February 2018

1 February

Snow White (Dir. J Searle Dawley, US, 1916) (Screening format – not known, 63mins) No, not the famous Disney animation, but the film which inspired a young Walt Disney and led to him using it as a basis for his 1937 classic. Adapted by Winthrop Ames from his own 1912 Broadway adaptation of the story published a hundred years earlier by the Brothers Grimm, Snow White was one of Adolph Zukor’s Famous Players productions. Because Queen Brangomar (Dorothy Cumming) has always been jealous of the princess Snow White (Marguerite Clark), she makes the girl work as a scullery maid. Yet, even this indignity is not enough, and when Prince Florimond (Creighton Hale) falls in love with Snow White, Brangomar, herself in love with Florimond, decides to have the princess murdered…… Find out more at moviessilently.com . With live piano accompaniment by Jonny Best. Introduced by Jonny Best along with Dr. Amy M. Davis, author of Good Girls and Wicked Witches: Women in Disney’s Feature Animation . Middleton Hall, University of Hull, Hull Link

2 February

Dawn (Dir. Herbert Wilcox, GB, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 80 mins) One of the greatest British martyrs of World War I, Edith Cavell (1865-1915) was a distinguished nurse who moved to Brussels in 1907 to help establish an independent medical institution outside the control of the established churches. After war was declared in 1914 she became actively involved in helping to smuggle British fugitives out of Belgium, for which she was eventually caught, tried and sentenced to death. In the first of two adaptations of the Cavell story director Herbert Wilcox opted to stage the events primarily in the form of an atmospherically-shot suspense thriller, with Sybil Thorndike in the title role, one of her most memorable film appearances. Find out more at wikipedia.org. With live piano accompaniment by Darius Battiwalla. Newry, Northern Ireland Link

Shiraz (Dir. Franz Osten, 1928) (Screening format – DCP, 97mins) Based on a play by Indian author Niranjan Pal, Shiraz tells the fictionalised love story of the 17th-century princess who inspired the construction of the Taj Mahal. It was directed by Germany’s Franz Osten, one of at least 17 films he made in India between 1925 and 1939, best known of which are The Light of Asia (1925) and A Throw of Dice (1929). Shot entirely on location in India with an all-Indian cast, it features lavish costumes and gorgeous settings – all the more impressive in this restoration by the BFI National Archive with specially-commisioned score. The film was the brainchild of producer Himansu Rai, who also stars as humble potter Shiraz, who follows his childhood sweetheart (Enakshi Rama Rau) when she’s sold by slave traders to the future emperor (Charu Roy).Upon its release Shiraz was a considerable critical and popular success and received rave reviews when the restored version was screened at last year’s London Film Festival. Find out more at silentfilm.org. With Anoushka Shankar recorded score. BFI Southbank, London. Link Also screens at this same venue on 3 Feb (x3), 4 Feb (x3), 5 Feb (x3), 6 Feb (x3), 7 Feb (x2), 8 Feb (x3), 9 Feb (x2), 10 Feb (x3), 11 Feb (x3), 12 Feb, 13 Feb (x2), 14 Feb, 15 Feb (x2).

Shiraz (Dir. Franz Osten, 1928) (Screening format – DCP, 97mins) For details, see above. With Anoushka Shankar recorded score. Home, Manchester. Link Also screens at this same venue on , 3 Feb (x2), 4 Feb (x2), 5 Feb (x), 6 Feb (x2), 7 Feb (x2), 8 Feb (x2)

Arsenal (Dir. Aleksandr Dovzhenko, USSR, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 87mins) Soldiers return to Ukraine to find their homeland teeming with strife and dissension, gripped in a conflict between nationalist forces and communists. One faction of soldiers, led by Timosh (Semyon Svashenko) supports the communists and takes command of a munitions factory at Kiev, converting the weapons arsenal into a fortress. Still reeling from the trauma of war, Timosh and his comrades engage in a violent crusade that soon spreads across Ukraine. The second half pivots on the collision of Ukrainian nationalism and Soviet power with the Reds and the Whites, the Kiev strike, massacres and executions, religious processions with serpentine banners and mighty, bushy mustaches in extreme close-up! Dovzhenko’s progressive approach to editing – he was one of the pioneers of Soviet Montage – camerawork and narrative construction mark him out as an enduringly distinctive voice whose films retain their importance to this day. Find out more at imdb.com . With live musical accompaniment by Bronnt Industries Kapital. Cube Cinema, Bristol Link

A Cottage on Dartmoor (Dir. Anthony Asquith, 1929) (Screening format – not known, 84mins) Joe (Uno Henning) works as a barber in a shop in a Devon town, alongside a manicurist called Sally (Norah Baring). He becomes infatuated with her and asks her out but it is clear that Sally does not reciprocate Joe’s feelings. Joe’s infatuation with her develops into obsession. Meanwhile a young farmer Harry (Hans Schlettow), begins to woo Sally and the couple begin seeing each other which leaves Joe in despair. After a fight with Harry, Joe is jailed but swears revenge on Harry and Sally. A Cottage on Dartmoor is a tale of love and revenge set in the bleak landscape of Dartmoor and a thoughtful distillation of the best of European silent film techniques from a director steeped in the work of the Soviet avant-garde and German expressionism. One of the last films of the silent era and a virtuoso piece of film-making, A Cottage on Dartmoor was a final passionate cry in defence of an art form soon to be obsolete. Find out more at silentfilm.org. With live musical accompaniment from Wurlitza. Liskerrett Film Club, Liskeard, Cornwall Link

3 February

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Dir.Wallace Worsley, US, 1923) (Screening format – not known, 110mins) A classic silent film, full of drama, frights, romance, and excitement . Quasimodo is ordered to kidnap a gypsy girl, Esmerelda, by his wicked master, and an unlikely friendship forms between them. However, the reclusive hunchback is tested to his limits when Esmerelda is framed for attempted murder, and must fight back against the powers that have subjugated him. Victor Hugo’s tragic tale of the deformed bell-ringer and his love for Esmeralda, a doomed gypsy girl, has been filmed so many times but for many this Chaney adaption remains the definitive Quasimodo. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was filmed over the course of six months on a specially built set depicting 15th-century Paris, a set which spanned 19 acres of Universal Pictures’ back lot and included a full scale façade of Notre Dame Cathedral. The version to be screened is a brand new restoration thanks to Flicker Alley and Lobster Films, Paris and is the edition mastered from a multi-tinted 16mm print struck in 1926 from the original camera negative. (The film apparently does not survive in 35mm). Visible wear in the source material is diminished with a moderate amount of digital restoration. It is pictorially superior to any past releases and represents the best condition in which this landmark film survives today. Find out more at wikipedia.org. Presented by Ilfracombe Film Festival in conjunction with South West Silents. With live organ accompaniment by Larry Mcguire. Pip & Jim’s Church, Ilfracombe. Link

Around India With A Movie Camera (Dir. Various) (Screening format – DCP, 76 mins) Archive footage tells the emotionally-resonant story of life across India pre-1947. Drawn exclusively from the BFI National Archive, Around India features some of the earliest surviving film from India as well as gorgeous travelogues, intimate home movies and newsreels from British, French and Indian filmmakers. Taking in Maharajas and Viceroys, fakirs and farmhands and personalities such as Sabu and Gandhi, the film explores not only the people and places of over 70 years ago, but asks us to engage with broader themes of a shared history, shifting perspectives in the lead up to Indian independence and the ghosts of the past. Around India boasts a superb new score that fuses western and Indian music from composer and sarod player Soumik Datta. With recorded soundtrack. BFI Southbank, London. Link Also screens at this same venue on 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11 Feb.

London Symphony (Dir. Alex Barrett, UK, 2017) (Screening format – not known) London Symphony is a brand new silent film – a city symphony – which offers a poetic journey through London, a cosmopolitan city facing a challenge to its identity in the current political climate. It is an artistic portrait of the city as it stands today, and a celebration of its culture and diversity. Find out more at londonsymphfilm.com . With recorded James McWilliam soundtrack. Presented as part of the UK Independent Film Festival. The Fleapit Cinema Club, Westerham, Kent Link

4 February

Metropolis (Dir. Fritz Lang, 1927) (Screening format –not known , 149 mins ) Made in Germany during the Weimar period, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and follows the attempts of Freder (Gustav Frohlich), the wealthy son of the city’s ruler, and Maria (Brigitte Helm), a poor worker, to overcome the vast gulf separating the classes of their city. Filming took place in 1925 at a cost of approximately five million Reichmarks, making it the most expensive film ever released up to that point. It is regarded as a pioneering work of science fiction and is among the most influential films of all time. Following its world premiere in 1927, half an hour was cut from Fritz Lang’s masterpiece and lost to the world. Eighty years later a spectacular discovery was made when the footage was found in a small, dusty museum in Buenos Aires. The film was then painstakingly reconstructed and digitally restored so that at last audiences could see the iconic futuristic fairy tale as Lang had envisioned it. Find out more at silentfilm.org. With recorded soundtrack. Electric Cinema, Birmingham Link

Double Trouble: Early Female Comedy Double Acts (Dir. Various) A fine compilation of comedies celebrating rebellious damsels of destruction. Calling all lady hellions! Meet your silent and early-sound era kindred spirits in this compilation of comedies that celebrates the overlooked damsels of destruction – rebellious double acts like Anita Garvin and Marion Byron or the Tilly Girls – who, over a century ago, were ripping up the female-behaviour rulebook on the big screen. After all, sometimes you and your bestie just need to throw ice-cream all over the place, cause havoc on a train with your pet monkey or take a fire-engine for a joyride, right? With live piano accompaniment. BFI Southbank, London Link

Metropolis (Dir. Fritz Lang, 1927) (Screening format –not known , 149 mins ) Made in Germany during the Weimar period, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and follows the attempts of Freder (Gustav Frohlich), the wealthy son of the city’s ruler, and Maria (Brigitte Helm), a poor worker, to overcome the vast gulf separating the classes of their city. Filming took place in 1925 at a cost of approximately five million Reichmarks, making it the most expensive film ever released up to that point. It is regarded as a pioneering work of science fiction and is among the most influential films of all time. Following its world premiere in 1927, half an hour was cut from Fritz Lang’s masterpiece and lost to the world. Eighty years later a spectacular discovery was made when the footage was found in a small, dusty museum in Buenos Aires. The film was then painstakingly reconstructed and digitally restored so that at last audiences could see the iconic futuristic fairy tale as Lang had envisioned it. Find out more at silentfilm.org. With live accompaniment by the Aylesbury Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ben Palmer and performing the Gottfried Huppertz score for the film. Aylesbury Vale Academy, Bucks. Link

5 February

6 February

Underground (Dir. Anthony Asquith, GB, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 84 mins) In 1920s London, during a normal hectic day on the Underground, mild mannered Northern Line porter Bill (Brian Aherne) falls for shop worker Nell (Elissa Lndi). But their relationship is threatened by power station worker Burt (Cyril McLaglan) who also has eyes for Nell. Consumed by jealousy, Burt plots to discredit Bill with a plan that results in a daring chase through London’s underground and across rooftops of the city. Although Underground was only Asquith‘s second film he handles the melodramatic story with confidence and great sophistication. Underground is a rare study of 1920s working-class London, and offers a fascinating and historically interesting glimpse of its public transport system. Find out more at screenonline.org.uk . With live piano accompaniment from Neil Brand. City University, London Link

7 February

Empire On Film (Dir. Various, UK, 1930s-1960s) An evening of film from the British Empire & Commonwealth Collection, including recently digitised material that’s never been seen before in public. The British Empire & Commonwealth Collection includes around 2,000 unique pieces of film. They were shot all over the world in countries that were formerly British colonies, many now members of the Commonwealth; and span from the 1930s when cine cameras and film were expensive, through to the 1960s when home video was becoming much more common. Much of the film was taken by amateur filmmakers – largely British colonial workers and their families – and covers a vast range of topics from industry to private parties, local life to ceremonial occasions, and indications of the darker side Empire. Curated and introduced by Ingrid Sinclair of the Afrika Eye Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne. Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol Link

The Bride of Glomdal (aka Glomdalsbruden) (Dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer. Nor., 1926). (Screening format – not known, 115 mins) The rural locations provide a beautiful setting for this story of Tore, a young farmer, who is determined to build up his family’s dilapidated farm and win the hand of lovely neighbour Berit, who is promised in marriage to another. The Bride of Glomdal immediately followed Dreyer’s early important work Master of the House (Denmark 1925) and preceded his move to France, where his international reputation was made with The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928). To accommodate the theatre schedules of his actors, and to embellish what he believed to be the relatively slender plot threads of the original novel written by Jacob Breda Bull, Dreyer uncharacteristically shot more or less off-the-cuff, albeit with a prepared list of scenes, throughout the summer of 1925. The Bride of Glomdal was among the highlights of the recent Pordenone Silent Film Festival. Find out more at imdb.com . Presented by the Kennington Bioscope. With live piano accompaniment. Cinema Museum, Lambeth, London Link

9 February

Behind The Door (Dir. Irvin Willat, 1919) (Screening format – not known, 70mins) With America entering World War I, German-American Oscar Krug (Hobart Bosworth) is thought to be an enemy sympathizer. He fights his foes to prove that they’re wrong, then immediately enlists and is assigned to the merchant marines. The night before boarding, he marries his sweetheart, Alice Morse (Jane Novak), and she sails with him. A German submarine torpedoes the craft and sinks it. Krug and his bride board a lifeboat. The Germans take Alice and leave Krug, who swears revenge to the commander (Wallace Beery)…. Restored from surviving incomplete copies held at the US Library of Congress and at the Gosfilmofond, the Russian national archive so that what Kevin Brownlow called “the most outspoken of all the [WWI] vengeance films,” can now be seen in its most complete form since its release in 1919. And it is possibly the ‘darkest’ silent film we have ever seen. Find out more at silentfilm.org . Presented b South West Silents. With live musical accompaniment from Stephen Horne. Cube Cinema, Bristol Link

Phantom Of The Opera (Dir. Rupert Julian, 1925) (Screening format – not known, 103mins) A title that needs no introduction, The Phantom of the Opera has spawned many remakes, remasters and sequels. This original film version, produced with moments of early Technicolour, sees Lon Chaney, the ‘Man of a Thousand Faces’ perform one of his most iconic roles. His ghastly make-up and outrageous performance made this title a benchmark in the American silent film era. The film was a critical and commercial success upon release, and still stands as an important film in cinematic history to this day, with press quotes from the time labelling the film an ‘ultra-fantastic melodrama’ (New York Times), ‘produced on a stupendous scale’ (Moving Picture World) and ‘probably the greatest inducement to nightmare that has yet been screened’ (Variety). The mysterious phantom (Lon Chaney) is a vengeful composer living in the catacombs under the Paris Opera House, determined to promote the career of the singer he loves (Mary Philbin). Famed for the phantom’s shock unmasking, incredible set designs and the masked ball sequence, it still packs a punch. Find out more at wikipedia.org. With live musical accompaniment by acclaimed musicians Minima. Stoke Golding Village Hall, Leics Link

10 February

Modern Times (Dir. Charlie Chaplin, US, 1936) (Screening format – not known, 87mins) This episodic satire of the machine age is considered Charles Chaplin’s last ‘silent’ film, although Chaplin uses sound, vocal, and musical effects throughout. Chaplin stars as an assembly-line worker driven insane by the monotony of his job. After a long spell in an asylum, he searches for work, only to be mistakenly arrested as a Red agitator. Released after foiling a prison break, Chaplin makes the acquaintance of orphaned gamine (Paulette Goddard) and becomes her friend and protector. The plotline of Modern Times is as loosely constructed as any of Chaplin’s pre-1915 short subjects, permitting ample space for several of the comedian’s most memorable routines: the automated feeding machine, a nocturnal roller-skating episode, and Chaplin’s double-talk song rendition in the nightclub sequence. In addition to producing, directing, writing, and starring in Modern Times, Chaplin also composed its theme song Smile. Find out more at charliechaplin.com. Electric Cinema, Birmingham Link

Shiraz (Dir. Franz Osten, 1928) (Screening format – DCP, 97mins) For details see 2 Feb above With Anoushka Shankar recorded score. Queens Film Theatre, Belfast Link

The Lost World (Dir. Harry Hoyt, US, 1925) (Screening format – not known, 106mins) Arthur Conan Doyle’s dinosaur adventure is brought to the big screen for the first time in an adventure across continents to the land that time forgot, featuring swooping beasts, the terrifying ‘apeman’ and the odd volcano too! This film used pioneering techniques in stop motion by Willis O’Brien (a forerunner of his work on the original King Kong film) and was one of the first to use a tinting technique that brought colour to film. It also features an introduction from the author himself. Find out more at moviessilently.com. With live piano accompaniment by Jonny Best. Abbeydale Picture House, Sheffield. Link

11 February

The Guns Of Loos (Dir. Sinclair Hill, GB, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 84 mins) The Guns of Loos marked a bold new approach to depicting the war on screen. Previous British war films concentrated on highly detailed, documentary-style reconstructions of particular battles, with little attempt at drama or character. For this film, the striking recreations of the conflict at Loos provide the backdrop to an intense psychological drama about a factory owner whose dictatorial manner and apparent nerves of steel quickly unravel when faced with the horrors of war. Combining strong performances with outstanding cinematography, the film received rave reviews on its release in 1928, with many critics declaring it the best war film ever made. Find out more at ithankyouarthur.blogspot. With live musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne and Martin Pyne. Auditorium, Turner Sims, University of Southampton, Southampton Link

Shiraz (Dir. Franz Osten, 1928) (Screening format – DCP, 97mins) For details see 2 Feb above With Anoushka Shankar recorded score. Contemporary Arts, Dundee Link

11 – 12 February

When You Fall Down Inspired by the career of Buster Keaton, James Dangerfield has created a musical that explores the silent star’s life and career. The show follows Keaton’s life from his first film-making experiences in 1917 to his signing on with MGM 11 years later. When You Fall Down previewed last year in London, and received its premiere at the 2017 International Buster Keaton Festival in Michigan, USA. Featuring original music and songs, join us for this show celebrating “The Great Stone Face” and the magic of movie-making. Hope Theatre, Islington, London Link

12 February

Shiraz (Dir. Franz Osten, 1928) (Screening format – DCP, 97mins) For details see 2 Feb above With Anoushka Shankar recorded score. Queens Film Theatre, Belfast Link

Shiraz (Dir. Franz Osten, 1928) (Screening format – DCP, 97mins) For details see 2 Feb above With Anoushka Shankar recorded score. Phoenix Cinema, Leicester Link

13 February

Dawn (Dir. Herbert Wilcox, GB, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 80 mins) One of the greatest British martyrs of World War I, Edith Cavell (1865-1915) was a distinguished nurse who moved to Brussels in 1907 to help establish an independent medical institution outside the control of the established churches. After war was declared in 1914 she became actively involved in helping to smuggle British fugitives out of Belgium, for which she was eventually caught, tried and sentenced to death. In the first of two adaptations of the Cavell story director Herbert Wilcox opted to stage the events primarily in the form of an atmospherically-shot suspense thriller, with Sybil Thorndike in the title role, one of her most memorable film appearances. Find out more at wikipedia.org. With live musical accompaniment by composer and pianist Andrew Fisher plus ensemble. Auditorium, Turner Sims, University of Southampton, Southampton Link

Shiraz (Dir. Franz Osten, 1928) (Screening format – DCP, 97mins) For details see 2 Feb above With Anoushka Shankar recorded score. Queens Film Theatre, Belfast Link

Shiraz (Dir. Franz Osten, 1928) (Screening format – DCP, 97mins) For details see 2 Feb above With Anoushka Shankar recorded score. Phoenix Cinema, Leicester Link

16 February

17 February

I Was Born, But…… (Dir. Yasujiro Ozu, Jap, 1932) (Screening format, not known, 87mins) This early comedy from Yasujirô Ozu focuses on the Yoshii family – dad Kennosuke, his homemaker wife, and two sons Keiji and Ryoichi – who have just moved from Tokyo’s crowded city centre to a suburban development. Straight away the two boys start slugging it out to find a place in the pecking order among the neighbourhood kids. But when the boys see their father kowtowing to his boss, they are mortified at his low position in society. Kennosuke’s attempts to explain the realities of the adult world to his sons leads to some soul-searching of his own. One of the few surviving examples of Ozu’s silent period filmmaking, like his later films this one focuses on the internal dynamics of a single family unit as a way of drawing out broader generalisations about contemporary Japanese society, and uses the low-angle camera shots of domestic interiors that would become his stylistic trademark. Find out more at silentfilm.org . With live musical accompaniment composed by Ed Hughes and performed by Kevos. The Centre, Newlyn, Cornwall Link

An evening with Buster Keaton and Neil Brand Composer, musician and broadcaster Neil Brand presents an evening of Buster Keaton, playing live piano accompaniment alongside clips of his funniest moments plus a screening of the Keaton classic Steamboat Bill Jr (Dir. Buster Keaton/Charles Reisner, US, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 71 mins) in which a crusty river boat captain hopes that his long departed son’s return will help him compete with a business rival. Unfortunately, William Canfield Jnr (Buster Keaton) is an effete college boy. Worse still, he has fallen for the business rival’s daughter (Marion Byron). Featuring some of Buster’s finest and most dangerous stunts, it’s a health and safety nightmare maybe but it’s entertainment that will live forever. The final storm sequence is still as breathtaking today as it was on first release. Not a commercial success at the time, this is now rightly regarded as a Keaton classic. Find out more at Wikipedia . Eden Court, Inverness Link

18 February

The Unknown (Dir. Tod Browning, US, 1927) (Screening format – not known, 63 mins) To escape the police, Alonzo, who has two thumbs on one hand, poses in a sideshow as an armless wonder. He falls in love with Estrellita, and when detected by her father, he kills him. Then, discovering that the girl abhors the touch of a man’s hand, he has both his arms amputated. Returning, he finds to his dismay that she has fallen in love with Malabar, the strong-man. Is all lost for Alonzo….The Unknown was the sixth of ten collaborations between Chaney and director Tod Browning. Its circus theme was a favorite of Browning’s, both on and off screen. Chaney was already “The Man of a Thousand Faces” when he appeared in The Unknown but in this film Chaney didn’t need to rely on heavy make-up to transform himself for a role. For The Unknown, Chaney reported, “I contrived to make myself look like an armless man, not simply to shock and horrify you but merely to bring to the screen a dramatic story of an armless man.” Find out more at moviessilently.com . With live musical accompaniment by electro-improvisational group Grok. Genesis Cinema, London Link

21 February

Films From The Archive: Forgotten Women Of The 1930s (Dir. Various) (Screening format – 16/35mm, 60mins) Marking the centenary of the Representation of the People Act (when some women were granted the vote) and with today’s headlines dominated by the #MeToo movement and gender politics in the film industry, this Queen Mary Grad Fest event will rediscover some of cinema’s forgotten women of the 1930s. The hour-long programme of short films covers a wide range of styles from the 1930s period and includes: Lotte Reiniger, Harlequin(1931); Anstey, A. Elton [and Ruby Grierson uncredited], Housing Problems(1935); Len Lye, Colour Box (1935); Len Lye, Kaleidoscope(1935); and, Lotte Reiniger, Carmen (1933). Close-up Cinema, London E1 Link

City Lights (Dir. Charlie Chaplin, US, 1931) (Screening format – DCP, 84mins) Subtitled ‘A Comedy in Pantomime’, City Lights is viewed by many as Chaplin’s greatest film – a ‘silent film’ released three years into the talkie era. The melodramatic film, a combination of pathos, slapstick and comedy, was a tribute to the art of body language and pantomime – a lone hold-out against the assault of talking film. The writer-director-star achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street (a magical Virginia Cherrill) and mistakes him for a millionaire. Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive beauty of the pre-talkie form. The result was the epitome of his art and the crowning achievement of silent comedy. Find out more at rogerebert.com. With Chaplin’s own recorded soundtrack. Prince Charles Cinema, London Link

Gloria Swanson Silent Film Night Gloria Swanson wasn’t just ‘a film star’. Swanson was an icon of the 1920s, an incredible fiery powerhouse of film stardom (she would later become her own producer as well) and was one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood. Swanson also brought about the essence of fashion for the 1920s, audiences not only went to see her in her films but they also went to see what fashions she was wearing those films. Largely remembered now as the faded screen legend Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950), yet by the time she was 24, and working for Paramount, Swanson was known by the public as the ‘Queen of the Screen’ and was receiving 10,000 fan letters a week while the cinema bosses called her the ‘mortgage lifter’ – all they had to do was put her name on the billing outside, they said, and the money would roll in, she was ‘the Queen of Hollywood’. Find out more at cdrs.columbia.edu. Presented by South West Silents and introduced by Professor Sarah Street (Bristol University). Landsdown Public House, Clifton, Bristol Link

The Extra Girl (Dir. F Richard Jones, US, 1923) (Screening format – 16mm, 68 mins) Hometown girl Sue Graham (Mabel Normand) wins a movie contest and goes to Hollywood when her parents forbid her to marry Dave Giddings (Ralph Graves), her father’s garage mechanic. Arriving in Hollywood, Sue finds that there is no work except in the wardrobe department. She falls into the clutches of an oil swindler named Hackett (Ramsey Wallace). When Sue’s parents lose their fortune to Hackett, Sue determines to recover the cash and get her man. Although plenty of Mabel Normand’s early shorts from Vitagraph, Biograph and, especially, Keystone, as well as the Hal Roach films from the end of her career (1927’s Should Men Walk Home has previously been screened at Kennington Bioscope) survive, this is a rare surviving example of one of her earlier features. Find out more at imdb.com . Presented by the Kennington Bioscope. Introduced by renowned film historian Kevin Brownlow. With live musical accompaniment. Cinema Museum, Lambeth, London Link

22 February

1918 – At Home, At War Neil Brand, writer, composer, broadcaster (BBC4’s Sound of Cinema and Sound of Song) and World War I historian, uses the films, music and writings of the time to take his audience deeply into the experience of the serving soldier and his family at home 100 years ago. Battles, factory work, concert parties, cinema-going, the songs, laughter, highs and tragic lows of ordinary people spring to life through film, music and readings as Neil presents his unique vision of the century-old war and accompanies the films on the piano in his signature style. Auditorium, Turner Sims, University of Southampton, Southampton Link

23 February

Piccadilly (Dir E A Dupont, UK, 1929) (Screening format – not known, 92 mins) A film noir before the term was in use, uncredited director E.A. Dupont’s Piccadilly is one of the true greats of British silent films, on a par with the best of Anthony Asquith or Alfred Hitchcock during this period. Valentine Wilmot (Jameson Thomas) owns a nightclub featuring dancers Mabel (Gilda Gray) and Vic (Cyril Ritchard). After a confrontation with Wilmot, Vic quits performing at the club. When the joint starts losing business, a desperate Wilmot hires former dishwasher Shosho (Anna May Wong) as a dancer. She is an instant hit and forms a rapport with Wilmot, which makes both Mabel and Shosho’s friend (King Ho Chang) jealous, leading to a mysterious murder. A stylish evocation of Jazz Age London, with dazzlingly fluid cinematography and scenes ranging from the opulent West End to the seediness of Limehouse. One of the pinnacles of British silent cinema, Piccadilly is a sumptuous show business melodrama seething with sexual and racial tension – with an original screenplay by Arnold Bennett. Find out more at screenonline.org.uk . With live accompaniment by Wurlitza. St Dominick Village Hall, St Dominick, Cornwall. Link

24 February

Dawson City – Frozen Time (Dir. Bill Morrison, US, 2016) This documentary pieces together the bizarre true story of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s – 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until discovered buried in a sub-arctic swimming pool deep in the Yukon Territory, in Dawson City, located about 350 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Using these permafrost protected, rare silent films and newsreels, archival footage, interviews and historical photographs to tell the story, and accompanied by an enigmatic score by Sigur Rós collaborator and composer Alex Somers (Captain Fantastic), Dawson City: Frozen Time depicts a unique history of a Canadian gold rush town by chronicling the life cycle of a singular film collection through its exile, burial, rediscovery, and salvation – and through that collection, how a First Nation hunting camp was transformed and displaced. Find out more at picturepalacepictures.com Screened as part of the Dublin International Film Festival. Lighthouse Cinema, Dublin Link

25 February

Sherlock Jnr (Dir. Buster Keaton, 1924) (Screening format – not known, 45 mins) In Sherlock Jr, a kindly movie projectionist (Buster Keaton) longs to be a detective. When his fiancée (Kathryn McGuire) is robbed by a local thief (Ward Crane), the poor projectionist is framed for the crime. Using his amateur detective skills, the projectionist follows the thief to the train station – only to find himself locked in a train car. Disheartened, he returns to his movie theatre, where he falls asleep and dreams that he is the great Sherlock Holmes. Although not a popular success on its initial release, the film has come to be recognised as a Keaton classic with its special effects and elaborate stunts making it a landmark in motion picture history. Find out more at silentfilm.org. With recorded soundtrack. Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Link

Behind The Door (Dir. Irvin Willat, 1919) (Screening format – not known, 70mins) With America entering World War I, German-American Oscar Krug (Hobart Bosworth) is thought to be an enemy sympathizer. He fights his foes to prove that they’re wrong, then immediately enlists and is assigned to the merchant marines. The night before boarding, he marries his sweetheart, Alice Morse (Jane Novak), and she sails with him. A German submarine torpedoes the craft and sinks it. Krug and his bride board a lifeboat. The Germans take Alice and leave Krug, who swears revenge to the commander (Wallace Beery)…. Restored from surviving incomplete copies held at the US Library of Congress and at the Gosfilmofond, the Russian national archive so that what Kevin Brownlow called “the most outspoken of all the [WWI] vengeance films,” can now be seen in its most complete form since its release in 1919. And it is possibly the ‘darkest’ silent film we have ever seen. Find out more at silentfilm.org . Screened as part of the Dublin International Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne. Lighthouse 1, Dublin Link

The Pleasure Garden (Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, UK, 1925) (Screening format – not known, 75mins) Patsy (Virginia Valli), a chorus girl at the Pleasure Garden music hall helps down on her luck dancer Jill (Carmelita Geraghty) get a job in her show. But when Jill’s fiance Hugh (John Stuart) turns up, he and Patsy are drawn to each other. Meanwhile Jill is living the highlife and being courted by a rich prince. Jealousy! Madness! Murder! Alfred Hitchcock’s debut as a film director was this long-thought-to-be-lost and now restored brilliant hothouse silent melodrama. There is an early chance to spot all the later iconic Hitchcock motifs used here for the very first time. The very first shot shows chorus girls descending a spiral staircase just like the staircase shot in Vertigo, while a man uses opera glasses to better appreciate a dancer just as Jimmy Stewart uses them in Rear Window. Even the classic icy Hitchcock Blonde first appears here. Find out more at silentlondon.co.uk . With live piano accompaniment by Lillian Henley. Palace Cinema, Broadstairs, Kent Link

Quiet Please: Music Accompaniment For Silent Film Learn the secrets of traditional silent-film accompaniment in this hands-on workshop, which includes an overview of the history of period film music and an exploration of key historical influences and techniques. Find out how to replicate the sound effects used in early cinema and sync up your own live performance to film – you’ll soon discover that ‘silent’ film was anything but! Suitable for all instrumentalists grade 6+. Led by Emily O’Hara from The Lucky Dog Picturehouse. BFI Southbank, London Link

Cottage on Dartmoor (Dir. Anthony Asquith, 1929) (Screening format – not known, 84mins) Joe (Uno Henning) works as a barber in a shop in a Devon town, alongside a manicurist called Sally (Norah Baring). He becomes infatuated with her and asks her out but it is clear that Sally does not reciprocate Joe’s feelings. Joe’s infatuation with her develops into obsession. Meanwhile a young farmer Harry (Hans Schlettow), begins to woo Sally and the couple begin seeing each other which leaves Joe in despair. After a fight with Harry, Joe is jailed but swears revenge on Harry and Sally. A Cottage on Dartmoor is a tale of love and revenge set in the bleak landscape of Dartmoor and a thoughtful distillation of the best of European silent film techniques from a director steeped in the work of the Soviet avant-garde and German expressionism. One of the last films of the silent era and a virtuoso piece of film-making, A Cottage on Dartmoor was a final passionate cry in defence of an art form soon to be obsolete. Find out more at silentfilm.org. With live musical accompaniment by Wurlitza. Kingsland Village Hall, Cornwall Link

The Lost World (Dir. Harry Hoyt, US, 1925) (Screening format – DCP, 104mins) Arthur Conan Doyle’s dinosaur adventure was brought to the big screen for the first time in an adventure across continents to the land that time forgot, featuring swooping beasts, the terrifying ‘apeman’ and the odd volcano too! This film used pioneering techniques in stop motion by Willis O’Brien (a forerunner of his work eight years later on the original King Kong film) and was one of the first to use a tinting technique that brought colour to film. It also features an introduction from the author himself. This visually stunning 2K restoration by Lobster Films, Paris, incorporates almost all the film’s original elements from archives and collections around the world. Find out more at moviessilently.com. Presented by South West Silents. With thrilling new recorded score composed by Robert Israel and performed by a full orchestra in 2016. Introduced by film director and co-founder of Aardman Animations, Peter Lord. Curzon Cinema, Clevedon, North Somerset Link

26 February

Big Parade (Dir. King Vidor, US, 1925) (Screening format – not known, 151mins) One of the earliest films produced by a newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, The Big Parade was a huge box office smash (MGM’s highest grossing silent feature) and cemented King Vidor as a prestige filmmaker. The story of idle American James Apperson (John Gilbert), who is deployed to Europe when the USA join WWI, its plot points were heavily borrowed from 1924 Broadway play What Price Glory?. Centered around his romance with a French local (Renée Adorée), it is full of strange, wonderful moments and impressive scenes of battle. Find out more at sensesofcinema.com Presented as part of the Dublin International Film Festival. With recorded soundtrack. Irish Film Institute, Dublin Link

28 February

Make More Noise: Suffragettes In Silent Film (Dir. Various, 1899-1917) (Screening format – DCP, 75mins) A selection of silent films from the BFI National Archive showing how suffragettes were portrayed on the cinema screen while their battles were still being waged on the streets outside. This fascinating compilation of 21 short films – with a specially commissioned recorded score by Lillian Henley – combines newsreels and documentaries with early comedies. Followed by a Q&A with Dr Katherine Bradley, historian and co-founder of Oxford International Women’s Day; Debbie Hollingsworth, trade union and women’s activist, Chair of OIWF; Katherine Connelly, author of ‘Sylvia Pankhurst: Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of the Empire’; and Tracy Walsh (Chair), Programme Co-ordinator OIWF. Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford Link

NB. Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure that the information contained in these listings is accurate, silentfilmcalendar.org can take no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies. You are strongly advised to confirm with the venue that the event remains as detailed, particularly if traveling any distance to attend.

Silentfilmcalendar.org

The silent film listing site

February 2018

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