Tag: Joseph Yransky

  • Mar 3: The Whirl of Life – Vernon and Irene Castle

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    Ben Model

    Tues, March 3 – played for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910) and The Whirl of Life (1915) at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, where the Donnell programming is now presented. This was part of a series of films curated by Joe Yransky related to the “Curtain Call” exhibit at the Lincoln Center Library. Both films…

  • Donnell Media Center – now at Lincoln Center Library

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    Ben Model

    Spent a piece of yesterday screening The Whirl of Life (1915) and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910) at the NYPL for the Performing Arts. The legendary Donnell Media Center and its film and video collection as well as its staff (as of now sans Joe Yransky, who retired in January) were absorbed by the…

  • Will new FilmLinc staff cuts affect “Golden Silents”?

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    Ben Model

    I saw an article online this morning announcing the layoffs of eight staff members at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Sayre Maxfield, who programs the “Golden Silents” series at FilmLinc, is one of the staffers being let go, as is Will McCord who runs the “Young Friends of Film” program there. Click here to…

  • “De Luxe Annie” – audio clip

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    Ben Model

    July 2 – De Luxe Annie at the Donnell Media Center went well today. We had around 175 people and the film went over really well. Piano sounded great; they have a nice Steinway D, which is moving to the Bruno Walter auditorium after the Donnell closes. My talk may have been shorter than I’d…

  • last minute prep for Donnell show

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    Ben Model

    July 1: Took a little time this afternoon to take a second glance at the screener of De Luxe Annie with Norma Talmadge, which I’m accompanying tomorrow at the Donnell Media Center auditorium. The show is part of the “Meet the Music Makers” series curated by Joe Yransky (the “Y” is silent, FYI) which is…

  • Harry Weiss, new altscores, band premiere

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    Ben Model

    Had a nice long chat with 91-year-old silent film accompanist Harry Weiss the other day. When I began accompanying silent films at the Cinema Arts Center (formerly known as the New Community Cinema) in Huntington, NY, Vic Skolnick spoke fondly of their first accompanist, Harry Weiss. Harry played piano for their silent film shows for…

  • Andrew Simpson (from DC)

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    Ben Model

    Today got to hear and hang out with Andrew Simpson, a film accompanist from Washington DC. I’d met Andrew, who’s been playing for silents for a few years, at Slapsticon last year. Andrew and his “Snark Ensemble” recorded scores for many of the films on the new Harry Langdon DVD set, and has played for…