'Show People' (1928) on Wednesday, April 2 in Manchester starts a run of silent film screenings

A lobby card promoting 'Show People' (1928).

Starting this Wednesday, I'll do music for five silent film screenings in six days.

The fun starts on Wednesday, April 2, when I accompany a 7 p.m. screening of 'Show People' (1928) at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in downtown Manchester, N.H.

'Show People' is a terrific late silent MGM comedy/drama starring Marion Davies and William Haines, and directed by King Vidor. Lots more info in the press release pasted in below.

After that, here's a quick run-down of where I'll be between then and next Monday. 

• Thursday, April 3, 2025, 12:30 p.m.: "The Circus" (1928) starring Charlie Chaplin, part of Cinema Ritrovato 2025; University of N.H, Memorial Union Building (the "MUB"), 83 Main St., Durham, N.H. On this year's program: Chaplin's feature-length comedy set under the Big Top. All Cinema Ritrovato screenings and events are free and open to the public. For more information about the 2025 Il Cinema Ritrovato on Tour in N.H., the full schedule of screenings, and details about the screening locations, visit www.cinemaritrovatonh.com.

• Saturday, April 5, 2025, 7 p.m.: "Straight Is The Way" (1921); at the Blazing Star Grange Hall, North Road in Danbury, N.H. (Preceded by "soup and bread" dinner at 6 p.m.) An early crime drama/comedy set in the small town of "Hampton Center, New Hampshire," released over 100 years ago and not screened again until it transferred  in 2021 from a rare surviving print at the U.S. Library of Congress. Join us for this Cosmopolitan Pictures chestnut from a century ago, and enjoy seeing Hollywood's image of the Granite State back in the day.Join us for a silent film program in a historic (and authentic) small town N.H. Grange Hall. Soup and bread supper served at 6 p.m., $5 per person; movie shown at 7 p.m., suggested donation of $5 per person. 

• Sunday, April 6, 2025, 2 p.m.: "It's the Old Army Game" 91926) starring W.C. Fields, Louise Brooks; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. In one of his silent features, Fields plays a pharmacist who gets tangled up with real estate con men. Shown via 35mm print from Library of Congress. Silent film on the big screen at the Somerville Theatre, a 1914 moviehouse and theater. For more info, call the theater box office at (617) 625-5700. Tickets $17, with discounts for members/seniors/kids.

• Monday, April 7, 2025, 6:30 p.m.: "The Lost World" (1925) starring Wallace Beery; Greenfield Garden Cinemas, 361 Main St., Greenfield, Mass.; call (413) 773-9260 or visit www.gardencinemas.net. First-ever movie adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary tale of British explorers who discover pre-historic creatures still thriving atop a remote South American plateau. Great entertainment; ground-breaking special effects by the same team that later created 'King Kong' mesmerized early movie audiences and remain impressive today. Tickets $10.50 adults; $8.50 students, seniors, and veterans.

Hope to see you at one or all of these! 

For now, here's the press release for the screening of 'Show People' on Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, N.H.:

*     *     *

William Haines and Marion Davies encounter an out-of-makeup Charlie Chaplin in 'Show People' (1928).

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2025 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rex Theatre to screen classic silent rom-com 'Show People' on Wednesday, April 2

William Haines, Marion Davies lead all-star cast in classic silent film romantic comedy shown with live music

MANCHESTER, N.H.—He was the Tom Hanks of his time: a leading man with a winning manner and breezy charm who always got the girl.

But the film career of William Haines, one of early Hollywood's brightest stars, was cut short for an unfortunate reason: at a time when sexual preference was a taboo subject, he was openly gay.

See Haines at the peak of his popularity in 'Show People' (1928), an MGM comedy co-starring Marion Davies that spoofs the movie industry, pitting high drama against low comedy. 

Showtime for 'Show People' is Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in downtown Manchester, N.H.

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

The screening, the latest in the Rex Theatre'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 show is intended to give audiences the opportunity to experience early cinema as it was intended: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.  

A scene from 'Show People' (1928).

'Show People,' directed by King Vidor, shows Haines at the height of his leading-man status. The light-hearted story follows Peggy Pepper (Marion Davies), a beauty queen from Georgia trying to break into the movies as a dramatic actress. Haines plays Billy Boone, lead actor of a slapstick comedy studio where Pepper gets her first break.

Can the young actress yearning for drama survive the indignity of pies in the face? And when her big break finally comes, will it mean sacrificing her growing friendship with Billy? And can Billy rescue the fun-loving Georgia girl from a studio that aims to invent a whole new persona for her as a serious actress, descended from European royalty?

Can low comedy win out over high drama? In answering that question, 'Show People' pokes fun at Hollywood phoniness and the culture of celebrity worship that had already emerged by the 1920s. 'Show People' also offers rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of movie-making at the very end of the silent period, when studios were rushing to prepare for sound.

"It's like they knew an era was ending, and 'Show People' is kind of a Valentine to the whole silent film experience," said Rapsis, who will accompany the screening at the Leavitt. "It's a love letter to all the craziness that went into creating the movie business."

Set in backstage Hollywood, 'Show People' features cameos by dozens of major stars of the period, including Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., William S. Hart, and John Gilbert.

William Haines, the leading man of 'Show People,' was one of MGM's biggest stars in the late 1920s, often playing the male lead in the studio's romantic comedies. 

But off-screen, Haines was gay—and, unusually for the era, he did not conceal his homosexuality. 

A poster promoting 'Show People' (1928).

Haines made the transition to talkies, but eventually had a falling out with MGM's studio bosses, which led to his firing in 1933. In recent years, Haines has been recognized as a courageous pioneer in gay rights in the early Hollywood community.

In 2003, 'Show People' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

“These films are still exciting experiences if you show them as they were designed to be screened,” Rapsis said. “There’s a reason people first fell in love with the movies, and we hope to recreate that experience. At their best, silent films were a communal experience very different from today’s movies—one in which the presence of a large audience intensifies everyone’s reactions.”

‘Show People’ (1928), a classic silent comedy starring William Haines and Marion Davies, will be shown with live music on Wednesday, April 2 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Collect all three! 

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

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

*    *    *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This week: The 'Marion Davies Late Summer Four-Places-in-New England Book Tour' with author Lara Gabrielle plus 'Show People' (1928) with live music

It's here! This week brings the New England book tour of author Lara Gabrielle, whose long-awaited Marion Davies biography 'Captain of Her Soul' came out last year and is winning raves.

Lara will host four book-signing/screening events starting Thursday, Sept. 21. Each will include a screening of 'Show People' (1928), one of Marion's most celebrated silent film hits, with live music by me.

Here's a quick run-down of each of Lara's appearances, which are (in order) in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts:

• Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, 7:30 p.m.: The Jane Pickens Theatre, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.; (401) 846-5474; https://janepickens.com/. Tickets $16 per person, available online or at the door. Screening and author book-signing in partnership with Charter Books, 8 Broadway, Newport, R.I.; (401) 236-8678.

• Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, 7:30 p.m.: Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H.; (603) 654-3456; www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com. Admission free, donations of $10 per person encouraged. Screening and author book-signing in partnership with Balin Books, Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St./Route 101A, Nashua, N.H.; (603) 417-7981.

• Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, 2 p.m.: Harbor Theater, 185 Harbor Avenue, Boothbay Harbor, Maine; 207-633-0438; https://boothbaycinema.org/. Admission $10; members $8. Screening and author book-signing in partnership with Sherman's Books of Boothbay Harbor, 5 Commercial St., Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

• Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, 2 p.m.: Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.; http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com. Tickets $16 adults, $12 seniors/students; on sale at the door or in advance online. For more info, call the theater box office at (617) 625-5700. Screening and author book-signing in partnership with Porter Square Books, Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White St., Cambridge, Mass.

I first met Lara when she was the featured speaker at this year's Kansas Silent Film Festival back in February. She's done a great job crafting this long overdue comprehensive biography of Davies, one of the brightest stars of early Hollywood but whose career and life story have been neglected by critics and scholars. 

But don't take my word for it. Here's what critic and film historian Leonard Maltin had to say:

“Author Gabrielle has given us a gift: an honest biography of a woman whose life and career have long been misunderstood. . . .  In short, this is the book Marion Davies has always deserved.”

I think you'll find Lara is an eloquent advocate for all of Marion's accomplishments, both on screen and off. I'm thrilled that she agreed to include New England in her travels to promote the book. It's a real privilege to be working with her.

Each stop on the tour will include opening remarks from Lara to put Marion and her career in context. We'll then screen 'Show People' (1928), a crackerjack Davies comedy for which I'll provide live accompaniment. 

Afterwards, Lara will answer questions, then sign copies of her book, which will be on sale by local bookstores at each appearance. 

For more detail, here's the text of the press release that went out promoting the tour. (Details for each screening are above, if you missed them.) 

*   *   *   

William Haines and Marion Davies meet Charlie Chaplin in 'Show People' (1928).

Author Lara Gabrielle to embark on four-stop New England tour in September to promote new Davies biography

She was among Hollywood's top box office stars of the 1920s. But for many fans, her best-known role was longtime companion of media tycoon William Randolph Hearst.

She was Marion Davies, an actress (and later philanthropist) whose pioneering professional and personal journey was as remarkable as any role she played during a highly successful film career.

Davies's full life story is told for the first time in a new comprehensive biography, 'Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies' by author Lara Gabrielle. Published by University of California Press in 2022, the book was the result of a decade of research and writing.

Gabrielle will travel to New England in September for a four-stop book tour that will include screenings of 'Show People' (1928), a popular MGM comedy showing Davies at the peak of her stardom.

Gabrielle will speak about Davies' multi-faceted life, which included significant work in the fields of entertainment, business, and charity. She will also sign copies of her new Davies biography, 'Captain of Her Soul,' in partnership with local independent bookstores at each appearance.

In writing the biography, Gabrielle removed layers of rumor and mistruth that have clung to the actress, who grappled with a stutter and rarely gave interviews. 

The story of Davies' life has long been overshadowed by her relationship with legendary press baron William Randolph Hearst.

Many movie buffs believe that the character of Susan Alexander in Orson Welles' landmark film 'Citizen Kane' (1941) was based on Davies, an assumption that has distorted Davies's reputation for decades. Gabrielle addresses and clarifies this idea in 'Captain of Her Soul,' bringing Davies back into view as she truly was.

"There's a common misconception that Marion Davies allowed Hearst to manipulate her work and her image," Gabrielle explains. "But in fact, Marion overhauled her whole persona when she felt it wasn't working for her, and became one of the greatest comedians of the silent era, entirely on her own. She was an independent, hard-working, exceptionally intelligent woman whose generosity knew no bounds. It's been an immense honor to tell her true life story."

According to the publisher, the book "reveals a woman who navigated disability and social stigma to rise to the top of a young Hollywood dominated by powerful men."

"The title of my book is 'Captain of Her Soul,'" says Gabrielle, "and that comes from a quote that Marion Davies said about herself. She took charge of her own career, negotiated her own contracts, and lived her life, her way."

 

A scene from 'Show People' (1928).
 

'Show People,' directed by King Vidor, shows Davies at the height of her 1920s popularity as a screen icon. The light-hearted story follows Peggy Pepper (Marion Davies), a beauty queen from small-town Georgia who hopes to break into the movies as a dramatic actress. William Haines plays Billy Boone, lead actor at a slapstick comedy studio where Pepper lands her first opportunity.

Can a young actress yearning for drama survive the indignity of pies in the face? When her big chance finally comes, will it mean sacrificing her growing friendship with Billy? Will low comedy win out over high drama?

In pursuing those questions, 'Show People' pokes fun at Hollywood phoniness and the culture of celebrity worship that had emerged by the 1920s. 

'Show People' also offers rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of movie-making at the very end of the silent period, when studios were rushing to prepare for sound.

"They knew an era was ending, and 'Show People' is kind of a Valentine to the whole silent film experience," said Rapsis, who will accompany the screening. "It's a love letter to the movie business."

 

A scene from 'Show People' (1928).

'Show People' features cameos by dozens of major stars of the period, including Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., William S. Hart, and John Gilbert.

In 2003, 'Show People' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

For more information about 'Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies' and author Marion Davies, visit www.mariondaviesbook.com.

About Lara Gabrielle: Lara Gabrielle is a biographer and researcher, whose work on Marion Davies has been featured in Alta, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Missouri Review, The Wall Street Journal, and on PBS’s American Experience. Gabrielle has spoken at film festivals and retrospectives worldwide, and is acknowledged as the leading authority on Davies’s life and legacy, serving as a consultant on Marion Davies for books, dissertations, and film projects. Gabrielle’s biography, Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies, has been included on many top book lists for 2022. She lives in Oakland, California.

Back to the piano bench: four days, four shows, three states, and one foreign country...

Accompanying 'The Iron Horse' (1924) in Brandon, Vt. on Saturday, June 25.

...if you count Canada as a truly foreign country.

Well, either way, I'm back at it, having last night done music for 'Don Q, Son of Zorro' (1925) at the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine.

A strong turnout of about 60 folks cheered and hooted and hollered as Doug battled rivals to clear his name. Great flick!

Later today I head up to the Franklin (N.H.) Opera House, a new venue for me, to do music for Keaton's 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924).

On Saturday, it's up to Vermont for 'The Iron Horse' (1924), the next installment in a monthly program of silents at the Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall.

And then it's off to Toronto on Sunday, June 26 for a quick out-and-back to play for King Vidor's 'Show People' (1928) at the Revue Cinema.

From 'Show People' (1928): William Haines and Marion Davies meet a funny little man, name of Chaplin.

Yes, and I guess somewhere in there I'll have to make room for eating and sleeping. And updating this blog. :)

I will say that the weekend will be highlighted by two people I'm looking forward to seeing.

On Saturday, when I'm up in Vermont, silent film accompanist Ben Model is also in Vermont, playing for a screening of 'Steamboat Bill Jr.' not far away from my Brandon Town Hall show.

Ben's show is in the afternoon, so I'm hoping to stop by on my way to Brandon. How odd to have two silent film shows in nearby locations, but on the same day in rural Vermont!

And on Sunday, I'll get to see Alicia Fletcher and other members of Toronto's vintage film community. They're a nice bunch and looking forward to hanging with them, if only briefly.

On the to-do list in Canada: get a haircut! This will allow me to continue to observe my "domestic haircut boycott" while Mr. Trump remains a candidate for the presidency. Expect a photo album on Facebook.

And that's all I have time for right now.

If you'd like more info about this weekend's shows, details are posted my schedule page, which is accessible via the right-hand links on the home page.

But to help orient you (and for me to keep track as well), here's a quick thumbnail schedule of the weekend's upcoming performances:

• Thursday, June 23, 8 p.m.: Don Q, Son of Zorro (1925) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr., at the Leavitt Theatre, Ogunquit, Maine.

• Friday, June 24, 7 p.m.: Sherlock Jr. (1924) starring Buster Keaton, at the Franklin (N.H.) Opera House.

• Saturday, June 25, 7 p.m.: The Iron Horse (1924) directed by a very young John Ford, at the Brandon Town Hall in Brandon, Vt.

• Sunday, June 26, 4 p.m.: Show People (1928) starring Marion Davies and William Haines at the Revue Cinema, Toronto, Canada.

You know how on 'Wheel of Fortune' you can buy a vowel?

Well, in the game show called "Life," I wish i could buy an hour so that I can continue writing.

But I can't, and time is up for this installment. See you next time!

Runaway trains and William Haines: A double bill featuring two 35mm prints on Sunday, June 7 at Somerville Theatre

Next up: a double bill I've been looking forward to for a long time—at least since I found that the Library of Congress had circulating 35mm prints available of both titles.

The two pictures are 'Play Safe' (1927) starring Monty Banks and 'Show People' (1928) directed by King Vidor and starring William Haines and Marion Davies.

The screening is on Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. Admission $10 per person. Don't let the great weather keep you away. :)

About the films: I'm very excited about 'Play Safe,' a film I've never scored before. In fact, I've never seen it in its entirety.

We're running it part because of the incredible runaway train sequence that forms the film's climax. This famous footage has been excerpted for decades as a convenient way to demonstrate the power and excitement of silent film at its very best.

But the entire film doesn't often get shown, and I'm not sure why. It could be because leading man Monty Banks never made it into the Chaplin/Keaton/Lloyd pantheon of silent clowns. I've heard varying reports of how well the film holds up as a whole.

So we'll just have to see for ourselves, won't we?

I'm also excited about 'Show People' (1928). More than any other silent picture I know, it captures the spirit of life in Hollywood in the 1920s, at least the way the studios wanted the public to think of it.

One of the last silents released by MGM, and directed by King Vidor at the height of his career, 'Show People' stands as a Valentine to an era that was quickly coming to an end even as it was in production.

Hey! There's Charlie Chaplin with William Haines and Marion Davies!

Because it's all about Hollywood, 'Show People' is a very "meta" picture. At one point, Marion Davies (playing a star-struck would-be actress) has a chance encounter with the great Hollywood star...Marion Davies. At another point, a movie theater is screening 'Bardelys the Magnificent,' an earlier picture directed by King Vidor—who just happens to be visible in the audience.

And remember all those star cameos in 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World?' The same thing was done 35 years earlier in 'Show People,' with everyone from Douglas Fairbanks to Charlie Chaplin popping up for brief appearances.

At this writing, it's not certain which title we'll run first. Could go either way—so come to the screening and find out!

I'm also excited because both 35mm prints are in pretty good shape. Below are excerpts from a print inspection report from David Kornfeld, the Someville's master projectionist and self-proclaimed "living dinosaur" (for his continuing advocacy of celluloid).

PLAY SAFE (1927). Print is on acetate, from 1990, in virtually new condition! The density is good (not great). It's 1.33 (yay!), except for "The End" title card which, weirdly, is 1.37 with a soundtrack. Go figure. ... Ive never seen this movie, but it has a reputation! Theres a train chase scene at the end which is supposed to be amazing! Come and see for yourself!

It's playing with:

SHOW PEOPLE (1928). Print is on mylar, from 2003, and is in like new condition! Not a splice, not a scratch, not a hint of wear! Density is very good. This one is 1.37, with a soundtrack (which, obviously, I wont be playing). It's marked "long version," so thats probably a good thing. The frame has been properly reduced (for once), so we wont be doing the Movietone crop.

(The comments preserve David's aversion to apostrophes, by the way.)

Okay, for more info about the films, check out the press release below.

Just to try to give it a different angle, the press release played up the fact that William Haines was Hollywood's first-ever openly gay leading man.

They're both terrific films, so don't believe that weather report calling for a perfect late spring day on Sunday. Forecasts, bah! I can say for certain that you'll have a good time at this Sunday's show at the Somerville.

C'mon, who do you trust?

* * *

A Swedish poster for 'Show People' (1928) featuring William Haines.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Somerville Theatre to celebrate Hollywood's first openly gay leading man

William Haines stars in classic silent film comedy 'Show People,' shown in 35mm with live music on Sunday, June 7

SOMERVILLE, Mass.—He was the Tom Hanks of the late 1920s: a leading man with a winning manner and breezy charm who always got the girl.

But the film career of William Haines, one of early Hollywood's brightest stars, was cut short for an unfortunate reason: at a time when sexual preference was a taboo subject, he was openly gay.

See Haines at the peak of his popularity in 'Show People' (1928), an MGM comedy co-starring Marion Davies that spoofs the movie industry, pitting high drama against low comedy.

Showtime for 'Show People' is Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

The event also includes a screening of the silent comedy feature 'Play Safe' (1927) starring Monty Banks. Both films will be screened using 35mm prints from the U.S. Library of Congress.

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

The screening, the latest in the Somerville's "Silents, Please!" series, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating scores for silent films.

William Haines was one of MGM's biggest stars in the late 1920s, often playing the male lead in the studio's romantic comedies. But off-screen, Haines was gay—and, unusually for the era, he did not hide his homosexuality.

This led to friction with his bosses. MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer, convinced that movie audiences would not accept a gay leading man, urged Haines to keep his long-term relationship with actor Jimmie Shields a secret.

Haines maintained his star status at MGM during the transisition to talking pictures in the late 1920s. But a publicity crisis arose in 1933, when Haines was arrested in a YMCA with a sailor he had picked up in Los Angeles' Pershing Square.

Mayer then delivered an ultimatum: Haines had to choose between a sham marriage to an MGM actress to make himself acceptable to Middle America, or give up his career. Haines refused to submit, chosing to be himself rather than to pretend to be someone he wasn't. Mayer subsequently fired Haines, terminated his contract, and banished him from the industry.

His movie career over, Haines recovered by launching an interior design firm, using his connections to become the most sought-after decorator in the Hollywood movie colony. The business prospered over the decades, with a client list of A-list celebrities as well as political figures such as Ronald and Nancy Reagan.

Haines remained with his partner Shields for the rest of his life. Joan Crawford, who co-starred with Haines in several pictures, described the pair as "the happiest married couple in Hollywood." In recent years, Haines has been recognized as a courageous pioneer in gay rights in the early Hollywood community.

'Show People,' directed by King Vidor, shows Haines at the height of his leading-man status. The light-hearted story follows Peggy Pepper (Marion Davies), a beauty queen from Georgia trying to break into the movies as a dramatic actress. Haines plays Billy Boone, lead actor of a slapstick comedy studio where Pepper gets her first break.

Can the young actress yearning for drama survive the indignity of pies in the face? When her big break finally comes, will it mean sacrificing her growing friendship with Billy? And can Billy rescue the fun-loving Georgia girl from a studio that aims to invent a whole new persona for her as a serious actress, descended from European royalty?

Can low comedy win out over high drama? In answering that question, 'Show People' pokes fun at Hollywood phoniness and the culture of celebrity worship that had already emerged by the 1920s. 'Show People' also offers rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of movie-making at the very end of the silent period, when studios were rushing to prepare for sound.

"It's like they knew an era was ending, and 'Show People' is kind of a Valentine to the whole silent film experience," said Rapsis, who will accompany the screening. "It's a love letter to all the craziness that went into creating the movie business."

Marion Davies graduates to serious roles while William Haines sticks with comedy in 'Show People.'

Set in backstage Hollywood, 'Show People' features cameos by dozens of major stars of the period, including Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., William S. Hart, and John Gilbert.

In 2003, Show People was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Also on the program is 'Play Safe' (1927), a comedy starring Monty Banks and Virginia Lee Corbin. 'Play Safe' includes an extended sequence set on a runaway train that critics have acclaimed as some of the most exciting filmmaking of the silent film era.

The Somerville Theatre's 'Silents Please!' series aims to recreate the full silent film experience, with restored 35mm prints projected on the big screen, live music, and with a live audience. All these elements are essential to seeing silent films they way they were intended, Rapsis said.

“At their best, silent films were a communal experience very different from today’s movies—one in which the presence of a large audience intensifies everyone’s reactions,” Rapsis said.

Other upcoming features in the Somerville's silent film schedule include:

• Sunday, July 5, 2 p.m.: 'The Big Parade' (1925) starring John Gilbert, Renee Adoreé. Director King Vidor's intense drama about U.S. doughboys sent to World War I France, where the horror of trench warfare changes their lives forever. Among the first Hollywood films to depict realistic battlefield action; still maintains its power to shock.

• Sunday, Aug. 2, 2 p.m.: 'Speedy' (1928) starring Harold Lloyd. Can Harold New York City's last horsedrawn streetcar line from the clutches of a greedy transport tycoon? The Big Apple co-stars in one of Harold's great silent comic masterpieces. Plus an extended cameo appearance from none other than Babe Ruth!

‘Show People’ (1928), a classic silent comedy starring William Haines and Marion Davies, and 'Play Safe' (1927), will be shown with live music on Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

Admission to the screening is $15 or $12 seniors/students; general admission seating. For more info, call (617) 625-5700 or visit www.somervilletheatreonline.com. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

It's like seeing your kid ride a bike for the first time without training wheels

Okay, some thoughts on this past weekend, which saw me do music for three silent film screenings in three states in three days.

Each program couldn't have been more different: the films were (in order) a drama set during the Russian Revolution; a frothy Hollywood backstage comedy; and a German sci-fi epic about mankind's first voyage to the moon.

But after each one, I found myself with similar thoughts. How is this possible? Read on.

Emil Jannings in 'The Last Command' (1928).

• Friday, Aug. 15: 'The Last Command' (1928) at Red River Theatres, Concord, N.H.

Nothing like starting a weekend by watching Emil Jannings go berzerk! Even with just 19 paid admissions, this multi-layered Josef Sternberg drama delivered its usual impact, with Jannings in a towering performance that helped earn him the first-ever Best Actor Academy Award.

Doing music for 'The Last Command' was very gratifying and satisfying, allowing me to play with the Czarist-era Russian National Anthem and also to uncork my inner Mussorgsky.

Inspired by earlier screenings, I've scribbled quite a bit of detailed analysis on 'The Last Command.' But I also recall saying that it's the kind of film that prompts new new thoughts and questions every time I encounter it.

Well, that's what happened in Concord. This time, I realized another interesting thing about 'The Last Command' is how important the then-brand-new motion picture industry itself to the whole structure of the tale.

Although most of the film takes place during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and has nothing whatsoever to do with the movie biz, the story is bookended by scenes that take place in present-day (that is, 1928) Hollywood.

These sequences, set behind the scenes in a motion picture studio, provide a crucial framing device that gives 'The Last Command' a multi-faceted and fascinating complexity.

Last Friday, it struck me how dependent the story of 'The Last Command' is on cinema itself. It's not an adaptation or retelling of a tale from Shakespeare or Dickens. It's original to the movies, and it had to be, because the movies themselves play an important role in giving the story its dramatic power.

And I think that's big, as it goes to the core of one of the reasons I find the era of silent cinema so engrossing. I love the idea of people such as director Sternberg and his collaborators exploring the unique power and properties of film, and using it to reinvent and reshape reality and present it to us in ways never been seen before.

The story really was original to the times, and drawn from real-life events of the time. German director Ernst Lubitsch knew of a former Russian general who had come to the U.S. after the Revolution to open a restaurant. He then later encountered the ex-general trying to find work as a movie extra. Lubitsch mentioned the man's tale to screenwriter Lajos Bíró, who used it as the basis for 'The Last Command.'

So it shows the movies spreading their wings, and I get a lot from seeing that in so many films of the silent era. Another good example is Keaton's 'The Cameraman,' which also used the new medium of the movies to reimagine and comment on reality in ways no one had ever done before in quite the same way.

They were very much works that spoke for their era, but also for the human condition of all time. And I find myself moved by that: seeing the possibilities of this new art form made manifest right before my eyes.

It's related to the feeling you get when, say, you witness a child ride a bicycle without training wheels for the first time. As Stephen Sondheim has George Seurat say in 'Sunday in the Park with George': "So many possibilities." Like I said, it's big.

William Haines and Marion Davies encounter Charlie Chaplin, sans moustache, in 'Show People' (1928).

• Saturday, Aug. 16: 'Show People' (1928) at Brandon Town Hall, Brandon, Vt.

Here's a late silent that still packs a lot of entertainment value, even if most of the cameo appearances of 1920s mega-stars go unrecognized by today's audience. (Elinor Glyn? Who's that?)

To help things along, we had a capacity crowd (more than 100 people) at Brandon Town Hall, where 'Show People' was the featured attraction for Saturday night's show.

The score came together nicely, I thought, all based on a fairly simple "show biz" melody that lent itself to being reshaped to match the tempo and pacing of the film's sequences.

Alas, it exposed me to yet another hazard of live performance: the meal that doesn't agree with you.

In this case, I hadn't eaten much all day, so indulged in a fairly big meal at this Italian place I like in Rutland, Vt., which is on the way, about 20 minutes before Brandon.

Then, seemingly right after, I was up in Brandon sitting at the keyboard. I had finished the meal—but the problem was, the meal hadn't finished with me!

Really: about half-way through 'Show People,' I felt myself all but under attack from the inside. There was no getting up to do anything about it. So all I could do was what my dear departed grandmother would probably describe as "clamping down my innards." Ah, the glamor of showbiz!

I managed to get through the film, but that wasn't the end of the evening's ordeal. Afterwards, a young girl (one of my biggest fans in Brandon! came up to give me a big hug. I got through that, but then she followed this gesture by snapping the band of her handmade bracelet, causing all the baubles to scatter under the stage.

She immediately burst into tears, of course. Somehow I got onto my hands and knees and began searching for precious bits of plastic and ceramic to help reconstitute the ruined bracelet, all the while trying NOT to pass enormous amounts of pent-up gas.

Geez! I didn't read about moments like these in the memoirs of Berlioz!

To keep from focusing on the wrong things, I kept reminding myself about how 'Show People' was such a fun romp through the movie business. I've come to think of it as director King Vidor's Valentine to an era that everybody knew was just about over. And, like 'The Last Command,' it made extensive use of the movie business itself to get most of its energy, and to tell a story that played with our notions of what's real and what's pretend.

Two very different movies, but both making use of the then-new business of motion pictures—and its unique properties—as an indispensable part of their stories. Once again I found myself thinking that a lot of the fascination I have with the silent era comes from seeing filmmakers stretch their legs and discover new possibilities in the medium.

Also, I couldn't escape this other realization: If you're going to eat a big meal, do it after a screening, not before.

The cast of 'Woman in the Moon' (1929) searches the lunar surface not for cheese, but gold.

• Sunday, Aug. 17: 'Woman in the Moon' (1929) at Harvard Film Archive, Cambridge, Mass.

By attending this screening, my two college-era friends from New York City thought they would easily take the "came from the farthest distance" award.

But they were blown out of the water by a Lang fanatic who came all the way from Germany, he said, and solely to see this screening of 'Woman in the Moon.'

Seriously! His first time in the U.S., and just to be present for this rarely shown late silent sci-fi epic from the director of 'Metropolis' (1927).

And it gets better. "Leon" was actually from South Africa; he had only just arrived in Germany on holiday when he learned of the 'Woman in the Moon' screening, prompting him to buy a trans-Atlantic ticket and somehow get a U.S. visa on extremely short notice.

Wow! That's hardcore.

But then true Lang fans are a hardy bunch, I've found. It's like they know Lang's films (at least the big silent epics) won't be everyone's cup of tea, so they take it upon themselves to be faithful and loyal advocates all the more.

Case in point: also present for Sunday night's screening was an extremely knowledgeable film buff I know whose opinions deserve to be taken seriously. And yet this guy can't stand most of Lang's films (the silent ones, anyway). And sure enough, he felt 'Woman in the Moon' was as bad as the rest: overblown, preachy, nonsensical, and so on.

Wow! This is a film I've been fascinated by since discovering it a few years ago. I've come to think of it as a surprising (and neglected) major work by an important director. And as Lang's final silent film, and one of the last major ones ever made, I see it as a kind of mind-bending finale to the whole era. A three-hour silent film epic about cardboard characters going to moon to seek gold, carrying all their love triangles and hidden agendas on board the 1920s-era spacecraft.

And with this guy, the kindest thing he had to say about Lang's space opera was praise for the suit worn by actor Willy Fritsch in the first part of the film. (This is before Fritsch changes into his Alpine mountaineering outfit for the moon journey. Okay, so Lang didn't nail every detail about space travel.)

I can't disagree with my friend's opinion: 'Woman in the Moon' is not a "great" film by any traditional measures. So this got me thinking about why I'm such a fan. What is it about Lang's final silent that I respond so strongly to?

One thing is that to me, the movie is a convincing statement about how much vitality the silent film still had. Right up to the end, new possibilities were being explored. I'm really moved by that sense of discovery that I sense in 'Woman in the Moon.' If you'll allow me a poetic leap, I think it's a cousin to the basic human desire to voyage to the moon, "and do the other things," as John F. Kennedy phrased it: not because they're easy, but because they're hard.

What Lang did was hard. You try creating a three-hour epic story about space travel from scratch.

And yes, success isn't guaranteed, in neither cinema nor space travel. But I applaud Lang's audacity in bringing this wild tale to the screen. I'm responding to that, I think, while the quality of the actual finished film is something else altogether.

So perhaps I'm reacting not so much to the film itself, but to the context in which it was created. Lang clearly wanted to blow our minds, and he wasn't afraid to shoot the moon, so to speak. I love that spirit of inventiveness and creativity, which I sense throughout 'Woman in the Moon.' The desire to create something totally new and strange.

And that takes me back to the notion of seeing a kid ride without training wheels. Lang was way beyond that. In his amazing last three silents—'Metropolis' (1927), 'Spies' (1928), and 'Woman in the Moon' (1929)—Lang was using film to create whole new worlds.

In terms of the "training wheels" analogy, Lang's 'Woman in the Moon' is more akin to a professional cyclist in the Tour de France.

And yes, even they take their share of spills.

'Show People' (1928) on Saturday, Aug. 16: There goes Reagan's gay interior decorator!

Actor William Haines at the height of his popularity.

To tell the story, or to not tell the story? And before the film, or afterwards?

These are questions posed by the career of actor William Haines. Although his name has now faded into obscurity, Haines was one of Hollywood's most popular leading men in the years when silent film died and sound film took over.

His career abruptly tanked, but not because Haines couldn't make the transition to talkies. It tanked because he was gay.

Really! Haines remained box office gold for MGM into the early 1930s, but refused to hide his off-screen homosexuality. With MGM's wholesome image at stake, studio boss Louis B. Mayer finally issued an ultimatum: for publicity purposes, Haines must agree to a sham marriage to an MGM starlet, or his career was over.

Haines said no thank you, and Mayer made good on his threat. Haines was soon off the screen.

But Haines had the last laugh. His movie career over, he launched a fabulously successful interior design business (I know, you saw that one coming) which for decades catered to Hollywood's royalty. Later in life, he counted Ronald and Nancy Reagan among his favorite clients.

So here's the deal: On Saturday, Aug. 16 in Brandon, Vt., we're screening 'Show People' (1928), a great late MGM silent comedy in which Haines co-stars with Marion Davies. Like so much of Hollywood's output, it's built on a boy-meets-girl story, except in this case Haines was acting on more than one level.

William Haines and Marion Davies encounter an out-of-costume Charlie Chaplin in 'Show People' (1928), a movie about movies.

Directed by King Vidor, 'Show People' is a crackerjack picture about the movie business itself as it existed near the end of the silent era. With its light-hearted spirit of mockery, 'Show People' is a valentine to all the energy and excitement that everyone knew was about to change forever.

In promoting the film, is it right to bring attention to the story of Haines' homosexuality? Or should the film be allowed to stand or fall on its own terms, without that context? After all, audiences at the time would have had no idea. So why bring it up?

I used to think it was a mistake to mention the background, as I thought it would make for an unhelpful distraction. As an art form, silent film has enough obstacles to reaching audiences today. I feared that every time Haines appeared on-screen, all people would think is, "There goes Ronald Reagan's gay interior decorator!"

But I've come to realize that just as Haines was courageously open about his sexual orientation, his life story needn't be covered up. As you can tell from this post, I now feel it's actually a big part of why any of his pictures, silent or sound, are worth checking out today.

Not only was he an winning on-screen performer, but the man had the courage of his convictions at a time when there was immense pressure to conform to certain norms. That's a story worth telling, and so I do. Hence this post, and all the other publicity celebrating his career and life story.

So I hope you'll join me at Brandon Town Hall (on Route 7 in lovely Brandon, Vt.) for a screening of 'Show People' (1928) on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. Admission is free, with donations accepted to help with ongoing renovations to the facility.

More info about the film and the screening is posted in the press release below.

* * *

Silent film series to feature Hollywood's
first openly gay leading man

William Haines stars in uproarious silent film comedy 'Show People' (1928) with live music on Saturday, Aug. 16 at Brandon (Vt.) Town Hall

BRANDON, Vt.—He was the Tom Hanks his time: a leading man with a breezy charm who always got the girl.

But the film career of William Haines, one of early Hollywood's brightest stars, was cut short for an unfortunate reason: at a time when sexual preference was a taboo subject, Haines was openly gay.

See Haines at the peak of his popularity in 'Show People' (1928), an MGM comedy co-starring Marion Davies that spoofs the movie industry, pitting high drama against low comedy. Showtime for 'Show People is Saturday, Aug. 16, at 7 p.m. at the historic Brandon Town Hall and Community Center on Route 7 in downtown Brandon, Vt.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event; admission is free. The screening is the latest in the Brandon Town Hall's silent film series, and will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating scores for silent films.

Any free will donations will go toward Town Hall restoration. The screening of "Show People' is sponsored by the Brandon Town Players and Bill & Kathy Mathis In Memory of Maxine Thurston.

William Haines was one of MGM's biggest stars in the late 1920s, often playing the male lead romantic comedies. But off-screen, Haines was gay—and, unusually for the era, did not hide his homosexuality.

This led to friction with his bosses. MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer, convinced that movie audiences would not accept a gay leading man, urged Haines to keep his long-term relationship with actor Jimmie Shields a secret.

Haines maintained his star status at MGM during the move to talking pictures. But a publicity crisis arose in 1933, when Haines was arrested in a YMCA with a sailor he had picked up in Los Angeles' Pershing Square.

Mayer then delivered an ultimatum: Haines had to choose between a sham marriage to an MGM actress or giving up his career. Haines refused to submit, choosing to be himself rather than to pretend to be someone he wasn't. Mayer subsequently fired Haines, terminated his contract, and banished him from the industry.

His movie career over, Haines recovered by launching an interior design firm, using his connections to become the most sought-after decorator in the Hollywood movie colony. The business prospered over the decades, with a client list of A-list celebrities as well as political figures such as Ronald and Nancy Reagan.

Haines remained with his partner Shields for the rest of his life. Joan Crawford, who co-starred with Haines in several pictures, described the pair as "the happiest married couple in Hollywood." In recent years, Haines has been recognized as a courageous pioneer in gay rights in the early Hollywood community.

'Show People,' directed by King Vidor, shows Haines at the height of his leading-man status. The light-hearted story follows Peggy Pepper (Marion Davies), a beauty queen from Georgia trying to break into the movies as a dramatic actress. Haines plays Billy Boone, lead actor of a slapstick comedy studio where Pepper gets her first break.

Characters from two very different movies collide in a scene from 'Show People' (1928).

Can the young actress yearning for drama survive the indignity of pies in the face? And when her big break finally comes, will it mean sacrificing her growing friendship with Billy?

And can Billy rescue the fun-loving Georgia girl from a studio that aims to invent a whole new persona for her as a serious actress, descended from European royalty?

Can low comedy win out over high drama? In answering that question, 'Show People' pokes fun at Hollywood phoniness and the culture of celebrity worship that had already emerged by the 1920s. 'Show People' also offers rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of movie-making at the very end of the silent period, when studios were rushing to prepare for sound.

"It's like they knew an era was ending, and 'Show People' is kind of a Valentine to the whole silent film experience," said Rapsis, who will accompany the screening. "It's a love letter to all the craziness that went into creating the movie business."

Set in backstage Hollywood, 'Show People' features cameos by dozens of major stars of the period, including Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., William S. Hart, and John Gilbert.

A scene in the MGM company cafeteria.

In 2003, 'Show People' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

The program will also include short silent film comedies prior to the main feature.

The Brandon Town Hall's silent film series aims to recreate the full silent film experience, with restored prints projected on the big screen, live music, and with a live audience. All these elements are essential to seeing silent films they way they were intended, Rapsis said.

“These films are still exciting experiences if shown as they were designed to be screened,” Rapsis said. “There’s a reason people first fell in love with the movies, and we hope to recreate that experience. At their best, silent films were a communal experience very different from today’s movies—one in which the presence of a large audience intensifies everyone’s reactions.”

Other upcoming features in Brandon Town Hall's 2014 silent film schedule include:

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

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

‘Show People’ (1928), a classic silent comedy starring William Haines and Marion Davies, will be shown on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. at Brandon Town Hall and Community Center, Main Street/Route 7, Brandon, Vt.. Admission is free, with donations requested to help support ongoing renovations. For details, visit www.brandontownhall.org. For more info on the music, visit jeffrapsis.com

What to say about William Haines in 'Show People' on Thursday, Sept. 19?

A movie within a movie: a scene from 'Show People' (1928), with William Haines (right) made up as comedy star Billy Boone.

The more silent film I see, the more I appreciate 'Show People' (1928).

It's not just a funny insider tale about the movie biz. It's actually a wonderfully knowing Valentine to a medium that by then everyone knew would soon be history.

Yes, it gets laughs and has a satisfying story, even if today's movie-goers recognize few of the stars in cameo roles. (With Charlie Chaplin the obvious exception. And even then, that's because he's clearly identified in several titles.)

But it's also a chance for male lead William Haines, then at the height of his career, to show his versatility as a performer.

And it's also a chance to ponder what would soon happen to Haines: that his career would be ended by his refusal to follow studio orders to keep his homosexuality a secret.

It actually makes for a wonderful story by itself: Haines refused to enter into a "sham" marriage with a starlet to make him more acceptable as a leading man to Middle America. As a result, he was blackballed from all the major studios.

But Haines, his career as a leading man over, had the last laugh by starting an immensely popular and successful interior design firm. Among his best clients: loyal acquaintances in the Hollywood movie colony. Later in life, he was said to be a favorite of Ronald and Nancy Reagan!

I usually don't mention any of this prior to a screening of 'Show People.' If I do, every time he appears on screen, a good portion of the audience will think, "Hey, there goes Ronald Reagan's gay interior decorator!" And that's not exactly good for the movie's flow.

However, one thing about successful promotion is knowing your audience. And the Leavitt Theatre, where we're screening 'Show People' on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m., is in downtown Ogunquit, longtime coastal haven for the region's gay community.

So, for this screening of 'Show People,' I felt it was worth playing up what Paul Harvey used to call "the rest of the story." Screening or not, I think Williams Haines should be remembered as a pioneer (and a courageous one at that) in overcoming prejudice and bigotry.

That's something to celebrate, and we will with 'Show People' on Thursday, Sept. 19. Hope to see you there! Below is the text of a press release with all the details...

* * *

William Haines and Marion Davies meet Charlie Chaplin in 'Show People' (1928).

MONDAY, SEPT. 16, 2013 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Leavitt Theatre to celebrate Hollywood's
first openly gay leading man

William Haines stars in classic silent film comedy 'Show People' with live music on Thursday, Sept. 19

OGUNQUIT, Maine—He was the Tom Hanks his time: a leading man with a winning manner and breezy charm who always got the girl.

But the film career of William Haines, one of early Hollywood's brightest stars, was cut short for an unfortunate reason: at a time when sexual preference was a taboo subject, he was openly gay.

See Haines at the peak of his popularity in 'Show People' (1928), an MGM comedy co-starring Marion Davies that spoofs the movie industry, pitting high drama against low comedy. Showtime for 'Show People is Thursday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. at the historic Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St., Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine.

All are welcome to this family-friendly event; admission is $10 per person general admission. The screening, the latest in the Leavitt Theatre's silent film series, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating scores for silent films.

William Haines was one of MGM's biggest stars in the late 1920s, often playing the male lead in the studio's romantic comedies. But off-screen, Haines was gay—and, unusually for the era, he did not hide his homosexuality.

This led to friction with his bosses. MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer, convinced that movie audiences would not accept a gay leading man, urged Haines to keep his long-term relationship with actor Jimmie Shields a secret.

Haines maintained his star status at MGM during the move to talking pictures. But a publicity crisis arose in 1933, when Haines was arrested in a YMCA with a sailor he had picked up in Los Angeles' Pershing Square.

Mayer then delivered an ultimatum: Haines had to choose between a sham marriage to an MGM actress or giving up his career. Haines refused to submit, chosing to be himself rather than to pretend to be someone he wasn't. Mayer subsequently fired Haines, terminated his contract, and banished him from the industry.

His movie career over, Haines recovered by launching an interior design firm, using his connections to become the most sought-after decorator in the Hollywood movie colony. The business prospered over the decades, with a client list of A-list celebrities as well as political figures such as Ronald and Nancy Reagan.

Haines remained with his partner Shields for the rest of his life. Joan Crawford, who co-starred with Haines in several pictures, described the pair as "the happiest married couple in Hollywood." In recent years, Haines has been recognized as a courageous pioneer in gay rights in the early Hollywood community.

'Show People,' directed by King Vidor, shows Haines at the height of his leading-man status. The light-hearted story follows Peggy Pepper (Marion Davies), a beauty queen from Georgia trying to break into the movies as a dramatic actress. Haines plays Billy Boone, lead actor of a slapstick comedy studio where Pepper gets her first break.

Can the young actress yearning for drama survive the indignity of pies in the face? And when her big break finally comes, will it mean sacrificing her growing friendship with Billy? And can Billy rescue the fun-loving Georgia girl from a studio that aims to invent a whole new persona for her as a serious actress, descended from European royalty?

Can low comedy win out over high drama? In answering that question, 'Show People' pokes fun at Hollywood phoniness and the culture of celebrity worship that had already emerged by the 1920s. 'Show People' also offers rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of movie-making at the very end of the silent period, when studios were rushing to prepare for sound.

"It's like they knew an era was ending, and 'Show People' is kind of a Valentine to the whole silent film experience," said Rapsis, who will accompany the screening at the Leavitt. "It's a love letter to all the craziness that went into creating the movie business."

Set in backstage Hollywood, 'Show People' features cameos by dozens of major stars of the period, including Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., William S. Hart, and John Gilbert.

In 2003, Show People was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Marion Davies prepares to launch her weapon of choice.

The Leavitt, opened in 1923 as a summer-only seaside resort silent film house, now offers a wide variety of programming, including first-run films, live comedy, open mic nights, and more.

The Leavitt Theatre's silent film series aims to recreate the full silent film experience, with restored prints projected on the big screen, live music, and with a live audience. All these elements are essential to seeing silent films they way they were intended, Rapsis said.

“These films are still exciting experiences if you show them as they were designed to be screened,” Rapsis said. “There’s a reason people first fell in love with the movies, and we hope to recreate that experience. At their best, silent films were a communal experience very different from today’s movies—one in which the presence of a large audience intensifies everyone’s reactions.”

Other upcoming features in the Leavitt Theatre's 2013 silent film schedule include:

• Saturday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m.: 'Nosferatu' (1922). Just in time for Halloween, see the original silent film adaptation of Bram Stoker's famous 'Dracula' story. Still spooky 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!

‘Show People’ (1928), a classic silent comedy starring William Haines and Marion Davies, will be shown on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Leavitt Theatre, 259 Main St. Ogunquit, Maine. Admission $10 per person; for more info, call (207) 646-3123 or visit www.leavittheatre.com. (Courtesy Image)

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For more info, contact:
Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com
Images attached. More high-resolution digital images available upon request.