Ben Model’s blog
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THE MARCEL PEREZ COLLECTION SHOWCASINGFORGOTTEN SILENT FILM COMEDIAN CONFIRMED FOR RELEASE ON FEBRUARY 3 IN NEW DVD FEATURING NEW DIGITAL TRANSFERS OF RARE ARCHIVAL PRINTS Undercrank Productions Collaborates with Library of Congress and EYE Filmmuseum (Netherlands) to Shine Spotlight onOverlooked Silent Clown & Director; New Book on Perez by Steve…
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William S. Hart in THREE WORD BRAND (1921) – new release
Happy new year! Today I’m releasing William S. Hart in THREE WORD BRAND (1921) for streaming only. It’s available for just $2.99 on my YouTube channel. Why am I releasing this in this manner? my YouTube channel was recently approved for offering videos for a fee, as well as for…
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a lost Christmas song by the composer of “Charlie Brown”
Used record bins turn up the most unusual items sometimes. I usually will flip through them, past the usual suspects that turn up (My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, The First Family, My Name is Barbra, Vox classical), to see if there aren’t any stereo/hi-fi demonstration records from the…
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** coming in 2015…the podcast is back! **
** coming in 2015…the podcast is back! ** WelcomeA brief recap of how it came to pass that the podcast is being resuscitated for 2015Closing
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Resuscitating My Podcast
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…
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William Perry’s new suite for Ophicleide and Orch.
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…
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Tony Sarg: Macy’s Parade Balloons and sillhouette silents
Tony Sarg designed the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. He also made a series of silhouette-animated cartoons in the 1920s. Here’s one. Transferred from a rare, home-use 16mm print from the 1930s.
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Film of Charles Lindbergh’s May 20, 1927 transatlantic flight – new DVD
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…
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“MUSTY SUFFER” SILENT FILMS UNSEEN SINCE 1916 COME TO DVD
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,…
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Hal Roach silent comedy shorts on Sun March 23 **FREE**
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…