Coming up: New silent film series in Fairlee, Vt., plus thoughts on gender roles and coinage inspired by Harold Lloyd's 'For Heaven's Sake'

An original lobby card for 'Our Hospitality' (1923) starring Buster Keaton.

Next up: a new series of silent films with live music in Fairlee, Vt.

It's my privilege to serve as accompanist for a monthly series of screenings in Fairlee Town Hall Auditorium.

First up is Buster Keaton's family feud comedy 'Our Hospitality' (1923), which I'll accompany on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m.

Many thanks to everyone at Fairlee Community Arts for the opportunity to do music for this and two other films this fall.

The line-up includes an evening screening of 'The Cat and the Canary' (1927) on Friday, Oct. 16; and then a matinee screening of Harold Lloyd's romantic comedy 'Girl Shy' on Sunday, Nov. 15.

More about the series, and the upcoming screening of 'Our Hospitality,' in the press release pasted in below. 

For silent film fans in the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire, I hope you'll join us for these upcoming screenings and support this new series.

But now, here's a report on today's screening of Harold Lloyd's 'For Heaven's Sake' (1926) at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, Mass. 

Today's matinee benefited by rainy weather A rainy day is usually good for movie attendance, and today's matinee drew a nice-sized crowd of about 75 individuals.

I can't complain about visibility on the Somerville's big marquee:

I wish to thank Harold's granddaughter, Sue Lloyd, who arranged for the Somerville Theatre to get a 35mm print shipped out in time for the screening. (By the way, the print looked fabulous.)

Her own 35mm print is on its way to this year's Pordenone silent film festivalooza in Italy, but Sue was able to find another for us to use.

'For Heaven's Sake' is often regarded as "lesser" Harold, although all of his features from the 1920s still make for great entertainment. A century after the film's release, our audience laughed throughout the picture.

However, one sequence in 'For Heaven's Sake' fell flat: when Harold must cope with unwanted odors and then inedible pastries. It's partly a retread from a similar scene from 'Grandma's Boy' (1921).

In the earlier film, the unpleasant odor comes from mothballs (from Harold's old suit), which then get dumped into a candy dish, which is how Harold winds up eating them. Much hilarity ensues. The scene always gets a big laugh.

In 'For Heaven's Sake,' the smell comes from a broken bottle of perfume that Harold unknowingly has in his pocket. 

Harold is sitting next to a tough guy, so assumes the flowery fragrance is coming from his neighbor. In a long take, Harold's facial expression evolves to the point where he registers scorn that a man can be so—well, unmanly. 

Then the tough guys catches the scent, and casts his own prolonged and disapproving glance Harold's way for the same reason. 

This scene might have produced uproarious and knowing laughter 100 years ago. But this afternoon, nothing.  

I think it's a case where attitudes about homosexuality, sexual preference, and gender identity have changed so completely over the years that the scene today is drained of any humor it once carried.

I can live with that. Part of the value of a movie from 100 years ago is that it's an accidental time capsule. In the same way that antiquated views of Los Angeles may be of interest, so are the at-times antiquated attitudes on display.

Does this mean the film should be edited to reflect modern sensibilities, or not shown at all? Of course not. Rather than judge yesterday's attitudes by today's standards, I think the thoughtful approach is to ask this question: 

I wonder what we're doing right now that people will find utterly baffling and even offensive 100 years in the future?

Our use internal combustion engines? Our consumption of processed food? Our addiction to our hand-held devices? (Heck, that's already becoming offensive.)

One other observation from 'For Heaven's Sake' about a brief shot that was missing from the 35mm print.

Early in the film, there's one moment I always enjoy, and which is present in the 2005 New Line release for home video. 

Harold at a bar in a pool hall and can't a $100 bill. Conveniently, another patron is paying with a coin. Harold intercepts the coin, puts it into a nearby slot machine, pulls the lever, and wins! 

The version I'm familiar with includes a close-up of the payout: two silver quarters: one of the current 'Standing Liberty ' design, and another a well-worn Barber quarter, last minted in 1915 but still in circulation. 

As a coin collector in childhood, and having never really grown up, such a scene excites my numismatist. In the world of silent film, seeing the coins people used in everyday transactions always brings me a thrill.

However, at today's screening of 'For Heaven's Sake,' the brief close-up was missing from the 35mm print. The scene was otherwise completely intact. It was just the one-second close-up of the coins that didn't appear!

I can't imagine why. But to make up for the loss, here's a screen capture of the missing coins:

Ka-ching! 

See you in Fairlee, Vt. this coming Sunday for 'Our Hospitality!' More details about the film and the series in the press release below.

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Buster Keaton with four-legged friend in 'Our Hospitality' (1923).

TUESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Buster Keaton stars in 'Our Hospitality' on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Fairlee Town Hall

Classic feature-length silent comedy about feuding families inaugurates series of silent films with live music

FAIRLEE, Vt.—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, and remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'Our Hospitality' (1923), one of Keaton's landmark features, on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. at Fairlee Town Hall Auditorium, 75 Town Common Road, Fairlee, Vt.

This screening, the first in a series of silent films at Fairlee Town Hall, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating music for silent films.

Admission is free, with donations accepted to help defray costs. 

The screening is organized by Fairlee Community Arts, and is intended to bring people together for shared experiences that can't be duplicated on a home entertainment center.

A vintage trade publication ad promoting 'Our Hospitality' (1923) to exhibitors.

Set in the 1830s, 'Our Hospitality,' tells the tale of a young man (Keaton) raised in New York City but unknowingly at the center of a long-running backwoods family feud.

Resolving to return and claim his family homestead, he sets in motion a perilous cat-and-mouse game in which every move could be his last.

Highlights of the picture include Keaton's extended journey on a vintage train of the era, as well as a climatic river rescue scene.

The film stars Keaton's then-wife, Natalie Talmadge, as his on-screen love interest; their first child, newborn James Talmadge Keaton, makes a cameo appearance, playing Buster as an infant. Keaton's father also plays a role in the film.

Keaton entered films in 1917 and was quickly fascinated with the then-new medium. After apprenticing with popular comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Keaton set up his own studio in 1920, making short comedies that established him as one of the era's leading talents.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his entire body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era without special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts.

 

Buster Keaton with dog and period-authentic traveling bag in 'Our Hospitality' (1923).

In 1923, Keaton made the leap into full-length films with 'Our Hospitality,' which proved popular enough for him to continue making features for the rest of the silent era.

Critics later expressed astonishment at the sudden leap Keaton made from short comedies to the complex story and technical demands required for full-length features.

Accompanist Jeff Rapsis will create a musical score for the film live during its screening, in the manner of theater organists during silent cinema's peak years in the 1920s.

"For most silent films, there was never any sheet music and no official score," Rapsis said. "So creating original music on the spot to help the film's impact is all part of the experience."

"That's one of the special qualities of silent cinema," Rapsis said. "Although the films themselves are often over a century old, each screening is a unique experience—a combination of the movie, the music, and the audience reaction."

The screening of 'Our Hospitality' is the first in a series of silent film screenings planned for this fall at the Fairlee Town Hall Auditorium.

Upcoming screenings include:

• Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Cat and the Canary" (1927). Just in time for Halloween! Can a group of distant relatives survive the night in a haunted house to learn the secret of a madman's will? Find out in a movie filled with deep shadows, dark secrets, and a surprisingly timeless mix of humor and horror that keeps audiences guessing,

• Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, 2 p.m.: "Girl Shy" (1924) Join us for the original rom-com, a Harold Lloyd gem starring one of the masters of silent comedy and featuring an unforgettable race-to-the-church finish. See Harold's best work as he intended it: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience. 

The silent film series opens with ‘Our Hospitality’ (1923) starring Buster Keaton, to be shown with live music on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. at Fairlee Town Hall Auditorium, 75 Town Common Road, Fairlee, Vt.

Admission is free, with donations accepted to help defray costs. The screening is organized by Fairlee Community Arts; for more info, visit www.fairleearts.org

 

Husband and wife: Buster Keaton and Natalie Talmadge in 'Our Hospitality' (1923).

Up next: Harold Lloyd's 'For Heaven's Sake' (1926) in 35mm at Somerville Theatre on Sunday, 9/20

A poster promoting 'The Vampire' (a.k.a. Theda Bara) in 'A Fool There Was' (1915).

Good stretch of interesting silent film shows in the past few days. 

I did music for 'Beau Geste' (1926) on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine; then Harold Lloyd's 'Hot Water' (1924) up in Brandon, Vt. on Saturday, Sept. 12; then Theda Bara in 'A Fool There Was' (1915)—a film I'd never accompanied before—on Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

Healthy attendance at all three, and especially strong for the Theda Bara film. 

Prior to screening 'A Fool There Was,' I asked: How many members of the Theda Bara Fan Club are present? A few hands raised.

Theda Bara in 'A Fool There Was' (1915).

Then I asked: "How many people here believe you are the reincarnation of Theda Bara?" (A few folks said yes to this, too.)

Theda's films may be mostly lost, but her reputation cinema's first 'vamp' lives on into the 21t century. 

In 20 years of accompanying silent film, I'd never done a Theda film because I think the few that exist are pretty creaky and look pretty ragged.

But I DO get requests, so figured this fall was finally the time to see if Theda could still hold the screen in one of her few surviving pictures: 'A Fool There Was' from 1915, a very early year for a U.S. feature film.

The verdict: Well, sorta. Some of her on-camera mystique was able to get through the murk of what seemed to be a third-generation print. 

But the real attraction, I think, was the scandalous nature of the story: an executive with a loving wife and child is seduced by femme fatale Theda while on a business trip in Europe representing the U.S. Government. 

Once under her spell, he deserts his family, gets fired from his government post, loses his business—and things go downhill from there. 

Fun!

But this kind of tale sold tickets. And Theda, who quickly became the go-to-gal for such roles, got enormous visibility in early Hollywood by playing such characters. 

Would I do it again? Yes. It's a good film for music—I used an all-strings setting on my synthesizer to create the same kind of focused sound that Bernard Hermann used in the score for Hitchcock's 'Psycho' (1961) , and the story held the attention of our audience for all 90 minutes.  

Looking ahead: next up, it's accompanying a 100th anniversary screening of Harold Lloyd's 'For Heaven's Sake' (1926) on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre as part of the venue's 'Silents, Please!' series.

I'm pleased to say that the Somerville will be screening the film via a 35mm print provided by Harold's granddaughter Sue Lloyd (thank you, Sue!) and it'll be in the Somerville's big 'House 1,' which all summer long featured 'The Odyssey' in 70mm.

Come join us! There's nothing like a Harold Lloyd film shown on the big screen with live music and (most importantly!) an audience. More info about the film (one of the top 10 of 1926) and the screening is in the press release below.

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Harold Lloyd and friends on an out-of-control bus in 'For Heaven's Sake' (1926).

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more info, contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic comedy 'For Heaven's Sake' in 35mm with live music on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Somerville Theatre

Harold Lloyd film, one of 1926's top box office attractions, to celebrate 100th anniversary in 'Silents, Please' screening

SOMERVILLE, Mass.— He was the most popular film star of the 1920s, routinely outpacing comic rivals Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton at the box office.

He was Harold Lloyd, the boy next door who embodied the "get up and go" of the Roaring '20s. Audiences loved Lloyd's mix of visual comedy and thrilling adventures, making him one of the most recognized icons of early Hollywood.

See for yourself with a 100th anniversary screening of Lloyd's romantic comedy 'For Heaven's Sake' (1926), to be screened in 35mm and with live music on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event; tickets are $17 for adults, $13 seniors/kids; members $13 adults, $9 seniors. Purchase tickets at www.somervilletheatre.com or call the box office at (617) 625-5700.

Live music will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer and composer who specializes in scoring and presenting silent films.

The screening is part of the Somerville Theatre's 'Silents, Please' series, which presents the best of early cinema as it was intended to be shown: in the best restored editions shown on the big screen in a theater, with live music, and with an audience.

In 'For Heaven's Sake,' Lloyd plays a wealthy young man smitten with the daughter of an impoverished clergyman who ministers to the urban poor.

On the day Lloyd and the girl plan to marry, Lloyd's wealthy country club friends kidnap him to prevent what they see as an embarrassing mistake.

Can the urban mission's petty criminals and chronic alcoholics rescue Harold and get him to the church on time?

A scene from 'For Heaven's Sake' (1926).

'For Heaven's Sake,' promoted with the tagline 'A Man With A Mansion, A Miss with a Mission,' became the 4th-highest grossing film of 1926, earning $2.6 million.

Critic Leonard Maltin described 'For Heaven's Sake' as "...a screamingly funny silent comedy."

In accompanying films live, Rapsis uses a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of the full orchestra. He improvises the music in real time, as the movie is shown.

"If you've never seen one of these movies in a theater, check it out," Rapsis said. "These films were the pop culture of their day, and retain their ability to hold an audience and deliver a great time at the movies."

A 100th anniversary screening of Harold Lloyd's 'For Heaven's Sake' (1926) in 35mm will take place on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

Tickets are $17 for adults, $13 seniors/kids; members $13 adults, $9 seniors. For tickets, visit www.somervilletheatre.com or call the box office at (617) 625-5700.

 

Leavitt Theatre opens silent film season with 'Girl Shy' (1924) on Saturday, May 16; D.W. Griffith's 'America' provides a surprisingly satisfying afternoon at the movies

Silent film comedian Harold Lloyd showing his aggressive side in 'Girl Shy' (1924).

Up next: it's Harold Lloyd's 'Girl Shy' (1924), which I'm accompanying on Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

More info on the film and this screening, which opens the 2026 silent film series at the historic venue, in the press release pasted in below. 

But first, a report on an unusual screening yesterday: D.W. Griffith's rarely shown Revolutionary War epic 'America' (1924), which I did music for at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

The screening was part of a week-long celebration of the nation's upcoming 250th birthday, organized just a bit early so Wilton wouldn't have to compete with other towns as we get closer to the 4th of July.

I had never done 'America' before, and really wasn't aware of the film until longtime Town Hall Theatre proprietor Dennis Markevarich asked if it would work as part of the town's event schedule that weekend.

How would I know? Only one way to find out...

A poster promoting D.W. Griffith's epic 'America' (1924).

And what happened followed a pattern. With every D.W. Griffith film I've ever done, the same thing happens. Previewing it by myself, I always come away thinking "How is an audience going to buy this?"

Hoaky plots. Cardboard characters. Obvious plots. Cornpone humor. Moralizing intertitles. Stodgy film technique. And with 'America,' we don't even get stalwart Griffith leading lady Lillian Gish, but instead Carol Dempster, who is many things, but is not Lillian Gish. 

It would all add up, I thought, to a long and unsatisfying afternoon at the movies. 

But then, when you DO put a Griffith epic in front of audience, as the film was intended to be shown, it somehow comes to life. Audiences respond, just as they did in Griffith's heyday. The technique, though primitive, still works.

And that's what happened with 'America' on Sunday in Wilton, N.H. About 60 people became quickly engrossed in the movie, and stayed "in the zone" for the full 2½ hours. They laughed at the comic relief. They cheered when villain Lionel Barrymore finally met his end. It worked!

It was the shared experience of silent film at its best—afterwards, attendees came up to say they thoroughly enjoyed it. And so did I! Overall, it made for a very satisfying afternoon at the movies. So bravo, Mr. Griffith.

In fact, it was so successful, it made me curious about another lesser-known Griffith film starring Neil Hamilton and Carol Dempster: 'Isn't Life Wonderful' (1924). I now plan to program it next year to see if it holds up as well when presented as intended: on a big screen, in a theater, with live music, and with an audience.

Speaking of the big screen: that's where you can see Harold Lloyd's comedy 'Girl Shy' (1924) on opening night of this year's silent film series at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

More info and details below. See you Saturday by the seaside! 

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 Harold Lloyd and co-star Jobyna Ralston in 'Girl Shy' (1924).

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more info, contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Leavitt Theatre to screen Harold Lloyd comedy 'Girl Shy' with live music on Saturday, May 16

Classic comedies, action-packed dramas highlight 2026 Silent Film Series schedule for historic Ogunquit venue's 101st anniversary season

OGUNQUIT, Maine—Classics of the silent film era return to the big screen this summer at Ogunquit's Leavitt Theatre, which is planning another season of vintage cinema with live music in the historic venue.

The series gives area film fans a chance to see movies from the pioneering days of cinema as they were intended to be shown—on the big screen, with an audience, and accompanied by live music.

The Leavitt, located at 259 Main St. Route 1 in Ogunquit, is celebrating its 101sst anniversary, having served the community continuously since 1925.

The silent film season starts on Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. with 'Girl Shy' (1924), a classic silent comedy starring Harold Lloyd. Admission is $18 per person.

Live music will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based musician and composer who specializes in accompanying silent film screenings.

'Girl Shy' (1924) stars Harold Lloyd as a timid young man from a small town who pens a book about imaginary female conquests.

Trouble begins when bashful Harold falls in love for real, and then must rescue his beloved from marrying the wrong man in the big city.

Harold's dilemma prompts a climactic race to the altar that stands as one of the great chases in all of cinema. The sequence was so successful that MGM used it as a model for the famous chariot race in the original silent film version of 'Ben Hur' (1925).

The film is bursting with visual comedy typical of the silent era, but the romantic storyline was strong enough to act as a counterweight, creating a new hybrid genre now known as the romantic comedy, or "rom-com."

The Leavitt, a summer-only moviehouse, opened in 1925 at the height of the silent film era, and has been showing movies to summertime visitors ever since.

More recently, the Leavitt has added restaurant and bar service, and has expanded its entertainment schedule to include live music and special events.

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

"These movies were intended to be shown in this kind of environment, and with live music and with an audience," said Max Clayton, the Leavitt's manager. "Put it all together, it's great entertainment that still has a lot of power to move people."

Following 'Girl Shy' (1924) on Saturday, May 16, other programs in this year's Leavitt silent film series include:

•  Friday, June 19, 2026, 6:30 p.m.: "Three Ages" (1923) starring Buster Keaton. Keaton's first feature-length comedy interweaves tales of romance from three epochs: the Stone Age, the Roman Empire, and "Modern Times," meaning 1920s California. See why Buster is regarded as one of the great clowns of the silent era. 

• Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, 7 p.m.: "Beau Geste" (1926) starring Ronald Colman. Michael "Beau" Geste leaves England in disgrace and joins the infamous French Foreign Legion. He is reunited with his two brothers in North Africa, where they face greater danger from their own sadistic commander than from the rebellious Arabs. 

• Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Cat and the Canary" (1927); Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123. Can a group of distant relatives survive the night in a haunted house to learn the secret of a madman's will? Find out in the original Gothic thriller from silent film director Paul Leni. Just in time for Halloween!

Harold Lloyd's classic silent comedy 'Girl Shy' (1924) will lead off this season's silent film series on Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Fine Arts Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; admission is $18 per person, general seating.

For more information, visit www.leavittheatre.com.

 

Up next: Harold Lloyd heads east in 'Speedy,' then reversing direction with Keaton's 'Go West'

An original poster promoting Harold Lloyd's 'Speedy' (1928).

Memorial Day weekend may be upon us, but there's no holiday in the silent film schedule.

Coming up, I'm doing music for three screenings in three different states, all of them comedies. (The films, not the states.)

On Thursday, May 22, it's Harold Lloyd's 'Speedy' (1928), which I'll accompany at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H.

More details about the film and the screening are in a press release pasted in below.

Then it's two screenings of Buster Keaton's comedy 'Go West' (1925).

The first is on Sunday, May 25, when I'll accompany it at the Center for the Arts in Natick, Mass.

Then, on Wednesday, May 28, the same film will serve as the opening night attraction of this year's silent film series at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

The Leavitt is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season, so the silent film series will feature all films from 1925, the year it opened.

Lots more about that, and my theory on how 'Go West' is a parody of Chaplin's epic comedy 'The Gold Rush' (also from 1925), in a future post.

For now, I invite you to attend our screening of 'Speedy' (1928) at the Flying Monkey. Check out the press release below, and see you at the theater!

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Harold Lloyd takes the subway to Coney Island in 'Speedy' (1928).

TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic Harold Lloyd comedy 'Speedy' on Thursday, May 22 in Plymouth, N.H.

Screening features live music; 1920s rom-com filmed on location in NYC with cameo featuring Babe Ruth

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—He was the bespectacled boy next door whose road to success was often paved with perilous detours.

He was Harold Lloyd, whose fast-paced comedies made him the most popular movie star of Hollywood's silent film era.

See for yourself why Lloyd was the top box office attraction of the 1920s in a revival of 'Speedy' (1928), one of his most popular comedies.

The film, shot on location in New York City, will be screened on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

General admission is $15 per person.

The screening will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating music for silent films.

'Speedy,' Lloyd's final silent feature before the transition to talkies, finds Harold as a baseball-crazed youth who must rescue the city's last horse-drawn streetcar from gangsters bent on running it out of business.

Filmed almost entirely on location in New York, 'Speedy' features remarkable glimpses of the city at the end of the 1920s, including footage of Coney Island and the original Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The latter scenes include an extended appearance by Babe Ruth, then at the height of his career during the team's storied 1927 season.

"In 'Speedy,' New York City is practically a part of the cast," Rapsis said. "In filming it on location, Lloyd knew scenes of New York would give the picture added interest to audiences across the nation and around the world.

"But what he didn't anticipate was that today, the location shots now provide a fascinating record of how life was lived in the Big Apple in the 1920s," Rapsis said.

 

Harold Lloyd on location in Coney Island in 'Speedy' (1928).

Rapsis will improvise a musical score for 'Speedy' as the film is screened. In creating accompaniment for vintage classics, Rapsis tries to bridge the gap between silent film and modern audiences.

"Creating the music on the spot is a bit of a high-wire act, but it contributes a level of energy that's really crucial to the silent film experience," Rapsis said.

 

'Speedy' (1928) will be screened with live music on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth, N.H. 

General admission is $15 per person. For more info, visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com or call (603) 536-2551. 

 

Don't miss a rare chance to see Tod Browning's rediscovered thriller 'The Show' (1927) on Sunday, Sept. 22 at Wilton, N.H.

An original lobby promoting MGM's lurid backstage thriller 'The Show' (1927)

This weekend! On Saturday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. I'll accompany Harold Lloyd's beloved comedy 'Speedy' (1928) in Brandon, Vt. Hope you're able to make it!

If you're here due to coverage in this week's edition of 'Seven Day,' the big Vermont alternative paper, welcome! See you at Brandon Town Hall and Community Center. Admission is free; any donations support on-going upkeep and restoration of the circa 1860 Town Hall building.

 

Then, on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m., it's 'The Show' (1927), a twisted backstage drama from director Tod Browning, which I'll accompany at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. Hope you can join us!

 

Below, I'm pasting in a press release about the rare screening of 'The Show,' which I've never done music for. Hope you can join us! Here goes...

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Silent thriller 'The Show' revived at Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 22

 

Twisted backstage drama stars John Gilbert, Lionel Barrymore; to be screened with live musical accompaniment.

 

WILTON, N.H.—A bizarre silent thriller featuring a cast of notables makes a rare return to the silver screen this month at the Town Hall Theatre.

 

'The Show,' (1927), a backstage drama featuring top MGM stars John Gilbert, Renée Adorée, and Lionel Barrymore, will be screened on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

 

Admission is free; donations are accepted, with $10 per person suggested to defray expenses.

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.

 

Directed by Tod Browning, 'The Show' explores the world of a Budapest carnival sideshow, where performers encounter love, greed, and murder.

 

John Gilbert and Renée Adorée in 'The Show' (1927).
 

Cock Robin (John Gilbert) is a sideshow barker in Budapest. He also participates in one of the acts; his former girlfriend Salome (Renée Adorée) dances before Herod in exchange for the head of "Jokanaan". As Jokanaan, Robin has his head seemingly chopped off and presented to the dancer on a platter, much to the audience's delight.

 

As 'The Show' unfolds, Salome yearns to get back together with Robin, but he has his sights set on Lena (Gertrude Short), the daughter of a well-off sheep merchant. He lets the smitten Lena buy him things.

 

The Greek (Lionel Barrymore), Salome's current boyfriend, becomes angered when he learns of her feelings. The Greek and his henchman, the Ferret, also try to steal Lena's father's money, but things get complicated when murder enters the picture.

 

'The Show' is the latest in a monthly series of silent films presented with live music at the 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.

 

"Put those elements together like we do at the Town Hall Theatre, and films from the silent era spring right back to life in a way that helps you understand why people first fell in love with the movies," Rapsis said.

 

Tod Browning's twisted thriller 'The Show' will be shown on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

 

Admission is free; donations are accepted, with $10 per person suggested to defray expenses. For more information, call the theater at (603) 654-3456.

Featuring Babe Ruth cameo! Harold Lloyd's silent comedy 'Speedy' (1928) on Thursday, 9/12 at Rex Theatre, Manchester, N.H.

Two 1920s icons: Harold Lloyd and Babe Ruth while shooting 'Speedy' (1928).

It's a comedy home run!

It's Harold Lloyd and Babe Ruth in 'Speedy' (1928), a silent comedy filmed on location in New York City at the height of the Roaring '20s. 

Lloyd, then the biggest star in movies, plays a baseball-crazed young man who encounters his idol, Babe Ruth, at the time the biggest name in baseball.

I'll be accompanying this terrific film/time capsule on Thursday, Sept. 12 at the Rex Theatre in downtown Manchester, N.H. Showtime is 7 p.m. Lots more info in the press release below.

I say "time capsule" because one of the delights of screening 'Speedy' today is seeing what the Big Apple looked like a century ago. We get to ride the subway, head out to Coney Island, and visit Yankee Stadium, explore neighborhoods in the outer boroughs, and generally experience New York City as it existed many years ago.

As a side note, this screening is part of the activities for an unusual gathering. Manchester, N.H. is home to the 2024 convention of the "Association of Games and Puzzles International," which runs from Thursday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Sept. 15.

Part of nearly every culture around the globe, games and puzzles have been part of the human experience for untold centuries. Association members are dedicated to collecting and celebrating all manner of games and puzzles that bring people together.

So I'm pleased to report that this screening of 'Speedy' is part of the association's official 2024 convention activity schedule. It'll be great to have AGPI join in with our regular audience.

Why 'Speedy?' Well, it has a strong baseball theme, and early in the film we get to see a classic mechanical baseball game that a large crowd is watching to follow the day's action at Yankee Stadium.

But I think the main interest for our AGPI friends will be in the extended Coney Island sequence, in which Harold and co-star Ann Christy make their way through the various midway-style games of skill and chance that are visible throughout. 

For more about the association, check out their web site. And for more about 'Speedy' and our screening on Thursday, Sept. 12, please check out the press release below.

*      *      *

A promotional poster for Harold Lloyd in 'Speedy' (1928).

MONDAY, SEPT. 2,  2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic Harold Lloyd comedy 'Speedy' on Thursday, Sept. 12 at Rex Theatre

Screening features live music; 1920s rom-com filmed on location in NYC with cameo featuring Babe Ruth

MANCHESTER, N.H.— He was the bespectacled boy next door whose road to success was often paved with perilous detours.

He was Harold Lloyd, whose fast-paced comedies made him the most popular movie star of Hollywood's silent film era.

See for yourself why Lloyd was the top box office attraction of the 1920s in a revival of 'Speedy' (1928), one of his most popular comedies.

The film, shot on location in New York City, will be shown on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.

General admission is $10 per person; tickets are available at the door or online at www.palacetheatre.org.

Live music for the movie will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

'Speedy,' Lloyd's final silent feature before the transition to talkies, finds Harold as a baseball-crazed youth who must rescue the city's last horse-drawn streetcar from gangsters bent on running it out of business.

Filmed almost entirely on location in New York, 'Speedy' features remarkable glimpses of the city at the end of the 1920s, including footage of Coney Island and the original Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The latter scenes include an extended appearance by Babe Ruth, then at the height of his career during the team's storied 1927 season.

"In 'Speedy,' New York City is practically a part of the cast," Rapsis said. "In filming it on location, Lloyd knew scenes of New York would give the picture added interest to audiences across the nation and around the world.

"But what he didn't anticipate was that today, the location shots now provide a fascinating record of how life was lived in the Big Apple in the 1920s," Rapsis said.

Rapsis will improvise a musical score for 'Speedy' as the film is screened. In creating accompaniment for vintage classics, Rapsis tries to bridge the gap between silent film and modern audiences.

"Creating the music on the spot is a bit of a high-wire act, but it contributes a level of energy that's really crucial to the silent film experience," Rapsis said.

'Speedy' (1928) will be screened with live music on  Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.

General admission is $10 per person; tickets are available at the door or online at www.palacetheatre.org. 

For more information, call (603) 668-5588. For more about the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

 

Up next: Harold Lloyd in 'Speedy' (1928) on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Leavitt Theatre

A poster promoting the original release of 'Speedy' (1928).

If you're anywhere near Ogunquit, Maine this week, I invite you to join us for a screening of Harold Lloyd's great silent comedy 'Speedy' (1928) at the historic Leavitt Theatre.

I'm doing live music for this one-time-only screening, which is on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. Lots more info about the film is in the press released pasted in below.

'Speedy' takes place in the Big Apple, and much of the film was shot on location in New York City in the summer of 1927. 

So in addition to being an entertaining movie, the film is filled with visions of what New York looked like nearly 100 years ago, at the height of the Roaring '20s.

It's not just Manhattan, either—scenes were films in The Bronx and in Brooklyn, including a sequence in Coney Island that shows Harold and co-star Barbara Kent riding amusement rides that would send chills up the spine of an insurance adjuster. 

See it for yourself! Join us on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. for Harold Lloyd in 'Speedy' (1928) at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit!

*    *     *

A vintage lobby card promoting Harold Lloyd's comedy 'Speedy' (1928).

MONDAY, JULY 29, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic Harold Lloyd comedy 'Speedy' on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Leavitt Theatre

Screening features live music; 1920s rom-com filmed on location in NYC with cameo featuring Babe Ruth

OGUNQUIT, Maine—He was the bespectacled boy next door whose road to success was often paved with perilous detours.

He was Harold Lloyd, whose fast-paced comedies made him the most popular movie star of Hollywood's silent film era.

See for yourself why Lloyd was the top box office attraction of the 1920s in a revival of 'Speedy' (1928), one of his most popular comedies.

The film, shot on location in New York City, will be shown on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event; admission is $15 per person general admission.

The screening, the latest in the Leavitt Theatre's silent film series, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating scores for silent films.

'Speedy,' Lloyd's final silent feature before the transition to talkies, finds Harold as a baseball-crazed youth who must rescue the city's last horse-drawn streetcar from gangsters bent on running it out of business.

Filmed almost entirely on location in New York, 'Speedy' features remarkable glimpses of the city at the end of the 1920s, including footage of Coney Island and the original Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Harold Lloyd with baseball legend Babe Ruth on location during 'Speedy' (1928).

The latter scenes include an extended appearance by Babe Ruth, then at the height of his career during the team's storied 1927 season.

"In 'Speedy,' New York City is practically a part of the cast," Rapsis said. "In filming it on location, Lloyd knew scenes of New York would give the picture added interest to audiences across the nation and around the world.

"But what he didn't anticipate was that today, the location shots now provide a fascinating record of how life was lived in the Big Apple in the 1920s," Rapsis said.

Rapsis will improvise a musical score for 'Speedy' as the film is screened. In creating accompaniment for vintage classics, Rapsis tries to bridge the gap between silent film and modern audiences.

"Creating the music on the spot is a bit of a high-wire act, but it contributes a level of energy that's really crucial to the silent film experience," Rapsis said.

'Speedy' (1928) will be screened with live music on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine. All are welcome to this family-friendly event.

Admission is $15 per person; the Leavitt's full dinner menu and bar service will be available during the program. For more info, call (207) 646-3123 or visit www.leavittheatre.com. 

Harold Lloyd rides the subway in 'Speedy' (1928).

Starting summer with three silent comedies: one Buster, one Harold, and one Marion Davies

Original promotional art for 'The Cameraman' (1928).

The official start of summer will arrive next week. Before we reach that seasonal milestone, I'll accompany three silent comedies at venues in three states. 

On Friday, June 14 (hey, that's tonight!) at 6 p.m., it's Buster Keaton's 'The Cameraman' (1928) at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I.

Then on Sunday, June 16 at 2 p.m., it's Harold Lloyd's 'The Kid Brother' (1927) at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

And then on Wednesday, June 19 at 7 p.m., it's Marion Davies and William Haines in 'Show People,' director King Vidor's sparkling comedy about the film business, which is at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

Collect all three! 

For now, I'll post the press release for 'The Kid Brother' below so you can decide if Father's Day is a good time to screen this film.

Happy Father's Day weekend to all, and see you at the movies!

*    *    *

Harold Lloyd stars in 'The Kid Brother' (1927).

MONDAY, JUNE 3, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Town Hall Theatre to screen 'The Kid Brother' on Sunday, June 16

Harold Lloyd's 1927 comedy masterpiece the latest in venue's series of silent films with live musical accompaniment

WILTON, N.H.—He was the most popular film star of the 1920s, routinely outpacing comic rivals Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton at the box office.

He was Harold Lloyd, the boy next door who could wind up hanging from the hands of a clock high atop a skyscraper. Audiences loved Lloyd's mix of visual comedy and thrilling adventures, making him one of the most recognized icons of early Hollywood.

See for yourself when 'The Kid Brother' (1927), a feature-length film regarded as Lloyd's masterpiece, is screened on Sunday, June 16 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free; donations are accepted, with $10 per person suggested to defray expenses.

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.

In 'The Kid Brother,' meek country boy Harold Hickory (Lloyd) looks up to his tough father, but is overshadowed by two burly older brothers. When a traveling circus brings trouble to town and possible disgrace to the Hickory clan, can Harold save the family name?

From that simple situation, Lloyd weaves a roller coaster tale that critics and film historians say show him at the height of his powers as a filmmaker and comedian.

Jobyna Ralston and Harold Lloyd co-star in 'The Kid Brother' (1927).

"The first silent film I ever saw that made me actually stand up and cheer," wrote critic Steven D. Greydanus of The Decent Films Guide. "As a first introduction to silent film, I would pick 'The Kid Brother' over the best of Chaplin or Keaton every time."

"Unlike Chaplin’s Little Tramp, who was as much defined by his bizarre eccentricities as his bowler and cane, Lloyd’s character, with his trademark spectacles, was an instantly likable, sympathetic boy-next-door type, a figure as winsome and approachable as Jimmy Stewart or Tom Hanks," Greydanus wrote.

The film co-stars Jobyna Ralston, Walter James, Eddie Boland, and Constantine Romanoff.

Harold Lloyd, along with Chaplin and Keaton, stands as one of the three masters of silent comedy. Though Lloyd's reputation later faded due to unavailability of his movies, the recent re-release of most of his major films on home media has spurred a reawakening of interest in his work and a renewed interest in theatrical screenings.

"Seeing a Harold Lloyd film in a theater with live music and an audience is one of the great experiences of the cinema of any era," said Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician who will accompany the film.

"Films such as 'The Kid Brother' were designed for a specific environment. If you can put those conditions together again, you can get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies," Rapsis said.

'The Kid Brother' will be screened with live music on Sunday, June 16 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free; donations are accepted, with $10 per person suggested to defray expenses. For more information, call the theater at (603) 654-3456.

This week: Harold Lloyd is 'Speedy' on Tuesday, April 30 at Jane Pickens Theatre, Newport, R.I.

Me with members of the Boston Society of Film Critics last month at the Somerville Theatre, which the society awarded 'Best Film Series of 2023' for its 'Silents, Please!' program.

Hi everyone!

I've been a bad boy with posting in the past month or so. Real life (outside the movie theatre) has been throwing its weight around, with several big projects entering important phases.

But I'm back on the silent film wagon with regular postings, and will try to catch up on things I've missed.

To wit: Last month, I was thrilled to learn that the Somerville Theatre's 'Silents, Please!' series (of which I'm accompanist) was recently awarded 'Best Film Series' by the Boston Society of Film Critics.

Members presented a certificate to me on Sunday, March 21 after a screening of 'Metropolis' (1927) at the Somerville. What a great honor for the theater, which remains committed to showing silent films in its main theater on 35mm prints whenever possible, and for me!

Okay, next up: Harold Lloyd's 'Speedy' (1928), which I'm accompanying tomorrow (Tuesday, April 30) at 6 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I.

Lots more info in the press release below. See you in Newport!

*   *   *

A vintage lobby card promoting 'Speedy' (1928).

MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic Harold Lloyd comedy 'Speedy' on Tuesday, April 30 at Jane Pickens Theatre

Screening features live music; 1920s rom-com filmed on location in NYC with cameo featuring Babe Ruth

NEWPORT, R.I.—He was the bespectacled boy next door whose road to success was often paved with perilous detours.

He was Harold Lloyd, whose fast-paced comedies made him the most popular movie star of Hollywood's silent film era.

See for yourself why Lloyd was the top box office attraction of the 1920s in a revival of 'Speedy' (1928), one of his most popular comedies.

The film, shot on location in New York City, will be shown on Tuesday, April 30 at 6 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 $17 per person. Tickets available online at https://janepickens.com or at the door.

 

'Speedy,' Lloyd's final silent feature before the transition to talkies, finds Harold as a baseball-crazed youth who must rescue the city's last horse-drawn streetcar from gangsters bent on running it out of business.

Filmed almost entirely on location in New York, 'Speedy' features remarkable glimpses of the city at the end of the 1920s, including footage of Coney Island and the original Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The latter scenes include an extended appearance by Babe Ruth, then at the height of his career during the team's storied 1927 season.

Harold Lloyd and Babe Ruth during the filming of 'Speedy' (1928) in New York City.

"In 'Speedy,' New York City is practically a part of the cast," Rapsis said. "In filming it on location, Lloyd knew scenes of New York would give the picture added interest to audiences across the nation and around the world.

"But what he didn't anticipate was that today, the location shots now provide a fascinating record of how life was lived in the Big Apple in the 1920s," Rapsis said.

Rapsis will improvise a musical score for 'Speedy' as the film is screened. In creating accompaniment for vintage classics, Rapsis tries to bridge the gap between silent film and modern audiences.

"Creating the music on the spot is a bit of a high-wire act, but it contributes a level of energy that's really crucial to the silent film experience," Rapsis said.

'Speedy' (1928) will be screened with live music on Tuesday, April 30 at 6 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre Film and Event Center, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.

Admission is $17 per person. Tickets available online at https://janepickens.com or at the door. For more information, call the box office at (401) 846-5474.

Thoughts on how we all need a Topeka, plus 'Why Worry?' in Wilton, N.H. on Sunday, 3/3

Harold Lloyd has big shoes to fill in 'Why Worry?' (1923).

Today's headlines getting you down? Then see a film from yesterday called 'Why Worry?' (1923), which I'm accompanying on Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

Lots more info about this Harold Lloyd comedy in the press release pasted in below. With silent film, the audience is an important part of the show, so hope to see you there!

For now, here's a report from this year's Kansas Silent Film Festival, which took place on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24 on the campus of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. 

This was the 25th consecutive year I've attended this festival, which includes the pandemic year of 2021 when I staged my own version of it, "The Kansas Silent Film Festival in New Hampshire." 

Why have I done this for so many years? Well, besides the films and the people, I think it represents hope and renewed possibilities, at least on a personal level.

Setting up: Larry Stendebach and Brian Sanders hang the banner on the White Concert Hall.

I first attended it quite by random in the year 2000, just prior to co-founding a successful publishing business that's been a big part of my life ever. Something about the accidental nature of it all triggered something in me to move ahead with all this.

And not long afterwards, the Kansas festival prompted me to embark on my own silent film journey—one that's involved creating music for silent film screenings for nearly 20 years now. 

For a lot of us, our life path involves finding our own way to what we become. And for some of us, the path has to include random detours to make it uniquely our own. 

It's one thing to follow a good example and learn from the paths that others have taken, to stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. But it's such a human thing to want to explore and find your own way—to pioneer, to discover, to learn and experience for yourself.

So returning to Topeka once a year in late February has become something of a pilgrimage for me, with its own interior rituals such as fried pickles on Saturday morning at the Hanover Pancake House—itself a symbol of renewal, having risen from the rubble of the F5 tornado that roared through town in June 1966.

(Interesting fact: a local TV reporter in Topeka at the time the tornado hit is credited with saving lives by sternly warning viewers, "For God's sake, take cover!" The reporter was a young Bill Kurtis, today the announcer for NPR's 'Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me.')

And for me, Topeka has become a sort of Midwest version of Brigadoon: a distant community conjured out of the mist just once a year, a place where like-minded people gather to celebrate something most people don't understand or appreciate—and a place where I can pause and ponder what I've done, and what I can still do, to be the best version of myself. 

We all need a Topeka. In my case, it actually happens to be Topeka.

Well.

For a comprehensive round-up of this year's films, I point you to a wonderfully detailed write-up by longtime attendee Bruce Calvert of Texas. 

Accompanist Ben Model provides music for 'Mabel's Blunder' (1914), a short Keystone comedy.

For me, among the highlights was getting to hear other accompanists do their stuff for a wide range of films, and with large and appreciative audiences. 

A special treat was to finally meet and hear Donald Sosin, one of the big names in the field, who was making his first appearance in Kansas.

I had the privilege of chauffeuring Donald to the Kansas City Airport (at 5 a.m.!), and we got chatting about a wide range of topics. I was surprised to find Donald was in the audience for my stuff, and he shared some useful observations.

And then just like that, it was over—until next year. 

But until then, I'll continue with my own little circus, including Harold Lloyd's comedy 'Why Worry?' on Sunday, March 3 at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton.

More info below!

*   *   *

A vintage lobby card promoting Harold Lloyd's comedy 'Why Worry?' (1923).

 

TUESDAY, FEB. 20, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent comedy 'Why Worry?' with live music at Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, March 3

Harold Lloyd finds himself caught up in south-of-the-border revolutionary hilarity in inventive 1920s farce

WILTON, N.H.— He was the bespectacled young man next door whose road to success was often plagued by perilous detours.

He was Harold Lloyd, whose fast-paced comedies made him the most popular movie star of Hollywood's silent film era.

See for yourself why Lloyd was the top box office attraction of the 1920s in a revival of 'Why Worry?' (1923), one of his top-grossing comedies.

'Why Worry?' will be screened with live music on Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

The screening was originally scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 18, but was moved to Sunday, March 3 due to a scheduling conflict.

Admission is free; donations are accepted, with $10 per person suggested to defray expenses.

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.

Lloyd's go-getter character proved immensely popular throughout the 1920s, with fans following him from one adventure to the next.

Lloyd searches for footwear in 'Why Worry?' (1923).
 

In the political satire 'Why Worry?', Harold plays a wealthy hypochondriac traveling abroad who gets caught up in a local uprising.

Thrown into prison, Harold is forced to use his wits to escape and rescue his nurse from the clutches of a dangerous revolutionary leader.

Regarded as one of Lloyd's most surreal movies, 'Why Worry?' features a cast that includes an actual real-life giant—8-foot-tall John Aasen, discovered in Minnesota during a national talent search.

Rapsis will improvise a musical score for 'Why Worry?' as the film screens. In creating accompaniment for the Lloyd movies and other vintage classics, Rapsis tries to bridge the gap between silent film and modern audiences.

"Creating the music on the spot is a bit of a high-wire act, but it contributes a level of energy that's really crucial to the silent film experience," Rapsis said.

'Why Worry?' (1923) will be screened with live music on Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free; donations are accepted, with $10 per person suggested to defray expenses. For more information, call the theater at (603) 654-3456.