Live Screenings – October 2022 – Silentfilmcalendar.org

October

1 October

The Hound Of The Baskervilles (Dir. Richard Oswald, Ger, 1929) (Screening format – not known, 65mins) The last Sherlock Holmes adaptation in the silent film era, this version was long thought lost. However, a copy was discovered in 2009 (along with nine other films), in the basement of a Polish church, apparently hidden by a priest in violation of an earlier Papal edict banning the showing and storage of films on church property. The film boasted an unusually international cast, including American actor Carlyle Blackwell, German actor Fritz Rasp, Russian actor Alexander Murski and Italian actor Livio Pavanelli and the result is a reasonably accurate retelling of Conan Doyls’s story and an effective thriller. But coming right at the end of the silent era, this version, although popular in Europe, quickly fell from view, particularly after the release of an English talkie version in 1931. Find out more at silentfilm.org. With live piano accompaniment by Mike Nolan. Hippodrome Cinema, Bo’ness Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With recorded score. Great War Huts, Brook Farm Camp, Bury St Edmunds. Link

2 October

The Kid (Dir. Charles Chaplin, US, 1921) + One Week (Dir. Buster Keaton/Eddie Cline, 1920)(Screening format – not known, 68/19 mins) Chaplin’s first full-length feature is a silent masterpiece about a little tramp who discovers a little orphan and brings him up but is left desolate when the orphanage reclaims him. Beneath the comedy, there are definitely some more serious thematic elements at work and and the film is noted for its pathos. In that regard, the opening inter-title proves to be true: “A picture with a smile — and perhaps, a tear.”Chaplin directed, produced and starred in the film, as well as composed the score. Find out more at wikipedia.org . One Week sees Buster and his new bride struggling with a pre-fabricated home unaware that his bride’s former suitor has renumbered all of the boxes. Find out more at wikipedia.org. With live musical accompaniment by Wurlitza. Memorial Hall, Landulph, Cornwall Link

4 October

Cabinet of Dr Caligari (Dir. Robert Wiene, 1920) (Screening format – not known, 77 mins) In the village of Holstenwall, fairground hypnotist Dr Caligari (Werner Krauss) puts on show a somnambulist called Cesare (Conrad Veidt) who has been asleep for twenty three years. At night, Cesare walks the streets murdering people on the doctor’s orders. A student (Friedrich Feher) suspects Caligari after a friend is found dead and it transpires that the doctor is the director of a lunatic asylum. Fueled by the pessimism and gloom of post-war Germany, the sets by Hermann Warm stand unequaled as a shining example of Expressionist design. Find out more at wikipedia.org. Presented by Pound Arts in conjunction with South West Silents. With live musical accompaniment by Meg Morley. Pound Arts, Corsham Link

Steamboat Bill Jr (Dir. Buster Keaton/Charles Reisner, US, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 71 mins) In Steamboat Bill Jr 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 With live musical accompaniment from the Buster Birch jazz quartet. Sands Films, Rotherhithe. Link

5 October

Amok (Dir. Kote Marjanishvili, USSR/Geo, 1927) (Screening format – digital, 70 mins) Amok is one of the great Georgian films from the silent era, starring perhaps the greatest Soviet star of her age Nato Vachnadze. Based on the novella Der Amokläufer by Stefan Zweig, this film was the first adaption of a foreign literary work in Georgian cinema and tells the story of a European doctor arriving in a British colony where he meets an English woman seeking an abortion. The doctor’s obsession with the woman creates a dramatic and tragic storyline. The film was stored in the vaults of Russia’s state Gosfilmofond for decades until the the reels for were returned to Georgia where they were restored and digitised into a high-resolution format in 1019. Find out more at imdb.com Presented as part of the 6th London Georgian Film Festival. Introduced by Natalia Jugheli, great-granddaughter of Nato Vachnadze. With live musical accompaniment by Vazha Marr and Giorgi Kuchukhidze. Institut Francais, London Link

9 October

Foolish Wives (Dir. Erich von Stroheim, US, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 147mins) In Stroheim’s 1922 film a con artist masquerades as Russian nobility and attempts to seduce the wife of an American diplomat. When released in 1922, the film was the most expensive film made up to that time, and billed by Universal Studios as the “first million-dollar movie” to come out of Hollywood. Originally, von Stroheim intended the film to run anywhere between 6 and 10 hours, and be shown over two evenings, but Universal executives opposed this idea. The studio bosses cut the film drastically before the release date. The opulent sets – with the California coast standing in for Monaco – shine in this glorious new restoration. Find out more at sensesofcinema.com. Presented as part of the London Film Festival. Introduced by noted film historian Kevin Brownlow and with piano accompaniment by Neil Brand. BFI Southbank, London Link

12 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Playhouse, Alnwick Link

13 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Playhouse, Alnwick Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Aaron Hawthorne. Victoria Hall, Saltaire Link

Journey to the Isles: Marjory Kennedy-Fraser A mesmerising glimpse into the landscapes, folktales and songs that inspired one of Scotland’s great early collectors of Traditional Arts. Marjory Kennedy-Fraser began collecting Hebridean songs in 1905, fired by a desire to preserve and celebrate the musical riches of the islands’ people. These two disarming films, made by Kennedy-Fraser herself provide a snapshot of her work and the culture of the people she devoted her life to studying, all the while revealing the warmth of her personality and her passion for the rugged beauty of the Hebrides. Joining audiences on this journey to the Isles are acclaimed live performers: Marion Kenny, one of Scotland’s leading storytellers, and award-winning musician, singer and songwriter Mairi Campbell. Weaving together words, music and song alongside Kennedy-Fraser’s enchanting films, Marion and Mairi will conjure the sounds and landscapes captured by this key figure of Scotland’s Celtic Revival. Commissioned by the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival. Community Hall, Isle of Eigg Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live Wurlitzer organ accompaniment by Aaron Hawthorne. Victoria Hall, Saltaire Link

14 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Kirkgate Arts, Cockermouth Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Aaron Hawthorne. Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life Coatbridge Link

The Last Warning (Dir. Paul Leni, US, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 89mins) This cracking thriller mystery flick reunited the director and star of The Cat and the Canary (1927), celebrated German filmmaker Paul Leni and one of the silent era’s most popular stars Laura La Plante. La Plante plays Doris, the lead actress in a play called The Snare. Her co-star dies a mysterious death on stage, but when his body disappears the case goes cold. Years later the victim’s friend gathers the original cast together and revives the show in an attempt to solve the crime. But dark and supernatural forces are at work, seemingly determined that the show should not go on. This is an entertaining and stylish whodunit, making the most of both the suspenseful play-within-a-play and the “real” murder mystery unfolding off-stage. Expect a dressing room full of suspects, secret passages, and ghostly apparitions. The Last Warning was Leni s final film before his untimely death, and a prime showcase for La Plante, Universal s leading lady of the era, A visual artist at the peak of his career, Leni’s camera never stops shifting, offering cutaways and trick shots involving nervous could-be culprits, a highly suspicious sleuth, and cast members who suddenly disappear in the darkened theatre. The result is a cinematic funhouse that restlessly cross-examines the suspense of the story s stage play against the real murder mystery saga, all unfolding amid the outstanding production design of Charles D. Hall. Find out more at silentfilm.org With live musical accompaniment by Jane Gardner (piano) and Hazel Morrison (percussion). Hippodrome Cinema, Bo’ness. Link

The Mark Of Zorro (Dir. Fred Niblo, US, 1920) (Screening format – not known, 85mins) Don Diego Vega (Douglas Fairbanks) masquerades as an ineffectual fop to bamboozle his enemies and conceal his secret persona: ‘Zorro’: avenger of the oppressed. The first King of Hollywood – dashing, athletic Fairbanks, pretty much defined the swashbuckling genre with this rip-roaring adventure flick. Featuring horseback stunts, witty chase sequences and sword fighting, this entertaining romp achieves a satisfying blend of humour and heroics that remains the benchmark for action films today. Find out more at silentfilm.org Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live piano accompaniment by Jonny Best. Hull Truck Theatre, Hull Link

15 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Aaron Hawthorne. Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life Coatbridge Link

Saturday Slapstick For Kids (And Their Adults) featuring Laurel and Hardy in The Finishing Touch, Charlie Chaplin in His Musical Career, Léontine in Léontine’s Boat and Léontine Flies Away. Laurel & Hardy try to build a house, Charlie Chaplin makes a mess of moving a piano, and Léontine causes mayhem – plus a dancing pig and a strange band of disappearing street musicians. Saturday Slapstick is a 50 minute show which brings live-scored silent film alive for children and adults alike, and includes opportunities to join in with making music and sound effects. Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Liz Hanks and Adam Fairhall. Picture House, Hebden Bridge Link

16 October

Funny Business Chaos and pandemonium reign in this silent film comedy show suitable for all the family. Featuring Laurel and Hardy in Two Tars, Charlie Chaplin in A Film Johnnie, Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard in Are Crooks Dishonest, and Buster Keaton in Cops. Laurel & Hardy get stuck in a traffic jam and somehow end up destroying most of the cars, and Buster Keaton is chased by an entire police force. Charlie Chaplin gatecrashes a movie studio and causes havoc, while Harold Lloyd attempts to outwit a phony psychic. With snappy action, visual comedy, and huge amounts of silliness, this show is most suitable for children from age eight upwards – but children of all ages (including babies) are welcome. Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Jazz pianist Adam Fairhall. Ritz Cinema, Thirsk, Link

17 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – digital, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With recorded score by Hans Erdmann. BFI Southbank, London Link

20 October

Oliver Twist (Dir. Frank Lloyd, US, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 74mins) Thought lost for decades, Frank Lloyd’s adaptation of Charles Dicken’s classic tale of the boy who asked for more has an all-star cast. Starring the man of a thousand faces, Lon Chaney, as Fagin and the wunderkind of 1920s Hollywood, Jackie Coogan (straight after his heartrending debut in Chaplin’s The Kid) in the title role, this spectacular silent film gem was rediscovered in Yugoslavia in the 1970s. Find out more at editoreric.com. Presented by Pound Arts in conjunction with South West Silents. With live musical accompaniment by Meg Morley. Pound Arts, Corsham Link

22 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Phoenix Theatre, Bordon Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Aaron Hawthorne. Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church 235 Shaftesbury Avenue London Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org Presented as part of the Festival Of Darkness. With live musical accompaniment by David Allison. Blairs Seminary College, Aberdeen Link

Clowning Around This triple-bill of slapstick comedy features Harold Lloyd in Get Out and Get Under (1920), Laurel and Hardy in Duck Soup (1927) and Buster Keaton in The Blacksmith (1922). Harold Lloyd has some trouble with his car, Laurel & Hardy are a pair of down-and-outs who take over a fancy mansion, and Buster Keaton is a blacksmith’s hapless assistant. No matter what these clowns try to do, everything always goes wrong. Visual comedy, zippy action, and oodles of silliness are the order of the day – and the whole thing will be brought to life with live piano music. This show is most suitable for children from age eight upwards and their adults, but children of all ages (including babies) are welcome. Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Jazz pianist Adam Fairhall. Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield, Link

Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (Dir. Benjamin Christensen, Swe., 1922) ( Screening format – not known, 105mins) A fictionalized documentary with dramatic reconstructions showing the evolution of witchcraft, from its pagan roots to its confusion with hysteria in modern (1922) Europe. Based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, a 15th-century German guide for inquisitors, Häxan is a study of how superstition and the misunderstanding of diseases and mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch hunts. Although it won acclaim in Denmark and Sweden when first released, Haxan was heavily censored or banned outright in many countries. But it is now considered to be Christensen’s finest work, a witches’ brew of the scary, the grotesque, and the darkly humorous. Find out more at thedevilsmanor.blogspot.co.uk . Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by the YSFF Improvising Ensemble, featuring Irine Rosnes, Liz Hanks, Trevor Bartlett, Jonny Best, Rob Bentall and Jon Boden. Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield Link

23 October

Sunrise; A Song of Two Humans (Dir. F W Murnau, US, 1927) (Screening format – not known, 94mins) F W Murnau’s debut American film, made at the technical zenith of the silent era but already heralding the arrival of the talkies being one of the first silents made with synchronized musical score and sound effects soundtrack. The simple story of a husband’s betrayal of his wife with a treacherous city girl, Sunrise moves from a fairytale-like depiction of rural life to a dynamic portrait of the bustling modern American city. Explored in elaborate tracking shots by Charles Rocher and Karl Struss’s pioneering camerawork, the city set was one of the most costly yet produced. The result was a commercial flop, though the achievement did not go unheralded: Sunrise was awarded a special Oscar for unique and artistic production at the first ever Academy Awards and Janet Gaynor won the first Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. The film’s legacy has endured, and it is now widely considered a masterpiece with many calling it the greatest film of the silent era. Find out more at theguardian.com Presented as part of the Stroud Arts Festival. With live harp accompaniment by Elizabeth-Jane Baldry. Lansdown Hall, Stroud Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) NB Two screenings A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment. Prince Charles Cinema, London Link

The Cat And The Canary (Dir. Paul Leni, US, 1927) (Screening format – not known, 82mins) The Cat and the Canary, originally a stage play, weaves a tale now very familiar to lovers of the horror genre. Cyrus West, a millionaire, died a presumed madman. His will is only to be read 20 years following his death. The heir? A 20-something girl by the name of Annabelle West. However, the will has an odd condition – since the greed of West’s family drove him to madness (like cats surrounding a canary), Annabelle must be deemed psychologically sound, or the money turns over to a secret heir named in an envelope held by Mr. Crosby, the lawyer overseeing the will reading. Mr. Crosby soon goes missing, with Annabelle the only witness to his disappearance. Is Annabelle spiraling into insanity? Or is the mystery heir pushing her there? The film takes us on a twisty whodunit, one of the very first of the genre, and indubitably one of the few that withstands the test of time. Directed by German expressionist film-maker Paul Leni, his first Hollywood film after having been recruited by producer Carl Laemmle for Universal, and remade three times in the sound era, this silent version is considered the definitive rendering. Find out more at silentfilm.org. With live electronic score by Sam Enthoven and Arkadiusz Potyka. Arthouse Cinema, Crouch End, London Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Barn Cinema, Dartington Link

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Dir. Lotte Reiniger , Ger, 1926) (Screening format – not known, 65mins) The first feature-length animation in film history, masterminded by Lotte Reiniger and hand-tinted frame by frame. Based on ‘The Arabian Nights’, the film tells the epic tale of Prince Achmed, who is tricked into mounting a magical flying horse by a wicked sorcerer. The horse carries Achmed off on a series of adventures, over the course of which he joins forces with young Aladdin, battles ogres and monsters and romances the beautiful Princess Peri Banu.Find out more at wikipedia.org . Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Liz Hanks, Juliana Day and Jonny Best. Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield Link

Queens Of Destruction: Cinema’s First Nasty Women. Pranks and mischief, outright destruction and unleashed fury; the ten short films screened today are a spectacular celebration of the subversive, disruptive, and provocative women of early film. Tilly and Sally will do anything to escape the boredom of piano lessons—but their misbehaviour is at the mischievous end of the scale. Not so for Mme. Plumette, whose volcanic temper terrorises everyone she meets, or teenage renegade Léontine, who floods and sets fire to her own house. Inspired by Donald Trump’s dismissive comment about Hilary Clinton, Cinema’s First Nasty Womenis a collection of ninety-nine American and European short films sourced from thirteen film archives around the world. Curators Maggie Hennefeld and Laura Horak have assembled three unique programmes for YSFF, of which this is the first. Programmes two and three will follow in 2023. Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by the YSFF Improvising Ensemble, featuring Irine Rosnes, Liz Hanks, Juliana Day, Trevor Bartlett, John Sweeney, Rob Bentall and Jon Boden. Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield Link

Finding Lost Films: Adam Bede (Dir. Maurice Elvey, GB, 1918) (Screening format – 16mm, 43mins) More than three-quarters of films made during the silent era are lost. Some perished in studio vault fires, some were deliberately destroyed or have decayed over time. But some lost films are out there, somewhere, mislaid, or mis-labeled. Waiting to be found. A few years ago, Sheffield collector Christopher Wibberley came across a 16mm copy of Maurice Elvey’s 1918 adaptation of Adam Bede. The film had been presumed lost, except for one ten-minute reel in the National Film Archive. Elevy was a prolific director, making nearly two hundred films, including Hindle Wakes, Palais de Danse, and High Treason. Adam Bede is one of his earliest films. It survives in a tinted 16mm copy which has been digitally preserved in the National Film Archive. Christopher will project the film in 16mm for this screening – the first public showing for more than half a century. Set in the 1850s. the film is a tense drama centred around a farmer’s niece facing the charge of murdering her illegitimate baby.’ Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Irine Rosnes and Jonny Best. Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield 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 Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by John Sweeney Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield Link

A Woman Passed By (aka Une Femme A Passe) (Dir. Rene Jayet, Fr, 1927) (Screening format – not known, 60mins) A little known film from a now almost forgotten director, A Woman Passed By was Jayet’s debut film, a steamy melodrama set on the canals of France where a sailor lives with his adopted son on a barge. But when he meets an unscrupulous woman and offers her hospitality, it is only a matter of time before she has an affair with his son. Find out more at imdb.com Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by violinist Irine Røsnes, cellist Liz Hanks and pianist Jonny Best Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield Link

Our Hospitality (Dir. Buster Keaton/John G Blystone, US, 1923) (Screening format – not known, 73mins) Our Hospitality is a riotous satire of family feuds and Southern codes of honor. In 1831, Keaton leaves his home in New York to take charge of his family mansion down South. En route, Keaton befriends pretty Natalie Talmadge (Keaton’s real-life wife at the time), who invites him to dine at her family home. Upon meeting Talmadge’s father and brothers, Keaton learns that he is the last surviving member of a family with whom Talmadge’s kin have been feuding for over 20 years. The brothers are all for killing Keaton on the spot, but Talmadge’s father insists that the rules of hospitality be observed: so long as Keaton is a guest in the house, he will not be harmed. Thus, Keaton spends the next few reels alternately planning to sneak out of the mansion without being noticed or contriving to remain within its walls as long as possible. But once he is out of the house the chase is on, with the father and brothers in hot pursuit. In the climactic waterfall stunt a dummy stood in for Talmadge but Keaton used no doubles, and nearly lost his life as a result. This 7-reel silent film represents the only joint appearance of Buster Keaton and Natalie Talmadge; Keaton hoped that by spending several weeks on location with his wife, he could patch up their shaky marriage (it didn’t work). Also appearing are two other members of the Keaton family: Keaton’s ex-vaudevillian father Joe (who performs an eye-popping “high kick”) and his son Joseph Keaton IV, playing Buster as a baby. Find out more at wikipedia.org. Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Adam Fairhall Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield Link

24 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Pavilions, Teignmouth Link

25 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. The Spring, Havant Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org Presented by Pound Arts in co-operation with South West Silents. With live musical accompaniment by Meg Morley. Pound Arts, Corsham Link

The Mysterious Lady (Dir. Fred Niblo, US, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 80mins) Before the First World War, Tania (Greta Garbo), a Russian spy, has a love affair with Austrian Captain Karl von Heinersdorff (Conrad Nagel) in order to get secret plans that he has in his possession. She falls in love with him, but steals the plans anyway. Karl is court-martialed and jailed. His uncle (Albert Pollet) helps him to escape, and Karl goes to Russia tin search of Tania. Greta Garbo’s entrancing beauty is the main attraction in this Silent drama from MGM. Her face alone would have assured her a place in film history. But this film, which deals with World War One espionage, has other things to offer, including a good performance from Conrad Nagel as Garbo’s co-star. Find out more at catalog.afi.com Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Jonny Best. Leyburn Arts & Community Centre, Leyburn Link

26 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Hanger Farm, Southampton Link

Phantom Carriage (Dir. Victor Sjöström, Swe, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 100mins) The last person to die on New Year’s Eve before the clock strikes twelve is doomed to take the reins of Death’s chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year. So says the legend that drives The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen), directed by the father of Swedish cinema, Victor Sjöström. The story, based on a novel by Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlöf, concerns an alcoholic, abusive ne’er-do-well (Sjöström himself) who is shown the error of his ways, and the pure-of-heart Salvation Army sister who believes in his redemption. This extraordinarily rich and innovative silent classic (which inspired Ingmar Bergman to make movies) is a Dickensian ghost story and a deeply moving morality tale, as well as a showcase for groundbreaking special effects. Find out more at wikipedia.org Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Frame Ensemble featuring Irine Rosnes, Liz Hanks, Trevor Bartlett and Jonny Best. National Centre for Early Music, York Link

Faces Of Children (aka Visages d’enfants aka Mother) (Dir. Jacques Feyder, Fr/Swiss, 1925) (Screening format – not known, 117mins) A psychological drama set within Switzerland’s mountainous Haut-Valais region, Faces of Children was directed by Jacques Feyder, assisted by his actress wife, Françoise Rosay. They wrote the screenplay with Dimitri De Zoubaloff, who co-produced the film with Arthur-Adrien Porchet. The Lausanne-based producers had commissioned Feyder to make a film and he offered them the story of Faces of Children, about the estrangement of a small boy from his father and sister after his mother dies, a situation that worsens when he finds himself with a new stepmother and stepsister. The film benefits greatly from the central performance of child actor Jean Forest, whom Feyder and Rosay had discovered in the streets of Montmartre and used in a previous film, Crainequebille (screened at KenBio in 2014). The same applies to the camera work – notably a torchlight search genuinely shot at night, against the usual custom – by Abel Gance associate Léonce-Henri Burel. Many of the extras were the real-life villagers from the Haut-Valais location. Feyder shot interiors at Joinville while Rosay continued the location filming. Although production took place between May and October 1923, the release of Faces of Children was delayed until early 1925 owing to a dispute between Feyder and distributors Les Grands Films Indépendants. Although not a commercial success at the time, Faces of Children drew appreciation from critics and was eventually regarded as a landmark of realism in silent film. Find out more at ithankyouarthur.blogspot.com Presented by the Kennington Bioscope. With live musical accompaniment. Cinema Museum, London Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment with a newly commissioned score composed and performed by Chris Green. Whitby Abbey, Whitby Link

27 October

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Poly, Falmouth Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by David Allison. Film Theatre, Glasgow Link

Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde (Dir. John S. Robertson ,US, 1920) (Screening format – not known, 79mins) Not the first cinematic version of Stevenson’s famous story but one of the most memorable with John Barrymore’s classic transformation scenes, a mixture of facial and bodily contortions as well as make–up. He tends to be hammy as the leering beast of a thug but brings a tortured struggle to the repressed doctor, horrified at the demon he’s unleashed, guilty that he enjoys Hyde’s unrestrained life of drinking and whoring and terrified that he can no longer control the transformations. Martha Mansfield co-stars as his pure and innocent sweetheart, and Nita Naldi (the vamp of Blood and Sand) has a small but memorable role as the world-weary dance-hall darling who first “wakens” Jekyll’s “baser nature”. The film uses elements from a 1887 stage version of Stevenson’s original novella by Thomas Russell Sullivan. A huge box office success on its release. Find out more at moviessilently.com Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Jonny Best. Saltburn Theatre, Saltburn-by-the-Sea Link

28 October

A Page of Madness (aka Kurutta Ippēji) (Dir.Teinosuke Kinugasa, Jap, 1926) (Screening format – not known, 73mins) A man (Masao Inoue) takes a job as a caretaker at a mental asylum in order to be near his wife (Yoshie Nakagawa). Although his wife suffers genuine mental anguish, the man believes he can rescue her , but all is not quite as it seems….Considered lost for some 45 years, Kinugasa thankfully found the print in his garden shed in the early 1970s. A Page of Madness is a visually stunning, and technically dazzling work of surrealism. Teinosuke utilizes flashbacks, rhythmic intercutting, and impressionistic symbolism in this independently produced, experimental, avant-garde work with its cinematic technique equal to if not superior to that of contemporary European cinema and very much reminiscent of Robert Weine’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). The film contained no intertitles as it was intended to be exhibited with live narration delivered by a benshi who would stand to the side of the screen and introduce and relate the story to the audience. Find out more at midnighteye.com . Presented as part of the Festival of Fantastic Films. With recorded score (?) . Pendulum Hotel, Manchester Link

Trapped By The Mormons (Dir. H B Parkinson, UK, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 97mins) Based on the Winifred Graham novel “The Love Story of a Mormon” (1911), for anyone suspicious of the Mormon faith, this film would have elicited their worst fears. Mormons are portrayed here in the darkest light, as remorseless polygamists and murderers, imprisoning and converting innocent young women against their will. While they appear to make good villains- especially chief recruiter Isoldi Keene, in his predatory black cloak – there is a fair amount of scare-mongering and misconception about the Church of Latter-Day Saints which may well have reflected the general sentiment of British people towards US-imported Mormonism at the time. But the best thing in the film is the stunning American star Evelyn Brent who was living in Britain at thr time, prior to her return to the US and major league stardom in films such as Underworld (1927), The Last Command (1928) and The Mating Call (1928). Find out more at ithankyouarthur.blogspot.com Presented as part of the Festival of Fantastic Films. With recorded score (?) . Pendulum Hotel, Manchester Link

Screen And Scream Again – Grand Guignol on Film. A trio of Guignolesque delights of the silent silver screen, featuring an early Sweeney Todd, an episode of Fred Paul’s ‘Grand Guignol series and the wonderfully avant garde Tell Tale Heart (Dir. Charles Klein/Leon Shamroy, US, 1928) (Screening format – not known, 24 mins) In which a man grows to hate his neighbour, an old man whose pen etrating gaze unnerves him. He plans a perfect crime and executes it one night. But when two investigating officers arrive to question him, will his beating heart give him away? Taking its style from the German Expressionism of Caligari, this is a highly stylised adaption of Poe’s story. Find out more at imdb.com . Presented as part of the London Month of the Dead Festival. Introduced by BFI’s Bryony Dixon. With live piano accompaniment by John Sweeney. Guy’s Hospital Chapel, London 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 Neil Brand. City Screen, York Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Quay Theatre, Isle of Wight 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 organ accompaniment by Donald MacKenzie (and free popcorn, what is there not to like!) St John’s Notting Hill London W11 Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Aaron Hawthorne. Assembly Hall, Worthing Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Ben Gaunt, Naomi Perera, and Rob Bentall with a unique electro-acoustic score. The Old Woollen, Pudsey Link

29 October

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 organ accompaniment by Darius Battiwalla. St Thomas Church, Heptonstall Link

The Golem: How He Came into the World (Dir. Paul Wegener, Ger, 1920) (Screening format – not known, 60mins) This is the only surviving film of the Golem trilogy, made by German expressionist film director Wegener. Based on the old Jewish folk legend of a clay creature that is brought to life by black magic, Wegener wrote and directed the film and also starred as the Golem. The story is set in the ghetto of Medieval Prague where sorcerer and astrologer Rabbi Loew creates the Golem to save the Jewish community from persecution by the tyrannical Emperor Rudolph II. But the creature gets out of control and becomes a terrifying force of destruction, trailing fire and death in its wake. Find out more at albany.edu Presented as part of the London Month of the Dead Festival. With live piano accompaniment by Neil Brand. Guy’s Hospital Chapel, London Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Aaron Hawthorne. Neuadd Pendre , Tywyn Link

The Ghost Train (Dir. Géza von Bolváry, Germany/UK, 1927) (Screening format – not known, 72mins) This stylish and enjoyable comedy thriller is the first film version of the much-performed, British repertory-theatre classic. An eccentric group of travellers is stranded at a remote railway waiting room where the stationmaster tells them of a ghostly train that haunts the station, signifying death for all who have the misfortune to see it pass. A supernatural treat written by Arnold Ridley (Private Godfrey from TV’s Dad’s Army), that balances comedic touches with a satisfyingly scary atmosphere. And don’t miss Ilse Bois as Miss Bourne, especially after she’s had a drink. Find out more at screenonline.org.uk With live piano accompaniment by John Sweeney. Hippodrome Cinema, Bo’ness Link

Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde (Dir. John S. Robertson ,US, 1920) + Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, **mins) Not the first cinematic version of Stevenson’s famous story but this version of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde is one of the most memorable with John Barrymore’s classic transformation scenes, a mixture of facial and bodily contortions as well as make-up. He tends to be hammy as the leering beast of a thug but brings a tortured struggle to the repressed doctor. The film uses elements from a 1887 stage version of Stevenson’s original novella by Thomas Russell Sullivan. A huge box office success on its release. Find out more at moviessilently.com A German Expressionist horror masterpiece, Nosferatu stars Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an un-authorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by musicians from Opera Caledonia. St Vincents Chapel Edinburgh Link ** NB Both films are apparently being shown in ‘abridged’ 40 minute versions, whatever that means !! You have been warned !

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Minima. Brewhouse, Burton Upon Trent Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – digital , 96mins) To celebrate the hundredth anniversary of its original release, Nosferatu gets a nationwide re-release. A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok, the film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org. With recorded soundtrack. Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal Link

30 October

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 organ accompaniment by Darius Battiwalla. Howard Assembly Room, Leeds Link

Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (Dir. Benjamin Christensen, Swe., 1922) ( Screening format – not known, 105mins) A fictionalized documentary with dramatic reconstructions showing the evolution of witchcraft, from its pagan roots to its confusion with hysteria in modern (1922) Europe. Based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, a 15th-century German guide for inquisitors, Häxan is a study of how superstition and the misunderstanding of diseases and mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch hunts. Although it won acclaim in Denmark and Sweden when first released, Haxan was heavily censored or banned outright in many countries. But it is now considered to be Christensen’s finest work, a witches’ brew of the scary, the grotesque, and the darkly humorous. Find out more at thedevilsmanor.blogspot.co.uk . Presented as part of the London Month of the Dead Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne. Guy’s Hospital Chapel, London Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Electric Cinema, Birmingham Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Terry Davies. The Picture House, Uckfield 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 Wurlitzer organ accompaniment by Donald MacKenzie. The Musical Museum , Brentford Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by improvisational group Grok. Genesis Cinema, Lonon Link

The Golem: How He Came into the World (Dir. Paul Wegener/Carl Boese, Ger, 1920) ( Screening format – not known, 86mins) Suffering under the tyrannical rule of Rudolf II in 16th-century Prague, a Talmudic rabbi creates a giant warrior to protect the safety of his people. Sculpted of clay and animated by the mysterious secrets of the Cabala, the Golem was a seemingly indestructible juggernaut, performing acts of great heroism, yet equally capable of dreadful violence. When the rabbi’s assistant takes control of the Golem and attempts to use him for selfish gain, the lumbering monster runs rampant, abducting the rabbi’s daughter and setting fire to the ghetto. Actor-director Paul Wegener made three films built around the mythical creature of Jewish legend: Golem was released in 1914, and a sequel of sorts, Der Golem und die Tänzerin, came out in 1917. This is the one film which has survived and is regarded among the landmarks of early German expressionism. Stylized sets and moody cinematography elevated The Golem above the standard features of its time, its central figure has been the focus of a number of films produced in various countries, and the name has become a generic descriptor for any lumbering creature which can’t be easily controlled. Find out more at albany.edu. With live piano accompaniment by Lillian Henley. Palace Cinema, Broadstairs Link

Blinking Buzzards The UK Buster Keaton Society. Quarterly meeting of the society dedicated to the appreciation of the silent comedian. Cinema Museum, Lambeth Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Minima. Picture House, Thornbury Link

31 October

Vampyr (Dir. Carl Theodore Dreyer, 1932) (Screening format – not known, 75mins) Technically, Dryer’s first sound film ( but with very little dialogue and extensive use made of inter-titles) Staying at a country inn, Allan Grey scoffs at the notion of supernatural death before being forced to believe that there may be things beyond his understanding. The skills of director and cameraman induce a similar confusion on the part of those watching, as we encounter one of cinema’s great nightmares. Dreyer offers few explanations for the phenomena on screen: strange and frightening things may just happen. Vampyr opened to a generally negative reception from audiences and critics. Dreyer edited the film after its German premiere and it opened to more mixed opinions at its French debut. The film was long considered a low point in Dreyer’s career, but modern critical reception to the film has become much more favourable with critics praising the film’s disorienting visual effects and atmosphere. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by the Brixton Chamber Orchestra. Ritzy, Brixton Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Aaron Hawthorne. The Plaza, Stockport Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment. Snowcat Cinema, Penarth Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Tony Judge. Future Yard, Birkenhead Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Chris Green. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org Presented by the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival. With live musical accompaniment by Frame Ensemble featuring Irine Rosnes, Liz Hanks, Trevor Bartlett and Jonny Best. The Picturedrome,, Holmfirth Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment featuring a brand new score by Les Hayden. Guildhall, Leicester Link

Nosferatu (Dir. F W Murnau, 1922) (Screening format – not known, 96mins) A German Expressionist horror masterpiece starring Max Shreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel. Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaption and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints survived and the film came to be regarded as an inspirational master work of the cinema. In the film, Count Orlok travels across Europe leaving a trail of death in his wake. Brilliantly eerie, with imaginative touches which later adaptions never achieved. Find out more at wikipedia.org With live musical accompaniment by Minima. S4C, Carmarthen Link

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