A weekend of 100th anniversaries with Buster Keaton in Newport, R.I. and Peter Pan in Somerville, Mass.

Buster Keaton cooks up some well-timed comedy in 'The Navigator' (1924).

Never mind the Superbowl—I'm attending a pair of 100th birthday parties this weekend!

This afternoon (Saturday, Feb. 10), it's Buster Keaton's 'The Navigator' (1924), which I'm accompanying at 4:30 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, R.I. More info in the press release pasted in below.

Then tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 11), it's the original big screen adaptation of 'Peter Pan' (1924), for which I'll do music at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, Mass. I've pasted that press release in below as well.

I think the Keaton screening is intended as a warm-up to Valentine's Day, while 'Peter Pan' is clearly family counterpoint to the Superbowl, which takes place later that day. 

Well, whatever reason works for you, hope you can join us and take in one or both screenings this week. Besides being the date of this year's Superbowl, Sunday also happens to be National Guitar Day and also National Autism Day. 

I don't know about you, but I can't think of better reasons to celebrate with a silent film screening!

See you at the movies!

*    *    *

Dressed for diving: Buster Keaton in 'The Navigator' (1924).

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

Classic silent seafaring farce ‘The Navigator’ (1924) at Jane Pickens Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 10

Buster Keaton's nautical masterpiece to be screened with live music at historic venue in downtown Newport, R.I.

NEWPORT, R.I.—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.

Acclaimed for their originality and clever visual gags, and also admired for their authentic location shots and amazing stunts, Keaton's films remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'The Navigator' (1924), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre Film and Event Center, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.

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

Admission is $16 per person. Tickets available online at https://janepickens.com or at the door.

'The Navigator' is a comedy that follows the adventures of wealthy nitwit Rollo Treadway (Keaton) and his pampered girlfriend, who find themselves adrift alone on a massive ocean liner. Forced to fend for themselves without servants, the pair attempt to cope with day-to-day life, creating classic comedy in the process.

But when the ship runs aground on a remote island inhabited by cannibals, is Buster's resourcefulness enough to save the day?

Filmed at sea on a real ocean liner that Keaton treated as the largest prop in comedy history, 'The Navigator' has been hailed as one of the most original and distinctive movies to come out of silent film's golden era of comedy.

The film is highlighted by underwater scenes, with Keaton in an oversized antique diving suit, that were revolutionary at the time.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era with no post-production special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts, including some spectacular examples in 'The Navigator.'

Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician who accompanies shows at venues across New England, said Keaton's films weren't intended to be shown on television or viewed at home.

In reviving 'The Navigator' at the Jane Pickens Theatre, organizers aim to show silent film as it was meant to be seen—in high quality prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Rapsis. "Recreate those conditions, and classics of early Hollywood such as 'The Navigator' 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 Navigator' (1924) starring Buster Keaton will be screened with live music on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theatre Film and Event Center, 49 Touro St., Newport, R.I.

Admission is $16 per person. Tickets available online at https://janepickens.com or at the door. For more information, call the box office at (401) 846-5474.

Critic comments on 'The Navigator':

"The Navigator looks and feels like it could be one of today's summer mega-blockbusters. It has a great, simple premise that includes the destroying of a huge set. It's endlessly imaginative, funny, inventive, etc. It's one of the greatest movies I have ever seen."
—Jeffrey Anderson, Combustible Celluloid, 2001

"His comic timing is brilliant. He says more in his face than most actors today do with their face and voices. It's a very funny story with dozens of very memorable comic scenes. A true classic."
—James Higgins, Turner Classic Movies, 2011

*    *    *

An original release poster for 'Peter Pan' (1924).

TUESDAY, JAN. 30, 2024 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more info, contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Rarely seen silent film version of 'Peter Pan' at Somerville Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 11

Original big-screen adaptation of magical fantasy classic, a major 1924 hit, to be shown in 35mm with live musical score

SOMERVILLE, Mass.—It was the film that introduced movie-goers to visions of flying children, magical fairies, human-like animals and menacing pirates.

It was the original silent film adaptation of 'Peter Pan,' a picture personally supervised by author J.M. Barrie. The film was a major hit when released in 1924, with audiences eager to get their first big-screen look at the wonders of Neverland.

Movie fans can see for themselves when the first 'Peter Pan' (1924) is screened in 35mm on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville.

The program will feature live music for the movie by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. General admission tickets are $16 per person; seniors/children $12; tickets available online at www.somervilletheatre.com or at the door.

Thought lost for many years, and overshadowed by more recent adaptations, the original silent 'Peter Pan' maintains its freshness and charm nearly a century after its original release.

In the story, first presented as a stage play in 1904, three children in London are visited one night by Peter Pan, a youth in search of his shadow. Pan shows his new friends how to fly, and then convinces them to join him in a journey to Neverland.

There they encounter Indians, mermaids, and a band of pirates whose leader, Captain Hook, is Pan's sworn enemy. The children are captured by Hook and taken prisoner aboard his pirate ship, setting the stage for an epic battle, the outcome of which will determine if the children may ever return home.

Though the Peter Pan story is well-known today due to subsequent adaptations (and also merchandising that includes a ubiquitous brand of peanut butter), the tale was virtually new when Hollywood first brought it to film in the early 1920s.

In England, author Barrie gave his blessing to the first-ever screen adaptation, though he retained control over casting and insisted that any written titles in the film be taken directly from his own text.

After a major talent search, Barrie settled on unknown 18-year-old actress Betty Bronson for the title role, and filming began in 1924. The role of Captain Hook was played by noted character actor Ernest Torrence, who invented the now-iconic villainous pirate persona that would become a Hollywood legend.

The film's highlights include special effects that maintain their ability to dazzle even today. The film's memorable images include a group of mermaids entering the sea, a miniature Tinkerbell interacting with full-sized children and adults, and a pirate ship lifting out of the water and taking flight.

'Peter Pan' also includes a cast of animal characters played by humans in costume, including the family dog Nana and an alligator who serves as Hook's nemesis, lending the film a magical quality.

After the film's release, no copies of the original 'Peter Pan' were known to exist, and for many years the film was regarded as lost. However, in the 1950s a single surviving print turned up in the George Eastman Archives in Rochester, N.Y., from which all copies today have descended.

Accompanist Jeff Rapsis specializes in creating live musical scores for films made prior to the introduction of recorded sound. Rapsis creates film scores in real time, as a movie is running, using a digital synthesizer to reproduce the texture of a full orchestra. He averages about 120 performances per year, and has created music for more than 380 different silent feature films.

"Improvising a movie score is a bit of a high wire act, but it can result in music that fits a film's mood and action better than anything that can be written down in advance," Rapsis said. "It also lends a sense of excitement and adventure to the screening, as no two performances are exactly alike."

'Peter Pan' is the latest in the Somerville Theatre's 'Silents, Please' series.

The series gives movie-goers a chance to rediscover the experience of silent cinema presented as it was intended: on the big screen using 35mm prints, with live music, and with an audience.

"If you can put all the original elements together, the films of early Hollywood still come to life," said Rapsis. "These are the films that caused people to first fall in love with the movies."

‘Peter Pan’ (1924) will be shown on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. 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.

A child's laughter = proof of immortality; also, 'The Navigator' on 2/12 in Plymouth, N.H.

Harry Langdon, overgrown child, in 'The Strong Man' (1926).

Harry Langdon's character was essentially that of an overgrown child.

So perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that four young kids right behind me responded so strongly to 'The Strong Man' (1926), which we screened last night at the Campton (N.H.) Historical Society.

Really! Harry had them right from the start. I think they were hooked at the early scene where Harry knocks over the Ellis Island benches.

And if it wasn't that, it was definitely the scene where Harry brings his unexpected lady friend up a staircase rear-end first.

There was one girl in particular who could not stop her genuine giggling — you know, the kind that can't be faked.

And that got everyone going. And after that, Harry could do no wrong!

This was for an audience who'd never heard of Langdon prior to the film's opening credits. And yet Harry was able to reach across the years and establish a bond with a child born in the second term of the Obama presidency.

Could you ask for better proof of the enduring appeal of the silent comedy greats?

Coming up next: a screening of Buster Keaton's equally timeless classic 'The Navigator' (1924) on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center in Plymouth, N.H. More info and details are included in the press release I've tacked on at the end of this post.

And now back to the news from Campton, N.H. Last night's pot luck supper was one for the ages. I can't name half the dishes I sampled, but it was all just right on an evening where the temperature at sundown was 9 degrees and falling. Hunger is evidently not a problem in rural N.H.

Alas, attendance at this year's annual silent film screening was down due to everyone in town suffering from a nasty mid-winter cold that's been making the rounds. (I had it all through January, so I sympathize!) And not a single presidential candidate showed up!

Even so, the laughter filled the historical society's meeting and exhibit room, which once served as the community's town hall.

To introduce Langdon, and to show people why his slow pace was such a breath of fresh air, I decided to program something beforehand to show 1920s comedy at its most frenetic.

I chose the ending of 'Play Safe' (1927), a Monty Banks feature, which is a surprisingly hair-raising chase and rescue on a runaway railroad train.

Banks is even more obscure than Langdon today. So audiences simply aren't unprepared for the scale and ambition displayed in this sequence, which takes one's breath away.

A full "snow" moon rising at dusk over snow-bound Campton, N.H. Click to enlarge.

But I think it provided the perfect set-up for Langdon, as it highlighted clearly why he stood out at the time. Slower, smaller, more subtle — off the top of my head, I described it as "comedy in a jewelry store," which isn't a bad way of putting it.

Well, whether or not this way of introducing Langdon made a difference, last night's screening showed that audiences can and will respond to his best work.

Why is that a question? Because years ago, in his book 'The Silent Clowns,' author Walter Kerr described running Keaton's 'The General' to appreciative audiences, but Langdon was greeted with utter silence. So I've always felt that Langdon would be a tough sell.

Well, maybe not. Maybe all he needs is a little perspective. And come to think of it, don't we all?

Okay, below is all the info about Keaton's 'The Navigator.' Hope to see you there!

* * *

Buster Keaton prepares to dive deep in 'The Navigator' (1924).

MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2020 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic seafaring silent comedy ‘The Navigator’ (1924) in Plymouth on Wednesday, Feb. 12

Buster Keaton's nautical masterpiece to be screened with live music at Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center

PLYMOUTH, N.H.—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 Navigator' (1924), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

Live music for the movie will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. Admission is $10 per person.

'The Navigator' is a comedy that follows the adventures of wealthy nitwit Rollo Treadway (Keaton) and his pampered girlfriend, who find themselves adrift alone on a massive ocean liner. Forced to fend for themselves without servants, the pair attempt to cope with day-to-day life, creating classic comedy in the process.

But when the ship runs aground on a remote island inhabited by cannibals, is Buster's resourcefulness enough to save the day?

Filmed at sea on a real ocean liner that Keaton treated as the largest prop in comedy history, 'The Navigator' has been hailed as one of the most original and distinctive movies to come out of silent film's golden era of comedy.

The film is highlighted by underwater scenes, with Keaton in an oversized antique diving suit, that were revolutionary at the time.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era with no post-production special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts, including some spectacular examples in 'The Navigator.'

The nautical-themed program also includes a Keaton's short comedy, 'The Boat,' as a warm-up to 'The Navigator.'

Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician who accompanies shows at venues across New England, said Keaton's films weren't intended to be shown on television or viewed at home.

In reviving 'The Navigator,' the Flying Monkey hopes to show silent film as it was meant to be seen—in high quality prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Rapsis. "Recreate those conditions, and classics of early Hollywood such as 'The Navigator' 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 Navigator' is the latest in an monthly series of great silent films with live music at the Flying Monkey. Upcoming programs include:

• Wednesday, March 11, 2020: 'Wild Horse Mesa' (1925). Adaptation of Zane Grey novel about a bankrupt rancher who tries trapping wild horses using barbed wire, with unforeseen consequences.

• Thursday, April 9, 2020: 'Ben Hur' (1925). In the Holy Land, a Jewish prince is enslaved by the occupying Romans; one of the great early Bibical epics, just in time for Easter!

• Thursday, May 7, 2020: 'Why Worry?' (1923). Rich hypochondriac Harold Lloyd gets more than he bargained for on a recuperative visit to a banana republic undergoing revolution.

• Thursday, June 18, 2020: Harry Houdini Double Feature. Rare surviving films from the great illusionist's brief movie career: 'Terror Island' (1920) and 'The Man From Beyond' (1922).

'The Navigator' (1924) starring Buster Keaton will be screened with live music on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth, N.H.

Admission is $10 per person; for more info, call (603) 536-2551 or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com.

Thursday, July 17 in Ogunquit, Maine: Buster Keaton in 'The Navigator' (1924)

Starting with zero, we count the reasons to see 'The Navigator.'

Okay, just a brief note to encourage folks to head on down to the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine on Thursday, July 17.

Why? Because at 8 p.m., we're screening one of the great movie comedies ever made: Buster Keaton's 'The Navigator' (1924), with live music by yours truly.

And rather than go on and on, here are 10 reasons to see it.

1. Showtime is at 8 p.m., which means you have the whole day to enjoy the beach, and then dinner in one of Ogunquit's fine restaurants, and still have plenty of time to catch the show.

2. It's being shown at the Leavitt Theatre, a vintage moviehouse that's even older than 'The Navigator.' (It opened in 1923.) In all these years, the place hasn't changed much at all, so it's a real throwback to what theaters were like before the advent of the multiplex.

3. It's a great example of 'found' comedy. Buster and his crew started with getting use of the ocean liner first, almost by accident, and went from there. They created a story (and all the gags with it) around the ship, so 'The Navigator' has a wonderfully organic feel to it. Sequence after sequence comes clearly from what Buster and his team found on board The Buford.

4. Speaking of The Buford: the ship used in 'The Navigator' is an interesting piece of history all by itself. Prior to becoming Keaton's biggest prop, it was used by the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Labor to deport 249 non-citizens (including activist Emma Goldman) to Russia from the United States because of their alleged anarchist or syndicalist political beliefs.

5. 'The Navigator' contains some underwater sequences that are, well, groundbreaking. To get them, Keaton went up to Lake Tahoe, where the water is clear but freezing cold, and shot footage around a mock-up of the ship's exterior. It's clearly Keaton in the bulky diving suit, and his ability to get laughs while even under the most rigorous and demanding physical conditions is really something to see.

6. The program includes a rarely screened Keaton short comedy called 'The Boat.' It's a kind of warm-up for what would come later in 'The Navigator,' and is full of Keaton's unique brand of physical comedy.

7. The musical accompaniment is live and made up right there on the spot. I sometimes neglect to play up this angle because the main focus should be on the film, which the music should support. But the improv element really does add a certain freshness and immediacy to a silent film screening that makes it different from other movie-going experiences.

8. You just have to see Buster in his old-school deep-sea diving gear.

9. The Leavitt Theatre now has a liquor license, and has even set up a small bar to serve drinks way up in the back of the theater.

10. 'The Navigator' is funny. Really. But it's only really as funny as it ought to be when seen on the big screen, and with live music, and with a live audience, as it was intended to be shown. See for yourself by joining us on Thursday, July 17 for this screening at the Leavitt Theatre.

If you'd like more info, the press release is below. Hope to see you at 'The Navigator,' and at all the upcoming films that make up the Leavitt Theatre's silent film series this summer.

* * *

Buster tries boiling an egg in 'The Navigator' (1924).

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2014 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic silent comedy ‘The Navigator’ (1924)
in Ogunquit (Me.) on Thursday, July 17

Buster Keaton's nautical masterpiece to be screened
with live music at historic Leavitt Theatre

OGUNQUIT, Me.—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. Acclaimed for their originality and clever visual gags, and also admired for their authentic location shots and amazing stunts, Keaton's films remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'The Navigator' (1924), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, at the historic Leavitt Theatre on Thursday, July 17 at 8 p.m. The program, part of a series of silent film programs at the Leavitt, will be accompanied by live music performed by Jeff Rapsis. Admission is $10 per person.

The Leavitt Theatre, which recently converted to digital projection for first-run features, is a moviehouse that has been in continual operation since opening in 1923.

'The Navigator' follows the adventures of wealthy nitwit Rollo Treadway (Keaton) and his pampered girlfriend, who find themselves adrift alone on a massive ocean liner. Forced to fend for themselves without servants, the pair attempt to cope with day-to-day life, creating classic comedy in the process.

But when the ship runs aground on a remote island inhabited by cannibals, is Buster's resourcefulness enough to save the day?

Filmed at sea on a real ocean liner that Keaton turned into the largest prop in comedy history, 'The Navigator' has been hailed as one of the most original and distinctive movies to come out of silent film's golden era of comedy. The film was highlighted by underwater scenes, with Keaton in an oversized antique diving suit, that were revolutionary at the time.

Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician who accompanies shows at venues across New England, said Keaton's films weren't intended to be shown on television or viewed at home.

In reviving 'The Navigator,' the :eavitt Theatre aims to show silent film as it was meant to be seen—in high quality prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Rapsis. "Recreate those conditions, and classics of early Hollywood such as 'The Navigator' leap back to life in ways that audiences still find hugely 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

"What I do is something of a high wire act—kind of like 'Who's Line Is It Anyway' for film scoring," Rapsis said. "But it definitely creates a one-of-a-kind spontaneity that reflects the energy of the film as well as the audience's reaction to it."

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands today as one of the silent screen's three great clowns. Some critics regard Keaton as the best of all; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."

As a performer, Keaton was uniquely suited to the demands of silent comedy. Born in 1895, he made his stage debut as a toddler, joining his family's knockabout vaudeville act and learning to take falls and do acrobatic stunts at an early age.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era with no post-production special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts, including some spectacular examples in 'The Navigator.'

Following 'The Navigator' (1924) on Thursday, July 17, the Leavitt's silent film series continues through October. All films will be screened with live music by Jeff Rapsis.

• Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014, 8 p.m.: 'Peter Pan' (1924). Celebrate summer with 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. A film that has lost none of its power over children of all ages.

• Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014, 8 p.m.: 'Charlie Chaplin Comedy Night.' Spend an evening with the Little Tramp on the 100th anniversary of his first screen appearances. The whole family will enjoy restored prints of some of Chaplin's most popular comedies shown the way they were intended: on the big screen, with live music, and an audience!

• Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, 8 p.m.: 'Tarzan Double Feature.' In 'Tarzan and the Golden Lion' (1927), an early screen adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, finds Tarzan adopting an orphaned lion cub, with unexpected results. Other Tarzan feature to be announced.

• Saturday, Oct 25, 2014, 8 p.m.: 'Phantom of the Opera' (1925). 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! The program is subtitled 'Chiller Theater' due to the theater's lack of central heating.

'The Navigator' (1924) starring Buster Keaton will be screened in 35mm with live music on Thursday, July 17 at 8 p.m. at the Leavitt Fine Arts Theatre, 259 Main St. Route 1, Ogunquit, Maine; (207) 646-3123; admission is $10 per person, general seating. For more information, visit http://www.leavittheatre.com. For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Critic comments on 'The Navigator':

"The Navigator looks and feels like it could be one of today's summer mega-blockbusters. It has a great, simple premise that includes the destroying of a huge set. It's endlessly imaginative, funny, inventive, etc. It's one of the greatest movies I have ever seen."
—Jeffrey Anderson, Combustible Celluloid, 2001

"His comic timing is brilliant. He says more in his face than most actors today do with their face and voices. It's a very funny story with dozens of very memorable comic scenes. A true classic."
—James Higgins, Turner Classic Movies, 2011

Thoughts on 'The Navigator': Cannibals, racism, and laughter

Buster boils an egg in 'The Navigator.'

Something not so funny happened at our screening of Buster Keaton's great comedy 'The Navigator' this past Sunday.

The film reaches a climax when Buster and his lady friend, stranded alone on a drifting ocean liner, run aground on a tropical-looking island.

Through a pair of binoculars, they see the place is not deserted, but swarming with what Keaton somehow immediately identifies as cannibals. "We're safer on the boat," he says.

But the boat is now sinking, leading to further adventures, both on deck and underwater, as Buster matches wits with the primitive island people, who are depicted with all the subtlety of cartoon boogeymen.

Most of this was missed by at least one member of the audience--a woman who was so offended by this unexpected blast of vintage racism that she left the theater and escaped to the lobby.

Wow! I only found out about this afterwards, when she approached me to discuss her reaction. We had a nice chat, actually, about the challenges of presenting films from an era when different ideas about so many things held sway, including race.

Her point was an interesting one: the racism was bad, but what really offended her was that so many people around her didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. (In fact, they were laughing, which is what Buster intended.)

Anyway, she asked that we provide some kind of disclaimer prior to screenings at the Somerville Theatre, where we're doing a monthly series. I didn't object, saying that those of us who are marinated in silent film sometimes lose track of how old-time racism can come across to newbies unprepared for it.

But at the same time, I don't want to go overboard (hey, a pun!) with political correctness. Buster Keaton's films need no apologies from me or anyone. If you can't accept the obvious fact that they're a product of their times, then don't watch. But don't fault others for accepting the movies on their own terms, or actually enjoying them.

It's not like this hasn't come up before. Check out this post about 'The Birth of a Nation,' a veritable powder keg of on-screen racism. But it's a film still worth watching today, a century after its release, in part because it shows how pervasive racism was, and how accepted it was by so many in American society of the time.

And this makes a larger point: as the years pass, films from the silent era can gather layers of meaning and interest that their makers never intended. That's one reason I think people will continue to come back to these movies, even as time marches on. (Another is how they're open to new music, but that's a whole other topic.)

Speaking of cannibals (what a great transition!), a guy who attended Sunday's screening of 'The Navigator' uncovered something in the movie that I'd never heard before.

After the show, I got this e-mail from Vincent Recca:

My son and I spoke with you briefly after the screening of 'The Navigator' and I overheard someone ask if the cannibal chief was played by the same actor as the chief in 'King Kong'. In reading up on 'The Navigator' today, I happened across the answer:

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/movie-news.html?id=504149

It seems possible that Rollo's fight with the invading cannibals inspired a memorable scene in Walt Disney's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.' Some of Keaton's films use racial stereotypes in gags that aren't malicious yet haven't aged well. In 'The Navigator,' Keaton presents an entire black tribe without resorting to 'darkie' humor. The cannibal king is played by Noble Johnson, a noted friend and associate of both Keaton and Lon Chaney. A decade later Johnson portrayed the imposing native chief in 'King Kong.'

So the tribe leader in 'The Navigator' was the same guy who played the head chief in 'King Kong.' And I always thought if you've seen one cannibal, you've seen them all.

Oops! There I go again!

Reasons you should see 'The Navigator' on Sunday, June 8 at the Someville Theater

Starting with zero, we count the reasons to see 'The Navigator.'

Okay, 10 reasons to see Buster Keaton's 'The Navigator' (1924) on Sunday, June 8 at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, Somerville, Mass.

1. Showtime is at 2 p.m., which means you have the whole morning for church, and you'll still be out in time to enjoy the remainder of Sunday afternoon and evening.

2. It's being shown in 35mm, the native format for silent film. With the recent conversion to digital formats, it's not going to be easy to see any film in 35mm in the years to come. Silent film will be especially hard to come by in 35mm: not just the prints, but the knowledge and skill and equipment needed to project it properly in a large theater. All of this you get with the Somerville's show.

3. It's a great example of 'found' comedy. Buster and his crew started with getting use of the ocean liner first, almost by accident, and went from there. They created a story (and all the gags with it) around the ship, so 'The Navigator' has a wonderfully organic feel to it. Sequence after sequence comes clearly from what Buster and his team found on board The Buford.

4. Speaking of The Buford: the ship used in 'The Navigator' is an interesting piece of history all by itself. Prior to becoming Keaton's biggest prop, it was used by the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Labor to deport 249 non-citizens (including activist Emma Goldman) to Russia from the United States because of their alleged anarchist or syndicalist political beliefs.

5. 'The Navigator' contains some underwater sequences that are, well, groundbreaking. To get them, Keaton went up to Lake Tahoe, where the water is clear but freezing cold, and shot footage around a mock-up of the ship's exterior. It's clearly Keaton in the bulky diving suit, and his ability to get laughs while even under the most rigorous and demanding physical conditions is really something to see.

6. The program includes two rarely seen Keaton short comedies, both in 35mm. One is 'Convict 13,' which takes Buster from the golf course to a grim prison camp; the other is 'The Electric House,' in which Keaton gets to indulge in his passion for gadgetry. Both are full of Keaton's unique brand of physical comedy and are great warm-ups for 'The Navigator.'

7. The musical accompaniment is live and made up right there on the spot. I sometimes neglect to play up this angle because the main focus should be on the film, which the music should support. But the improv element really does add a certain freshness and immediacy to a silent film screening that makes it different from other movie-going experiences.

8. You just have to see Buster in his old-school deep-sea diving gear.

9. The Somerville Theatre sells beer and liquor. The fine print: "You must have a valid Massachusetts I.D. or U.S. Passport in order to purchase beer or wine."

10. 'The Navigator' is funny. Really. But it's only really as funny as it ought to be when seen on the big screen, and with live music, and with a live audience, as it was intended to be shown. See for yourself by joining us on Sunday, June 8 for this screening at the Somerville Theatre.

If you'd like more info, the press release is below. Hope to see you at 'The Navigator,' and at all the upcoming films that make up the Somerville Theatre's 'Silents, Please!' series.

* * *

Buster tries boiling an egg in 'The Navigator' (1924).

SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic silent comedy ‘The Navigator’ (1924)
in Somerville (Ma.) on Sunday, June 8

Buster Keaton's nautical masterpiece to be screened
in 35mm with live music at Somerville Theatre

SOMERVILLE, Mass.—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. Acclaimed for their originality and clever visual gags, and also admired for their authentic location shots and amazing stunts, Keaton's films remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'The Navigator' (1924), one of Keaton's landmark feature films, at the historic Somerville Theatre on Sunday, June 8 at 2 p.m. The program, which launches a monthly series at the Somerville dubbed 'Silents Please,' will be accompanied by live music performed by Jeff Rapsis. Admission is $15 per person, $12 students/seniors.

The Somerville Theatre, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, continues to screen revival films in their native 35mm format whenever possible.

'The Navigator' follows the adventures of wealthy nitwit Rollo Treadway (Keaton) and his pampered girlfriend, who find themselves adrift alone on a massive ocean liner. Forced to fend for themselves without servants, the pair attempt to cope with day-to-day life, creating classic comedy in the process.

But when the ship runs aground on a remote island inhabited by cannibals, is Buster's resourcefulness enough to save the day?

Filmed at sea on a real ocean liner that Keaton turned into the largest prop in comedy history, 'The Navigator' has been hailed as one of the most original and distinctive movies to come out of silent film's golden era of comedy. The film was highlighted by underwater scenes, with Keaton in an oversized antique diving suit, that were revolutionary at the time.

The program also includes two of Keaton's short comedies, both from 35mm prints: 'Convict 13' and 'The Electric House.'

Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician who accompanies shows at venues across New England, said Keaton's films weren't intended to be shown on television or viewed at home.

In reviving 'The Navigator,' the Somerville Theatre aims to show silent film as it was meant to be seen—in high quality prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Rapsis. "Recreate those conditions, and classics of early Hollywood such as 'The Navigator' leap back to life in ways that audiences still find hugely 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

"What I do is something of a high wire act—kind of like 'Who's Line Is It Anyway' for film scoring," Rapsis said. "But it definitely creates a one-of-a-kind spontaneity that reflects the energy of the film as well as the audience's reaction to it."

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands today as one of the silent screen's three great clowns. Some critics regard Keaton as the best of all; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."

As a performer, Keaton was uniquely suited to the demands of silent comedy. Born in 1895, he made his stage debut as a toddler, joining his family's knockabout vaudeville act and learning to take falls and do acrobatic stunts at an early age.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era with no post-production special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts, including some spectacular examples in 'The Navigator.'

'The Navigator' marks the restart of the Somerville's monthly program of screening silent films in 35mm with live music. Dubbed 'Silents, Please!', the series aims to help audiences understand why people first fell in love with the movies.

"It's a real pleasure to put these pictures on the big screen so that they can be seen as intended," said Ian Judge, the Somerville's manager. "People who've never experienced silent film like this are surpised at how well they work when you put all the elements back together."

Following 'The Navigator' (1924) on Sunday, June 8 at 2 p.m., the Somerville has scheduled the following silent films to be shown in 35mm in the venue's main theater. All will be screened with live music by Jeff Rapsis.

• Sunday, July 13, 2 p.m.: 'Orphans of the Storm' (1921) starring Lillian and Dorothy Gish. Pay tribute to Bastille Day with D.W. Griffith's silent blockbuster set during the French Revolution. The story: Country girl Lillian Gish accompanies her blind sister Dorothy to Paris for an operation to restore her sight. Separated and then swept up in events beyond their control, they each must fight to survive amidst chaos that threatens to destroy the nation.

• Sunday, Aug. 10, 2 p.m.: 'Chaplin Short Comedies' starring Charlie Chaplin. Program includes 'A Dog's Life' (1918), 'Shoulder Arms' (1918), and others. Spend an afternoon with the Little Tramp on the 100th anniversary of his first screen appearances. The whole family will enjoy restored prints of some of Chaplin's most popular comedies.

• Sunday, Sept. 14, 2 p.m.: 'The Kid Brother' (1927) starring Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston. Often cited as Lloyd's masterpiece, this ambitious silent film comedy/drama tells the story of Harold Hickory, youngest son of a powerful rural sheriff. When his father is unjustly jailed, Harold is forced to prove himself and clear his father's name.

• Sunday, Oct. 5, 2 p.m.: 'The Crowd' (1928). Director King Vidor's intense drama about the life of an everyman who aims high, but life has other ideas. Released by MGM near the end of the silent era, and filled with iconic scenes showing the eloquence of silent film at its most fluent.

• Sunday, Nov. 16, 2 p.m.: 'The Strong Man' (1926) starring Harry Langdon. With World War I over, baby-faced soldier Harry Langdon searches for the girl who sent such moving letters to him in the trenches. Directed by a very young Frank Capra, 'The Strong Man' is today hailed as Langdon's best feature, and also one of the greatest comedies of the silent film era.

'The Navigator' (1924) starring Buster Keaton will be screened in 35mm with live music on Sunday, June 8 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theater, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. Admission is $15 adults, $12 students/seniors; general admission seating. For more information, call (617) 625-5700 or visit http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com.

For more info on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Critic comments on 'The Navigator':

"The Navigator looks and feels like it could be one of today's summer mega-blockbusters. It has a great, simple premise that includes the destroying of a huge set. It's endlessly imaginative, funny, inventive, etc. It's one of the greatest movies I have ever seen."
—Jeffrey Anderson, Combustible Celluloid, 2001

"His comic timing is brilliant. He says more in his face than most actors today do with their face and voices. It's a very funny story with dozens of very memorable comic scenes. A true classic."
—James Higgins, Turner Classic Movies, 2011

Lighting the fuse for 'The Navigator' with Laurel & Hardy in 'Two Tars'

Keaton boils an egg in 'The Navigator.' (1924)

I'm pleased to report that last Sunday's screening (Aug. 25) of 'The Navigator' was just about the best show we've done in six years of presenting silent films with live music in Wilton, N.H.

Attendance was spectacular, with maybe 150 people showing up on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in late August! And Dennis Markaverich, who's run the Wilton Town Hall Theatre for 40 years, said he's never heard such laughter. So it was really one of those great silent film screenings where everything clicked and everyone really let loose.

I wasn't expecting this at all, as I've found 'The Navigator' (1924) less likely to generate that kind of reaction than other Keaton features. I just figured a comedy would make for a nice way to cap the summer series of silent film sea-going swashbucklers we've been running there.

But in terms of the music, I think I found the right formula for helping 'The Navigator' engage an audience.

It's a two-part formula, really. Part 1: show a riotous two-reel comedy short to warm everyone up. In this case, I chose Laurel & Hardy's 'Two Tars' (1928), as it has the required nautical element.

This was a risk, too, because I've found that some of the Laurel & Hardy comedies that feature "reciprocal destruction" (which this one does in spades) sometimes shock audiences with the violence depicted on screen. All it takes is one small child bawling in fear, followed by a parent rushing the kid to the exit, to kill the comedy.

What kind of music do you use to accompany this?

But this time, I found the right approach, playing music of the utmost simplicity—chopsticks, mostly—to give the action the feel of a game for little kids. Which it kind of is, right? The thing is, it really worked! Laughs built upon laughs, and the final shot (of the two sailors in their crumpled car coming out of the tunnel) was greeted with a hearty roar. Nice!

And Part 2? That's to back off and play as little as possible for most of 'The Navigator.' Why? Because in order for spontaneous laughter to take root, the audience has to hear itself. And that can't happen if the music is too much.

It takes some discipline for me to lay off and let Buster's story unfold, because my tendency is to naturally respond to the on-screen action and want to "play it up." But no—Buster (and many other filmmakers) don't need that. Quite often, less really is more.

So there was plenty of room for the laughter, and once it took hold, there was no stopping it. And it built steadily, too, with Buster's gags getting more reaction as the story progressed, culminating in a huge response to the underwater sequences and then the battles with the "cannibals." (How cannibals can be identified from 1,000 yards away eludes me.)

A little monster music greatly enhanced Buster emerging from the sea in a diving suit, I thought, and the laughter was just tremendous when Kathryn McGuire straddles a floating Buster and paddles back to the ship. Everything after that was pure pay-off, especially the scene where Buster is followed by a miniature cannon all over the deck, which produced shrieks from our audience.

I think another factor was way back at the beginning, in the opening remarks, which I again kept brief. For 'The Navigator,' I didn't try to "explain" Buster or get into anything big. All I did was tell the story about how Fred Gabourie, Buster's techical director, was scouting for old square-riggers to be used in 'The Seahawk' when he came across the Buford, an old passenger steamer on the market. Buster told him to buy it, and then they built the story of 'The Navigator' around what turned out to be the largest comedy prop in cinema history.

That's all. And for Laurel & Hardy, I said only this: "And before we set sail with 'The Navigator,' let's first see what happens to two sailors on shore leave named Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy."

Just the mention of their names produced a buzz of anticipation from those who knew what we were in for. And that probabaly piqued the curiosity of those who didn't. Anyway, the fuse was lit...

Wow, after six years, I think I'm finally learning how to do this!

Preparing for Keaton's 'The Navigator' on Sunday, Aug. 25 at Wilton Town Hall Theatre

Coming up next: Buster Keaton's great comedy 'The Navigator' (1924), the final entry in our seafaring silent series at the Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre.

Showtime is Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4:30 p.m. I'm looking forward to this one, first because it's a terrific film. But also, it's a film that, despite its reputation as one of the great comedies of the silent era, doesn't seem to draw big laughs. And that to me is a challenge.

A Keaton film without yuks? Strange, because most Keaton films produces gales of laughter. But not 'The Navigator. When I've done it, audiences seem to take it in quietly and respectfully. Despite one excellent comic scene after another, the audience reaction is muted at best.

Is this because the two characters on the ship are in too much peril for anyone to laugh?

Consider: Originally, 'The Navigator' included an extended series of underwater gags near the picture's climax, but Keaton cut this footage to the bone after preview audiences failed to laugh, which stopped the movie's momentum.

Keaton's theory was that the situation on deck was just too serious to get away with circus clowning far below, so there was no choice but to "uninclude it," as Sam Goldwyn might have put it.

And perhaps tastes have shifted enough since 'The Navigator' was first released so that now the whole movie is colored by this dynamic. Maybe we're just too worried about the couple adrift on the ocean liner that it keeps the comedy from really breaking through into belly laugh territory.

Well, on the other hand, Harold Lloyd routinely put his characters in considerable danger, and got laughs all the while. So I wonder. Maybe 'The Navigator' is one of those "smile on the inside" comedies. Maybe we just don't spend enough time on ocean liners any more to find the setting very funny. Maybe our attitudes toward the "idle rich" have changed.

In terms of the music, I'll do my best to keep the underscoring quiet for most of 'The Navigator,' allowing audience members to hear each other reacting, which is all part of the experience. Loud music, or too much of it, gets in the way of that happening.

Well, don't take my word for it. See for yourself what kind of reaction 'The Navigator' gets by joining us in Wilton on Sunday, Aug. 25. Press release text with complete info pasted in below.

* * *

In 'The Navigator,' Buster tries to boiling an egg in a kitchen designed to prepare hundreds of meals at a time.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14, 2013 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Classic silent comedy ‘The Navigator’ (1924)
in Wilton, N.H. on Sunday, Aug. 25

Buster Keaton's nautical masterpiece to be screened with live music at Town Hall Theatre

WILTON, N.H.—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. Acclaimed for their originality and clever visual gags, and also admired for their authentic location shots and amazing stunts, Keaton's films remain popular crowd-pleasers today.

See for yourself with a screening of 'The Navigator' (1924), one of Keaton's landmark features, at the historic Town Hall Theatre in Wilton, N.H. on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4:30 p.m. The program, which concludes a summer season of silent films set at sea, will be accompanied by live music performed by Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free, with suggestion donation of $5.

'The Navigator' follows the adventures of wealthy nitwit Rollo Treadway (Keaton) and his pampered girlfriend, who find themselves adrift alone on a massive ocean liner. Forced to fend for themselves without servants, the pair attempt to cope with day-to-day life, creating classic comedy in the process.

But when the ship runs aground on a remote island inhabited by cannibals, is Buster's resourcefulness enough to save the day?

Filmed at sea on a real ocean liner that Keaton turned into the largest prop in comedy history, 'The Navigator' has been hailed as one of the most original and distinctive movies to come out of silent film's golden era of comedy. The film was highlighted by underwater scenes, with Keaton in an oversized antique diving suit, that were revolutionary at the time.

Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician who has accompanied shows at venues across New England, said Keaton's films were not made to be shown on television or viewed at home.

In reviving 'The Navigator,' the Town Hall Theatre aims to celebrate its roots as a silent moviehouse by showing silent film as it was meant to be seen—in high quality prints, on a large screen, with live music, and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," said Rapsis, who will improvise the score on the spot as the film screens. "Recreate those conditions, and classics of early Hollywood such as 'The Navigator' leap back to life in ways that audiences still find hugely entertaining."

Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture of the full orchestra and creates a traditional "movie score" sound.

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands today as one of the silent screen's three great clowns. Some critics regard Keaton as the best of all; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."

As a performer, Keaton was uniquely suited to the demands of silent comedy. Born in 1895, he made his stage debut as a toddler, joining his family's knockabout vaudeville act and learning to take falls and do acrobatic stunts at an early age.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era with no post-production special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts, including some spectacular examples in 'The Navigator.'

'The Navigator' (1924) will be shown with live musical accompaniment on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St. in Wilton, N.H. The show is free and open to the public, with a suggestion donation of $5 to help defray expenses. It's the final installment in the Town Hall Theatre's summer-long series of sea-faring silent films. For more information, visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com; for more information on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.

Critic comments on 'The Navigator':

"The Navigator looks and feels like it could be one of today's summer mega-blockbusters. It has a great, simple premise that includes the destroying of a huge set. It's endlessly imaginative, funny, inventive, etc. It's one of the greatest movies I have ever seen."
—Jeffrey Anderson, Combustible Celluloid, 2001

"His comic timing is brilliant. He says more in his face than most actors today do with their face and voices. It's a very funny story with dozens of very memorable comic scenes. A true classic."
—James Higgins, Turner Classic Movies, 2011

In which we set sail this summer with silent sea-faring epics in Wilton, N.H.

'The Seahawk' (1924) will screen on Sunday, July 28 at 4:30 p.m. in Wilton, N.H.

When summer comes in our part of the world, you head to the ocean.

The reason for this is that for three months of the year (from now until about Labor Day), inland New England tries its darndest to become a tropical rain forest, with blazing sun and humid days and monsoon-like rains making it seem more like the Congo. The weeds grow like, well, weeds.

But within ten miles of the coast, a refreshing "sea breeze" keeps things bearable. Hence, our propensity to decamp to the beach. (That, and the excellent fried clams and miniature golf.)

This summer, however, we figured we'd bring the ocean inland, with a series of sea-going silent swashbucklers at the very land-locked Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theatre. So, for June, July, and August, you can feel the salty spray in your face without having to fight the crowds at the beach. Just breathe deep into your popcorn, and you'll get the effect.

The thing is, the silent era was awash in ocean-borne stories, and silent film came along at just the right time to capture some of the natural feel for life on the sea as it was lived prior to diesel engines, radio communication, and satellite navigation. That's true for historical epics as well as "contemporary" films, which are now so far in the past that they seem historical as well.

So we're shipping off to sea this summer, and I hope you'll join us. Here's a recent press release for the series. Plase note that we're adding an extra show in August to augment our usual monthly cadence in Wilton. Hey, the ocean is a big place.

* * *

Buster Keaton in 'The Navigator' (1924), to be screened on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4:30 p.m. in Wilton, N.H.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2013 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Silent film series ships out with nautical theme at Wilton (N.H.) Town Hall Theater

Avast all movie buffs! Gang way for high seas action; ocean-going classics to be screened this summer with live music

WILTON, N.H.—You may not put salt on your popcorn, but you're sure to enjoy all the brine-soaked action on screen this summer as the Wilton Town Hall Theatre launches a series of silent films set on the high seas.

The movies include 'The Yankee Clipper' (1927), an epic drama about the wind-powered sailing ships in the 1840s that raced between China and New England; the original screen adaptation of the historical novel 'The Seahawk' (1924) about a disgraced 16th century English nobleman forced to become a pirate; 'Across to Singapore' (1928), an intense drama of a family of sailors that was almost lost to decomposition; and Buster Keaton's classic ocean-going comedy 'The Navigator' (1924).

All screenings are free and open to the public, with donations encouraged to help defray expenses.

"In warmer weather, many people head to the ocean to cool off," said Jeff Rapsis, who provides musical accompaniment for the Wilton Town Hall Theatre's silent film screenings. "This summer, we figured we'd bring the ocean to our audiences, as we showcase the enduring romance between Hollywood and stories set at sea."

Each of the films offers a different porthole into the rich treasure trove of tales rooted in ocean-going traditions. Each also offers footage of scenes that in some cases are now quite historic, including images of ships and ship-board life that long ago vanished.

• Sunday, June 30, 4:30 p.m.: 'The Yankee Clipper' (1927). Set sail in the era of the great clipper ships in a thrilling race between American and British vessels speeding from China to Boston, with rival crews using only the wind and their wits to win. Produced by Cecil B. DeMille; gorgeous production filmed at sea for six weeks aboard the 1856 wooden square-rigger Indiana. Starring William Boyd (who later played Hopalong Cassidy), Elinor Fair and Frank Junior Coghlan; watch for character actor Walter Long, a native of Milford, N.H.

• Sunday, July 28, 4:30 p.m.: 'The Seahawk' (1924). Swashbuckling historical adventure on the high seas about an English noble sold into slavery who escapes and turns himself into a pirate king. Based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini; later remade into a talkie starring Errol Flynn. The sea battle action sequences in the original silent version were so good, they were reused decades later in the Errol Flynn remake.

• Sunday, Aug. 11, 4:30 p.m.: "Across to Singapore" (1928) starring Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford, Ernest Torrence. Captain's daughter loves youngest son of seafaring clan, but then the families betroth her to the boy's gruff older brother while he's in home port. When the brothers set sail for Singapore, a gale stirs up the situation into a full-blown crisis.

• Sunday, Aug. 25, 4:30 p.m.: 'The Navigator' (1924). Set sail with Buster Keaton's classic comedy 'The Navigator,' which finds two wealthy socialites adrift all alone on a giant ocean liner. Chock full of unique visual gags; one of Buster's most popular features and the picture that helped establish the comedian as a top-tier star in the motion picture business.

For each film, Rapsis will improvise a score from original musical material that he creates beforehand, using a digital synthesizer to recreate the sound and texture of a full orchestra.

"What I try to do," Rapsis said, "is create music that bridges the gap between a film that might be 80 or 90 years old, and the musical expectations of today's audiences."

The three-month sea-faring program is part of a monthly series of silent films presented with live music at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre. The series provides local audiences the chance to experience silent film as it was intended to be shown: on the big screen, in good-looking prints, with live music, and with an audience.

"If you can put pieces 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."

The sea-faring silent film series will launch with a screening of Cecil B. DeMille's 'The Yankee Clipper' (1927) on Sunday, June 30 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. Admission is free, with donations encouraged to defray expenses. For more information, visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com; for more information on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.