Next up: 'Phantom of the Opera' on Monday, Oct. 27 at Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine

A poster for the original silent film version of 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925), which I'm accompanying six times this Halloween season!

It's a show 100 years in the making—in a vintage theater celebrating its 100th season!

It's the silent thriller 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), which I'll accompany on Monday, Oct. 27 at the Leavitt Theatre in downtown Ogunquit, Maine. 

It's the last hurrah for this season's schedule of silent films with live music at the Leavitt, which has been celebrating its 100th season in part by screening films released in 1925.

That includes 'Phantom,' with the timing just right for a spooky Halloween experience. Lots more about the movie and the screening are in the press release, which is pasted in below.

I can report a responsive crowd turned out for last night's screening of 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928), which I accompanied at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H. 

The event was augmented by something new at the Monkey: a promotional chalkboard set out on the sidewalk. Nice!

And here's me doing my best Conrad Veidt impersonation underneath the marquee before the show.

 How did I do?

I know, I need to work on the hair. And the wardrobe. And the eyes and face. And the posture. I think other than those minor details, it's dead on!

While I work on my impressions, you can work on making your way to the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine, where they're screening 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) on Monday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. with music by me. More details in the press release below. 

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Lon Chaney menaces Mary Philbin in 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925).

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

'Phantom of the Opera' starring Lon Chaney at Leavitt Theatre on Monday, Oct. 27

Just in time for Halloween Pioneer classic silent thriller to be shown with live musical accompaniment—see it if you dare!

OGUNQUIT, Maine—It was a film considered so frightening when first released that theaters were advised to have doctors standing by in case moviegoers fainted.

It was the original big screen adaptation of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925), starring iconic actor Lon Chaney in the title role.

This classic Universal thriller will be shown on Monday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1, Ogunquit.

General admission tickets are $20 per person.

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

The film is suitable for all ages, although young children may find some scenes intense and frightening.

The show will enable audience members to experience the original silent 'Phantom' the way it was intended to be seen: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.  

'The Phantom of the Opera,' starring legendary actor Lon Chaney in the title role, remains a landmark work of the cinematic horror genre. To modern viewers, the passage of time has made this unusual film seem even more strange and otherworldly.

It's an atmosphere that silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis will enhance by improvising live music on the spot for the screening.

"The original 'Phantom' is a film that seems to get creepier as more time passes," said Rapsis, who accompanies films at venues around the nation. "It's a great way to experience the power of silent film to transport audiences to strange and unusual places."

'The Phantom of the Opera,' adapted from a 19th century novel by French author Gaston Leroux, featured Chaney as the deformed Phantom who haunts the opera house. The Phantom, seen only in the shadows, causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to force the opera's management to make the woman he loves into a star.

The film is most famous for Lon Chaney's intentionally horrific, self-applied make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere.

Chaney transformed his face by painting his eye sockets black, creating a cadaverous skull-like visage. He also pulled the tip of his nose up and pinned it in place with wire, enlarged his nostrils with black paint, and put a set of jagged false teeth into his mouth to complete the ghastly deformed look of the Phantom.

Chaney's disfigured face is kept covered in the film until the now-famous unmasking scene, which prompted gasps of terror from the film's original audiences.

"No one had ever seen anything like this before," Rapsis said. "Chaney, with his portrayal of 'The Phantom,' really pushed the boundaries of what movies could do."

Chaney, known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" due to his versatility with make-up, also played Quasimodo in the silent 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1923) and circus performer 'Alonzo the Armless' in Tod Browning's 'The Unknown' (1927).

The large cast of 'Phantom of the Opera' includes Mary Philbin as Christine Daaé, as the Phantom's love interest; character actor Snitz Edwards; and many other stars of the silent period.

'The Phantom of the Opera' proved so popular in its original release and again in a 1930 reissue that it led Universal Studios to launch a series of horror films, many of which are also regarded as true classics of the genre, including 'Dracula' (1931), 'Frankenstein' (1931), and 'The Mummy' (1932).

The silent film version of 'Phantom' also paved the way for numerous other adaptations of the story, up to and including the wildly successful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical from 1986 that continues to run in productions around the world.

"Even with all the different versions of this story, Chaney's performance in the lead role stands the test of time," Rapsis said. "And remember—in silent film, no one can hear you scream!"

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ (1925) will be shown with live music on Monday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; admission is $20 per person, general seating. For more information, visit www.leavittheatre.com. 

Wrapping up a silent film Halloween......or are the scariest days yet to come?

A pseudo-audience member awaits 'The Man Who Laughs' at the Leavitt Theatre.

Okay, finished the annual Halloween marathon strong with three very intense screenings this past weekend:

• On Friday, Oct. 28, created a live score for 'Nosferatu' (1922) at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Mass.

• On Saturday, Oct. 29, did music for 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928) at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

• And finally, on Sunday, Oct. 30, accompanied 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) at the Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H.

For each of these shows, the music fell together a very satisfying way. I felt I was able to come up with suitably dramatic and/or spooky music when needed, but also stuff that allowed the humor in each film to come out.

Put another way: each of the films was able to breathe.

Pre-show prep at the Leavitt Theatre, with fog and fake attendees.

For 'Nosferatu,' it was the only time this year I played for this film, so it had a freshness and excitement that's sometimes difficult to manage when you've already accompanied a title, say, three times in two weeks.

I know the movie well enough, so I didn't even preview it prior to the screening, which drew a huge crowd to the Regent.

I actually did remember one thing about 'Nosferatu': that I need a musical signature for the images of a rooster crowing, which form an important part of the film's climax.

This time I remembered, and it all worked very effectively. But on the other hand, I muffed one of the two scenes where the clock is striking midnight.

The first time, it's pretty easy: the camera cuts to a clock, which is when I start the chimes: in my case, a small bellhop bell tapped steadily 12 time, if I count right.

But the second time (on the next night), the character of Hutter hears the chimes sounding, and reacts to them, before the scene cuts to the same clock, with the ringing in progress.

On Friday night, poor Hutter reacted quite visibly to chimes that couldn't be heard until the camera cut to them. Ooops!

The perils of trying to time sound effects to on-screen action. But afterwards, a guy said he thought I totally nailed it. So go figure!

The next night, the screening of 'The Man Who Laughs' up at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine was memorable as much for the atmosphere as for the music.

Patrons of the Leavitt Theatre had to negotiate this display outside the lobby.

As a gay-friendly seaside resort, Ogunquit doesn't hold back at Halloween. The costumes of people bar-hopping downtown are amazing: I saw several men dressed as Las Vegas chorus girls tottering

And at the Leavitt Theatre, the Clayton family had transformed their vintage building (opened in 1923), into a "haunted theater," filling the interior with cobwebs and stage fog.

During the day, visitors brave enough to enter were taken inside, where mannequins sat motionless in the chairs and spirits were liable to pop out from anywhere!

The tours continued past 7 p.m., and all the decorations were left in place, so the theater just sort of morphed into a movie theater at some point prior to our show, with me using a pipe organ patch to play spooky funeral parlor music on my keyboard.

Ian Clayton of the Leavitt on stage above my cob-webby keyboard in the pit.

That night's screening of 'The Man Who Laughs' was the last of four I'd accompanied in the past two weeks. (Strangely, all four were in different stages: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts!)

I had accumulated some good material, I thought, and so was able work it up into something pretty effective for Saturday's final go-round. Very gratifying to help this great film come to life and connect with audiences.

For 'Phantom of the Opera' on Sunday, I was able to once more use the opening line that I developed for this season's screenings: "Nothing is more appropriate for Halloween than a silent film because EVERYONE in this picture is DEAD!"

It produces laughs. What can I say?

Well, in Wilton, I said that until very recently, everyone in 'Phantom' was NOT dead. Carla Laemmle, niece of Universal Studios boss Carl Laemmle, danced in 'Phantom' as a teenager. And by God if she still wasn't with us all the way up until 2014, when she died at age 104.

This earned Carla a spontaneous round of applause!

Carla still going strong in her later years.

I also tried out the "audience participation" approach I've developed with Phantom screenings.

The Wilton crowd, one of the largest we've ever hosted, was into it: they applauded lustily during the on-screen opera house ovations, and shrieked pretty convincingly when the chandelier dropped and you-know-who got unmasked.

And with that we enter November, and with that the calendar lightens up a bit.

But not right away. Tomorrow night, I have a "fire and water" double feature at the Manchester (N.H.) City Library. The two flicks on the program are firefighting drama 'The Third Alarm' (1922) and Coast Guard adventure 'Coast Patrol' (1925).

And then I take a deep breath before tackling 'Wings' on Friday night for the Aviation Museum of N.H., which is screening the film as a benefit in their hanger on the grounds of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. More on that in a follow-up post.

And then the next morning, I return to the same airport to fly out on my way to San Francisco, where that night I'm accompanying William S. Hart's very first film, 'The Bargain' (1914) at the wonderful Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum.

Ronald Colman matches wits with Constance Talmadge in 'Her Sister From Paris' (1925).

And then I'm doing 'Her Sister From Paris' (1925) on Thursday, Nov. 10 at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H. And then...

So what was I saying about slowing down?

Maybe I was mistaken. Maybe Halloween isn't really over yet.

After all, with the Presidential election just eight days away, perhaps the scariest times are yet to come!

Halloween: The busiest time of the year for spooks and silent film accompanists

Conrad Veidt and Olga Baklanova in 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928).

Last night I attended a rehearsal of the N.H. Philharmonic, a local orchestra which later this season will play through a score I've composed.

More on that as it develops. But for now, the prospect of a world premiere was scary enough to remind me that we're entering the busiest time of the year for silent film musicians: Halloween.

Yes, the remainder of this month is crowded with silent film screenings all over New England, and all designed to put people in a mood macabre.

And it's fitting. One of the lasting images of silent film is Lon Chaney as the Phantom of the Opera, playing subterranean pipe organ.

(And yes, I'm doing 'Phantom' a couple times this cycle, plus a lot of other titles. The full schedule is below.)

It's not just me. Other area accompanists such as Peter Krasinski have heavy schedules of Halloween fare.

So silent film fans, prepare for a scary smorgasbord of spooky silents ("Alliteration, the newsman's poetry!") in locations ranging from rural towns to the big city—in our case, Boston.

You'll notice 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928) is programmed several times. It's this year's example of a worthy movie I believe has been overlooked. And so it's the one "in the rotation," meaning it's the film I play to avoid wearing out known classics such as 'Nosferatu' and 'Phantom.'

Original promotional material for 'The Man Who Laughs' (1928).

Also, two screenings mark the start of new silent film series in the Boston area that I'll be accompanying.

At the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Mass. a screening of the rarely seen Chaney film 'The Unholy Three' (1925) will launch what's intended to be a monthly program of silent film screenings with live music.

The Capitol is sister theater to the Somerville Theatre in nearby Somerville, Mass., where I also accompany a monthly silent film series. The difference is that the Somerville is committed to showing 35mm prints; the Capitol is where we'll run worthy titles for which 35mm prints simply isn't available.

And at the Regent Theatre, also in Arlington, Mass., I'm pleased to report that last spring's screening of Mary Pickford's early feature 'Rags' (1916) was successful enough for this 100-year-old venue to add periodic silent film screenings to its regular schedule.

First up is on Friday, Oct. 28, when we'll run 'Nosferatu' (1921), a great Halloween film and one which I think gets even creepier as the years go by.

The Regent intends to include silent film with live music on a regular basis for this season, and I hope we'll be able to build a good audience there.

Okay, here's the spooked-up calendar through the end of the month.

And remember: in silent film, no one can hear you scream!

• Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016, 6 p.m.: "The Leopard Woman" (1920); Carpenter Memorial Auditorium, Manchester Public Library, 405 Pine St., Manchester, N.H.; (603) 624-6550; Manchester Public Library. Battle-of-wits jungle drama about an British explorer and a female spy from a rival goverment ordered to foil his mission. The fun begins when rather than killing the explorer, she falls in love with him—and then he goes blind! Monthly series of rarely screened silent films presented with live music in 1913 auditorium. Admission free, donations encouraged.

• Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, 6:30 p.m.: "Woman in the Moon" (1929); The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/. The final silent film of director Fritz Lang ('Metropolis') is an amazing epic about mankind's first-ever lunar voyage, complete with espionage, romance, stowaways, and spectacular visual design. Part of a monthly silent film series at a newly restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Admission, $10 per person.

Actor Tully Marshall is about to meet his end in 'The Cat and the Canary' (1927).

• Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, 7 p.m.: "The Cat and the Canary" (1927) directed by Paul Leni, starring Laura LaPlante; Red River Theatres, 11 South Main St., Concord, N.H.; (603) 224-4600; http://www.redrivertheatres.org/. Can a group of strangers 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, a movie filled with deep shadows, dark secrets, and a surprisingly timeless mix of humor and horror that will keep you guessing. Remember: in silent film, no one can hear you scream! See if if you dare! Silent film with live music at this popular venue for independent and arthouse cinema in New Hampshire's state capital. Admission $10 per person.

• Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, 7 p.m.: "The Man Who Laughs" (1928) starring Conrad Veidt; Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.; http://www.brandontownhall.org. Silent film adaptation of Victor Hugo's historical novel about a man cursed with a permanent carnival-freak-like grin on his face. The make-up job for actor Conrad Veidt inspired the look of Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker. Directed by Paul Leni, who pioneered the visual style used in Universal horror classics such as 1931's 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein.' See it if you dare! Preceded by spooky comedy short subjects. Join us for a series of silent films and live music in a wonderfully restored town hall in Brandon Vt. that features great acoustics. Admission free, donations accepted, with proceeds to help continuing preservation work.

• Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016, 2 p.m.: "Lon Chaney Double Feature", Charlestown Old Town Hall, 19 Summer St., Charlestown, N.H. Just in time for Halloween: two movies starring Chaney, 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) and 'The Unknown' (1927), make up a creepy double feature presented by the Charlestown Historical Society. 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1925) ranks as one of the most revived films of the silent era. With Chaney in the lead role, the original movie adaptation of the story of a deformed musician living beneath the Paris Opera House remains an audience favorite. 'The Unknown' (1927) features Chaney as "Alonzo the Armless," a circus knife-thrower with a dark past who uses his feet to perform his act. The film co-stars a very young Joan Crawford. Admission is free and the public is welcome; donations are encouraged, with proceeds to support Historical Society activities.

• Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016, 8 p.m.: "The Unknown" (1927) starring Lon Chaney; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.; http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com. Celebrate Halloween with a twisted circus drama starring Lon Chaney as 'Alonzo the Armless' and a very young Joan Crawford as the woman he loves but cannot have. Directed by Tod Browning, who would go on to create the cult classic 'Freaks' (1932). Part of a planned multi-day "TerrorThon" at the Somerville Theatre, a 100-year-old moviehouse committed to keeping alive the experience of 35mm film on the big screen. Featuring outstandingly exacting work of legendary projectionist David Kornfeld. For more info, call the theater box office at (617) 625-5700. Admission is either single ticket or through multi-day pass. Check with theater for details.

Original poster art for the original screen adaptation of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.' (1921).

•Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, 1 p.m. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1921) starring John Barrymore; Whitingham Free Public Library, 2948 Route 100, Jacksonville, Vt.; (802) 368-7506. Just in time for Halloween! John Barrymore plays both title roles in the original silent film adaptation of the classic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. A performance that helped establish Barrymore as one of the silent era's top stars. Free and open to the public.

• Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, 8 p.m. "Phantom of the Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin; Aeronaut Brewing Co., 14 Tyler St., Somerville, Mass. Admission $10 per person, limited seating. Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber created the hit stage musical, this silent film adaptation starring Lon Chaney helped place 'Phantom' firmly in the pantheon of both horror and romance. Just in time for Halloween! Part of the Aeronaut Brewery's commitment to showcase local music, art, and performance. Limited seating so reserve early; for more details on tickets, visit Aeronaut Brewing online.

• Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, 6:30 p.m.: "The Man Who Laughs" (1928) starring Conrad Veidt; The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., Plymouth, N.H.; (603) 536-2551; http://www.flyingmonkeynh.com/. Silent film adaptation of Victor Hugo's historical novel about a man cursed with a permanent carnival-freak-like grin on his face. The make-up job for actor Conrad Veidt inspired the look of Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker. Directed by Paul Leni, who pioneered the visual style used in Universal horror classics such as 1931's 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein.' See it if you dare! Preceded by spooky comedy short subjects. Part of a monthly silent film series at a newly restored moviehouse in Plymouth, N.H. Admission, $10 per person.

• Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, 7 p.m.: "The Man Who Laughs" (1928) starring Conrad Veidt; Rogers Center for the Arts, Merrimack College, 315 North Turnpike St., North Andover, Mass. (978) 837-5355. Creepy and unnerving adaptation of Victor Hugo's historical novel about a man cursed with a permanent carnival-freak-like grin on his face. The make-up job for actor Conrad Veidt inspired the look of Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker. Great Halloween film, set the stage for Universal horror classics such as 'Frankenstein' and 'Dracula.' Silent film with live music on the campus of Merrimack College. Free admission. For more information, visit the Rogers Center online.

• Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, 8 p.m.: "The Unholy Three" (1925) starring Lon Chaney, directed by Tod Browning; The Capitol Theatre, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, Mass.; (603) 536-2551; http://capitoltheatreusa.com/. In this hypnotic mix of creepiness and crime, the man of a thousand faces (Chaney) plays a ventriloquist who dons a granny disguise to team with a strongman and a little person in a bizarre robbery scheme that ends in murder. The film is the first collaboration between Chaney and director Browning, who would helm seven more Chaney movies before making sound era horror history with 'Dracula' (1931) and 'Freaks' (1932). A great way to get into the Halloween spirit. See it if you dare!

• Friday, Oct. 28, 2016, 7:30 p.m. "Nosferatu" (1921); Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, Mass; (781) 646-4849, www.regenttheatre.com. Admission $12 in advance, $15 at door. Celebrate Halloween by experiencing the original silent film adaptation of Bram Stoker's famous 'Dracula' story. Still scary after all these years—in fact, some critics believe this version is not only the best ever done, but has actually become creepier with the passage of time. See for yourself, if you dare. Silent film with live music in a theater that's been operating for more than a century!

• Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, 8 p.m.: "The Man Who Laughs" (1928) starring Conrad Veidt; Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; http://www.leavittheatre.com. Silent film adaptation of Victor Hugo's historical novel about a man cursed with a permanent carnival-freak-like grin on his face. The make-up job for actor Conrad Veidt inspired the look of Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker. Directed by Paul Leni, who pioneered the visual style used in Universal horror classics such as 1931's 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein.' See it if you dare! Preceded by spooky comedy short subjects. See great silent films with live music in a summer-only theater opened in 1923 and barely changed since. Admission $10 per person.

• Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, 4:30 p.m.: "Phantom of the Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin; Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Main Street, Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber created the hit stage musical, this silent film adaptation starring Lon Chaney helped place 'Phantom' firmly in the pantheon of both horror and romance. Just in time for Halloween! Part of a series of silent films with live music at a theater where movies have been shown since 1912! Admission free, donations of $5 per person encouraged.