Next at Harvard: 'The Big Parade' (1925) on Wednesday, Oct. 15; public welcome

A colorful vintage poster for 'The Big Parade' (1925), one of the highest-grossing films of the silent era.

Just a quick note here ahead of a screening coming up of an unusually good silent drama.

Tomorrow night (Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.) I'll be at the keyboard for 'The Big Parade' (1925), MGM's blockbuster drama about U.S. doughboys who brashly head off to fight in World War I, only to return changed forever—if they return at all.

We're running 35mm print of the flick in Harvard University's Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, which is between Quincy Street and Prescott Street in Cambridge, Mass., just outside Harvard Yard proper. (It's a short walk from the Harvard Square T Station.)

Although the screening is for a class, it's open to the public. And it's free! So if you're within traveling distance, it's a great chance to take in one of the top silents in an actual theater with live music and an audience. (And in 35mm, too!)

It's especially good value, because with 'The Big Parade,' I think you actually get two motion pictures, not one.

King Vidor filmed the first 90 minutes or so of 'The Big Parade' as if it was a standard "join the army" drama, with John Gilbert and his buddies going off to rural France and making light-hearted ooh-la-la with the ladies. You almost expect Constance Talmadge to show up, fleeing the likes of Ronald Colman.

How's this for a meet-cute? Renee Adoree has John Gilbert over a barrel, so to speak, in 'The Big Parade' (1925).

But the mood shifts dramatically for the film's final hour. (Yes, the whole thing runs about 2½ hours long.)

I don't want to get into enough detail to spoil things. But I think a big part of the film's emotional impact is that Vidor first takes enough time to allow us to get to know the characters, and for them to get to know each other, before everything changes.

And so our emotions are fully vested when the characters are suddenly put into the unknown territory that makes up the balance of the film.

We can't not watch. We can't not care. And it makes for some powerfully effective cinema, I think.

A scene from later in 'The Big Parade' (1925).

It also makes for an interesting accompaniment challenge. No matter what happens in the first part, you need to hold back so you have some place to go when things escalate.

To ensure this happens, I'm thinking of deliberately keeping things set at a "chamber orchestra" level during the first part, holding the full orchestra in reserve until it's really justified.

As an incentive, I try to keep in mind that audiences at the time this film was released had really never seen anything like what Vidor depicted on the screen, and many were quite shocked.

Nowadays, of course, we've seen it all, which tends to blunt the impact of what might have been mesmerizing movies were new. But music, if done a certain way, can help the film retain the dramatic punch that I believe Vidor was going for.

Will I be able to pull it off? Find out by joining 'The Big Parade' down at "Hah-vad" tomorrow night!

And after this, it's non-stop Halloween screenings until the first weekend of November, starting with a Lon Chaney "Chiller Theatre" double feature up at Brandon Town Hall in Brandon, Vt. on Saturday, Oct. 18.

It's "Chiller Theatre," by the way, because the building has no heat. But more on that later this week...

Coming up next in Boston: 'Faust' on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the Brattle

The great Emil Jannings in extreme make-up as Mephisto in 'Faust' (1926).

Although I generally favor good over evil, it's my honor to play a part in the Brattle Theatre's ongoing "Dead of Winter: Satan on Screen" series.

To that end, I'll be providing live music for a screening of the great F.W. Murnau film 'Faust' (1926) on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. Alas, this was just arranged last week, so there hasn't been time for a lot of advance publicity.

Still, Satan always draws a crowd, so I'm looking forward to helping bring the devil to life this week at the Cambridge revival house, which continues to offer great film of all eras all year round on the big screen in a theater.

I'm coming off a recent spurt of silent film activity -- a 10-day period that saw five separate shows in widely varying venues. Here's a summary of what I learned.

- W.C. Fields remains enough of an iconic figure for today's audiences to respond readily to his silent films. A screening of 'Sally of the Sawdust' (1925) on Thursday, Jan. 10 in Plymouth, N.H. draw a warm response from a crowd of about 50 people. I think D.W. Griffith's ability to structure a story for maximum audience response was a big help, but Fields himself really carried the picture. People really seemed to like Carol Dempster as well. I found the music for this really fell together nicely.

- A screening of 'Battling Butler' (1926) on Tuesday, Jan. 15 showed that even "lesser" Keaton has the power to hold an audience. I hadn't done this one before (it's the last of Keaton's features that I'd yet to tackle) and I was curious what the reaction would be, as it lacks the usual Keaton all-outdoors climax on a grand scale. Our audience of about 40 people at the Manchester (N.H.) City Library enjoyed it thoroughly, although the opening scenes of Buster ineptly hunting did not create nearly the reaction I thought they would. However, the training sequences in the boxing camp (which I've always thought were pretty routine) produced gales of laughter. Go figure. And, surprise again, Keaton's fight-in-close-quarters climax actually works very well in a theater. I liked the music for this, as I was able to invent a "rah rah" sports march that was useful throughout the score.

- Our encore showing of Fritz Lang's forgotten epic 'Woman in the Moon' (1929) on Wednesday, Jan. 16 attracted about 30 people to the screening room of Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H., where a screening on New Year's Eve had been sold out. Musically, I think I had better material on hand this time around, and so it was more satisfying on that score. This film continues to amaze me, and our audience seemed astonished, too. Even after a three-hour movie, we had a lively question-and-answer session.

- On Friday, Jan. 18, I made the trek to one of my favorite events: the annual "Arisia" science fiction and fantasy convention, held at the Westin Hotel in downtown Boston. This four-day event attracts more than 3,000 attendees, many dressed in elaborate costumes, and is diverse enough to include a silent film screening with live music. This year's entry was 'The Lost World' (1925), in the form of a truncated 16mm show-at-home print that still managed to hold the audience of about 50 people in a large conference room that doubled as the convention's film theater. (Four full days of film, much of it in 35mm!) With all the distractions of trying to unload my gear, get it up to the theater, find parking, etc., it was not easy to pull my head together for the score, but I felt it held together well enough. What really made it worthwhile, however, was the crowd reaction: lively from the start, it peaked with applause at the scenes of the dinosaur wreaking havoc on the streets of London. The images are truly iconic, and they've fired my desire to program the fully restored version of this film in future programs.

- Finally, a screening of Paul Leni's 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928) at the Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, Jan. 20 drew only a lower-than-expected turnout due to football playoffs happening at the same time. I think we had about 40 people (usually we get at least double that) for this picture, which I think has a lot to offer. Alas, I hadn't had much time to prepare for it, and after a week of pushing myself, the score that I came up with was a little random and not very focused, I'm afraid. It was all recycled material, which sometimes happens when I don't have time to ponder a film and let new ideas germinate. I guess given the improvisatory nature of my accompaniment, I need to be careful not to overdo it. Still, people seemed appreciative

One thing I've noticed recently is that if I make time to eat a full and good meal prior to a performance, I seem to do better. I did that for 'Sally' in Plymouth and 'Woman in the Moon' in Concord, and both scores fell together quite well. On the other hand, I was frazzled with a dozen errands and distractions prior to today's screening of 'The Man Who Laughs,' and the music seemed to suffer. So there's definitely a pattern here. Something to keep in mind as I figure out the right balance of too much and not enough to stay in the zone of good silent film scoring.

Alas, on Wednesday, I teach a course in Manchester, N.H. just prior to racing down to Cambridge, Mass for 'Faust,' with just barely enough time to set up before showtime, so I won't have a chance to nourish myself in the big city. Perhaps I'll pack a dinner and eat it in the car on the way down. Ah, the glamour of show biz!

Coming Wednesday, Oct. 12: My Brattle Debut!

I'm thrilled to report that on Wednesday, Oct. 12, I'll be doing live music for a screening of the original silent film version 'Peter Pan' (1924) at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, Mass. Show starts at 8 p.m., and is part of the theater's three-day festival of fantasy films involving either Peter or Alice, as in Wonderland.

If you're not familiar with the New England cinematic landscape, let me tell you that the Brattle is the really, really big time for vintage cinema. Just off Harvard Square, the Brattle has been showing classic and independent films for something like six decades now, continuing the tradition long after so many others were wiped out by the VCR revolution in the 1980s.

But the Brattle soldiered on, and continues to do so today. Under the leadership of Ivy Moylan and Ned Hinkle, it continues to program all kinds of great film. (I checked and just tonight they screened 'Dr. Strangelove' (1964) and 'Duck Soup' (1933) -- how cool is that?) I was actually a member many years ago, when I had more of a chance to get down there, but I still attend screenings when I can.

What's great about the Brattle is the commitment to screening film as it was intended to be seen: on the big screen, using actual film prints, and with an audience. And I'm pleased to report that this commitment extends to scheduling the occasional silent film, and using live music whenever possible, which is what we're doing with 'Peter Pan.'

Several Halloween-type silents with live music (from others) are coming at the end of this month -- for more info, see www.brattlefilm.org. For me, my big chance will be doing the music for Peter Pan. It's not actually my musical debut at the Brattle; in 2005, the theater screened 'Dangerous Crosswinds,' an independent feature film directed by Bill Millios for which I did the music.

But still, next week I'll be doing it live for the first time. I encourage you to check it out -- not only is the original 'Peter Pan' a real hoot, but it's a great film for music, too. Hope to see you there.

It's looking like a busy week. I also need to prepare for a screening of 'Nosferatu' (1922) on Thursday, Oct. 13 at the Flying Monkey Theater in Plymouth, N.H., and then 'The Cat and the Canary' (1927) on Saturday, Oct. 15 in Brandon, Vt. More on those later. For now, here's the 'Peter Pan' press release, with more info about the Brattle screening on Wednesday, Oct. 12...

OCT. 1, 2011 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent film version of 'Peter Pan' at Brattle Theatre on Wednesday, Oct. 12

Rare screening of legendary cinema classic to feature new musical score performed live

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—It was the film that introduced movie-goers to visions of flying children, magical fairies, human-like animals and menacing pirates. It was the original silent film adaptation of 'Peter Pan,' a picture personally supervised by author J.M. Barrie. The film, starring actress Betty Bronson (at left) in the title role, became a major hit when released around Christmas of 1924, with audiences eager to get their first big-screen look at the wonders of Never Never Land.

Thought lost for many years, the original silent 'Peter Pan' maintains its freshness nearly 90 years after its release. Boston-area audiences can see for themselves when the first 'Peter Pan' (1924) is screened with live music on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. at the Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, Mass. Tickets are $9.75, with discounts for students, seniors, children, and Brattle members.

The screening of 'Peter Pan' will be accompanied by silent film musician Jeff Rapsis, who has prepared new material for the 115-minute picture. Rapsis improvises the score for each screening in real time, using a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of a full orchestra.

"Live music is an integral part of the silent film experience," said Rapsis, who accompanies films at venues all across New England. "Music not only supported the action, but clued in the audience to changing moods and created an overall atmosphere. This new music for 'Peter Pan' is designed to help bring to life this film's special qualities of fantasy and child-like wonder."

The screening is part of the Brattle's "Peter and Alice" repertory series, which runs from Tuesday, Oct. 11 through Thursday, Oct. 13 and celebrates two iconic fantasy figures -- Peter Pan and Alice of the "Alice in Wonderland" stories. More information on the other screenings can be found at www.brattlefilm.org.

In 'Peter Pan,' first presented as a stage play in 1904 and then issued in book form, three London children are visited one night by a strange youth in search of his shadow. Peter Pan, accompanied by the meddlesome fairy Tinkerbell, teaches his new friends how to fly, and then convinces them to journey to Never Never Land. There they encounter Indians, mermaids, and a band of pirates whose leader, Captain Hook, is Pan's sworn enemy.

This sets the stage for an epic battle, the outcome of which will determine if the children may ever return home.

Though the Peter Pan story is well known today due to subsequent adaptations (and a brand of peanut butter), the tale was freshly invented when Hollywood first brought it to film in the early 1920s. In England, author Barrie agreed to allow the adaptation, though he retained right of refusal over casting and insisted that any written titles in the film be taken directly from his own text. After an extensive talent search, Barrie settled on unknown 18-year-old actress Betty Bronson for the title role, and filming began in 1924.

The film's highlights include special effects that maintain their ability to dazzle even today. The film's memorable images include a group of mermaids entering the sea and a pirate ship lifting out of the water and taking flight. 'Peter Pan' also includes a cast of animal characters played by humans in costume, including the family dog Nana and an alligator who serves as Hook's nemesis, lending the film a magical quality.

After the film's release, no copies of the original 'Peter Pan' were known to exist, and for many years the picture was regarded as lost. However, in the 1950s a single surviving print turned up in the George Eastman Archives in Rochester, N.Y., from which all copies today have descended.

"If you're not familiar with how accomplished silent film could be at its peak, then 'Peter Pan' will surprise you," Rapsis said. "The Brattle screening is worth checking out because it's a chance to see this great film as it was intended: in a theater, with an audience, on the big screen, and with live music."

'Peter Pan' (1924) will be shown on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. at the Brattle Theater, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, Mass. Admission is $9.75, with discounts for seniors, students, children, and Brattle members. For more information on the screening, visit www.brattlefilm.org, e-mail info@brattlefilm.org, or call (617) 876-6837. For more information on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com