Opening Night for 2026 Brandon Vt. Silent Film Series features 'Annie Laurie' (1927) Saturday, 5/2

A promotional lobby card for 'Annie Laurie' (1926) starring Lillian Gish.

This year's silent film series at the Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall and Community Center opens with a screening of the MGM historical blockbuster 'Annie Laurie' (1926) on Saturday May 2 at 7 p.m.

I'll be at the keyboard for the 16th year of silent films and live music in Brandon.  It's turned into quite a run, which is good because I very much enjoy presenting silent films with live music in this venue.

Why? Well, the hall has great acoustics for music. But the main reason is that the audience is always really into the experience. The audience is a crucial part of any successful silent film screening—and in Brandon, it's always there. 

I'm looking forward to the reaction to 'Annie Laurie,' a film made at the peak of the silent film era, with its lavish settings, great cast, and vivid visual story-telling.

See for yourself by joining the crowd up in Brandon for what promises to be a great shared movie-going experience! More details about the screening and the rest of this year's silent film series is in the press release below. 

*     *     *

Lillian Gish and Norman Kerry in 'Annie Laurie' (1927).

MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

New restoration of MGM blockbuster 'Annie Laurie' to screen at Brandon Town Hall on Saturday, May 2

Lillian Gish stars in title role as Scottish clans do battle in epic historical drama; accompanied by live music; film opens 2026 silent film series

BRANDON, Vt.— Return to the days of warring Scottish clans when 'Annie Laurie,' a rarely screened MGM epic featuring silent-era megastar Lillian Gish, opens the 2026 silent film series in Brandon, Vt.

A newly restored and remastered version of 'Annie Laurie' will be screened on Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. at Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Conant Square, Route 7, Brandon, Vt.

The program is free and open to the public; donations are accepted to support Brandon Town Hall's silent film programming. 

Live music will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who performs regularly at screenings around the nation.

 

Lillian Gish in 'Annie Laurie' (1927).
 

In 'Annie Laurie,' Lillian Gish plays a diplomat's daughter caught in the violent 17th-century feud between the Scottish Campbell and MacDonald clans. 

Gish, a Campbell, falls in love with rival clan chief Ian MacDonald (Norman Kerry) complicating peace efforts between the two warring sides.

As the clans prepare for battle, the romance forces Gish to choose between loyalty to her family or to warn the rival MacDonalds in advance of the infamous Massacre of Glencoe. 

The film's spectacular climax features Gish in a dramatic "race to the rescue" sequence filmed in an early version of Technicolor.

'Annie Laurie,' a major 1927 release for top studio MGM, has not been available for public viewing since its original release. In 2024, the U.S. Library of Congress transferred a pristine 35mm print in their collection to digital media, doing restoration work when needed,

The story of 'Annie Laurie' takes place in the late 1690s amid a backdrop of clans battling fiercely for supremacy in the years before Scotland joined England to form the United Kingdom.

To tell the tale on an epic scale on screen, MGM director John S. Robertson pulled out all the stops, staging enormous battle scenes set among the craggy Scottish landscape.

 

From 'Annie Laurie' (1927): It wouldn't be a film set in Scotland without this!
 

Sumptuous period costumes (yes, including men in kilts!) are a highlight of the 'Annie Laurie,' which was released at the peak of silent film artistry, just prior to the introduction of talking pictures.

At the time, Gish was among MGM's biggest stars, having arrived at the studio after playing iconic leading roles in early D.W. Griffith features including 'The Birth of a Nation' (1915), 'Way Down East' (1920), and 'Orphans of the Storm' (1921).

Leading man Norman Kerry was a popular silent-era performer who often played the heroic dashing swashbuckler or the seductive lothario. He was extremely popular with female fans and was at the peak of his career in 'Annie Laurie.'

Among those in the large cast of supporting players was a very young John Wayne in one of his earliest roles as an extra.

'Annie Laurie' marks the first 2026 screening of the Brandon Town Hall's annual silent film series.

"It's a great way for audiences to experience the magic of silent film in the way it was intended: on the big screen, in restored editions, with live music, and with an audience," said Jeff Rapsis, who provides live musical accompaniment for each program.

"Early movie-making was a shared experience that took place in a theater," Rapsis said. "Filmmakers at the time created motion pictures with that in mind—and when you can present them the way they were intended, their impact remains uniquely powerful."

Upcoming programs in the Brandon Town Hall's silent film series include:

• Saturday, June 13, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Kid" (1921) starring Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan. Chaplin's breakthrough comedy/drama finds the Tramp raising an infant against all odds. Highlighted by amazing work of five-year-old Coogan, who delivers one of the most remarkable child performances in all of cinema. As the film tells us: "A story with a smile, and perhaps a tear."

• Saturday, July 18, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Black Pirate" (1926) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. The granddaddy of all pirate films, with Fairbanks as an athletic young aristocrat who seeks revenge by joining the pirate band responsible for his father's death. Filmed in color! 

• Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, 7 p.m.: "Son of the Sheik" (1926) starring Rudolph Valentino. We mark the 100th anniversary of Valentino's untimely death with his final picture: a rip-roaring sequel to 'The Sheik,' full of romance, adventure, and thrills! 

• Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, 7 p.m.: "Hot Water" (1924) starring Harold Lloyd. Unusual for Lloyd, a domestic comedy in which he's already married the girl of his dreams, but now must deal with a house full of dreadful in-laws. Great silent film comedy! 

• Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Bat" (1926) directed by Roland West. A masked criminal who dresses like a giant bat terrorizes the guests at an old house rented by a mystery writer. Early horror film thought lost until recent rediscovery!

• Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, 7 p.m.: "The Navigator" (1924) starring Buster Keaton. Set sail with Buster Keaton in his classic comedy about a spoiled rich couple marooned all alone on a drifting ocean liner. Visual comedy at its finest! 

'Annie Laurie' (1927) starring Lillian Gish and Norman Kerry will be shown with live music on Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. at Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Route 7, in Brandon, Vt. Admission is free; donations are welcome to support the Town Hall's silent film series. 

Next up: Lillian Gish stars in 'Annie Laurie' (1927) on Sunday, April 26 at Natick, Mass.

An original lobby card promoting 'Annie Laurie' (1927).

More than a month since I last posted anything on this blog. Wow!

I've still been accompanying as many films as ever. It's just that I've gone through a period where real life exceeded my capacity for writing about it.

But here I am again. And we'll pick up with a preview of an upcoming screening: the MGM epic 'Annie Laurie' (1927), starring Lillian Gish, which I'm accompanying this afternoon in at the Center for the Arts in Natick, Mass.

The Natick venue is a converted firehouse, which is appropriate, because this is one hot picture! Seriously—I think the climax (which, yes, involves fire) ranks right up there with Gish's near-death experience on the ice floes in 'Way Down East' (1921) a few years earlier. 

Lots more info in the press release pasted in below. Hope you'll be able to join us on Sunday, April 26 at 4 p.m. for a grand experience from the silent era. And I'll be back with more thoughts and reports before long. 

*     *     *

Lillian Gish stars in 'Annie Laurie' (1927), an MGM epic about Scottish clan battles.

MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

New restoration of MGM blockbuster 'Annie Laurie' at Natick Center for the Arts on Sunday, April 26

Lillian Gish stars in title role as Scottish clans do battle in epic historical drama on the big screen; accompanied by live music

NATICK, Mass.— Return to the days of warring Scottish clans with 'Annie Laurie,' a rarely screened MGM epic featuring silent-era megastar Lillian Gish.

A newly restored and remastered version of 'Annie Laurie' will be screened on Sunday, April 26 at 4 p.m. at TCAN Center for the Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.

The screening, the latest in the Center for the Art'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 $12 per person for members; $14 for non-members. Tickets are available online at www.natickarts.org or at the door.

In 'Annie Laurie,' Lillian Gish plays a diplomat's daughter caught in the violent 17th-century feud between the Scottish Campbell and MacDonald clans. 

Gish, a Campbell, falls in love with rival clan chief Ian MacDonald (Norman Kerry) complicating peace efforts between the two warring sides.

As the clans prepare for battle, the romance forces Gish to choose between loyalty to her family or to warn the rival MacDonalds in advance of the infamous Massacre of Glencoe. 

 

This intertitle from 'Annie Laurie' provides an clue about what kind of music you'll be hearing during the screening.

The film's spectacular climax features Gish in a dramatic "race to the rescue" sequence filmed in an early version of Technicolor.

'Annie Laurie,' a major 1927 release for top studio MGM, has not been available for public viewing since its original release. In 2024, the U.S. Library of Congress transferred a pristine 35mm print in their collection to digital media, doing restoration work when needed.

The story of 'Annie Laurie' takes place in the late 1690s amid a backdrop of clans battling fiercely for supremacy in the years before Scotland joined England to form the United Kingdom.

To tell the tale on an epic scale on screen, MGM director John S. Robertson pulled out all the stops, staging enormous battle scenes set among the craggy Scottish landscape.

Sumptuous period costumes (yes, including men in kilts!) are a highlight of the 'Annie Laurie,' which was released at the peak of silent film artistry, just prior to the introduction of talking pictures.

At the time, Gish was among MGM's biggest stars, having arrived at the studio after playing iconic leading roles in early D.W. Griffith features including 'The Birth of a Nation' (1915), 'Way Down East' (1920), and 'Orphans of the Storm' (1921).

 

Lillian Gish and Norman Kerry in a strange background-less still promoting 'Annie Laurie' (1927).
 

Leading man Norman Kerry was a popular silent-era performer who often played the heroic dashing swashbuckler or the seductive lothario. He was extremely popular with female fans and was at the peak of his career in 'Annie Laurie.'

Among those in the large cast of supporting players was a very young John Wayne in one of his earliest roles as an extra.

'Annie Laurie' is the latest in TCAN's silent film series, in which classic motion pictures from Hollywood's silent film era are screened with live music.

"It's a great way for audiences to experience the magic of silent film in the way it was intended: on the big screen, in restored editions, with live music, and with an audience," said Jeff Rapsis, who provides live musical accompaniment for each program.

"Early movie-making was a shared experience that took place in a theater," Rapsis said. "Filmmakers at the time created motion pictures with that in mind—and when you can present them the way they were intended, their impact remains uniquely powerful."

'Annie Laurie' (1927) starring Lillian Gish and Norman Kerry will be shown with live music on Sunday, April 26 at 4 p.m. at TCAN Center for the Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick, Mass.

Admission is $12 per person for members; $14 for non-members. Tickets available online at www.natickarts.org or at the door. For more info, call (508) 647-0097.

'Annie Laurie' (1927) will be screened as scheduled on Sunday, Jan. 25 just a'fore the snow

An original lobby card promoting MGM's  'Annie Laurie' (1927) starring Lillian Gish.

The show must go on! 

That's the story for our screening of 'Annie Laurie' (1927), the MGM historical adventure epic that I'm scheduled to accompany on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

Yes, a big slow-moving snowstorm is supposed to roll through our area starting that afternoon. The key word there is starting. It's not really going to kick in until Sunday evening, so Dennis Markaverich of the Town Hall Theater and I are choosing to go with the matinee as scheduled.

One factor in this decision: the high visibility Lions Club sign on Route 101 has been promoting the screening since just after the New Year. That's prime exposure and so we felt obligated to follow through. 

And if no one shows, we can always screen the film again next Sunday—although the long-range forecast calls for a similar storm at that time. So it's going to be one of those Februarys. Well, spring is only 54 days away, but who's counting. (All right, I am.)

So be brave (like Lillian Gish) and journey to the Town Hall Theatre for tomorrow's screening of 'Annie Laurie' (1927) at 2 p.m. Here's the press release with more details about the film:

*     *     *

Lillian Gish stars in 'Annie Laurie' (1927)

MONDAY, JAN. 19, 2026 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

New restoration of MGM blockbuster 'Annie Laurie' to screen at Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, Jan. 25 

Lilian Gish stars in title role as Scottish clans do battle in epic historical drama; accompanied by live music

WILTON, N.H.— Return to the days of warring Scottish clans when 'Annie Laurie,' a rarely screened MGM epic featuring silent-era megastar Lillian Gish, inaugurates the 2026 silent film series at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

A newly restored and remastered version of 'Annie Laurie' will be screened on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.

The program is free and open to the public; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to support the Town Hall Theatre's silent film programming.

Live music will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who performs regularly at screenings around the nation.

In 'Annie Laurie,' Lillian Gish plays a diplomat's daughter caught in the violent 17th-century feud between the Scottish Campbell and MacDonald clans. 

Gish, a Campbell, falls in love with rival clan chief Ian MacDonald (Norman Kerry) complicating peace efforts between the two warring sides.

As the clans prepare for battle, the romance forces Gish to choose between loyalty to her family or to warn the rival MacDonalds in advance of the infamous Massacre of Glencoe. 

The film's spectacular climax features Gish in a dramatic "race to the rescue" sequence filmed in an early version of Technicolor.

 

'Annie Laurie,' a major 1927 release for top studio MGM, has not been available for public viewing since its original release. In 2024, the U.S. Library of Congress transferred a pristine 35mm print in their collection to digital media, doing restoration work when needed.

The story of 'Annie Laurie' takes place in the late 1690s amid a backdrop of clans battling fiercely for supremacy in the years before Scotland joined England to form the United Kingdom.

To tell the tale on an epic scale on screen, MGM director John S. Robertson pulled out all the stops, staging enormous battle scenes set among the craggy Scottish landscape.

Sumptuous period costumes (yes, including men in kilts!) are a highlight of the 'Annie Laurie,' which was released at the peak of silent film artistry, just prior to the introduction of talking pictures.

At the time, Gish was among MGM's biggest stars, having arrived at the studio after playing iconic leading roles in early D.W. Griffith features including 'The Birth of a Nation' (1915), 'Way Down East' (1920), and 'Orphans of the Storm' (1921).

Leading man Norman Kerry was a popular silent-era performer who often played the heroic dashing swashbuckler or the seductive lothario. He was extremely popular with female fans and was at the peak of his career in 'Annie Laurie.'

Among those in the large cast of supporting players was a very young John Wayne in one of his earliest roles as an extra.

'Annie Laurie' marks the first 2026 screening of the Town Hall Theatre's silent film series. Each month, a classic motion picture from Hollywood's silent film era is screened with live music at the venue, where movies were first presented in 1912.

"It's a great way for audiences to experience the magic of silent film in the way it was intended: on the big screen, in restored editions, with live music, and with an audience," said Jeff Rapsis, who provides live musical accompaniment for each program.

"Early movie-making was a shared experience that took place in a theater," Rapsis said. "Filmmakers at the time created motion pictures with that in mind—and when you can present them the way they were intended, their impact remains uniquely powerful."

Upcoming programs in the Town Hall Theatre's silent film series include:

• Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, 2 p.m.: "Girl Shy" (1924) starring Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston. Celebrate Valentine's Day with 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. 

• Sunday, March 8, 2026, 2 p.m.: "A Doggie Double Feature." Two vintage films featuring silent canine stars! In 'His Master's Voice' (1925), cowardly Bob Henley is drafted into the army during World War II while his faithful dog Thunder joins the Red Cross. In 'The Law's Lash' (1928), Klondike the Dog works with the Northwest Mounted Police to track down smugglers.

• Sunday, April 5, 2026, 2 p.m.: "The Ten Commandments" (1923) directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The original silent film version of 'The Ten Commandments' has all the big scenes, but differs greatly from the later version starring Charlton Heston. See for yourself as we screen this ground-breaking (and Red Sea-parting) Biblical epic. 

• Sunday, May 3, 2026, 2 p.m.: "Steamboat Bill, Jr." (1928) starring Buster Keaton. As the pampered son of a gruff steamboat captain, Buster tries to make the grade even as storm clouds gather—and romance brews with the daughter of a rival ship owner. Film climaxes with legendary cyclone sequence, one of Buster's best. 

• Sunday, June 7, 2026, 2 p.m.: "Beau Geste" (1926) starring Ronald Colman. One of the top films of 1926, newly restored for its 100th anniversary. 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.

'Annie Laurie' (1927) starring Lillian Gish and Norman Kerry will be shown with live music on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. 

The program is free and open to the public; a donation of $10 per person is suggested. For more information, call (603) 654-3456. 

 

 

Up next: Greta Garbo in 'Wild Orchids' on Wednesday, Jan. 29 in Manchester, N.H.

A photo showing the Alton Bay Ice Runway in 2015.

It's so cold in New Hampshire that for the first time in three years, the Alton Bay Ice Runway has opened!

That's right: the only FAA-approved ice runway in the lower 48 states—in an inlet of New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee—was declared open last week when the ice reached the requisite 12 inches of thickness.

So it's been perfect weather for a screening 'Way Down East' (1920), the D.W. Griffith melodrama in which Lillian Gish winds up on ice floes in the Connecticut River—not that far from the Alton Bay Ice Runway, as the crow flies.

If the story was set a little later in the development of aviation, Richard Barthelmess could have rescued Ms. Gish by taking off from the ice runway in his trusty Sopwith Camel and swooping down to whisk her to safety.

Well, it's a thought.

At our screening on Sunday afternoon at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H., 'Way Down East' proved once again Griffith's ability to lay out a story that pulls an audience along the same way the on-screen ice floes carry Lillian Gish to the edge of the mighty waterfall.

It's a fun film to accompany. It's such a hokey story, and yet the audience reaction in far-off 2025 was every bit as lively, I imagine, as audiences when the film was brand new. People of course cheered at the waterfall rescue, and the triple wedding that ends of the film produced genuine gales of laughter.

Looking ahead: a chance to warm up comes in the form of a screening of 'Wild Orchids' (1929), a steamy romantic thriller starring Greta Garbo that I'll accompany on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in downtown Manchester, N.H. 

It's one of the last MGM silents, made long after the studio had otherwise converted to talkies. But execs were worried that Garbo's heavily accented voice would ruin her box office appeal, and so kept her silent for as long as possible. 

Well, surprise! Turns out Garbo's husky delivery actually added to her mystique, and her career sailed on uninterrupted. Until, that is, she started turning up in places like a David Letterman Top 10 List.

But the good thing about this was that we got a whole additional year's worth of silent pictures out of Garbo, made at a time when silent filmmaking was at its peak, technically speaking. 

See for yourself—and warm yourself up while you're at it— with a screening of 'Wild Orchids' this Wednesday night. More details in the press release below.

*    *    *

Greta Garbo and Nils Asther star in 'Wild Orchids' (1929).

MONDAY, JAN. 20, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Greta Garbo stars in steamy silent film thriller on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at Rex Theatre

'Wild Orchids' (1929), one of MGM's final silent film releases, to be screened with live music at downtown Manchester, N.H. venue

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Chase away the mid-winter chill with a steamy movie featuring early Hollywood icon Greta Garbo.

Warm up with 'Wild Orchids' (1929), an intense romantic thriller starring Garbo, to be screened with live music at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, N.H.

'Wild Orchids,' one of the last silent films of MGM studios, will be shown on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 at 7 p.m.

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

 

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

A tale of forbidden romance, 'Wild Orchids' opens with an older businessman (John Lewis) taking his young wife (Greta Garbo) on a business trip to the South Pacific.

Aboard ship, she witnesses a wealthy passenger (Nils Asther) brutally whipping a servant. The violent man notices Garbo and resolves to meet her.

Things get complicated, however, when the man turns out to be a royal heir crucially important to the business affairs of Garbo's husband.

Emotions boil over in the tropical heat, leading to a dramatic showdown in the jungle over Garbo's ultimate fate.

An original trade publication ad promoting 'Wild Orchids' (1929).

Released during the movie industry's chaotic transition from silent film to synchronized dialogue, 'Wild Orchids' proved a hit.

The silent film earned $1.1 million, making it one of the year's top 10 box office attractions.

Although MGM was already releasing talking pictures, the studio kept starring Garbo in silent pictures due to concerns about her heavy accent.

Originally from Sweden, in Hollywood Garbo quickly rose to silent film stardom based on her acting ability and her unique look.

Garbo spoke English, but with a Scandinavian accent, causing concerns that the public would reject her in talking pictures.

When she finally spoke on-screen, Garbo's distinctive delivery and husky accent added to her popularity, to the great relief of studio bosses.

Nils Asther and Greta Garbo in a scene from 'Wild Orchids' (1929).

A live musical score for 'Wild Orchids' will be performed by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

Rapsis specializes in creating music to help silent films connect with modern-day audiences.

"As one of the last commercial silent films produced, 'Wild Orchids' shows how fluent Hollywood had become at telling stories visually, rather than through dialogue," Rapsis said.

"These films were intended to be seen on the big screen, with live music, and—most importantly—with an audience. Put it all back together, and films like 'Wild Orchids' really leap back to life."

'Wild Orchids' (1929) will be shown on Wednesday, Jan. 29 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.

Next up: Buster Keaton's 'The Cameraman' (1928) on Saturday, July 20 at Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall

A promotional still from Buster Keaton's 'The Cameraman' (1928).

Timing is everything!

Consider: I've developed a case of severe tendonitis in my right arm just as I'm starting a one-month hiatus from silent film accompaniment.

Hope that gives the arm time to heal and get back to normal by the time I resume in July.

First film then will be Keaton's 'The Cameraman' (1928), which I'll accompany on Saturday, July 20 at Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall.

For now, thank you to all who attended screenings during the first half of 2024. Looking forward to 'Part 2' when I get back on the accompaniment circuit.

For now, here's a preview of 'The Cameraman.' Hope to see you there!

*    *    *

Original lobby card for 'The Cameraman' (1928).

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more info, contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'The Cameraman' with live music on Saturday, July 20 at Brandon Town Hall

Buster Keaton's classic silent comedy set in 1920s New York City to be shown on the big screen

BRANDON, 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.

See for yourself with a screening of 'The Cameraman' (1928) one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m. at the Brandon Town Hall and Community Center.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event. Admission is free, with free will donations accepted in support of ongoing Town Hall renovations.

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.

'The Cameraman' tells the story of a young man (Keaton) who tries to impress the girl of his dreams (Marceline Day) by working as a freelance newsreel cameraman.

His efforts fail spectacularly, but then a lucky break gives him an unexpected chance to make his mark. Can Buster parlay the scoop of the year into a secure job and successful romance?

'The Cameraman' includes several classic Keaton sequences, including a disastrous first date at a public swimming pool, an unusual baseball sequence filmed at Yankee Stadium, and a dramatic water rescue following a boat accident.

In 'The Cameraman,' Keaton uses the movie business itself to create comedy that plays with the nature of film and reality.

"Keaton's films are audience favorites, and people continue to be surprised at how engrossing and exhilarating they can be when shown as they were intended: in a theater, and with live music," said accompanist Jeff Rapsis, who performs at more than 100 screenings each year at venues around the nation and abroad.

Rapsis, who lives in Bedford, N.H., improvises live scores for silent films using a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of the full orchestra.

"It's kind of a high wire act," Rapsis said. "But for me, the energy of live performance is an essential part of the silent film experience."

The screening of 'The Cameraman' is sponsored by Donna Malewicki; Barbara and Tom White; and Gary and Nancy Meffe. 

Other films in this year's Brandon Town Hall silent film series include:

• Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, 7 p.m.: "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" (1921) starring Rudolph Valentino. Sweeping drama of a divided family with members caught up on oppositessides during World War I. Breakthrough film for Rudolph Valentino, introducing the sultry tango and launching him to stardom. The real deal! Shown both in honor of the 110th anniversary of World War I's outbreak and the anniversary of Valentino's untimely death in 1926. 

 • Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, 7 p.m.: "Speedy" (1928) starring Harold Lloyd. Harold's final silent feature cis a tribute to New York City, baseball, and the idea that nice guys can indeed finish first, highlighted by one of the most exciting races to the finish in all silent cinema. Complete with an extended cameo from none other than Babe Ruth!

• Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, 7 p.m.: "Phantom of the Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney. Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber created the hit stage musical, this silent film adaptation starring Lon Chaney put 'Phantom' firmly in the pantheon of both horror and romance. Just in time for Halloween!

• Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, 7 p.m.: "Barbed Wire" (1927) starring Pola Negri, Clive Brook. During World War I, the French government commandeers a family farm for use as a camp for German POWs, setting the local population at each other. Intense drama about forbidden love and the human condition, with a special holiday twist. 

See Buster Keaton in the 'The Cameraman' (1928) with live music on Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m. at the Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Route 7, in Brandon, Vt. Admission is free, with free will donations accepted in support of ongoing Town Hall renovations.For information, visit www.brandontownhall.com.

 

Prepare to be alarmed! 'The Fire Brigade' (1926) on Sunday, 9/10 in 35mm at Somerville Theatre

Bert Woodruff answers the call in the action/thriller 'The Fire Brigade' (1926).

It's a murky morning—perfect for indoor activities such as being part of the audience later today for a fantastic and rarely screened action thriller at the Somerville Theatre.

It's 'The Fire Brigade' (1926), a film famous among film buffs for the inclusion of its climax in Kevin Brownlow's 'Hollywood' documentary series to show how exciting silent cinema could be.

You can see for yourself today at 2 p.m., when I'll accompany a restored 35mm print of 'The Fire Brigade' at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

There's a lot more info in the press release below. Me, I'm thrilled to be doing music for this new 35mm print produced by the Library of Congress and the Film Foundation, which includes restored color sequences that were a highlight of the original release prints. 

Prior to this, the film hasn't been easily available other than through archival screenings. My whole life, all I've known is the climactic scenes featured in Brownlow's documentary. So I've been very curious to see the whole film, which we'll all get to do together this afternoon.

I want to thank Ken Winokur of Psychedelic Cinema for loaning me a big mounted bell at the last minute to help out with this screening. I should have realized that any film about firefighters is bound to have a lot of bells in it.

Sure enough, previewing the film via a horrible bootleg DVD (no film should EVER be viewed this way, but you do what you have to do), bells are just about everywhere.

I have a few bells of my own, but nothing like a big clangy bell that's shown again and again in 'The Fire Brigade.' So just the other day, I pinged Ken about borrowing his mounted full-size boxing bell  (complete with miniature metal hammer), knowing that he has a gig at the same time.

Well, Ken came through. And so we'll have a full assortment of bells and whistles (literally) to help bring 'The Fire Brigade' to life for this afternoon's audience.

And that's where you come in. Really—you come into the theater and take a seat for 'The Fire Brigade.'

More info on the film and the screening below. Hope you'll answer the call this afternoon!

That way, if someone yells "Fire!" it'll be in a crowded theater.

*    *    *

Original release poster for 'The Fire Brigade' (1926). In the film Charles Ray actually saves an orphan, not May McAvoy, but this makes for a much better image.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 5, 2023 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Get alarmed! 'The Fire Brigade' (1926) to screen with live music on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Somerville Theatre

Classic silent firefighting thriller to be shown via newly created 35mm print featuring restored color sequences

SOMERVILLE, Mass.—Early on, the movies recognized the drama in firefighting.

The celebration of firefighters as brave life-saving heroes reached its peak in 'The Fire Brigade' (1926), a big-budget MGM thriller often cited as silent film story-telling at its peak.

See for yourself with a screening of a newly issued version of 'The Fire Brigade,' including restored hand-colored fire sequences, to be shown on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

The film will be shown using a 35mm print on loan from the Library of Congress, which restored 'The Fire Brigade' in 2021 in partnership with the Film Foundation.

'The Fire Brigade' will be screened with live music by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in accompanying silent films.

Charles Ray and May McAvoy in a quieter moment of 'The Fire Brigade' (1926).

MGM’s blockbuster production stars Charles Ray, playing the youngest in a long line of fearless Irish American firefighters, who falls in love with the daughter (May McAvoy) of a crooked building contractor.

The film climaxes with a spectacular sequence in which firefighters must rescue orphans from a burning building in the city's downtown.

Spectacular color effects have been restored to this rip-roaring tale of a tight knit group of firefighters who modestly bear their birthright to heroism.

Moving Picture World’s advance review declared: “The conflagration scene is the most stupendous from the standpoint of realism and proportion that has ever been incorporated in a feature production.”

'The Fire Brigade' enjoys legendary status among film buffs due to its prominent inclusion in film historian Kevin Brownlow's 1980 'Hollywood' documentary series about the silent film era.

"For its professionalism alone it deserves a place in the canon," wrote Brownlow, introducing a screening of the restored version in 2021. "And it wasn’t lurid melodrama; it had an intelligent, socially conscious storyline involving municipal corruption."

To demonstrate silent film at its peak, Brownlow first showed a primitive early film of firefighting, then cut directly to the climax of 'The Fire Brigade.'

"Yes, it was an outrageous thing to do, but I’ll guarantee that that sequence with Charles Ray rescuing a baby from an inferno won us an audience—instantly," Brownlow wrote.

The appearance of both two-color Technicolor, plus a new color process invented by Max Handschiegl for the climactic fire scenes, stunned the film's original audiences.

Trade journals of the day recognized 'The Fire Brigade' as a movie with one aim: to dazzle movie-goers with on-screen spectacle.

A scene from 'The Fire Brigade' (1926).

Variety called the film “an out-and-out hokum thriller of the type mass audiences eat up”; while Photoplay fully endorsed it: “hokum is a quality that cheats you … This film doesn’t cheat. The thrills in it are not only tremendously exciting, but real.”

To drum up publicity for 'The Fire Brigade,' MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer pledged to contribute 25 percent of the movie's profits to a college for the training of firefighters.

In reviving 'The Fire Brigade' and other vintage films, the Somerville Theatre aims to show silent film as it was meant to be seen—in restored prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Jeff Rapsis, who will accompany the film. "Recreate those conditions, and classics of early Hollywood leap back to life in ways that audiences still find entertaining."

Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra, creating a traditional "movie score" sound. He improvises the complete score in real time during the screening.

"Creating a movie score on the fly is kind of a high-wire act, but it can often make for more excitement than if everything is planned out in advance," Rapsis said.

The Somerville Theatre's ongoing 'Silents, Please!' schedule features a broad range of titles, from well-known classics to obscure films rarely seen since their release, which in some cases was more than a century ago.

All films in the series are shown using 35mm prints, with most on loan from the U.S. Library of Congress.

A roster of upcoming films in the 'Silents, Please!' series includes:

• Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, 2 p.m.: 'Show People' (1928) starring Marion Davies, William Haines. Comedy about a would-be film actress (Davies) who can only find work at studio producing low-budget comedies. Screening plus Q & A and book-signing with Lara Gabrielle, author of 'Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies'

• Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, 2 p.m.: 'The Big Parade' (1925) starring John Gilbert, Renée Adoree. We salute Veterans Day with this sweeping saga about U.S. doughboys signing up and shipping off to France in 1917, where they face experiences that will change their lives forever—if they return. MGM blockbuster directed by King Vidor; one of the biggest box office triumphs of the silent era.

'The Fire Brigade' (1926) will be shown on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. The film will be shown in 35mm with live music.

Admission $16 per person; seniors/children $12. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.somervilletheatre.com or call the box office at (617) 625-5700.

With that admission price, a poster for what was probably a special "road show" screening of 'The Fire Brigade' with full orchestra.

Two endings better than one? Find out with 'The Temptress' (1926) at Flying Monkey 2/16

An original lobby card promoting 'The Temptress'

With MGM's 'The Temptress' (1926), the ending is just the beginning. 

What I mean by that is the film has two endings, and that's the one thing that seems to capture people's imaginations.

Also, the endings are completely different. One concludes the tale as a tragedy, while the other finishes in triumph. Huh? How did this happen?

The story goes that MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer found the ending of the original version so depressing, he ordered a different (and happier) ending on the spot.

What Louis wants, Louis gets. And so director Fred Niblo reshot the past five minutes in order to create a completely different (and much more upbeat) finished to 'The Temptress.'

Which is better? Judge for yourself when we show both endings as part of a screening of 'The Temptress' on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H.

Showtime is 6:30 p.m. and more details are in the press release below. 

I understand the "tragic" ending was used for European prints, while the "happy" ending was shown mostly in the United States, where tragic endings have always been box office poison.

We'll show the original sad ending first. Then we'll run the second more upbeat ending, and then the second more upbeat conclusion to finish things out. 

And we'll try to answer the question: if two heads are better than one, is the same true for two endings?

And here's the press release:

*   *   *

Greta Garbo and Antonio Moreno in 'The Temptress' (1926).

TUESDAY, FEB. 1, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis at (603) 236-9237 • e-mail jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Greta Garbo stars in 'The Temptress' (1926), a film with two endings, on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at Flying Monkey

Both conclusions to be shown when steamy silent romantic drama is screened with live musical accompaniment

PLYMOUTH, N.H. — It's a film with two completely different endings: one sad and tragic, and the other uplifting and positive.

It's 'The Temptress' (1926), an MGM romantic drama starring Greta Garbo, then just starting a legendary Hollywood career.

Studio boss Louis B. Mayer found the original ending to 'The Temptress' so depressing, he ordered a second—and much happier—conclusion.

Theaters were then allowed to choose which ending to show to audiences.

See both conclusions when 'The Temptress' is screened with live music on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

Showtime is 6:30 p.m. General admission is $10. The screening will feature live accompaniment by silent film musician Jeff Rapsis.

In 'The Temptress,' Garbo plays Elena, the wife of Monsieur Canterac (Lionel Barrymore) and the mistress of rich Parisian banker Monsieur Fontenoy (Marc MacDermott).

When the banker's friend Robledo (Antonio Moreno), a dynamic young engineer building a massive dam in Argentina, pays a visit to Paris, the fickle Elena immediately falls in love with him.

Elena follows Robledo to Argentina, where her presence leads to a whip duel between Robledo and his rival, Manos Duros (Roy D'Arcy).

She then indirectly causes the collapse of Robledo's dam, which is where the two versions of the film diverge.

In the original version, Elena returns to Paris and the movie concludes tragically.

The revised version sees the film end in Argentina on a much happier note.

Both endings will be screened at the Flying Monkey: first the original "tragic" conclusion, then the more optimistic ending.

Garbo in 'The Temptress.'

Garbo, who first won notice in her native Sweden, came to Hollywood at age 19. 'The Temptress,' her second film for MGM, helped establish her as a major star.

Initially, the director of 'The Temptress' was Garbo's mentor-lover, the brilliant Mauritz Stiller. But he was replaced halfway through by Fred Niblo, giving 'The Temptress' two different styles.

Silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis will improvise a musical score to 'The Temptress' in real time as the movie is screened.

In creating music for 'The Temptress' and other vintage classics, Rapsis tries to bridge the gap between silent film and modern audiences.

"Live music adds an element of energy to a silent film screening that's really crucial to the experience," Rapsis said.

The screening is the latest in the Flying Monkey's series celebrating films that recently entered the public domain.

Copyright protection for all U.S. films released in 1926 expired on Jan. 1, 2022.

To mark the occasion, the Flying Monkey is showcasing vintage comedies, dramas, and adventure films, all with live music, and all now in the public domain.

Upcoming screenings in the Flying Monkey's "Public Domain Extravaganza" include:

• Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 6:30 p.m.: "The Winning of Barbara Worth" (1926) starring Ronald Colman, Vilma Banky, and Gary Cooper. Epic Western drama about the settling and irrigation of California's Imperial Valley, once a wasteland but now an agricultural paradise. Shot on location by director Henry King in Nevada's Black Rock desert, one of the first films to take audiences to the wide open spaces of the great American West. With a young Gary Cooper playing a key role.

• Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 6:30 p.m.: "Battling Butler" (1926) starring Buster Keaton. In an uproarious boxing comedy, Keaton plays Alfred Butler, a pampered rich idler with the same name as a feared boxing champion. When a girl he's pursuing thinks he's the fighter, Keaton has no choice but to start training.

• Wednesday, May 11, 2022, 6:30 p.m.: "Bardelys the Magnificent" (1926) starring John Gilbert. Gilbert tries his hand at swashbuckling in this big-budget MGM historical extravaganza about exploits of an unjustly disgraced French nobleman. A major film long thought lost until a single print was recently discovered in France.

• Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 6:30 p.m.: "The Black Pirate" (1926) starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. The original pirate film, with Fairbanks sword-fighting his way through a period adventure tale set during the age of sailing ships.

"By 1926, the movies had matured enough to offer a wide range of great entertainment that still holds up today," Rapsis said. "Come see for yourself as we screen some of the year's best flicks, all of which recently entered the public domain and now belong to us all."

The romantic drama ‘The Temptress’ starring Greta Garbo will be shown with live music on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

Admission to the screening is $10, general admission seating. For more info, call (603) 536-2551 or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com.

'The Flying Fleet' coming in for a landing at Aviation Museum of N.H. on Thursday, May 23

Ramon Novarro stars in 'The Flying Fleet' (1929), MGM's silent drama about U.S. Navy aviators.

For me, one of the great joys of presenting silent film is showing vintage movies to people with interests outside cinema itself.

People really into cars, for instance, get a kick out out MGM's late silent 'Speedway' (1929), an auto race drama filmed on location at the actual Indy 500 track.

In my adventures accompanying silent film, one of the best examples of this unexpected interest was a program I did up in Vermont some years ago.

A local woman who attended was so taken by the horsemanship displayed on screen that she agreed to financially back a silent film series as long as the films had plenty of horses.

And so it came to pass. And although the benefactress is no longer with us, the series continues to this day, and in her memory I always try to program titles in which horsemanship is on display.

So another great example of this "interest other than cinema" phenomenon is coming up this week, when I'll accompany 'The Flying Fleet' (1929), an MGM drama about U.S. Navy aviators, at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire.

The screening is Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. More information is in the press release below. I encourage you to attend, even if you're not a naval history buff, as it's a well-made but rarely screened late silent drama that holds up pretty well, I think.

For me personally, this promises to be an unusual show because it combines my silent film musical moonlighting with my day job, which happens to be director of the Aviation Museum.

So it's a convergence of sorts. Maybe I won't have to clone myself after all.

Okay, press release below. Hope to see you filling out the ranks at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire's screening of 'The Flying Fleet'!

* * *

The USS Langley, the nation's first-ever aircraft carrier, makes several appearances in 'The Flying Fleet'(1929).

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jrapsis@nhahs.org

Aviation Museum offers vintage Hollywood-style Memorial Day tribute

'The Flying Fleet,' MGM silent drama about U.S. Navy aviators, to screen with live music on Thursday, May 23

LONDONDERRY — Get in the spirit of Memorial Day weekend with a vintage silent film drama about U.S. naval aviators that's a window into what it was like to serve one's country between the World Wars.

'The Flying Fleet' (1929), a star-studded MGM drama filmed on location at key U.S. Naval bases, will be screened on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. at the Aviation Museum of N.H., 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H.

The movie, made with the full cooperation of the U.S. Navy and filled with scenes of vintage air and seaplanes in action, will be shown with live music provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

Admission for this special event is $20 per person; $15 for Aviation Museum members. The screening is a fund-raiser for the Aviation Museum's partnership with the Manchester School of Technology that will enable students build an actual airplane in the 2019-20 school year.

"As we approach Memorial Day weekend, this is a terrific way to remember those who served by looking back at what it was like for the generation between the two world wars," Rapsis said.

Ramon Navarro (center) and fellow cadets show plenty of 1920s beefcake in 'The Flying Fleet' (1929).

Starring MGM heartthrob Ramon Novarro, 'The Flying Fleet' follows the story of six graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis who make a solemn pact to all become Navy pilots.

The film follows the cadets through training with scenes filmed on location at bases in San Diego, Calif., and Pensacola, Fla. Scenes were also filmed aboard the USS Langley, the nation's first aircraft carrier. The Langley, an aging coal transport ship, was outfitted with an enormous upper-level deck in 1922.

But it's not just airplanes and ships. In 'The Flying Fleet,' two of pilots fall for the same gal (Anita Page) off base, causing a rivalry that plays out in dramatic plot twists and action both on the ground and in the air.

Promotional art for 'The Flying Fleet,' starring Anita Page and Ramon Novarro.

Page, a young MGM starlet who had appeared in Laurel & Hardy comedies, would soon retire from the screen, only to return late in life in several low budget horror films released after 2000. She died in 2008 at age 98.

The teaming of up-and-coming Anita Page and heartthrob Ramon Novarro was considered good box office. In a 2002 interview, Page recalled that Novarro was "... something to dream about. I mean he was so good looking."

A highlight of 'The Flying Fleet' is an appearance of "The Three Sea Hawks," a famous aerobatic team of the era. Drawn from a U.S. Navy squadron at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, the team used three Boeing F2B-1 and F2B-2 fighters. Its first demonstration in January 1928 at San Francisco gave rise to a popular nickname: "Suicide Trio" although officially the team was called "Three Sea Hawks."

Look! In the sky! It's a cameo appearance by 'The Three Seahawks.'

'The Flying Fleet' was made with U.S. Navy cooperation, with the note appearing in the opening credits: "Dedicated to the officers and men of NAVAL AVIATION whose splendid co-operation made this production possible." The film was the first major Hollywood production to use Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego.

Popcorn and drinks will be available for purchase, and the screening will mark the debut of the Aviation Museum's vintage candy concession counter.

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving aviation history in the Granite State, providing educational outreach programs that encourage student interest in aeronautics and related fields, and organizing programs that bring together the state's diverse aviation community.

The Museum is located at 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H. The museum is open Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call (603) 669-4820 or visit the www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.

'The Flying Fleet' (1929) starring Ramon Novarro and Anita Page will be screened with live music on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. at the Aviation Museum of N.H., 27 Navigator Way, Londonderry, N.H. Admission $20 per person; $15 for members. The screening is a fund-raiser for the Aviation Museum's partnership with the Manchester School of Technology that will enable students build an actual airplane in the 2019-20 school year.

Ralph Graves and Ramon Novarro undress each other in 'The Flying Fleet' (1929). Want to see more? Attend the screening!

A quiet time for silent film music—but Garbo on the big screen this week at Flying Monkey

Promotional material for 'The Kiss' (1929).

Things are quiet on the silent film performance front right now, but don't let that fool you.

It's actually an intense time for me musically, with a number of projects in the works.

First up: tomorrow night (Sunday, Dec. 4) brings the first run-through of the Kilimanjaro Suite, an orchestral score I've composed.

The New Hampshire Philharmonic is including the work in a concert on Sunday, Jan. 22. So the music will be played almost exactly two years since I was part of group that reached the summit of Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak.

Tomorrow night's rehearsal is the first time the music will actually be played. Crossing my fingers, but the score came together without any really big problems.

I actually completed it last September, and then (in a very uncharacteristic display of maturity) put it away for the autumn to give it time to settle.

A sneak preview of the Bass Clarinet part.

Then in the past few weeks, with rehearsals looming, I went back in and polished things up. Then, just this past week, I generated the parts and conductor's score.

The parts have been sent out to the players. And on Friday I went down to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell to bring conductor Mark Latham a printed and bound copy of the full score.

There's still a lot of work to do. But the composing phase is pretty much done, and it felt good to send the completed piece out to the performers.

It was also weird. Unlike my silent film music, all the notes had to be written down. And that means it'll pretty much stay the way it is until next month's performance.

I'm sure practical adjustments will be needed as we get into the score. But I've learned a lot (as always, just by doing), and it's already been a worthwhile experience.

The N.H. Philharmonic performing 'Carmina Burana' earlier this year.

I'll post more details about the Kilimanjaro Suite as we work our way through rehearsals up to the world premiere.

Like to attend? The performance will be on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. at the Stockbridge Theatre in Derry, N.H. For tickets and information, visit www.nhphil.org.

Another project this month is that I'll be recording a score for 'Homecoming' (1928), a German drama being released on DVD by Mark Roth of ReelClassicsDVD.com. (Hey, another Mark!)

This is another case of me stretching my musical legs, so to speak. Until now, I've focused on live performance and building up my instincts as an accompanist rather than on recording.

But lately, I've felt my own musical language as well as my technique and approach for film scoring are at a place where recording makes sense.

So when Mark reached out with 'Homecoming,' I jumped at the chance. So this month I'll be getting together some equipment to record and edit audio files.

And there's more! In February, I'll be making my London debut as a silent film accompanist. But more on that as we get closer.

For now, there's one final cluster of screenings left on the 2016 calendar, and they're coming up this week:

• Tuesday, Dec. 6, 6:30 p.m.: 'Mockery' (1926) starring Lon Chaney; Manchester City Library, 405 Pine St., Manchester, N.H. Free admission, donations accepted. Already tired of Christmas? Then lose yourself in this Russian historical drama. During the Russian Revolution, a mentally challenged peasant saves a beautiful countess from invading Cossacks, then obsesses over her. Often overlooked Chaney drama with heavy helping of class warfare.

• Wednesday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m.: Holiday-themed silent film program at the Townsend (Mass.) Public Library, 12 Dudley Road, Townsend, Mass. Free admission! What did people watch before special holiday TV programs such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" made their debut in the 1960s? See for yourself with a special program of holiday classics from way back during the silent film era, all accompanied by live music. Included will be the first-ever film versions of such popular tales as 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas,' the poem by Clement C. Moore.

• Thursday, Dec. 8, 6:30 p.m. 'The Kiss' (1929) starring Greta Garbo; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H. Admission $10 per person. Take a break from holiday shopping with this steamy romance and courtroom thriller. Will Garbo resort to murder, risking everything for love? Garbo's last silent role and the final silent film released by MGM.

'The Kiss' is a big one, incidentally, not only because it was MGM's final silent film. Also, a still from the courtroom scene was used on an edition of 'The Parade's Gone By,' Kevin Brownlow's tribute book to the silent film era, thus lending it a kind of iconic status among the vintage film community.

The cover of Mr. Brownlow's book.

For more details on 'The Kiss,' check out the press release below.

And I don't know what the weather will be next Thursday.

But with Garbo on screen, you can be sure that any winter chill will be vanquished.

* * *

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30, 2016 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

'The Kiss' (1929), Garbo's final silent film, to screen at Flying Monkey on Thursday, Dec. 8

Intense romantic who-dunnit to be show with live music; drama concludes Flying Monkey's 2016 silent film series

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—It was the very last silent film produced by a major studio in the United States.

Starring Greta Garbo, 'The Kiss' (1929) was released by MGM in November 1929, long after all other Hollywood studios had abandoned the silent genre in favor of the popular new "talkies."

'The Kiss,' an intense romantic murder mystery, will be screened with live music on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Theatre, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H. Tickets are $10 per person.

In 'The Kiss,' Irene (Greta Garbo) plays a young woman unhappily married to an older gentleman; to add to her woes, she is in love with a young lawyer, André (Conrad Nagel).

Unable to find a solution to continue their romance, they stop seeing each other. Irene starts spending her time with young Pierre (Lew Ayres), the son of her husband's business associate, who is infatuated with her.

When Pierre leaves for college, he begs her for a goodbye kiss. After a chaste kiss, Pierre steals another more passionate one—as Irene's husband takes notice. This sets the stage for a murder mystery, the ensuing trial, and a dramatic conclusion.

Garbo in her final role prior that people hearing that famous accent.

Directed by Jacques Feydau, 'The Kiss' also stars actors Conrad Nagel and Lew Ayres.

MGM kept releasing silent films with Garbo in part because the Swedish actress lacked a solid command of English, which she spoke with a very thick accent.

Worried at damaging the appeal of a highly bankable star, MGM continued to feature Garbo in silents for as long as possible, even as the industry otherwise switched over to sound films.

However, following 'The Kiss,' Garbo found continued success in talking pictures beginning with 'Anna Christie' (1930), her husky and distinctive voice proving to be a large part of her enduring appeal.

'The Kiss' will be accompanied by live music by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who performs at venues across the region and beyond.

"Films such as 'The Kiss' were created to be shown on the big screen and in a theater as a communal experience," Rapsis said. "With an audience and live music, they still come to life in the way their makers intended them to.

"So the Flying Monkey's silent film screenings are a great chance for people to experience films that caused people to first fall in love with the movies," he said.

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

"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 silent film titles at the Flying Monkey include:

• Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, 6:30 p.m.: 'Peter Pan' (1924) starring Betty Bronson, Ernest Torrence. The original silent film adaptation of J.M. Barrie's immortal tale of the boy who wouldn't grow up. Join the Darling children as they follow Peter to Never Never Land to do battle with the evil Captain Hook.

• Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, 6:30 p.m.: 'The Clinging Vine' (1926) starring Leatrice Joy. Recover from Valentine's Day with this gender-bending comedy in which a high-powered female executive yearns to become more feminine. Surprisingly androgynous performance by Joy, wife of MGM megastar John Gilbert.

• Thursday, March 16, 2017, 6:30 p.m.: 'Sadie Thompson' (1928) starring Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore. Intense drama of a "fallen woman" who comes to an island in the South Seas to start a new life, but encounters a zealous missionary who wants to force her back to her former life in San Francisco.

• Thursday, April 13, 2017, 6:30 p.m.: 'King of Kings' (1927) directed by Cecil B. Demille. Just in time for Easter: Cecil B. Demille blockbuster includes crucifixion scene complete with earthquake, landslides, and a cast of thousands.

Original poster for 'Speedway' (1929).

• Thursday, May 18, 2017, 6:30 p.m.: 'Speedway' (1929) starring William Haines, Ernest Torrance. Fasten your seat belts! We mark the traditional Memorial Day running of the Indianapolis 500 with a vintage race car drama filmed right on the famed track—at speeds topping 115 mph!

'The Kiss' (1929) will be shown on Thursday, Dec. 8 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.