I’m pretty sure next month’s screening of Father Was a Loafer (1915) will be the first time Alice Howell’s Cupie-doll face will hit the big screen at the Pordenone Silent film festival. The Pordenone Silent Film Festival (or the Giornate… Read More »Alice and Billie Go To Pordenone
When I emerge from the downtown number 1 subway stop at West 50th street while en route to MoMA, I find myself across from the historic Winter Garden Theater, and I’m always struck by two things. One is that I… Read More »Ernie Kovacs on TV: A Standard Formula For Success
Putting on a Good Face…For Silent Film The use of pancake white makeup on the faces of actors in films was common in the silent era. Sometimes it’s less noticeable than others, and in some cases it makes actor’s faces… Read More »Why So Pale? Facial Make-up in Silent Movies
Ben and Kerr talk about Ben’s recent shows in the Adirondacks and NYC, his in-progress recording of scores for a new Arbuckle Blu-ray set, the art and craft of a venue’s developing an audience for silent films, accompanying Chaplin’s “The… Read More »ep. 69: Back to Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd
Episode 69 Show Notes: Back to Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd Sign up for Ben’s regular email here to keep up with all his activities.
In recently viewing the scoring screener of Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927) that was provided to me by MoMA, I had a unique opportunity. I was able to watch MoMA’s brand-new restoration, which was mute, while also hearing… Read More »Scoring Walter Ruttmann at MoMA
On Friday, July, 25 at 7pm, I will be accompanying the rarely screened 1926 silent film Love ’em and Leave ’em starring Evelyn Brent, Louise Brooks and Lawrence Gray. The show will be presented at the David Rubenstein Atrium at… Read More »Silent Film at the David Rubinstein Atrium at Lincoln Center
I’ve had the privilege of presenting and accompanying a silent film show at the historic Strand Theater in Schroon Lake NY every summer since 2017. The Strand Theater in Schroon Lake NY is a vintage, single-screen movie house in the… Read More »The Strand Theater in Schroon Lake NY
I don’t usually take on new pieces of equipment, but the Kodascope Model B projector didn’t take up that much space – something that was probably a part of the intent of the item’s design back in 1927. I’ve had… Read More »A 16mm Home Projector from the Silent Era – Kodascope Model B
Ben and Kerr talk about Ben’s new book “The Silent Film Universe” on this mini-episode. Ben discusses the various aspects of silent film language covered in each chapter and how we as viewers are engaged with them, his own development… Read More »ep. 68: “The Silent Film Universe” mini-episode