Episode 67 Show Notes: Silent Film music at the museum, on the radio, and at home
On this episode, Ben and Kerr talk about Ben’s accompanying “The White Heather” (1919) at MoMA, “The Valley of Giants” (1919) at the Kansas Silent Film Festival, and creating and recording a new score for “Ramona” (1928) for Blu-ray release by Kino Lorber; plus news about Ben’s playing for “The Freshman” (1925) at the TCM Classic Film Festival, and more.
“To Save and Project” at the Museum of Modern Art in 2025
The Craving, directed by and starring Francis Ford, co-produced by Kathryn Fuller-Seeley, who introduced the film at MoMA. The film was released in July 2024 by Undercrank Productions, and Ben accompanied it at the MoMA festival.
Restorations available through Undercrank Productions not initiated by Ben include:
- Rediscovering Roscoe (Fatty Arbuckle) produced for home video by Steve Massa and Crystal Kui
- Lon Chaney: Before the Thousand Faces Vol. 1 & 2 and Accidentally Preserved Vol. 5 produced for home video and accompanied by Jon C. Mirsalis
- The Tom Tyler Silent Film Collection co-produced for home video by Mary Della Valle, which will be released on May 6, 2025
- Whispering Shadows and The Devil’s Assistant, produced for home video and accompanied by Andrew E. Simpson
1st Musical Excerpt:
During To Save and Project at MoMA, Ben also accompanied The White Heather (1919) directed by Maurice Tourneur, newly restored by the San Francisco Film Preserve, introduced by Robert Byrne
Ben discusses unexpected film rediscoveries.
2nd Musical Excerpt
Ben accompanied The Valley of the Giants (1919) starring Wallace Reid, using his theatre organ samples, at the Kansas Silent Film Festival in February 2025.
He also appeared on Kansas Public Radio with classical music on-air host Cordelia Brown, playing a selection of themes he created for the film as they would have sounded on piano.
Ben will be accompanying The Freshman (1925) with Harold, celebrating its 100th anniversary, at the TCM Classic Festival in 2025. It will be introduced by Suzanne Lloyd, Harold’s granddaughter. Ben will be his movie palace organ samples using a rented Nord Combo Organ + Pedals as a “controller”.
Chaplin’s The Gold Rush (1925) also celebrates its centenary, but there are restrictions in place as far as live accompaniment requiring the use of the Chaplin score at shows. Kerr mentions in passing that the new Criterion release of A Woman of Paris has an alternative Chaplin-composed score, assembled by Chaplin music expert Timothy Brock.
Ben debates the use of a less-than-great promotional song written for the film, “Freshie”.
Compares it to his use of the television theme for “Koko The Clown” at last year’s TCM festival.
The Festival will also be showing the newly restored Beau Geste (1926), accompanied by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
Kerr discusses the emotional impact of The Freshman, especially on young people who empathize with Harold’s story. Ben discusses Harold’s acting, especially in moments of crisis and decision. Ben notes the analogues in the work of Chaplin and Marion Davies.
3rd Musical Excerpt
Ben created a new organ score for the 2025 Kino-Lorber release of Ramona (1928) starring Dolores Del Rio and Warner Baxter. Based on a popular legend and novel, and a frequently remade film.
Ben discusses finding a scoring approach which makes the film work and which avoids the cliches associated with Native Americans in film. Eventually he decides to lean into the glossy production values and the “schmaltz”/melodrama inherent in the way this love story was made into a film in 1928.
He also discusses the integration of the popular song “Ramona” into the score.
Ben mentions upcoming appearances which are found at silentfilmmusic.com