A memorable introduction, plus 'Barbara Worth' on 5/10 at Red River Theatres, Concord, N.H.

An original poster for 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926).

Just back from a quick trip to San Francisco, where I accompanied Hoot Gibson in 'The Phantom Bullet' (1926) on Saturday night at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum.

Niles is the only venue I know of that runs silent film programs every week all year round. It's a treat to go out and pitch in with music.

My visits seem to coincide with the start of a new two-month show schedule, and Niles always leads off with a Western—often something really obscure.

This time was no exception: I'd never heard of 'The Phantom Bullet,' a Universal Western of no particular distinction. And there was no way to preview it, so I played it sight unseen.

But I wasn't the only one in this predicament. With the volume of film they show—and with a collection that includes hundreds of titles rarely shown anywhere—the Niles staffers can't possibly keep up with studying every single movie in advance.

And so in introducing 'The Phantom Bullet,' staffer Rena Azevedo-Kiehn said up front she'd never seen the film. Instead, she told a few Hoot Gibson stories, but about 'The Phantom Bullet,' she stated cheerfully: "I got nothing!"

This was such a refreshing intro that I wanted to capture it here. It made it seem like we were all on this great journey of discovery together!

There's something to be learned from that, including something I already know but keep forgetting: Less is more.

It also reminded me of when I was a student at Fordham and the New York Times carried local TV listings, but due to space limitations the movie descriptions were often one single word.

I remember this listing, which I cut out and have saved somewhere:

Channel 11, 2 a.m. "Genius at Work" (1946), Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwell. Where?

* * *Coming up is another Western, but one that's vastly different from the Hoot Gibson "oater" we enjoyed at Niles.

It's 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), a terrific film burdened with what I consider one of the worst titles of all cinema.

Showtime is Thursday, May 10 at 7 p.m. at Red River Theatres, 11 South Main St., in Concord, N.H. More info is in the press release pasted below.

And don't let the clunky title stop you from discovering this great movie, which stars Ronald Colman, Vilma Banky, and a very young pre-'Wings' Gary Cooper.

Among the movie's many virtues is that directory Henry King went to the trouble of shooting on location in Nevada's forbidding Black Rock Desert.

A day-by-day chronicle of the movie's production was kept by a local paper, giving us a wealth of "you were there" info about the making of the film.

So we have a ton of behind-the-scenes material about 'Barbara,' including many great stories about the hardships and sacrifices endured by all.

But in introducing the film—well, I'll take my lead from Rena Azevedo-Kiehn and mostly let audience members discover it on their own terms.

Hope to see you there!

* * *

Vilma Banky and Gary Cooper in 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926).

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rip-roaring epic silent Western at Red River Theatres on Thursday, May 10

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

CONCORD, N.H.—A film that helped create Hollywood's love affair with the American West will continue this season's silent film series at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), a silent drama starring Gary Cooper, Ronald Colman, and Vilma Banky, will be shown on Thursday, May 10 at 7 p.m. in Red River's Stonyfield Farm Theater.

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

Admission to this special program is $12 per person.

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 conquer 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.

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 '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 90 years old, and the musical expectations of today's audiences."

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' continues a series of silent films presented with live music at Red River. 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,” Rapsis said.

“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.”

Red River Theatres, an independent cinema, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to screening a diverse program of first-run independent films, cult favorites, classics, local and regional film projects, and foreign films.

The member-supported theater’s mission is to present film and the discussion of film as a way to entertain, broaden horizons and deepen appreciation of life for New Hampshire audiences of all ages.

Upcoming shows in Red River's 2018 silent film series include:

• Thursday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m.: "The General" (1926) starring Buster Keaton. Civil War saga about a Confederate railroad engineer whose locomotive is stolen by Northern spies. Ranked among the great films of any era.

• Thursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.: "Wings" (1927) starring Clara Bow, Buddy Rogers. Winner of first-ever Best Picture Academy Award, epic tale of U.S. biplane pilots in Europe during World War II.

Gary Cooper, Vilma Banky, and Ronald Colman star in 'The Winning of Barbara Worth,' to be shown on Thursday, May 10 at 7 p.m. at Red River Theatres, 11 South Main St., Concord, N.H. Admission is $12 per person.

For more info, visit www.redrivertheatres.org. or call (603) 224-4600. For more about the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Next: 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926) on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Rogers Center

Next up on the accompaniment calendar: a movie that I can't believe I didn't know about for such a long time.

It's 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926) and despite the clunky title, it's a real winner, with something for everyone.

And you can see for yourself when the film is screened on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Rogers Center for the Arts at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass.

Admission is free and the program is open to the public. A lot more info about the film and the screening is in the press release I've pasted in below.

Why am I so up on 'The Winning of Barbara Worth'?

Consider:

• It has stars whose names are still recognized today, including Gary Cooper and Ronald Colman. (And, to a lesser extent, Vilma Banky.)

• It was filmed in Nevada's remote Black Rock Desert, which gave director Henry King incredible vistas and unsurpassed location shooting.

• Although it's a high-stakes drama, it's filled with warm comic touches that are so typical of director King's style, and which greatly enrich the film.

• It's a Western, but not about injuns and bandits. Instead, it's a story about agriculture and water and the settling of the American West.

I know that last point doesn't sound too compelling, but it makes all difference.

The story of 'Winning' takes place amid the first attempts to irrigate California's arid Imperial Valley—the vast area west of Los Angeles and San Diego.

Pioneering settlers recognized the valley could be an agricultural paradise if only water could be brought to it.

So in the late 19th century, grand plans were made to reroute the nearby Colorado River so it would flow into and through the valley.

However, in 1905, the Colorado famously overflowed the dikes and canals under construction and an out-of-control deluge caused extensive flooding and the inadvertent creation of the land-locked Salton Sea, which we still have with us today.

The river was eventually controlled, and today the Imperial Valley is indeed is one of the most productive growing regions in the world.

In 'The Winning of Barbara Worth,' this series of events provides the setting for human drama that takes place among the heroic efforts to transform the valley.

Unlike so many films from long ago, this one rings true even today, I think. The cast, the setting, the story—all combine to show the narrative power of silent film at the peak of the form.

And for some reason, it's not as well known as it should be, even among film fans. I only discovered it a few years ago, when working with Kevin Brownlow on a presentation about the American West in silent cinema.

It could be the title, which is a mouthful and doesn't do much to convey the scale and scope of this production.

Well, whatever the reason, here's your chance to catch up with one of the silent era's under-appreciated gems.

See you at the screening! For more info, check out the press release below.

* * *

Vilma Banky and Gary Cooper in 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926).

THURSDAY, JAN. 12, 2017 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rip-roaring epic silent Western with live music at Rogers Center for the Arts on Wednesday, Jan. 25

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

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.—A film that helped create Hollywood's love affair with the American West will continue this season's silent film programming, part of the Tambakos Film Series at the Rogers Center for the Arts in North Andover, Mass.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), a silent drama starring Gary Cooper, Ronald Colman, and Vilma Banky, will be shown on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.

Admission is free and the screening is open to the public. 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 ranch hand 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.

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 another season of silent films presented with live music at the Rogers. 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.”

For each film, Rapsis improvises a music score using original themes he creates 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.

"If you haven't seen a silent film the way it was intended to be shown, then you're missing a unique experience," Rapsis said. "At their best, silent films can be surprisingly sophisticated. They still retain a tremendous ability to cast a spell, engage an audience, tap into elemental emotions, and provoke strong reactions."

The 2016-17 Tambakos Film Series, which runs most Wednesday nights during the semester, focuses on Silent Films with live musical accompaniment, Hollywood classics and foreign masterworks. It continues on February 1st with crime thriller ‘The Grandmaster’ followed by A Clockwork Orange, Taxi Driver, and Jules et Jim. The next masterpiece in the Silent film Series is "The Passion of Joan of Arc" (1928). Danish director Carl Dreyer's intense recreation of the trial of Joan of Arc. 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' will screen on Wednesday, March 22, 2017.

All films are screened at the Rogers Center for the Arts, Merrimack College, 315 North Turnpike St., North Andover, Mass.

For more information, call the Rogers box office at (978) 837-5355 or visit www.merrimack.edu/rogers.

For more about the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Great movie, unfortunate title: 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' on Thursday, June 9

When I first heard the title of the movie 'The Winning of Barbara Worth,' I thought it must be something about auctioning off women to the highest bidder.

And when I learned it was actually a drama that centered on irrigation, it moved further down my list of "must-see" films.

Well, yes, it's a terrible title. And yes, it is about irrigation.

But all that disguises a terrific silent film with a whole lot going for it:

• A cast led by Ronald Colman, Vilma Banky, and a very young Gary Cooper.

• Great location shooting in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.

• Direction by Henry King at the height of his powers.

• Great cinematography from Greg Toland, who would later shoot 'Citizen Kane' for Orson Welles.

• A spectacular flood sequence that never fails to mesmerize an audience.

I first saw parts of this film thanks to Kevin Brownlow, who included sequence from it in his "Hollywood" documentary series about the silent film era.

Brownlow, the legendary British film preservationist and advocate, included the material in a presentation he gave a few years ago at the University of Arkansas, for which I was privileged to supply musical accompaniment.

I was amazed at the flooding sequence, and so sought out the whole picture.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926) turned out to be one of the many forgotten gems from the silent era—pictures never get included in the list of timeless classics or studied in film class, but which nevertheless achieve excellence on their own terms and hold up very well when screened today.

Well, you have a chance to discover this great flick this week. I'll be accompanying a screening of it on Thursday, June 9 at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H.

Showtime is 6:30 p.m. More details about the film and the screening are in the press release below this.

After that, it's two "unforgotten" gems.

• On Friday, June 10 at 7 p.m., it's Buster Keaton in 'The General' (1926) at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H.

• And on Sunday, June 12 at 8 p.m., it's Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan in 'The Kid' (1921) at the Aeronaut Brewery in Somerville, Mass.

But first up is 'Barbara Worth' (1926), and below is more info. Hope to see you there!

* * *

Vilma Banky and Gary Cooper in 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926).

TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2016 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rip-roaring epic silent Western to be shown at Flying Monkey on Thursday, June 9

'The Winning of Barbara Worth,' starring Ronald Colman and Gary Cooper, to be screened with live music in Plymouth, N.H.

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—A film that helped set the stage for Hollywood's love affair with the American West will be shown next month at The Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), a silent drama starring Gary Cooper, Ronald Colman, and Vilma Banky, will be screened on Thursday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m. at 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

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

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 ranch-hand 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. 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 a score 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' is the latest in a monthly series of silent films presented with live music at the Flying Monkey. 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.

"If you can put pieces of the experience back together again, it's surprising how these films snap back to life," Rapsis said. "By showing the films under the right conditions, you can get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies."

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

• Thursday, July 14, 2016, 6:30 p.m.: 'Spite Marriage' (1929). Buster Keaton's final silent film finds the stone-faced comic so in love with a stage actress that he joins the cast of her hit play to be close to her. What could go wrong?

• Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016, 6:30 p.m.: Rudolph Valentino Double Feature! On the 90th anniversary of the hearthrob's shocking and untimely death, we pay tribute with 'The Sheik' (1921) and 'Son of the Sheik' (1926). Bring tissues!

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926) will be screened with live music on Thursday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H. Admission is $10 per person. For more info, call (603) 536-2551 or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' launches annual silent film series in Brandon, Vt.

Brandon Town Hall and Community Center in Brandon, Vt., which moonlights as a silent movie theater for six months of the year.

This Saturday marks the start of the annual silent film series in the very nice town of Brandon, Vt., about three hours north of here. (It's 2½ hours if I drive like a maniac, which I sometimes do.)

The half-year festival consists of a monthly silent film program at Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, which has become one of my favorite places to do silent film programs.

The festival runs from May through October, or only those months where there's a reasonable expectation of warm weather, because the town hall does not currently have central heating. (They're working on that as part of ongoing renovations.)

And it's a favorite venue because the size is right (about 100 people fills the place), acoustics are great, and the people are fabulous. The organizers are faultlessly friendly and good-natured. And the people who attend are really into it. I don't know exactly why, but silent film is big in Brandon.

So it's a real pleasure to return there once again for another season of silents. The schedule is heavy on the comedy this time around (by popular request) but we're opening this weekend with a drama that I think will go over well with the Brandon crowd.

The film is 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), directed by Henry King.

Vilma Banky and a young Gary Cooper star in 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926).

Why in Brandon? For one thing, it has names that people might still recognize, including Ronald Colman and Gary Cooper, which is always a plus. Great story, great atmosphere, great location shooting, and quite the climax. (The only misfire, I think, is the title, which doesn't quite fit the film, I think.)

But I also selected the film because it's just packed with horses. And that's in honor of Betty Moffett, a long-time Brandon resident and enthusiastic supporter of the silent film series when we first got started a few years ago.

Betty would often say that one of the glories of films from the silent era is that they're full of scenes of great horsemanship, which was much more common back then. And it really gladdened her heart to see such images, and kept her coming back.

She made a playful promise to me that she'd continue to support the series as long as we ran films with a lot of horses. Betty, alas, has since passed away. But I'm keeping my promise regardless, and so we'll have plenty of horses this Saturday night and in the months to come.

Hope to see you there! The press release with more info (and the full season schedule) is below.

* * *

MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rip-roaring epic silent Western to be shown in Brandon, Vt. on Saturday, May 17

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), ground-breaking outdoor drama, to be screened with live music

BRANDON, Vt.—A film that helped set the stage for Hollywood's love affair with movies set in American West will open this year's silent film series at Brandon Town Hall in Brandon, Vt.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), a silent drama starring Gary Cooper, Ronald Colman, and Vilma Banky, will be shown on Saturday, May 17 at 7 p.m. at Brandon Town Hall and Community Center on Route 7, downtown Brandon, Vt.

Live music for the movie will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free; donations are encouraged, with proceeds to support ongoing renovation of Brandon Town Hall.

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. 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' opens another season of silent films presented with live music at the Brandon Town Hall. 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.

"If you can put pieces of the experience back together again, it's surprising how these films snap back to life," Rapsis said. "By showing the films under the right conditions, you can really get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies."

The screening of 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' is being sponsored by local residents Nancy and Gary Meffe.

Other shows in this year's series include:

• Saturday, June 14, 7 p.m.: "Silent Comedy with Harold Lloyd" See why Harold Lloyd was the most popular performer of the silent film era. Instead of getting ahead, his everyman character (a nice young fellow with horn-rimmed glasses) had a knack for getting into spectacular trouble, often requiring him to overcome amazing odds to win the day. Audiences continue to thrill at Harold's adventures when presented they way they were intended to be shown: on the big screen and with an audience. Screening sponsored by Pam and Steve Douglass.

• Saturday, July 12, 7 p.m.: "Silent Comedy with Buster Keaton" 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 and clever visual gags, Keaton's movies remain popular crowd-pleasers today. See for yourself with a selection of Keaton's best short and feature-length films! Screening sponsored by the Brandon Artist Guild, Dolores Furnari, and Country Owl Studio.

• Saturday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.: "Show People" (1928), starring William Haines, Marion Davies. A silent film about the silent film business! Young Peggy Pepper ventures to Hollywood to make her mark in drama, but finds an unexpected (and unwelcome) flair for slapstick comedy. King Vidor directed this entertaining valentine to an art form that would soon be swept aside by talking pictures. Full of cameos of stars ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Sponsored by the Brandon Town Players and Bill & Kathy Mathis In Memory of Maxine Thurston.

• Saturday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.: "Silent Comedy with Harry Langdon" Silent comedy featuring the unique style of Harry Langdon, whose innocent baby-faced character rocketed to fame late in the silent era on the strength of films directed by a very young Frank Capra. Rediscover Harry's quiet genius the way it was intended to be seen: on the big screen and with a live audience. Screening sponsored by the Brandon Artist Guild, Charles Powell and Steve Zorn.

• Saturday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.: "Chiller Theater Silent Double Feature starring Lon Chaney" The annual "Chiller Theater" presentation in the as-yet-unheated Brandon Town Hall. Just in time for Halloween, two classic silent films that will creep you out. In 'The Unknown' (1927), Lon Chaney plays 'Alonzo the Armless,' a disabled circus performer smitten with Joan Crawford. What he does to prove his love for her makes for an unforgettably twisted tale from director Tod Browning. Plus: Another Lon Chaney feature TBA. Screening sponsored by Lake Sunapee Bank.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926) will lead off this season's silent film series on Saturday, May 17 at 7 p.m. at Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Route 7, in Brandon, Vt. Admission is free; donations are encouraged, with proceeds to support ongoing renovation of the town hall. For more information, visit www.brandontownhall.org. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Thanks to Kevin Brownlow for leading me to 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926)

 

Vilma Banky and Gary Cooper in a scene from 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), to be screened with live music on Sunday, April 28 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre. 

A local screening of Henry King's epic Western 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926) this weekend (on Sunday, April 28 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.) is due to none other than author, historian, and silent film guru Kevin Brownlow.

First, though, let me tell you that I'm eager to see how this film plays with an audience. I find it fascinating for many reasons—the location photography, the engineering and irrigation angle, all the period detail, and the storyline itself. Most interestingly, the main antagonist is none other than Mother Nature, which lends an epic scale to the proceedings.

But I'm never quite sure if my own personal enthusiasm translates into a successful film in the ultimate forum for silent film greatness: an actual movie theater filled with people. So we'll see. We just need a lot of folks to come out. So pray for lousy weather. :)

Update: The local daily paper, The Nashua Telegraph, has published a nice profile of me as a preview to this screening. Thanks to writer Kathleen Palmer for a great job!

I do have high hopes for this one, which I didn't know about until I had a chance to work with Mr. Brownlow during a program last October at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Kevin was presenting a program called "The Wild West and the Reel West," an evening-long look at how early Hollywood actually helped keep the old West alive somewhat by providing employment for old-time horsemen, cattle-drive veterans, and so on.

Kevin Brownlow and I at the University of Arkansas in October, 2012.

The program, built mostly from material assembled for Brownlow's excellent multi-part 1980 documentary 'Hollywood,' was in need of live music for a few segments. And so I was tapped for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with Kevin, a major figure in the silent film community who was given an Academy Award a few years back for his life's work, which includes restoring Abel Gance's 1927 epic 'Napoleon.'

What surprised me about Brownlow's choice of clips was how much of the film was not "historical" (meaning set in the past, such as in the 19th century) but actually involved contemporary stories set in what was then pretty much the present day. Yes, a lot of it looks like the "Old West" to my 21st-century eyes. But every now and then, you'd see a motor car among the horses and stagecoaches on Main Street, which made me realize these films were even more interesting to us today because they captured day-to-day reality in an America that was rapidly changing. (And it still is.)

It wasn't the first time I'd noticed this. There's a Douglas Fairbanks Sr. comedy, 'Wild and Wooley' (1917), that pokes fun at stereotyped images of the Old West, which even then were seen as clichéd. In it, leaders of a progressive Arizona town need to entertain Fairbanks, a New York banker with a romantic fondness for the 'Old West.' So they replace all their modern improvements with old-time bric-a-brac: misspelled saloon signs, etc. How surprising to my modern eyes—and perhaps even funnier now than it was a century ago.

But back to Brownlow. For his presentation, among the films he drew from was 'The Winning of Barbara Worth,' which I'd somehow never encountered in a lifetime of silent film viewing. (Shows you how much material there is out there, even with 80 percent of it lost.) Turns out 'Barbara Worth' was one of the ground-breaking pictures that showed Hollywood how to do it right—in this case, how to shoot a Western in the truly wide open spaces, with backgrounds stretching seemingly to infinity.

This was achieved by director King's decision to shoot the entire picture on location in Nevada's immense Black Rock Desert, which stood in for California's pre-irrigation Imperial Valley. The entire cast and crew sweated out three months in the summer of 1926 to make the film under incredibly harsh conditions. There's a fascinating day-by-day account of the effort in the form of a long article by a Nevada historian who pieced together local news accounts of the shooting, which was a huge story at the time.

After seeing the clips of the film in Brownlow's presentation, I knew I had to program it. And thus we come to this weekend's screening of 'The Winning of Barbara Worth' at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre. There's more info about the flick in the press release below. But for now, I wanted to tip my cap to Kevin Brownlow for sharing his enthusiasm and passion for this still-lively and vital form of cinema.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rip-roaring epic silent Western to be shown in Wilton, N.H. on Sunday, April 28

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), ground-breaking outdoor drama, to be screened with live music

WILTON, N.H.—A film that helped set the stage for Hollywood's love affair with movies set in American West will return to the big screen in Wilton, N.H.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' (1926), a silent drama starring Gary Cooper, Ronald Colman, and Vilma Banky, will be shown on Sunday, April 28 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre.

Live music for the movie will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free; a donation of $5 per person is suggested to defray costs.

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. 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' is the latest in a monthly series of silent films presented with live music at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre. 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.

"If you can put pieces of the experience back together again, it's surprising how these films snap back to life," Rapsis said. "By showing the films under the right conditions, you can really get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies."

Upcoming silent film screenings at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre include:

• Sunday, May 26, 2013, 4:30 p.m.: 'Tell It To The Marines' (1926). In honor of Memorial Day: U.S. Marine Sergeant O'Hara (Lon Chaney) has his hands full training raw recruits, one of whom, 'Skeets' Burns, is a particular thorn in his side...especially when it comes to romancing nurse Nora Dale.

• Sunday, June 30, 2013, 4:30 p.m.: 'The Yankee Clipper' (1926). Set sail in the era of the great clipper ships in a thrilling race between American and British vessels speeding from China to Boston, with rival crews using only the wind and their wits to win. But will a romantic rivalry complicate the competition? Part of a summer series of seagoing silent films with live music.

• Sunday, July 28, 2013: 4:30 p.m.: 'The Sea Hawk' (1924). Swashbuckling historical adventure on the high seas about an English noble sold into slavery who escapes and turns himself into a pirate king. Based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini; later remade into a talkie starring Errol Flynn. Part of a summer series of seagoing silent films with live music.

'The Winning of Barbara Worth' will be shown on Sunday, April 28 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $5 per person to defray expenses. For more information, visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com; for more information on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.