       
Winter/Spring 2012:
Your Tax
Dollars on the Screen:
Film Preservations from The
Library of Congress
Since the early 1940s,
The Library of Congress
recognized "the importance of
motion pictures and the need to
preserve them as a historical
record." This has resulted in
the literal saving of countless
films that would otherwise be
lost to us. The LoC's mission is
"to make its resources available
and useful to Congress and the
American people and to sustain
and preserve a universal
collection of knowledge and
creativity for future
generations, as well as serve as
a contribution to education and
lifelong learning." Utilizing
this rich resource of film
preservation, our own Steve
Massa has plumbed the LoC's
depths and put together a series
of little seen treasures (our
very first in 35mm!) for your
gratification.
(quoted text
sourced from www.loc.gov)
35mm film prints
provided by the Library of
Congress.
Live
piano accompaniment by Ben Model
at all shows.
Series programmed by Bruce
Lawton.
Film notes by Steve Massa.
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Saturday, Feb 4 at 2:30pm
"Raucous Rarities"
When the
cinema began, everything was a short
subject, but as the industry grew so did
the length of its films— and shorts
became a pre-feature special attraction.
Designed to entertain, numerous “fun
factories” were created that specialized
in producing and distributing silent
comedy one and two-reelers. Today’s
cross-section of producers include
Sennett, Universal, Kalem, Bulls Eye,
and Hal Roach, and the bill consists of
INJUNS (’12) with the Powers Kids, the
team of Ham & Bud in THE BOGUS
BOOKING AGENT (’16), THE GRAB BAG BRIDE
(’17) with Al St John, Chaplin imitator
Billy West in A ROLLING STONE (’19)
NEVER TOO OLD (’26) with Jimmy
Finlayson, cross- eyed Ben Turpin in A
BLONDE’S REVENGE (’26), all topped off
by the rare WHEN KNIGHTS WERE COLD (’23)
starring a solo Stan Laurel.
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Saturday, March
10
at 2:30pm
Roscoe
'Fatty' Arbuckle in "The Round-Up"
For
many years Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was loved
all over the world, and was second only to
Charlie Chaplin as the comedy box office
king. So popular that he made an early leap
from shorts to starring features, we’re
proud to present his first, THE ROUND-UP
(’20), a serious western that has Roscoe
supplying some light comic relief. Today
it’s very hard to separate the Arbuckle
legend from his work as a comedian, so this
is a rare opportunity to take a look at the
man who taught filmmaking to Buster Keaton.
Opening for Mr. Arbuckle is bashful-eyed
Hank Mann, who also explores the wide open
spaces in the two-reeler WAY OUT WEST (’20).
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Saturday, April
7
at 2:30pm
Forgotten
Funny People
During
the silent era an amazing array of comedic
talent assembled to work towards one goal –
to make moviegoers laugh. In the spirit of
April Fool’s Day we salute some of the
overlooked silent funny persons who were
well-loved in their day, but due to the
scarcity of their films have gotten lost in
the shuffle. Making up our program is skinny
Flora Finch in SWEENEY’S CHRISTMAS BIRD
(’14) and ex-music hall clown Billie Ritchie
in SILK HOSE AND HIGH PRESSURE (’15). Next
are two teams – Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Drew
in HER ANNIVERSARIES (’17), and Pokes &
Jabs making a deal with the devil in DEVILED
CRABS (’17). We end with two unjustly
neglected clowns – Marcel Perez in YOU’RE
NEXT (’19) and the athletic Wanda Wiley in A
THRILLING ROMANCE (’26).
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Fall/Winter 2011:
Selected
Shorts
This fall, the
Silent Clowns Film Series
showcases the clown princes of
two-reel comedies, presenting
three laugh-packed programs of
short films featuring the big
name comedians you know and
love as well as a few you'll
be glad you discovered whom we've
championed over the years.
Live piano
accompaniment by Ben Model at
all shows.
Series programmed by Bruce
Lawton.
Film notes by Steve Massa.
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Saturday, Oct
8
at 2:30pm
"Scary Shenanigans on the 2nd
Reel"
Thrills
and chills have been a comedy staple
since the beginning of cinema. George
Melies and Segundo de Chomon mixed
supernatural elements with an antic
sense of humor, and spooky settings
were popular in tongue-in-cheek stage
to film transfers such as SEVEN KEYS
TO BALDPATE and THE CAT AND THE
CANARY. Every silent comedian spent
screen time being scared, and today we
have Harold Lloyd in HAUNTED SPOOKS
('20), THE HAUNTED HOUSE ('21) with
Buster Keaton, Our Gang in SHOOTIN'
INJUNS ('25), and the aptly titled
WHO'S AFRAID? ('27) starring Lupino
Lane.
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Saturday,
November 12 at 2:30pm
The Loopy Legacy of Lupino Lane
(and his brother
Wallace)
Forgotten
clown Lupino Lane was a huge star of the
British variety stage who transferred his
talents to American movie studios. In
addition to his comedy skills, along with
Keaton and Douglas Fairbanks, he was one
of the greatest acrobats ever captured on
film. Working frequently with his brother
Wallace Lupino, a talented comic in his
own right, our Lupino Lane
sampler includes the shorts MAID IN
MOROCCO ('25), HELLO SAILOR ('27), ROAMING
ROMEO ('28), BE MY KING ('28), and GOOD
NIGHT NURSE ('29).
(Special
thanks to Eric Grayson.)
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Saturday,
December 10 at 2:30pm
The Merry Gentlemen: Mr. Laurel
& Mr. Hardy
Our
last show of the season has Stan and Ollie
bringing us the Hal Roach holiday
greetings of “Peace on earth, every man
for himself, and don’t forget to duck.”
After years of solo work Stan Laurel and
Oliver Hardy came together at the Roach
Studio in 1927. In their comedies, human
foibles and the frustrations of everyday
life were magnified a hundred times over.
This salute is made up of LEAVE ‘EM
LAUGHING ('28), TWO TARS ('28), WRONG
AGAIN ('29), and their ultimate Xmas gift
BIG BUSINESS ('29).
(Grateful
thanks to Film Preservation
Associates, Inc.; Laurel &
Hardy image courtesy of Richard Feiner
& Co.)
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Summer 2011:
Charismatic
Costumers
Gish! - Valentino!
- Barrymore! - Fairbanks!
Over four
consecutive Saturdays, we
celebrate a selection of
cinema's biggest stars in
scintillating scenarios and
period settings, the
sort of productions which
the silent era trailblazed –
truly excelled – and reached
a pinnacle of art and
excitement. While not
out-and-out comedies, these
films provide a delicious
mix of humor and drama in
which the stars truly shine.
We would like to dedicate
our season to the late
motion picture distributor
Donald Krim, president of
Kino International in
Manhattan for over three
decades. The silent
film era and so many of its
artists have rarely had a
greater friend than Don
Krim.
Live piano
accompaniment by Ben Model
at all shows.
Series programmed by Bruce
Lawton.
Film notes by Steve Massa.
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Saturday,
July 23 at 2:30pm
Dorothy Gish in "NELL GWYN"
(1926)
* 85th
anniversary screening! *
Although not as well remembered as
her sister Lillian, Dorothy Gish was
a popular star who appeared in
dramas, but specialized in light
comedy. Starting out in films with
Lillian as a teenager under the
guidance of D.W. Griffith, Dorothy
moved on to starring vehicles such
as PEPPY POLLY ('19) and THE COUNTRY
FLAPPER ('22). Today, few of her
films have survived, so we're proud
to present NELL GWYN ('26), one of
four features made in England at the
end of the silent era which gave her
the opportunity to use all of her
considerable talents.
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Saturday,
July 30 at 2:30pm
Rudolph Valentino in "THE
EAGLE" (1925)
Rudolph
Valentino was the romantic icon of the
early 1920s and set the standard for
Latin lovers for the rest of the decade.
After years of knocking around
Hollywood, Valentino became a star in
1921's THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE
APOCALYPSE. Although Valentino
tragically died at age 31, he left
behind a remarkable film legacy — THE
EAGLE ('25) was not only one of his last
films but also one of the best. Set in a
background of Russian intrigue, the
story gives Valentino ample opportunity
for derring-do and subtle comedy, making
it an ideal showcase for his screen
chemistry.
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Saturday,
August 6 at 2:30pm
John Barrymore in "DON JUAN" (1926)
* 85th anniversary
screening! *
By the late 1920s stage star
John Barrymore had conquered the silver
screen in a number of crowd-pleasing
costume epics. Although remembered today
for his carousing and being Drew
Barrymore's grandfather, Barrymore's
films were class A productions. This one
finds "The Great Profile" as "The Great
Lover" of Renaissance Italy battling the
Borgia family, and the supporting
performances of Mary Astor, Warner
Oland, and Myrna Loy, art direction of
Ben Carre, and lush production values
make it a real treat.
(film
will be presented with live
accompaniment, and not its 1926
recorded Vitaphone score)
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Saturday,
August 13 at 2:30pm
Douglas Fairbanks in
"THE THREE MUSKETEERS" (1921)
* 90th anniversary
screening! *
Before
he embarked on 1920's, THE MARK OF
ZORRO, Douglas Fairbanks had been a
popular light comedian. This adaptation
of Alexandre Dumas' famous story gave
Doug his iconic role of D'Artagnan, and
made him the ultimate swashbuckling star
of the silent screen. The success of
ZORRO led him to continue with on with
the likes of ROBIN HOOD ('22), THE THIEF
OF BAGDAD ('23), and THE BLACK PIRATE
('26), before coming full circle to end
his silent exploits by portraying
D'Artagnan again in THE IRON MASK ('29).
note: this program will utilize a
recorded score, composed and
performed on theatre organ by Ben
Model especially for this show and
not available anywhere commercially
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Winter/Spring 2011:
The Big 3 of
Silent Comedy
Every field of every era has
its top artists – the ones
who set the benchmark for
everyone else. In the late
teens and early 1920s, when
the golden age of comedy was
king –
Charlie Chaplin, Buster
Keaton and Harold
Lloyd – emerged as those
artists – and their work has
stood the test of time.
As we turn back our focus to
the beacons of our ongoing
series, we dedicate these
next shows to the late great
writer/director, Blake
Edwards — who always
acknowledged his debt to and
expressed love of the
pioneers of film comedy that
informed much of his own
marvelous, unique work in
cinema. |
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Saturday,
February 5 at 2:30pm
CHARLIE CHAPLIN
After learning his
craft in the English music halls,
Charlie Chaplin brought his comedy
skills to films in 1914. It wasn't
long before he found his “movie
legs” and developed his character of
the Little Tramp, which by 1915 made
him one of the most famous people in
the world. His series of 12 shorts
for the Mutual Company was a major
creative burst, and in this program
we're proud to present THE
VAGABOND ('16) and EASY
STREET ('17). Chaplin's
inspiration and hard work produced
films that remain fresh and funny
for audiences of all ages. From
these early days Chaplin went on to
independence at his own studio where
he created longer and more complex
comedies. Also on the bill is Harold
Lloyd in FROM HAND TO MOUTH
('19) and Buster Keaton's THE GOAT
('21).
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Saturday,
March 5 at 2:30pm
HAROLD LLOYD
Remembered
today as the "third genius" of silent
comedy, Harold Lloyd began his film
career in 1913 as an extra and worked
his way up to being one of the top box
office stars of the 1920s. Teamed in a
partnership with the young Hal Roach,
Harold went from a run of the mill
knockabout as the Chaplin inspired
character of Lonesome Luke, to the more
nuanced and sophisticated physical
comedy of his "glasses character".
Credited with creating the preview
system for trying out films, Lloyd was
an innovative producer whose features
were constructed on lavish budgets with
the precision of a Swiss watch. Today's
films, HIGH
AND DIZZY ('20) and "NUMBER,
PLEASE?” ('20) show him at the
peak of his 2-reel form and ready to
move into features. Rounding out the
show is Chaplin's THE PAWNSHOP
('16) and THE HIGH SIGN ('21) with
Buster
Keaton.
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Saturday,
April 2 at 2:30pm
BUSTER KEATON
Buster
Keaton was perhaps the hardest working
of the classic film comedians. From his
start as a child in vaudeville as one of
The Three Keatons, he never stopped
making audiences laugh until the day he
died in 1966. Entering films in 1917
under the tutelage of Roscoe "Fatty"
Arbuckle, Buster was lauched in his own
series in 1920 and had an amazing run of
comedies that lasted until 1929.
Although known for his dead-pan and
stoic countenance, the "Great Stoneface"
was much more expressive than many of
the over-emoting stars of the day. While
Buster lost creative control of his
later work, he remained busy in films,
television, and on stage for the
remainder of his life. We focus on
Buster with two shorts from 1922 – COPS
and THE
PALEFACE – plus present Chaplin in THE
ADVENTURER ('17) and Harold
Lloyd's GET OUT
AND GET UNDER ('20). |
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Fall/Winter
2010:
"First
Ladies of Laughter"
The Silent Clowns Film
Series 'reboot' – in an
exciting new partnership
with the Library for the
Performing Arts – begins
with a season spotlighting
Hollywood superstars from
the distaff side of silent
comedy. Bebe Daniels,
Constance Talmadge and
Marion Davies will bring
considerable vivaciousness,
charm and glamour to the
'Clowns' as we see out 2010.
Each of the programs will be
preceded by complementary
short subjects.
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Saturday,
October 2 at 2:30pm
Bebe
Daniels in "Feel My Pulse"
Bebe Daniels had a
long career that encompasses
knockabout comedy with Harold Lloyd,
being a dramatic clothes-horse for
Cecil B. DeMille, and television in
the 1950s. In the late 1920s she
starred in a series of feature
comedies for Paramount, such as MISS
BREWSTER'S MILLIONS ('26) and SWIM
GIRL SWIM ('27), where she played a
young woman about town. Sadly, most
of these are lost today, but we're
happy to present FEEL MY PULSE ('28)
in which Bebe plays a spoiled
hypochondriac heiress who
inadvertently gets involved with
bootleggers. Setting the stage for
the feature are two one-reelers with
Bebe and Harold Lloyd – ALL ABOARD
('17) and ASK FATHER ('19).
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Saturday,
November 6 at 2:30pm
Constance
Talmadge in "The Duchess of Buffalo"
During the 1920s, the
Talmadge sisters were the movie
equivalent of the twin masks of theatre–
Norma being the dramatic diva, and
Constance the comedienne. Having started
her career as a teenager in Vitagraph's
Brooklyn studio, Connie became one of
the most popular players of the day in
features such as DULCY ('23) and HER
SISTER FROM PARIS ('25). Never taking
herself seriously, THE DUCHESS FROM
BUFFALO ('26) ia a deftly played farce
where Connie plays an American dancer
who gets mixed-up in political intrigue
with the Grand Duke of Russia. Since
many of her films are lost or
unavailable, her talents have been
neglected, so this series gives us the
pleasure and opportunity to highlight
her work. Our extra added attraction is
SEEING STARS, a 1922 First National
Pictures exhibitor short which features
Connie, Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan,
Buster Keaton, and a host of other
famous stars.
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Saturday,
December 4 at 2:30pm
Marion
Davies in "Show People"
Marion
Davies is best remembered today as the
mistress of wealthy newspaper tycoon
William Randolph Hearst, and as the
prototype for Susan Alexander in Orson
Welles' CITIZEN KANE ('41). What's
overlooked is that she was a wonderful
comedienne and terific mimic who made a
number of sly and sophisticated comedies
like THE PATSY and THE CARDBOARD LOVER
(both '28) at the end of the silent era.
SHOW PEOPLE ('28) is perhaps her best,
which puts her into a rags-to-riches
story about a young girl who works her
way up from slapstick comedy shorts to
become a glamorous dramatic star (based
on Gloria Swanson). Hollywood
conventions and pretensions are roasted
in this very funny feature. Opening for
Ms. Davies is A VITAGRAPH ROMANCE ('12),
an earlier peek behind the scenes of
movie making that stars Clara Kimball
Young with cameos from practically
everyone at the Vitagraph Studio. |
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