Author: Ben Model

It’s the slower months when projects that have been mentally circling the airport can actually contact the tower and request permission to land. In 2014 I got a little better at this, by anticipating the space I’d have in my calendar and brain, and planning to produce my DVD releases then. A couple months ago,…

This past summer I got to spend a delightful chat over coffee with William Perry. When I started playing for silents back in 1981 while at NYU film school, Bill was the first person I sought out for advice. I’d been hearing his scores on the PBS series “The Silent Years”, produced by Killiam Shows,…

40 minutes of rarely-seen vintage newsreels documenting Charles Lindbergh’s historic transatlantic flight on May 20, 1927 were recently released on a new DVD from Undcercrank Productions. Available on Amazon, the DVD also features a rare Monty Banks aviation silent comedy feature “Flying Luck” (1927), inspired by Lindbergh’s flight and co-starring a young Jean Arthur. The…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   UNAVAILABLE TO GENERAL PUBLIC FOR 97 YEARS, THE POPULAR SILENT COMEDY FILM SERIES “THE MISHAPS OF MUSTY SUFFER” COMES TO DVD Renowned Silent Film Accompanist/Historian Ben Model Collaborates with Library of Congress to bring outrageous1916-17 films featuring Ringling/Ziegfeld star to home video  NEW YORK, N.Y. (Tuesday, April 1, 2014) – Undercrank…

On Sunday, March 23rd at 7:15pm, the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church (NYC) is hosting a FREE evening of silent comedies! Wind down your week – or kick off the one that’s starting – with two solid hours of belly-laugh-inducing classic comedies.  These 1920s films will be presented with live musical scores by renowned silent film accompanist…

Working even harder this year on improving my playing/accompaniment. Last night, as an exercise, I hauled out the DVD of something I’m playing for later this month and ran it on my laptop (mute) and played for it… as wrong as possible. Song title puns, a waltz when people were doing the Charleston, dissonant music,…

On Sunday, October 20th at 7:00, the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church (NYC) is hosting a free evening of silent comedies! Wind down your week – or kick off the one that’s starting – with two solid hours of belly-laugh-inducing classic comedies.  These 1920s films will be presented with live musical scores by renowned silent film accompanist…