Saturday, May 13, 2017, 7 p.m.: Silent 'Our Gang' Festival; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.org.

The straight dope: Long before Alfalfa and Spanky, an earlier version of "The Little Rascals" had a long run during the silent film era. Take a trip back to the early years of "Our Gang" with some of their most popular comedies. 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, May 14, 2017, 2 p.m.: "Greed" (1924) in 35mm, directed by Erich von Stroheim; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.; http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com.

The deal: Sudden fortune won from a lottery creates such destructive force that it ruins the lives of the three people involved. Legendary director Erich Von Stroheim's great masterpiece brought silent film drama to new heights of intensity. Rare chance to see this film in 35mm on the big screen with live music. Part of a monthly series at the Somerville Theatre, a wonderful 100-year-old moviehouse committed to keeping alive the experience of 35mm film. Featuring outstandingly exacting work of legendary projectionist David Kornfeld. For more info, call the theater box office at (617) 625-5700. Admission $15 per person.

Okay! Each one of these programs has its merits.

On Thursday, 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' is a little-known but terrific Henry King picture that holds up well and really surprises audiences.

On Friday, 'Wings' will be shown as part of a World War I commemoration in the Town Hall/Public Library of Webster, N.H. Big film in a small town!

On Saturday, the 'Our Gang: The Early Years' program will kick off this year's silent film program up in Brandon, Vt. Guaranteed laughs!

On Sunday, a chance to see Von Stroheim's 'Greed' in 35mm at the Somerville Theatre! What more can I add?

But first things first. On Thursday, I'll go down to Boston early for a radio interview that afternoon with Radio BDC, the Boston Globe's streaming audio service and "Internet radio station." I'm there at 3 p.m. and not sure if what we'll do will air live or later, but you'll find it at www.bdcwire.com/radiobdc/.

And because Thursday night is 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' at the Capitol in Arlington, here's more info via the press release. I'll do the same for the others as we wade through the weekend.

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An original poster for 'The Winning of Barbara Worth.'

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rip-roaring epic silent Western at Arlington's Capitol Theatre on Thursday, May 11

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), ground-breaking outdoor drama starring Gary Cooper and Ronald Colman, to be screened with live music

ARLINGTON, Mass.—A film that helped create Hollywood's love affair with the American West will continue this season's silent film series at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Mass.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), a silent drama starring Gary Cooper, Ronald Colman, and Vilma Banky, will be shown on Thursday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at The Capitol Theatre, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, Mass.

Admission is $12 adults, $10 kids and seniors. Live music will be provided by accompanist Jeff Rapsis, a New England-based performer who specializes in creating music for silent film presentations.

Directed by Henry King, 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' chronicles the epic story of pioneer settlers who dreamed of irrigating California's parched Imperial Valley in the early 20th century. Filmed on location in Nevada's Black Rock desert, the movie is noted for its extensive use of vast open spaces and wild scenery.

The story centers on a rivalry for the affections of Barbara Worth (Vilma Banky), adopted daughter of a powerful rancher. A local cowboy (Gary Cooper) finds himself competing with a newly arrived engineer (Ronald Colman), who has come to the rural valley to work on plans to harness the Colorado River for irrigation.

Will the local ranchhand prevail over the city slicker engineer? Can citizens of the parched region prevail over nature and transform their lands into an agricultural paradise? Will rumors of shortcuts taken in constructing a massive dam lead to disaster?

All these questions combine to create a film that showed Hollywood and movie-goers the power of a drama set in the rural American west.

Hey! That's not the same guy in the poster above!

The film is also noted for its camerawork by Greg Toland, who would later go on to do principal photography for 'Citizen Kane' in 1941.

For 'The Winning of Barbara Worth,' Rapsis will improvise a score from original musical material that he composes beforehand, using a digital synthesizer to recreate the sound and texture of a full orchestra.

"What I try to do," Rapsis said, "is create music that bridges the gap between a film that might be 80 or 90 years old, and the musical expectations of today's audiences."

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' continues a monthly series of silent films presented with live music at the Capitol. The series provides local audiences the opportunity to experience silent film as it was intended to be shown: on the big screen, in good-looking prints, with live music, and with an audience.

“These films are still exciting experiences if you can show them as they were designed to be screened,” 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.”

Upcoming shows in the Capitol's 2017 silent film series include:

• Thursday, June 22, 7:30 p.m.: "The Kid" (1921) starring Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan. Chaplin's landmark comedy/drama about a tramp who raises an infant against all odds.

• Thursday, July 6, 7:30 p.m.: "The Lost World" (1925) starring Wallace Beery, Bessie Love. First-ever movie adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary tale of British explorers who discover pre-historic creatures still thriving atop a remote South American plateau.

• Thursday, Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m.: "Grandma's Boy" (1922) starring Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis. A cowardly young man must learn to conquer his fears before dealing with a larger menace to his community.

Gary Cooper, Vilma Banky, and Ronald Colman star in 'The Winning of Barbara Worth,' to be shown on Thursday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at The Capitol Theatre, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, Mass. Admission $12 adults, $10 kids and seniors.