Author: Ben Model

  • Ben Model on NY1 – January 2000

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    Ben Model

    Just uploaded this video to YouTube. This was aired in January 2000, during MoMA’s six-month silent film series coinciding with their museum-wide “MoMA 2000” gallery exhibitions. I was playing for 5-8 shows a week. If my years at NYU as an accompanist was silent film accompaniment boot camp – as I often refer to it…

  • Stuart Oderman tribute at MoMA – Jan 29

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    Ben Model

    This week MoMA is presented a program in tribute to Stuart Oderman, who this year celebrates his 50th year as a silent film accompanist. On Thursday, Jan 29 at 6pm, Stuart accompanied Broken Blossoms, which was the first film he accompanied way back when. The show was in T1, and the place was pretty full.…

  • Lon Chaney in “The Unknown”

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    Ben Model

    Played a matinee of L’Inconnu – or The Unknown – at MoMA today. The print came from GEH and has French titles which looked like they were made in the ’40s(?), white helvetica-ish against black. There is a print with the original release titles around (available from Turner/WB); I played to it at the Cinema…

  • Silent but Deadly at MoMA – photo

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    Ben Model
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    01.06.09 Silent but Deadly: An Evening of Comedy ShortsOriginally uploaded by PopRally Here’s a photo of me at the Steinway in Titus I accompanying one of the slapstick silents during “Silent But Deadly”, from the event’s page on Flickr.com

  • Don Q, Son of Zorro; changes at AMMI

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    Ben Model

    Last night’s showing of Don Q, Son of Zorro went quite well. We had a nice crowd, and a few kids too. Audience members enjoyed spotting Donald Crisp, the original/first Charlie Chan, Warner Oland, and Jean Hersholt (seen a couple months ago at the CAC in Greed). Miditzer sounded great, as always. Next up in…

  • Silent cartoons @ Burns in the NY Times

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    Ben Model

  • The Blue Bird at Lincoln Center (w/audio)

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    Ben Model

    It was fun getting to play for as a charming a picture as The Blue Bird is. Today’s matinee was part of the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s “Dance on Camera” festival. The show was introduced by film critic and historian Elliott Stein. Elliott’s a long-time supporter of the Silent Clowns series, and I hadn’t…

  • Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood and a pair of comedies

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    Ben Model

    Today was a “marathon” — three shows in one day. Unlike running a marathon, though, I felt a little exhilarated instead of wiped out. Playing organ for two of the three shows was a factor, and so was playing for four Douglas Fairbanks pictures. The day started at 12:30 with Robin Hood, which went over…

  • The Blue Bird at Lincoln Center

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    Ben Model

    The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s “Dance on Camera” fest includes Maurice Tourneur’s The Blue Bird, with yours truly at the 88’s. The show is listed in today’s “Spare Times: For Children” section in the New York Times. Click on the image below of the Walter Reade Theater’s site page for The Blue Bird to…

  • In Again – Out Again

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    Ben Model

    Here’s the first four mins of my performance at tonight’s show at MoMA of Douglas Fairbanks in “In Again – Out Again”: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WHIpvtj8G8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1]