Live Screenings – Jun – Dec 2026 – Silentfilmcalendar.org

June

1 June

Limit (aka Limite) (Dir. Mário Peixoto, Bra, 1931) (Screening format – digital, 113mins) Límite, the only film completed by its creator Mario Peixoto, is considered one of the most important works in the history of Brazilian cinema. It descends directly from Soviet cinema, German expressionist cinema and Griffith’s classic American cinema. It adds artistic value to filmmaking. The film brings enormous innovations in terms of language, with its slow pace, images of Brazilian landscapes and revolutionary camera work that combines static framing with dizzying movements, underpinned by an erudite soundtrack. The film deals with the essential limitation of the human condition, and fundamental futility of human action. Adrift in a small boat, three figures recall fractured pasts through a cascade of memories and sensations. Peixoto abandons linear storytelling for pure visual rhythm, creating Brazil’s most mythologised silent film. Long unavailable but now restored, it remains a landmark of global avant-garde cinema. Find out more at moviessilently.com With recorded score. BFI Southbank, London Link

4 June

Chicago (Dir. Frank Urson & Cecil B.DeMille (uncredited), 1927) (Screening format – not known, 118mins ) Seventy-five years before Bob Fosse’s Oscar-winning musical version of Maurine Watkins’ successful stage play, Cecil B. DeMille’s production company made this saucy silent film version. Phyllis Haver is hugely entertaining as the brazen Roxie Hart “Chicago’s most beautiful murderess” – a woman so pathologically shallow she sees notoriety for a murder rap as an opportunity to secure her fortune. Egged on by her crooked lawyer (“they’ll be naming babies after you”) Roxie neglects her long-suffering loyal husband and sets about milking her celebrity status for all she’s worth. The sequence in the prison is an absolute delight – particularly the rivalry between Roxie and fellow-murderess Velma (played by Julia Faye, DeMille’s mistress), as are the climactic courtroom scenes. A cracking, satire on fame and the media, this fun-filled tale of adultery, murder and sin (so sinful that DeMille – known for his Biblical epics – was at pains to keep his name off the credits) is as fresh and relevant as ever. Find out more at wikipedia.org . Presented by Northern Silents. With live musical accompaniment by pianist Jonny Best. Brewery Arts, Kendal. Link

6 – 14 June

Wuthering Heights Rediscovered Celebrating the lost 1920 film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s iconic novel using the only know surviving copy of the script, as well as photographs previously unseen by the public, this touring exhibition, in association with Leeds Lit Fest, will help to recreate and reimagine a film whose original prints have been lost to time. Curated by Professor Rob Shail and Irfan Shah, the exhibition and accompanying free, downloadable booklet, will be a collaboration between the Early Cinema Research Group, Leeds Beckett University and the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth. Wuthering Heights Rediscovered will appeal to cinephiles, Brontë devotees and lovers of the Yorkshire countryside. Warley Phone Box Museum, Warley Link

7 June

Film Society 38 – In 1930, the Film Society, a pioneering organisation of cinephiles, championed the work of women filmmakers in their 38th edition. It consisted solely of films produced or directed by women. Not all of these survive – we have lost films by Dorothy Arzner and Dinah Shurey – but the BFI have enough to present, for the first time since 1930, this celebration of the women who featured in that groundbreaking programme. The programme includes The Peasant Women of Ryazan (aka Baby Ryazanskie) (Dir. Olga Preobrazhenskaya, USSR, 1927) (Screening format – digital, 88mins). This tells the story of Anna and Wassilissa, sisters-in-law living in the village of Ryazan. The story starts in 1914 just before the outbreak of WWI and focuses on the relationship of Anna with Ivan and Wassilissa with Nikolai. However, once both men are drafted for war, the women’s social positions change dramatically; Anna becomes very vulnerable, while Wassilissa becomes more assertive and refuses to be a victim of circumstances. Preobrazhenskaya’s film builds up psychological tension through a sober and realistic visual narration. This results in beautiful documentary scenes, shot on location. Find out more at moviessilently.com The programme also includes Secrets of Nature: Plants of the Underworld UK 1930. Director Mary Field. 11min. Digital Cinderella Germany 1922. Director Lotte Reinger. 16min. 35mm and Seashell and the Clergyman France 1928. Director Germaine Dulac. 31min. 35mm. With live musical accompaniment. BFI Southbank, London Link

10 June

The Strange Case of Captain Ramper (aka Ramper, der Tiermensch (Dir. Max Reichmann, Ger, 1927) (Screening format – 35mm, ??mins) The film follows the story of an aviator who survives a plane crash in northern Greenland, descending into feral isolation before being rediscovered and eintegrated into society through scientific intervention. Produced by Deutsche Film Union and distributed internationally by First National Pictures, it explores themes of human survival, degeneration, and the clash between civilization and wilderness. The plot centres on Captain Ramper (Wegner), a daring German pilot, and his mechanic Charles Ipling (Kossuth), who crash-land during a flight to the North Pole. Ipling dies from the harsh conditions, leaving Ramper to survive alone in the frozen wilds, where he regresses into a beast-like existence among polar bears. The screenplay was adapted by Curt J. Braun from the play Ramper by Max Mohr, with additional contributions from lead actor Paul Wegener. This adaptation preserved the core themes of isolation and psychological transformation from the source material, translating the stage narrative into a visual format suited for silent cinema. Time magazine called it an “original, entertaining” tale of a lost explorer who regresses to an animal-like state during 15 years in the Arctic, only to reject civilization upon his return; the publication commended Wegener’s proficient portrayal. Find out more at wikipedia.org Presented by the Kennington Bioscope. With live musical accompaniment. Cinema Museum, Lambeth Link

12 June

Filibus (Dir. Mario Roncoroni, It, 1915) (Screening format – not known, 76mins) Filibus (the first of thirty films directed by Roncoroni) featured as a protagonist a roguish female lead character, the Baroness Troixmonde, who is a respectable member of society by day, but by night in the guise of “Filibus” she terrorises Sicily from her zeppelin, which is full of technologically-advanced equipment and weaponry. The zeppelin is manned by a staff of mask-wearing, black-skin-suit-clad male assistants who obey the Baroness’ commands instantly. The airship is her headquarters and her home, and she descends to land only to rob or to hobnob with the socialites and dance with women as the tuxedo-wearing dandy Count de la Brieve ( a full 15 years before Dietrich’s famous cross-dressing scene in Morocco). But has Filibus met her match with the renowned Detective Hardy on her trail….. Find out more at silentsplease.wordpress.com . Introduction by curator Erik Anderson Scott. With live musical accompaniment by composer Su Kim. Finch Community Cinema, London Link

14 June

“You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet!” – Film, Sound, Music and Entertainment 1894 – 1929 See and hear drama, music and entertainment! A day-long event exploring the many attempts to combine sound with film, from the mid 1890’s to the advent of the feature-length musical. Highlights include; Dave Peabody presenting some of the earliest and most fascinating examples of sound being used with film such as The Dickson Experimental Sound Film of 1894; Tony Fletcher presenting a selection of incredible rarities on 35mm from the BFI, demonstrating the British attempts at marrying sound with film; Malcolm Billingsley and Dave Peabody demonstrating the pioneering sound-on-disc system developed by Western Electric and Bell Telephone Laboratories in the US; and John Sweeney, Anna Gillespie, and Frank Bockius providing live musical accompaniment to the first publicly exhibited films that combined projected images with sound-on-cylinder. Made by Gaumont in France and shown at the Paris Exposition of 1900, these short, often hand-tinted films feature famous stage actors, dancers and comedians, including Sarah Bernhardt and English music hall star Little Tich. Other films being screened include British melodrama Dark Red Roses (1929), swashbuckler Don Juan (1926) with John Barrymore and The Broadway Melody (1929), Hollywood’s first all-talking musical. Presented by the Kennington Bioscope. With live and recorded accompanyment. Cinema Museum, Lambeth Link

The General (Dir. Buster Keaton/Clyde Bruckman, 1926) (Screening format – not known, 75mins) Widely considered one of the greatest films ever made and one of the most revered comedies of the silent era, Buster Keaton’s effortless masterpiece sees hapless Southern railroad engineer Johnny Gray (Keaton) facing off against Union soldiers during the American Civil War. When Johnny’s fiancée, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), is accidentally taken away while on a train stolen by Northern forces, Gray pursues the soldiers, using various modes of transportation in comic action scenes that highlight Keaton’s boundless, innovative wit and joyful, lighthearted dexterity, to reclaim the train and thereby save the South. Find out more at busterkeaton.com . With live musical accompaniment by composer and musician Mike Hatchard. Electric Palace, Hastings Link

20 June

Safety Last (Dir. Fred C Newmeyer/Sam Taylor, US, 1923) (Screening format – not known, 73mins) A boy (Harold Lloyd) moves to New York City to make enough money to support his loving girlfriend (Mildred Davis), but soon discovers that making it in the big city is harder than it looks. When he hears that a store manager will pay $1,000 to anyone who can draw people to his store, he convinces his friend, the “human fly,” (Bill Strother) to climb the building and split the profit with him. But when his pal gets in trouble with the law, he must complete the crazy stunt on his own. The image of Harold Lloyd hanging desperately from the hands of a skyscraper clock during Safety Last! is one of the great icons of film history (although it was achieved with a certain amount of film trickery) and this remains one of the best and best loved comedies of the silent era. Find out more atrogerebert.com. With live piano accompaniment by John Sweeney. Barbican, London Link

21 June

A Hoot and a Half With Laurel & Hardy. Their individual skills as on-screen comedians and their double act was developed in the years before sound. Many of their silent classics were produced by Hal Roach and directed by Leo McCarey, the two who had first noticed the chemistry between Stan and Ollie and paired them up together for the first time in 1927 for Do Detectives Think?. Today we’ll meet the fellas as they try to make a go of it as musicians, try to get away with a reckless night out, and try to raise funds by throwing Stan in the ring as a boxer. All this and much more, including a lack of trousers, several raised eyebrows and many, many custard pies. With live piano accompaniment by Lillian Henley. Palace Cinema, Broadstairs Link

July

1 July

The Blood Ship (Dir. George B. Seitz, US, 1927) (Screening format – Digital, 70mins) Adapted by Fred Myton from the novel by Norman Springer, The Blood Ship stars Hobart Bosworth, Jacqueline Logan and Richard Arlen and was a big hit at the 2025 Pordenone film festival. As the title suggests, The Blood Ship is a rousing seagoing tale, set aboard a cargo vessel whose captain’s notoriety means that the majority of the crew are only there owing to having been shanghaied. One exception is a former, disgraced sea captain who signs on and discovers the tyrannical skipper to be the man who had framed him for murder and kidnapped his wife and daughter. Mutiny is sure to follow. Former stage actor Hobart Bosworth had been a prolific screenwriter and director alongside his acting career but had to limit his activities owing to a decades-long struggle with tuberculosis. Despite this, he maintained an image of considerable physical strength in his on-screen roles as `hard man’. Director Seitz remade the story as a talkie in 1931 under the title Shanghaied Love. The earlier silent version was for many years unseen because its last reel was believed to be lost. Fortunately it was found and the full film restored in 2007. Find out more atmoviessilently.com Presented by the Kennington Bioscope. With live musical accompaniment. Cinema Museum, Lambeth Link

19 July

Three Bad Men (Dir. John Ford, US, 1926) (Screening format – digital 4k, 92mins) The year is 1877. Following the discovery of gold on Sioux territory, the U.S. government has decided to give the land over to settlers. One of these settlers is Miss Lee Carleton, who is orphaned when her father is murdered. She’s rescued by the three eponymous outlaws, who become her protectors. Thinking that Lee needs a husband, they set her up with young Irish immigrant Dan O’Malley. However, they must all contend with the corrupt Sheriff Layne Hunter and his ruthless posse. John Ford’s first epic Western, the 1925 The Iron Horse, helped to establish Fox as a major studio and Ford as a major director. If anything, his 1926 return to the genre, 3 Bad Men, is richer and more personal; it would prove to be Ford’s farewell to the genre in which he had served his apprenticeship, until his return with Stagecoach in 1939. The classic Fordian theme—the sacrifice of the individual for the good of the group—is here played out by three eccentric outlaws (Tom Santschi, J. Farrell MacDonald, Frank Campeau) who resolve to protect a young homesteader (Olive Borden) and her fiancé (George O’Brien) from the violence surrounding a great Western land rush. This restoration (funded by Twentieth Century Fox) represents a major upgrade that has dramatically improved image quality and original colour tinting. Find out more at itpworld.online With live musical accompaniment by Ashley Valentine. BFI Southbank, London Link

25 July

Queen Kelly (Dir. Erich von Stroheim, US, 1929) (Screening format – not known, 101mins) A young convent girl is seduced by a European nobleman, arousing the ire of his bride-to-be Queen Kelly and eventually finding herself exiled to a brothel in East Africa. This film solidified Stroheim’s reputation for extravagance and insistence on complete artistic freedom regardless of economic considerations. It would cost him his Hollywood career. Visually striking and perverse, this film was Erich von Stroheim’s last silent film and final directorial project. The production of the costly film was shut down after complaints by the star, Gloria Swanson, about the direction the film was taking. In later interviews, Swanson had claimed that she had been misled by the script which referred to her character arriving in, and taking over, a dance hall; looking at the rushes, it was obvious the ‘dance hall’ was actually a brothel. Stroheim was fired from the film and much of the story-line scrapped. Swanson and producer Joseph P Kennedy (with whom Swanson was having an affair) still wanted to salvage what was left, as it had been so costly and time-consuming, and had potential market value. An alternate ending was shot and the film was released in Europe and South America (but never in the US). This is the UK premier of a newly restored version of the film. Basing his reconstruction on von Stroheim’s original scripts, Milestone Films’ Dennis Doros and Amy Heller employed multiple techniques to recreate the film’s lurid dénouement. This vital new digital reconstruction brings von Stroheim’s original script to life, and the result is Queen Kelly in its most complete and spectacular form to date. Find out more at sensesofcinema.com. Presented as part of the Cinema Rediscovered Festival. With live musical accompaniment (?). Watershed, Bristol Link

Big Films on Small Gauges 28mm In 1911, Pathé launched 28mm, one of the first non-theatrical film gauges. Used largely for educational and community screenings, the gauge was most popular in the USA, and offered a range of film subjects, not just from Pathe’s own back catalogue, but films by other companies. Despite the formats early demise, both films and equipment have survived in private hands, kept alive in small corners of the film community and a number of silent films are now known only to survive on 28mm format. BFI National Archive Curator Rosie Taylor and filmmaker and historian Christopher Bird here present the history of the format and project original 100 year old film prints on a 28mm Victor projector. Presented as part of the Cinema Rediscovered Festival. With live musical accompaniment (?). Watershed, Bristol Link

Three Bad Men (Dir. John Ford, US, 1926) (Screening format – not known, 92mins) The year is 1877. Following the discovery of gold on Sioux territory, the U.S. government has decided to give the land over to settlers. One of these settlers is Miss Lee Carleton, who is orphaned when her father is murdered. She’s rescued by the three eponymous outlaws, who become her protectors. Thinking that Lee needs a husband, they set her up with young Irish immigrant Dan O’Malley. However, they must all contend with the corrupt Sheriff Layne Hunter and his ruthless posse. John Ford’s first epic Western, the 1925 The Iron Horse, helped to establish Fox as a major studio and Ford as a major director. If anything, his 1926 return to the genre, 3 Bad Men, is richer and more personal; it would prove to be Ford’s farewell to the genre in which he had served his apprenticeship, until his return with Stagecoach in 1939. The classic Fordian theme—the sacrifice of the individual for the good of the group—is here played out by three eccentric outlaws (Tom Santschi, J. Farrell MacDonald, Frank Campeau) who resolve to protect a young homesteader (Olive Borden) and her fiancé (George O’Brien) from the violence surrounding a great Western land rush. Find out more at itpworld.online With live musical accompaniment by Meg Morley. Pound Arts, Corsham Link

26 July

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 as part of the Cinema Rediscovered Festival. With live musical accompaniment (?). Watershed, Bristol Link

28 July

Silent Comedy Pick ‘N’ Mix – An irresistible celebration of laughter with a whirlwind selection of silent-era comic gems, bursting with playful chaos, big-hearted humour, and dazzling slapstick invention. Perfect for all ages, this joyous event showcases the timeless magic of cinema’s earliest fun-makers at their most inventive and charming. Films TBC. Presented by the Lucky Dog Picturehouse. With live musical accompaniment by Tom Marlow. Wilton’s Music Hall, London Link

29 July

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 Lucky Dog Picturehouse. With live musical accompaniment by Sam Watts. Wilton’s Music Hall, London Link

30 July

Pandora’s Box (Dir. G W Pabst, Ger, 1929) (Screening format – not known, 135mins) Based on two plays by the German author Frank Wedekind, Erdgeist (Earth Spirit, 1895), which Pabst himself had directed for the stage, and Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora’s Box, 1904), the silent drama follows Pthe tumultuous life of the showgirl Lulu whose unselfconscious sexuality brings about the ruin of all those that fall for her and eventually her own. In a daring move, Pabst chose a little known American actress over the more experienced Marlene Dietrich for the part of Lulu, a decision that made the young Louise Brooks an international star. Her innocent looks paired with her natural erotic allure and sense of movement – Brooks was also a dancer – perfectly matched Pabst’s idea of his heroine as unwitting seductress. Subjected to cuts to eliminate some of its “scandalous” content and unfavourably reviewed by critics at the time, it is now considered one of the boldest and most modern films of the Weimar era highlighting Pabst’s command of camera language and montage. Find out more at silentlondon.co.uk . Presented by the Lucky Dog Picturehouse. With live musical accompaniment by Christopher Eldred. Wiltons Musical Hall, London Link

31 July

The General (Dir. Buster Keaton/Clyde Bruckman, 1926) (Screening format – not known, 75mins) Widely considered one of the greatest films ever made and one of the most revered comedies of the silent era, Buster Keaton’s effortless masterpiece sees hapless Southern railroad engineer Johnny Gray (Keaton) facing off against Union soldiers during the American Civil War. When Johnny’s fiancée, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), is accidentally taken away while on a train stolen by Northern forces, Gray pursues the soldiers, using various modes of transportation in comic action scenes that highlight Keaton’s boundless, innovative wit and joyful, lighthearted dexterity, to reclaim the train and thereby save the South. Find out more at busterkeaton.com . Presented by the Lucky Dog Picturehouse. With live musical accompaniment by Christopher Eldred. Wiltons Musical Hall, London Link

August

29 August

The Black Pirate (Dir. Albert Parker, US, 1926) (Screening format – not known, 97mins) Actor and producer Douglas Fairbanks, having swashed his buckle as every other action hero – Zorro, Musketeer, Robin Hood – here turned pirate. It’s the perfect vehicle for his athleticism and sensational stunt work, as well as his not insignificant on-screen charisma. Importantly, he chose to film it in two-strip Technicolor, in a subtle ‘Old Master’ palette, which set a high bar for colour features to come. The story involves a young nobleman (Fairbanks) whose father is killed by pirates. He vows to avenge his dad’s death by becoming a buccaneer himself and routing out the villains. Along the way, he rescues damsel-in-distress Billie Dove (likewise of noble birth) and engages in a few bloody duels with the swarthy likes of Sam De Grasse and Anders Randolph. Charlie Stevens, a grandson of American Indian chief Geronimo — and whom Fairbanks regarded as a lucky charm — appears in several tiny roles. Find out more atsilentfilm.org With live musical accompaniment by Meg Morley. Pound Arts, Corsham Link

September

19 September

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 Matthew Church, Northampton Link

October

4 October

Faust (Dir. F W Murnau, Ger, 1926) (Screening format – not known, 107mins) Like Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau is a towering figure of Weimar cinema, thanks to films such as Nosferatu (1922), The Last Laugh (1924), and, after moving to America, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927). Murnau’s approach to framing and his use of liberating camera movements suggested to subsequent filmmakers a new way of using the pictorial space. Faust, the director’s final German film, draws on sources including Marlowe and Goethe in service of the story of a man who makes a deal with the devil. Murnau’s Faust was the most technically elaborate and expensive production undertaken by Ufa until it was surpassed by Metropolis the following year. Filming took six months, at a cost of 2 million marks, only half of which was recovered at the box office. According to many film historians, Faust seriously influenced subsequent studio shooting and special effects techniques. Murnau used two cameras, each filming multiple shots; with many scenes requiring multiple takes. Faust was Murnau’s last German film, immediately prior to his move to the US. Find out more at rogerebert.com. With live organ accompaniment by Darius Battiwalla. Holy Trinity Church, Eccleshall Link

28 October

The Woman That Men Yearn For (aka Die Frau, nach der man sich sehnt) (Dir, Curtis Bernhard, Ger, 1929) (Screening format – not known, 78mins) The dreamy Charles Leblanc (Oskar Sima), about to marry into a wealthy steel-making family, glimpses Stascha (Marlene Dietrich) and her companion Karoff (Fritz Kortner) as they pause for a drink at a bar in his small southern France town. They meet again on the train taking him and his wife on their honeymoon. Overwhelmed by Stascha’s sexuality, and ignoring his distraught new wife, Leblanc agrees to help her escape from the domineering Karoff, setting in motion a chain of obsessive, destructive events. Long before von Sternberg brought us Dietrich as Lola Lola in The Blue Angel, the actress had already created her femme fatale persona with this, her first starring role. Although made on something of a shoestring budget and wholly studio shot, the film benefits from excellent direction from Bernhardt, Dietrich smoulders superbly and the rest of the cast are excellent. Unfortunately the film was released just as audiences were clamouring for sound films and as a result it was not particularly successful. But this is a welcome opportunity to see this rarely screened classic which marked an important milestone in Dietrich’s career development Find out more at silentfilm.org . Presented by Northern Silents. With live musical accompaniment by pianist Jonny Best. National Centre for Early, York Link

November

9 November

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 live organ accompaniment by Darius Battiwalla. Christ Church Spitalfields, London Link

14 November

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, UK, 1927) (Screening format – not known, 91 mins ) In The Lodger, a serial killer known as “The Avenger” is on the loose in London, murdering blonde women. A mysterious man (Ivor Novello) arrives at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Bunting looking for a room to rent. The Bunting’s daughter (June Tripp) is a blonde model and is seeing one of the detectives (Malcolm Keen) assigned to the case. The detective becomes jealous of the lodger and begins to suspect he may be the avenger. Based on a best-selling novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, first published in 1913, loosely based on the Jack the Ripper murders, The Lodger was Hitchcock’s first thriller, and his first critical and commercial success. Made shortly after his return from Germany, the film betrays the influence of the German expressionist tradition established in such films as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) and Nosferatu (1922). Find out more at silentfilm.org Presented by South West Silents. With live piano accompaniment by Neil Brand. Megascreen, Bristol Link

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