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(scroll
down to see performances already held, January '08 to now)
JULY Norma Talmadge in "Deluxe Annie" Based upon the play DE LUXE ANNIE (1918) by Edward Clark, the wife of a wealthy man develops amnesia after a blow to her head. Unwittingly, she becomes the partner with the band of crooks, who were attempting to rob her husband. Piano accompaniment. July 6 at 2:00 - Yiddish Book Center - Amherst, MA Max Davidson comedies Back for the fourth time, Ben Model and Bruce Lawton bring silent film to the Yiddish Book Center's annual "Paper Bridge Summer Arts Festival". This year the festival kicks off with a trio of Max Davidson comedies: Feed 'Em and Weep, Long Fliv the King (starring Charley Chase), and Jewish Prudence. Piano accompaniment. July 6 at 7:00 - Bard Summerscape - Annandale-on-Hudson, NY Dmitri Kirsanov films This screening is part of the Bard Summerscape's Prokofiev festival, and the film programming series is entitled Cinéma Transcontinental: America, Russia and France in the 1930s. Screened at this showing will be Kirsanov's Menilmontant ('26) and Brumes d'automne ('29), with piano accompaniment, plus Renoir's 1936 Partie de campagne. July 7 to 16 - MoMA - NYC "Dali Laughs" MoMA's film screenings during July line up with the Salvador Dalí exhibit in the museum's galleries. The following silent comedies are part of this series: July 7 at 6:00 — Buster Keaton’s “The General” July 7 at 8:00 — Keaton’s “One Week” and “Sherlock, Jr.” July 9 at 6:00 — Harold Lloyd in “The Freshman”, with "Ask Father" July 9 at 8:00 — Buster Keaton’s “The General” July 10 at 6:00 — Keaton’s “One Week” and “Sherlock, Jr.” July 10 at 8:00 — Harold Lloyd in “The Freshman”, with "Ask Father" July 14 at 6:00 — Harold Lloyd in “Safety Last” plus "Luke's Shattered Sleep" July 14 at 8:00 — Chaplin in “The Floorwalker” + Langdon in “Shanghaied Lovers” July 16 at 6:00 — Chaplin in “The Floorwalker” + Langdon in “Shanghaied Lovers” July 16 at 8:00 — Harold Lloyd in in “Safety Last” plus "Luke's Shattered Sleep" Fri, July 11 at 7:00 - Church of St. Paul the Apostle - NYC "NYC: Vintage Views" Program of silents from turn-of-the-century and mid-'teens that feature NYC locations, including Larry Semon in Plagues and Puppy Love and Roscoe Arbuckle and Buster Keaton in Coney Island. Pipe organ accompaniment. July 17 to 20 - Arlington Spectrum - Arlington, VA Fifth annual "Slapsticon" A four-day convention and laff-a-palooza of comedy films, silent and sound, screened from morning 'til night. Click above to go to the "Slapsticon" website for complete programming details and title lists. July 22 - new DVD release! - AllDay Entertainment "American Slapstick 2" A four-disc DVD set of 30 silent comedy shorts will be released by AllDay Entertainment, 10 of which have new scores (both piano and theatre organ) by Ben Model. The set is a followup to AllDay's American Slapstick set released in 2006. Click here for film titles and ordering info. Fri, July 25 at 6:00 - MoMA - NYC Sun, July 27 at 6:30 - MoMA - NYC Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" See the original silent version of this classic DeMille epic, set in a contemporary setting with a biblical flashback. Theatre organ accompaniment. Mon, July 28 at 4:00 - Berkshire Jewish Film Festival - Pittsfield, MA Carl Th. Dreyer's "Love One Another" This film was recently restored by the Danish Film Institute and was screened at the New York Jewish Film Festival in NYC. Piano accompaniment. Tues, July 29 at 7:30pm - Cinema Arts Centre - Huntington, NY (Long Island) Ernst Lubitsch's "Lady Windermere's Fan" One of Lubitsch's great U.S. silents, made for Warner Brothers and starring May McAvoy and Ronald Colman, based on the Oscar Wilde play. Film will be presented in a 35mm print from MoMA. Theatre organ accompaniment. Thurs, July 31 at 7:00 - Church of St. Paul the Apostle - NYC "Charlie Chaplin: Super Clown" Chaplin's "Little Tramp" performs acts of heroism and superhuman strength in these four short comedies, presented amidst the summer's gaggle of superhero blockbusters: The Tramp, and The Fireman, Easy Street, and Shoulder Arms. Pipe organ accompaniment. AUGUST "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" Robert Wiene's infamous tale of Dr. Caligari and Cesar the Somnambulist (played by a young Conrad Veidt). Theatre organ accompaniment. Sun, Aug 10 at 7:00pm - Hamilton Theater - Hamilton, NY (near Colgate College) Buster Keaton's "The General" The sixth annual summer silent film at this historic movie theater in upstate NY features one of Buster Keaton's greatest, presented in 35mm; also on the bill is the classic short The Scarecrow. Piano accompaniment. Sun, Aug 17 at 5:00pm - Village Picture Shows - Manchester Center, VT Buster Keaton in "Steamboat Bill, Jr." Keaton's classic riverboat film (this is the one where the house falls on him) screened at this southern Vermont cinema. Piano accompaniment. Sat, Aug 23 at 8:00pm - Music & More series - New Marlborough, MA (Berkshires) Lon Chaney in "The Phantom of the Opera" Lon Chaney's iconic performance as Erik the Phantom, presented in New Marlborough's historic meeting house. Piano accompaniment. SEPTEMBER "Stumfilm Dagere" ("Silent Film Days") The third annual "Silent Film Days" in northern Norway features silent films recently preserved by the Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Norwegian Film archives and is held in the city's own 1916 movie theater, the Verdensteatret (or "World Theater"). During the daytime, school groups come to the theater for a program that includes Arbuckle's A Reckless Romeo which was lost until its rediscovery a few years ago in Norway. Piano accompaniment. Weds, Sept 17 at 7:00pm - Jacob Burns Film Center - Pleasantville, NY Fritz Lang's "Die Niebelungen: Part I" Part of the Burns Center's Fritz Lang series. Piano accompaniment. Thurs, Sept 18 at 7:00pm - Jacob Burns Film Center - Pleasantville, NY Fritz Lang's "Die Nienelungen: Part II" Part of the Burns Center's Fritz Lang series. Piano accompaniment. Fri, Sept 19 at 7:00pm - Jacob Burns Film Center - Pleasantville, NY Fritz Lang's "Destiny" Part of the Burns Center's Fritz Lang series. Piano accompaniment. CHECK BACK FOR MORE FALL SHOWS!
Bookings in progress now… back to top PROGRAMS ALREADY HELD IN 2008 JANUARY Tues, Jan
8 at 7:30 - Cinema Arts Centre - Huntington,
NY (Long Island) Sun, Jan
13
at 1:00pm - Lincoln Center - NYC Sun, Jan 20 at 12pm - Jacob Burns Film Center - Pleasantville, NY (Westchester) "Peter Pan" One of the great silent films, and more faithful to Barrie's original play than any other film version. Starring Betty Bronson, Mary Brian and Ernest Torrence. Piano accompaniment. No, that's not a typo...Ben is actually accompanying two different showings of Peter Pan on the same weekend! Sat, Jan 26 at 8pm - Riverdale YMHA - Bronx NY "Safety Last" starring Harold Lloyd Lloyd's classic building climb comes to the Riverdale Y's newly renovated theater. Piano accompaniment. Thurs, Jan
31 - Simon's Rock College - Great
Barrington NY FEBRUARY Saturday,
Feb 2 at 6pm - MoMA - NYC Thursday,
Feb 7 at 8pm - Egyptian
Theater - Boise, ID Friday,
Feb 8 at 8pm - Egyptian
Theater - Boise, ID Sun, Feb
10 at 2:00 - The Silent Clowns Film Series -
NYC Mon, Feb
11 - Greenwich Classic Film Series
- Greenwich, CT Sun, Feb
24 at 2:00 - The Silent Clowns Film Series -
NYC Tues, Feb
26 at 7:15pm - Cinema Arts Centre - Huntington,
NY (Long Island) Fri, Feb
29
at 7:00 - Church
of St. Paul the Apostle - NYC
Buster Keaton in "Seven Chances" While The General ('27) is probably Buster Keaton’s most famous film, Seven Chances ('25) is also one of his best that features great gags and breathtaking stunts. Having to marry by 7 o'clock to get his inheritance, Buster must brave a stampede of angry brides and rolling boulders to do it. Opening the show is forlorn Harry Langdon who has his own wedding troubles in His Marriage Wow ('24). Piano accompaniment. Tues, Mar 11 - NYU Cinema Studies - NYC Scandinavian and Danish silent films Performance and lecture at NYU Cinema Studies silent film class taught by Antonia Lant. [Not open to the public.] Piano accompaniment. Tues, March 25 at 7:30 - Cinema Arts Centre - Huntington, NY (Long Island) Buster Keaton's "The General" Keaton's masterpiece, a train chase film set against the backdrop of the Civil War, comes to this monthly series on Long Island. Theatre organ accompaniment. APRIL silent film program Bringing the sound of the theatre organ to this well-known film studies program run by Jeanine Basinger (author of Silent Stars et al). Have been performing here annually for the last few years. Program cannot be advertised, so please e-mail for film title. Theatre organ accompaniment Sun, April 13 at 2:00 - The Silent Clowns Film Series - NYC Hal Roach shorts starring Tyler Brooke Never heard of Tyler Brooke? Along with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, this forgotten clown was a member of the late 1920’s Hal Roach “All Stars” and our selection – Dizzy Daddies ('26), The Merry Widower ('26), Should Husbands Pay? ('26) and On the Front Page ('27) – highlight his talents and contribution to film comedy. Hosted by film historian and Brooke biographer Charlie Morrow. Piano accompaniment. Sun, April 20 at 3:00pm - Meyer Theatre - Green Bay, WI Charlie Chaplin in "The Adventurer" The Green Bay Civic Symphony performs the final concert of their 2007-08 season, held in the city's restored movie palace. Program will include organ performance by Frank Rippl, orchestral music by John Williams, Samuel Barber and Leonard Bernstein, and orchestral score by Ben Model in accompaniment to Chaplin's "The Adventurer". Orchestral accompaniment. Sun, April 27 at 2:00 - The Silent Clowns Film Series - NYC Roach Teams: Laurel & Hardy / Anita & Marion The Hal Roach Studio was known as “the Lot of Fun,” where human foibles and the frustrations of everyday life were magnified a hundred times over. Film historian and author Ed Watz will introduce our salute which showcases two comedy teams that came together at Roach at the very end of the silent era – Laurel & Hardy in From Soup To Nuts ('28) and Their Purple Moment ('28), plus Anita Garvin & Marion Byron in Feed 'em and Weep ('28) and A Pair of Tights ('29). Piano accompaniment. April 28 and 29 - Museum of the Moving Image - Astoria, NY Charlie Chaplin in "The Immigrant" [School groups/tours at the museum – shows not open to the public.] Tues, April 29 at 7:30pm - Cinema Arts Centre - Huntington, NY (Long Island) Janet Gaynor in "Seventh Heaven" Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell star in Frank Borzage's classic tale of romance. 35mm print screened is an archival print from Fox. Theatre organ accompaniment. Weds, April 30 at 1:00pm - Town School - NYC silent film school assembly Talk and screening to 5th and 6th graders on silent film history and storytelling language; and A Girl and Her Trust and One Week. Piano accompaniment. [program not open to the public] MAY Fri May 2 at 1:30 - MoMA - NYC Bert Williams films Program of brand new restorations from 35mm nitrate materials by MoMA of A Natural Born Gambler, Fish and an untitled unreleased Bert Williams film will be shown. Theatre organ accompaniment. Tues May 13 at 6:30 - MoMA - NYC Vladimir Mayakovsky poetry reading (and flm screening) Selected poems and commentary will be read, followed by a screening of Mayakovsky's one surviving film, The Lady and the Hooligan (1918). Scheduled readers (subject to change) include Svetlana Boym, Curt Hugo Reisinger Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures and Professor of Comparative Literature, Harvard University; actor, novelist, and filmmaker Ethan Hawke; novelist and biographer Francine du Plessix Gray; and actor, playwright, and filmmaker Sam Shepard. Piano accompaniment. Fri May 16 at 1:00 - Radio City Music Hall - NYC SVA Graduation Ben Model will play the RCMH's mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ during the diploma ceremonies at the graduation for the School of Visual Arts. Tues, May 20 at 7:30pm - Cinema Arts Centre - Huntington, NY (Long Island) "The Kid Brother" starring Harold Lloyd See Lloyd's masterpiece, and one of his own personal favorites, in a beautiful 35mm print restored by UCLA from archival materials. Theatre organ accompaniment. May 23 and 27 - Museum of the Moving Image - Astoria, NY Charlie Chaplin in "The Immigrant" [School groups/tours at the museum – shows not open to the public.] JUNE Charlie Chaplin in "The Adventurer" (premiere!) Program on the silent film era prepared and presented by high school social studies students will include a screening Charlie Chaplin's The Adventurer accompanied live by the school's band in a world premiere of the concert band arrangement of Ben's score for the film. Ben's orchestral score was originally commissioned in 2000 by the New York Ragtime Orchestra and was revised in 2006 for the Boise Philharmonic. Fri June 21 at midnight (!) - MoMA - NYC "That Year, This Day: June 21, 1913" Part of a new, innovative program from MoMA's Educaiton Department, "ignited" by educator Amir Parsa, this course starts at 6pm and ends at 2am, and takes class participants around the museum and through various modern art disciplines. The film program, organized by Steven Higgins, will be introduced and accompanied by Ben Model, and will include these 1913 one-reel short subjects: The Artist's Dream (John Randolph Bray), The Ambassador's Daughter (Charles J. Brabin), Suspense (Lois Weber & Phillips Smalley), Barney Oldfield's Race for a Life (Mack Sennett), and The Lady and the Mouse (DW Griffith). Sun, June 22 at 12:00, 1:30 and 3:00 - Clearview Cinemas Mamaroneck Playhouse - Mamaroneck, NY Comedy Shorts Program This is the fifth year Ben Model will present silent comedies in the ca. 1926 movie theater in Mamaroneck NY during the town's annual Historic Harbor Street Fair. Scheduled to screen: Harold Lloyd in Billy Blazes, Esq. and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in The Waiters Ball. Free admission! Piano accompaniment. Tues, May 24 at 7:30pm - Cinema Arts Centre - Huntington, NY (Long Island) Victor Sjöstrom's "The Phantom Carriage" ("Korkärlen") One of Sjöstrom's best Swedish pictures (titles in this 35mm print are in English). Better know as Victor Seastrom in the U.S., he directed Lillian Gish in The Scarlet Letter and The Wind. Theatre organ accompaniment. back to top
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