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A collection of news and information pertaining to silent era films.
Copyright © 1999-2009 by Carl Bennett. All Rights Reserved.
Silent Film in San Francisco, California
Tickets are on sale now for the foremost celebration of silent cinema in the Americas — The 14th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival, scheduled for 10–12 July 2009 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco.
In the space of a mere three days audiences will have the chance to experience the breathtaking vitality and depth of the silent era with 12 programs of classic films and rediscoveries — complete with live musical accompaniment in a grand movie palace setting!
Douglas Fairbanks, John Gilbert, Lillian Gish — superstars of the silent era, all — are just a few of the legendary talents returning to the big screen, and we're thrilled to welcome back some of the finest musicians to match music to image — including the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, Philip Carli, Stephen Horne, Dennis James and Donald Sosin.
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Douglas Fairbanks in The Gaucho (1927).
Photograph: Courtesy San Francisco Silent Film
Festival. |
Mont Alto will premiere its brand new original score, written expressly for the Silent Film Festival, to accompany our Opening Night presentation of The Gaucho (1927), starring Douglas Fairbanks and the revelation of the festival — Lupe Velez. Fairbanks, a huge star at the time, wrote this glorious adventure and generously shares the spotlight with the dazzling newcomer in her first starring role. Mont Alto will also accompany the West Coast premiere of the restored legendary ‘lost’ King Vidor film starring John Gilbert, Bardelys the Magnificent (1926), as well as playing for the Czech scorcher, Erotikon (1929).
Pianist Stephen Horne of the National Film Theatre in London will return to accompany Jean Epstein's surrealist masterpiece — La chute de la maison Usher [The Fall of the House of Usher] (1928). Luis Buñuel, fresh from his collaboration with Salvador Dali on Un chien Andalou (1928), assisted Epstein on this French take on Usher. Horne will also play for Josef von Sternberg’s proto-noir Underworld (1927), which will be introduced by the Noir City’s Eddie Muller; and Amazing Tales from the Archives, the fourth edition of our free-admission spotlight on film preservation. This special program will include the world premiere of Screen Snapshots — 7th Series, a rare short subject preserved by last year’s recipient of our Silent Film Festival Preservation Fellowship, Anne Smatla. We will announce this year’s fellowship recipient at this program.
Philip Carli of George Eastman House, returns to the baby grand to accompany our Director’s Pick program. Director Terry Zwigoff (Crumb, Ghost World, Bad Santa) has selected the rarely-screened comic gem So’s Your Old Man (1926), featuring the hilarious comedian W.C. Fields — a star well known for his work in talking pictures who proves to be a master of the silent screen as well!
The gloriously rousing Chinese film Wild Rose (1932) starring Jin Yan, the Valentino of China will be accompanied by master pianist Donald Sosin, and the 2009 Silent Film Festival Award will be presented at this program to the Chinese Film Archive. Yan’s widow Qin Yi, herself a celebrated entertainer in China, will introduce the program. Sosin will also accompany our family-friendly matinee program, featuring the wonderful Disney character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927-1928). Leonard Maltin and animator Ub Iwerks’ granddaughter Leslie Iwerks will guide us through this enchanted animated program.
Our closing night film will be D.W. Griffith’s last silent film — Lady of the Pavements (1929), starring the beautiful Lupe Velez — who opens the festival as well! With its splendid cinematic flourishes, Lady marks the master’s return to the cinematic firmament after years in the critical wilderness. The film was completed as a silent, then partially reshot to qualify as a part-talkie including two musical numbers — Griffith’s innovative experimentation with “sound modulation.” Our presentation will include piano accompaniment by Donald Sosin, and vocal recreation of the musical numbers by Joanna Seaton!
The master of the Mighty Wurlitzer, Dennis James, will premiere his original score — commissioned by the Silent Film Festival — at our centerpiece presentation of Victor Sjöström’s brilliant The Wind (1928), starring Lillian Gish in her finest role. Along with Griffith and Murnau, Swedish director Sjöström was one of the giants of the silent era who convinced critics that the motion picture was not a bastard child of the stage, but a vital art form in its own right. Our presentation will include a special wind effect (the kind used in silent movie scores in the 1920s)! The centerpiece presentation will be introduced by Leonard Maltin. James will also accompany the delirious Soviet futurist drama Aelita, Queen of Mars (1924) on the Mighty Wurllitzer and the Theremin, backed up by Mark Goldstein on the Buchla Lightning!
This year we celebrate Biograph Studios, director D.W. Griffith, and the company's most famous star Mary Pickford. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Pickford’s screen debut and to celebrate the centenary of her career on the silver screen, we will present several shorts featuring America’s Sweetheart, as well as recent preserved and restored Biograph titles from the Library of Congress and George Eastman House.
Friday, 10 July 2009
7:00 PM
The Gaucho (1927)
starring Douglas Fairbanks and Lupe Velez
Our Opening Night Film, Fairbanks wrote this glorious and jaw-dropping adventure, generously sharing the spotlight with dazzling newcomer Lupe Velez, in her first starring role. Shown with restored two-strip Technicolor outtakes from The Gaucho. Special guests, Jeffrey Vance and Tony Maietta. Accompanied by The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
$17.00 Member / $20.00 General
9:30 PM
OPENING NIGHT PARTY
$20.00 Member / $25.00 General
Saturday, 11 July 2009
10:00 AM
Amazing Tales from the Archives
Joe Lindner and Heather Olson of Academy Film Archive will give a presentation on 28mm films currently being preserved including a trailer for a lost Constance Talmadge film, Polly of the Follies (1922) and a complete Edison short, How the Hungry Man Was Fed (1911). Musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne.
Free Admission
12:00 AM
Bardelys the Magnificent (1926)
directed by King Vidor
King Vidor’s swashbuckling romance, now superbly restored digitally, confirms the scope of John Gilbert’s bountiful talents, while building to a rousing (and oh-so-satisfying) denouement! Presented with They Would Elope (1909). Introduced by special guest David Shepard. Musical accompaniment by The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
$12.00 Member / $14.00 General
2:30 PM
Wild Rose (1932)
directed by Sun Yu
Director Sun Yu’s classic love story is set in the same era as Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and portrays a fascinating contrast of rustic countryside and Art Deco cityscape. Wang Renmei was given the nickname Wildcat for her unbridled star performance and costar Jin Yan, was considered the Valentino of China. Presented with Girl for $1.98. Musical accompaniment by Donald Sosin.
$12.00 Member / $14.00 General
5:00 PM
Underworld (1927)
directed by Josef von Sternberg
Sternberg’s scintillating crime saga showcases cinematographer Burt Glennon (who would become a master of film noir style), adding a moody light and shadow to the story of gangster Bull Weed and his fiery moll Feathers. Writer Ben Hecht won his first Academy Award for the story! Presented with Voice of the Violin (1909). Musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne.
$12.00 Member / $14.00 General
7:30 PM
The Wind (1928)
starring Lillian Gish and Lars Hanson
The Mojave Desert stands in for the harsh Texas landscape where young Letty (the luminous Gish) finds herself fighting loneliness, a violent suitor, and the relentless, punishing wind. Magnificent! Presented with The Trick That Failed (1909) and Getting Even (1909). Special guest, Leonard Maltin. Musical accompaniment by Dennis James.
$15.00 Member / $17.00 General
9:45 PM
Aelita, Queen of Mars (1924)
directed by Yakov Protazanov
Like a delirious marriage of Metropolis (1927) and a Buck Rogers serial, Aelita’s set designs and costumes alone are worth the price of admission. Then add Dennis James on the organ, Theremin and Buchla lightning sticks.
$12.00 Member / $14.00 General
Sunday, 12 July 2009
10:30 AM
Walt Disney’s
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927-1928)
If Walt Disney hadn’t lost Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in a legal dispute, we might not have Mickey Mouse! Join Leonard Maltin as he guides us through a side-splitting selection of Oswald at his innovative best! Special guests, Leonard Maltin and Leslie Iwerks.
$12.00 Member / $14.00 General
1:30 PM
Erotikon (1929)
directed by Gustav Machaty
A young woman is seduced and abandoned by a stranger. What happens next appears to follow the ages-old dictate of guilt, humiliation and punishment but this Czechoslovakian scorcher has something far more adult to explore. Presented with Fate’s Turning (1911). Musical accompaniment by The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
$12.00 Member / $14.00 General
4:00 PM
So’s Your Old Man (1926)
starring W.C. Fields and Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers
This is a very rare screening of what many consider this comic master’s greatest silent-era film, specially picked by director Terry Zwigoff who will introduce the film. Presented with Their First Divorce Case (1911). Musical accompaniment by Philip Carli.
$12.00 Member / $14.00 General
6:15 PM
La chute de la maison Usher [The Fall of the House of Usher] (1928)
directed by Jean Epstein
Luis Bunuel, fresh from his collaboration with Salvador Dali on Un chien Andalou (1928), served as French surrealist Jean Epstein’s assistant on this haunted, yet exquisitely beautiful adaptation of the famous Poe story. Presented with The Barber’s Queer Customer (1900). Musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne.
$12.00 Member / $14.00 General
8:15 PM
Lady of the Pavements (1929)
directed by D.W. Griffith
Closing Night Film
Griffith’s last silent film is not only a marvelous romantic drama it was a return to form with splendid cinematic flourishes and another spectacular performance by Lupe Velez! Presented with The Lesser Evil (1912). Musical accompaniment by Donald Sosin and Joanna Seaton.
$15.00 Member / $17.00 General
FESTIVAL PASS: $120.00 Member / $140.00 General
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McRoskey Mattress Company will once again be the festival’s lead sponsor. As part of their sponsorship they have generously donated a Salem Day Bed (a $2,700 value) which will go to the lucky winner of our Grand Prize Raffle!
For complete program information and to buy tickets, please visit www.silentfilm.org.
Castro Theatre
429 Castro Street
(between Market and 18th Streets)
San Francisco, California 94114
415-621-6120
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