Coming Sunday, March 13 for St. Paddy's Day: silent drama 'Smilin' Through' set in Ireland

An original release poster for 'Smilin' Through' (1922), the year's No. 3 box office attraction.

If you can't make it to Ireland for St. Patrick's Day, consider visiting Wilton, N.H.

That's where we'll present 'Smilin' Through' (1922), a silent drama starring Norma Talmadge, at the Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, March 13 at 2 p.m.

Set in the Emerald Isle, 'Smilin' Through' is a sentimental tale of love lost and then found across the generations. I'll provide live music.

Please join us to celebrate St. Patrick's Day just a little early by taking in one of the most popular movies of 1922 on the occasion of its 100th birthday. 

Sure'n we'll see you at the movies then!

*  *  *

Norma Talmadge in 'Smilin' Through' (1922).

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rarely screened silent drama set in Ireland returns to big screen for St. Paddy's Day

'Smilin' Through,' 1922 box office hit, to be shown with live music on Sunday, March 13 at Town Hall Theatre to celebrate film's 100th anniversary

WILTON, N.H.—Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, a classic film set in Ireland full of romance, drama, and the haunting atmosphere of the Emerald Isle.

It's 'Smilin' Through' (1922), starring legendary actress Norma Talmadge, whose legions of fans made the movie the No. 3 box office attraction of 1922. 

See what made 'Smilin' Through' so popular when the picture returns to the big screen to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its release.

'Smilin' Through' will be shown on Sunday, March 13 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per person to help support the theater's silent film series.

The classic drama, set in the years before and after World War I, will be shown with live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

 

Norma Talmadge, then at the peak of her career, plays the dual role of Kathleen, a young Irish woman, and Moonyean, Kathleen's aunt who died many years ago under tragic circumstances.

Kathleen is in love with Kenneth Wayne, but is prevented from marrying him by her guardian John Carteret, who remains haunted by memories of his thwarted love for Mooneyan.

In a drama that combines romance with the world of spirits, can the tragic fate of Moonyean point the way for Kathleen to find true love at last?

The story, based on a 1919 stage play, was filmed twice more by MGM: in 1932 with Norma Shearer and 1941 with Jeanette MacDonald.

The film was strongly associated with the song 'Smilin' Through,' a sentimental 1919 ballad with lyrics and music by Arthur A. Penn.

The song, inspired by the stage play, remained popular for several decades, recorded by performers ranging from Judy Garland to Bing Crosby.

The screening of 'Smilin' Through' is part of the Town Hall Theatre's ongoing series honoring the 100th anniversary of significant motion pictures that debuted in 1922.

Programs will include all of 1922's five highest-grossing titles, each shown on the big screen with live music, as well as century-old oddities, short films, cartoons, and more.

"Putting these films back on the big screen is a great way to celebrate the 100th anniversaries of some terrific motion pictures," said Rapsis, the silent film accompanist who will create live music for all screenings.

"These are films that set the standard for Hollywood, and still retain their power to entertain, especially when shown in a theater with live music and an audience," Rapsis said.

Upcoming programs in the Town Hall's 100th anniversary series include:

• Sunday, March 27, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Douglas Fairbanks in 'Robin Hood' Celebrate the 100th anniversary of this blockbuster adaptation. Massive sets, great action, and Doug Fairbanks in the lead made this the top grossing film of 1922!

• Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Chaney/Houdini Double Feature. In 'Flesh and Blood' (1922), escaped convict Lon Chaney hides out in Chinatown and plots revenge. In 'The Man From Beyond' (1922) illusionist Harry Houdini plays an Arctic adventurer frozen for 100 years!

• Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 2 p.m.: Emil Jannings in 'Othello' The Bard's immortal tragedy brought to the screen in this early German version. Silent Shakespeare in honor of the author's 458th birthday.

‘Smilin' Through' (1922) will be shown live music on Sunday, March 13 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per person to help defray expenses. For more info, call (603) 654-3456 or visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with silent comedy on 3/17 at the Flying Monkey in Plymouth, N.H.

An original promotional card for 'Conductor 1492' starring Johnny Hines.

Since last posting anything, I've gone through a busy period that included a half-dozen screenings at the Harvard Film Archive, the Kansas Silent Film Festival, and many other events crowding the schedule.

I'm still in recovery mode, and will round up accounts of those adventures very soon.

But as I'm one-quarter Irish, I can't let St. Patrick's Day go by without blowing off me big dord (an ancient bronze horn native to Ireland) about a program that's sure'n to be coming up tomorrow night.

It's a silent film St. Patrick's Day celebration at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse House and Performance Center, doon't ye know? (All right, enough of the Lucky Charms accent.)

As part of our monthly series at the Monkey, we're running 'Conductor 1492' (1924), a breezy Irish-themed comedy starring Johnny Hines. Showtime is Thursday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m. Details in the press release pasted in below.

Hines may be totally forgotten, but the film really holds up well as an ethnic comedy of its time, poking gentle fun at the Irish experience in America.

As a warm-up, we're also screening one of Buster Keaton's short comedies. So it'll be a fun-filled evening of silent film with live music, and I hope you'll be joining us, arrh to be sure. (All right, enough!)

* * *

MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2016 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with uproarious silent comedy about Irish immigrant

Johnny Hines in 'Conductor 1492' to be screened with live music at Flying Monkey on Thursday, March 17

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—Celebrate St. Patrick's day with a vintage silent film comedy about an Irish immigrant's misadventures in America.

'Conductor 1492,' a 1924 movie starring Johnny Hines, will by shown with live music at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center on Thursday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m.

Live music will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician who frequently accompanies programs at the Flying Monkey.

The program will also include Buster Keaton's short comedy 'My Wife's Relations' (1922), in which Keaton accidentally marries into an Irish family.

Admission to the program, which is part of the Flying Monkey's monthly silent film series, is $10 per person.

'Conductor 1492' follows the exploits of Terry O'Toole (Johnny Hines), a young man who leaves Ireland to make his fortune in 1920s America.

After arriving, he gets a job as a conductor on a streetcar and fights off an attempt by crooks to take over the company, all the while pursuing the boss' beautiful daughter.

The film, released in 1924 by Warner Brothers, takes a light-hearted look at the immigrant experience in America at the time, as seen through Irish eyes.

Born in 1895, Johnny Hines was a popular movie comedian during the silent era, starring in such pictures as 'Burn 'em Up Barnes' (1921) and 'The Live Wire' (1925).

In his films, Hines often portrayed energetic young men eager to get ahead in business and find success—a popular theme in the booming years of the 1920s.

Although his movies were well-received, Hines never rivaled comic mega-stars of the era such as Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton.

Described by one historian as the "Jack Lemmon of the silents," Hines had a likeably extroverted screen personality, starring in about 50 motion pictures, most of which are lost and unavailable today.

'Conductor 1492' is considered one of Hines' better surviving titles. Directed by his brother Charles Hines, the picture contains several highly comic sequences and is frequently run at revival events.

The film is classified as an "ethnic comedy" that satirizes the Irish experience in America.

Irish immigrants had been a significant presence in the United States beginning in the 1840s. By the 1920s, the Irish had become well-established enough to be the focus of good-hearted satire, of which 'Conductor 1492' abounds.

Another surviving Hines feature, 'The Crackerjack' (1925), will be screened to round out the Flying Monkey program.

With the advent of sound in the motion picture industry, Hines' career went into decline. During the 1930s, he would appear in only six films, all in smaller, supporting roles.

In 1938 he would have his last significant role, that of Parsons in 'Too Hot to Handle,' which starred Clark Gable and Myrna Loy.

Hines died in 1970 at age 75.

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

• Thursday, April 14, 2016, 6:30 p.m.: "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924). Eye-popping spectacle starring swashbuckling star Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in top form as Arabian adventurer who must complete a series of epic tasks to save his beloved.

• Thursday, May 12, 2016, 6:30 p.m.: "Paths to Paradise" (1925) and "Hands Up!" (1926). A double feature of films starring Raymond Griffith, a talented comic who at one time rivaled Chaplin and Keaton in the silent comedy pantheon.

All movies in Flying Monkey's silent film series are rarely screened in a way that allows them to be seen at their best. To revive them, organizers aim to show the films as they were intended—in top quality restored prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

‘Conductor 1492’ (1924) will be shown with live music on Thursday, March 17, 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 the box office at 603-536-2551 or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Tonight: John Ford's silent 'Hangman's House' at Flying Monkey theater in Plymouth, N.H.

Okay, here's one I've been looking forward to.

Tonight (Thursday, Sept. 10) our monthly silent film series in Plymouth, N.H. takes a turn for the dramatic with 'Hangman's House' (1928).

It's the final silent film from young director named John Ford, who would go on to win four Academy Awards for his later work.

'Hangman's House' isn't regarded a masterpiece. But that's what I find exciting about it.

Unencumbered by legend or expectations, it's a picture that simply shows silent film at the top of its expressive power.

To me, it's a prime example of how filmmakers had learned how to naturally use the motion picture medium to tell a story visually, and for maximum effect.

And it helped that German director F.W. Murnau had come to Hollywood to make 'Sunrise' at Fox studios at the same time Ford was working there.

'Sunrise,' widely regarded as one of the most beautiful pictures of any era, set new standards for what a silent film could look like.

'Hangman's House,' set in Ireland, shows Murnau's influence in the scenes played out amid the ground-hugging fog and shadows.

A fireplace becomes a window into terrifying visions for a dying judge in 'Hangman's House.'

There's also a terrific visual fluidity to 'Hangman's House.' Although the story proceeds naturally, Ford is able to weave in vivid fantasy images that show the inner feelings of characters and underscore the drama.

'Hangman's House' is one of those late silents that came and went quickly, released when talking pictures were already the rage.

At the time, I think few people appreciated how absorbing even a non-masterpiece silent could be.

So it's a special pleasure to present a film such as 'Hangman's House' to audiences today. Uncorked after all these years, it's a time-capsule of drama that plays just as strongly as when it was new—perhaps even more so, because silent film is such an unusual experience for modern audiences.

People are often surprised to find a well-made movie with all the techniques of silent film story-telling at its disposal, and a director who knew how to use them.

And I'm so pleased to do accompaniment that I hope helps facilitate this discovery. The music will definitely be of the "less is more" school, with just a hint of Irish coloring.

Another attraction of 'Hangman's House' is that it includes one of the earliest on-camera appearances by a clearly identifiable John Wayne.

There he is!

Wayne shows up in a crowd of lively villagers watching a horse race. The Duke's response is so exuberant that he destroys the fence holding back the crowd!

It's a perfect cameo for Wayne, who indeed would not be held back. He'd later work with Ford on 14 major motion pictures, including classics such as 'Stagecoach' (1939) and 'The Searchers' (1956).

One major Ford/Wayne collaboration would be 'The Quiet Man' (1952), taking the pair back full circle to a story set in Ireland.

So join us tonight for a rarely screened movie that you may never have heard of—but which you surely won't forget.

Showtime is 6:30 p.m., so you'll be out in time for the Patriots kick-off.

More info is in the press release below. Hope to see you there!

* * *

MONDAY, AUG. 24, 2015 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent drama 'Hangman's House' with live music at Flying Monkey on Thursday, Sept. 10

Early John Ford horse-racing story set in Ireland features prominent cameo by very young John Wayne

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—The silent film era returns to the big screen at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center with a showing of 'Hangman's House' (1928), a classic silent drama accompanied by live music.

Showtime is Thursday, Sept. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey, 39 Main St., Plymouth. All are welcome to this family-friendly event; admission is $10 per person general admission.

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

Set in Ireland, 'Hangman's House' follows wanted man Denis Hogan (Victor McLaglen) who returns in disguise to his Irish homeland to seek revenge.

Once back, he becomes embroiled in an intense romantic drama involving a local judge (Hobart Bosworth), his daughter (June Collyer), a forced marriage and surprising revelations about his own sister.

The film is highlighted by a high-stakes horse race. Among the spectactors is a very young John Wayne, clearly visible as an extra who gets so excited he single-handedly destroys a fence.

The story culminates in a spectacular fire sequence that mesmerized the film's original audiences and still maintains its power today.

'Hangman's House' is praised for taut story-telling and evocative camerawork. Ford returned to Ireland as a setting in his later film 'The Quiet Man' (1952), this time starring John Wayne.

The screening of 'Hangman's House' is the latest in the Flying Monkey's monthly series of great silent films shown on the big screen with live music.

Accompanist Jeff Rapsis will improvise an original musical score for 'Hangman's House' live as the film is shown.

"When the score gets made up on the spot, it creates a special energy that's an important part of the silent film experience," said Rapsis, who uses a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of a full orchestra for the accompaniment.

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

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

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

‘Hangman's House’ (1928), a classic silent drama directed by John Ford, will be shown with live music on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth. Admission $10 per person. For more info, call (603) 536-2551 or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com. For more on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.