The Silent Film Music Podcast Index
With more than 70 episodes created and posted over the past 12 years, I’ve realized that The Silent Film Music Podcast with Ben Model could be a useful resource for anyone interested in film accompaniment.
I’ve been asked for many years if I would write a book on the subject, and my answer has always been that I consider my podcast to be that book. But it’s not a book, and a long run of audio podcasts is hard to use the way a resource or instructional book would be. So I’ve created this podcast index for this very purpose.
As far as I can tell, this may be the first time a custom, dedicated index has been created for a podcast.
How to Use the Podcast Index
Below you will find three sections:
- a list of expandable topic headings
- a typable search field
- an episode list of the entire run of episodes
Before you click or tap the link to an episode in any of the results below, note the timestamp shown. When the link takes you to the episode page you will need to manually slide the audio player to that timing.
How You Can Help
I consider the Silent Film Music Podcast Index to be in a semi-beta phase, and am interested in feedback and on any suggestions for topics you’re looking for that are not listed here. In particular, the search function needs to be fleshed out — the search field searches episode summaries and topic lists, so if a name or subject doesn’t appear in those results, try browsing the topic categories above. If you search for something and do not find it, and think it’s something that really should have turned up, let me know so I can update the search function. If you have any other suggestions and/or kudos, please email me.
Thanks!
Browse by Topic
Use the search box to find specific people and the episodes where they appear.
Key recurring venues. Use search to find specific ones.
Films with extended discussion. Use search to find any specific film.
Search the Index
Episode Summaries
Introductory episode explaining the podcast concept. Discusses upcoming shows including Mabel Normand films at Cinema Arts Centre, Raymond Griffith at the Silent Clowns, and an unidentified film conference at the Library of Congress. Features a live recording from The Eagle and The Nightclub, and cross-cutting technique learned from Lee Erwin.
- Podcast introduction and format overview 00:23
- Mabel Normand films – Cinema Arts Centre series, Head Over Heels 06:40
- Raymond Griffith – The Nightclub at Silent Clowns 09:08
- Unidentified film conference – Library of Congress (Mostly Lost) 15:19
- Cross-cutting technique – Lee Erwin’s advice, The Crowd example 22:29
Recap of the Mostly Lost conference at the Library of Congress. The technique of using period songs subliminally in accompaniment, illustrated by songs in The Crowd and Steamboat Bill Jr. Live recording from The Ten Commandments on the Steere and Sons organ at Brooklyn Baptist Temple (since destroyed by fire).
- Mostly Lost conference – Library of Congress, Culpeper VA 02:00
- Steere and Sons organ – Brooklyn Baptist Temple, destroyed by fire 2011 07:15
- Using popular songs subliminally – introducing a period song unobtrusively 15:49
- Playing a melody in a different meter to prevent recognition 21:29
The Avenging Conscience on Wurlitzer and Paths to Paradise at Silent Clowns. Avoiding Asian music stereotypes, strategies for fragmented films, the Alternate Scores website, and an upcoming Oslo workshop teaching church organists to play pop ballads for funerals.
- The Avenging Conscience – Wurlitzer accompaniment, dramatic introspection 03:29
- Avoiding Asian music stereotypes – finding authentic modal scales 07:34
- Fragmented and damaged films – musical strategy to smooth over choppiness 17:12
- Oslo workshop – helping church organists play pop ballads for funerals 22:51
Fall 2012 recap including a residency at the Library of Congress Packard Campus. The Accidentally Preserved DVD/YouTube project (Kickstarter success) and upcoming Boise Philharmonic performances. Accompanying structurally inconsistent and “bad” films seriously.
- Library of Congress Packard Campus – residency, Walker Digital theatre organ 02:16
- Accidentally Preserved – Kickstarter project, 16mm rare films, DVD release 03:44
- Accompanying a “bad” film seriously – Larry Semon Wizard of Oz 16:10
- Egyptian Theatre, Boise – Robert Morton theatre organ, 1927 movie palace 22:56
A busy week of performances. Research for period songs in My Best Girl (Mary Pickford), practical venue logistics (bench height, lighting, screen visibility), and discarding old cue sheets in favor of improvisation.
- My Best Girl – researching period song “Red Hot Mama” 06:44
- Bench height – bed risers as workaround 13:36
- Lighting at venues – bringing your own light, avoiding screen bleed 16:03
- Discarding old cue sheets – trusting improvisation over old notes 21:07
Podcast relaunches after an 18-month gap. 2014 recap including under-cranking and the Accidentally Preserved DVD label. Deep dive into photoplay/mood music history and Arthur Kleiner, MoMA’s first accompanist (1939-1968).
- SFSMA (Silent Film Sound and Music Archive) – Kendra Leonard 00:52
- Under-cranking – silent film actors adjusting movement for projection speed 09:15
- Photoplay/mood music – history, publishers, composers 21:11
- Arthur Kleiner – MoMA’s first accompanist (1939-1968), recordings 28:12
Peter Pan at Silent Clowns and Chaplin Mutuals at Cinema Arts Centre. Introduces Harry Weiss (age 97). Ragtime’s misuse as silent film accompaniment, and Hitchcock’s Blackmail – accompanying from the character’s perspective.
- Harry Weiss – age 97, original Cinema Arts Centre pianist 05:10
- Ragtime and silent movies – the myth, why it wasn’t used historically 13:00
- Blackmail – accompanying from the woman’s POV, not foreshadowing 18:15
Performing for Parallel Exit’s physical comedy show. Marcel Perez Collection DVD release. Live recordings from Norway: A Trip to the Moon with narration at Verdensteatret in Tromsø, and King of Kings on pipe organ at Holmen Church in Oslo.
- Marcel Perez Collection DVD – Library of Congress and Eye Filmmuseum 10:43
- Verdensteatret – oldest functioning cinema in Norway (1916) 14:33
- King of Kings – Holmen Church Oslo, mirror solution for screen visibility 21:22
Boise Philharmonic recap and musical cross-cutting to direct audience attention. Harry Weiss interview Part 1: childhood memories, first accompaniment of Intolerance in 1935-36. Note: speaker attribution in this episode is approximate.
- Musical cross-cutting – using music to direct attention to off-center action 11:15
- Harry Weiss – childhood memories, Capitol Theater, The Big Parade 23:09
- Harry Weiss – first accompaniment: Intolerance, 1935-36 26:03
Not being able to hear the audience and how it affects performance. Harry Weiss Part 2: preparation method, shared philosophy with Lee Erwin about avoiding recognizable music. Note: speaker attribution is approximate.
- Not being able to hear the audience – overplaying, self-consciousness 11:00
- Harry Weiss – preparation from synopsis, writing themes 14:00
- Senior living facilities as ideal venues for silent comedy 35:34
Existing music in accompaniment – when required vs. when it creates unintended associations. Analysis of the One Week score (Mussorgsky device). Programming silent films for school groups.
- Aura Lee / “Love Me Tender” – unintended association in Birth of a Nation 18:50
- One Week – Pictures at an Exhibition device, leitmotif restraint 27:23
- Oranges and Lemons – go-to film for very young children 35:37
The Miditzer virtual theatre organ origin story with Jim Henry. Being easy to work with as a professional value. The Altscore.com alternate score website.
- Miditzer virtual theatre organ – Jim Henry created it, origin story 18:01
- Being easy to work with – knowing the booth, advance communication 22:06
- Altscore.com – alternate score downloads 39:16
Toronto Silent Film Festival debut. Staying inside a character’s head, illustrated by Hands Up. History of playing at NYU under Bill Everson and the Baldwin Acrosonic piano. Cultural/national musical flavoring.
- Staying inside a character’s head – Hands Up example 17:34
- Baldwin Acrosonic piano – purchased 1983 for NYU Cinema Studies 32:30
- Cultural/national musical flavoring – when to use or avoid 38:20
Heart to Heart – holding back for actors’ charm moments. The technique of playing an audience into a film and through breakdowns. The Steere and Sons organ at Brooklyn Baptist Temple.
- Playing an audience into a film – continuous music through introductions 09:37
- Lee Erwin – playing through film breakdowns to keep show momentum 17:40
City Lights announced – playing piano in the Arctic Philharmonic under Timothy Brock in Tromsø. Toll of the Sea (Anna May Wong, two-color Technicolor) at MoMA. Playing simpler, less busy music as a goal.
- City Lights – playing piano in Arctic Philharmonic under Timothy Brock 15:09
- Toll of the Sea – MoMA, two-color Technicolor series 27:40
10th annual Silent Film Days in Tromsø. Detailed reflection on City Lights under Timothy Brock – odd-numbered bar counts, 1930s performance practice. Too Much Johnson (Orson Welles raw footage). Frosty Celluloid – Roald Amundsen polar films.
- City Lights – playing piano in Arctic Philharmonic, odd-numbered bar counts 13:05
- Too Much Johnson – strategy for accompanying raw/unedited footage 19:22
- Baby Peggy / Family Secret DVD – LOC nitrate discovery 10:49
Boise Philharmonic world premiere orchestral scores. Harry Weiss obituary. Choosing music for specific scene types and City Lights’ influence on stop/start phrasing. Steamboat Bill Jr. on church organ.
- Harry Weiss obituary – passed January 2016, nearly 99 42:42
- City Lights influence – stopping/starting phrases to match choreography 22:30
- Playing less busy music – Lee Erwin as model 32:02
First full year of Wesleyan course. The Bride’s Play (Marion Davies) scoring for DVD Kickstarter. When Knighthood Was in Flower – recovered footage. Explaining 1920s cultural context to prepare audiences.
- The Bride’s Play – performing live before recording DVD score 18:54
- Explaining 1920s context – Ford crank gag, movie star hats, Prohibition 35:48
Jecheon Festival, South Korea – nearly 3,000 people outdoors. Overplaying at large venues. Preparing for a 1915 Mauritz Stiller film – translating Swedish intertitles.
- Jecheon festival, South Korea – outdoor arena, nearly 3,000 people 07:26
- Preparing 1915 Swedish silent – translating intertitles, creating roadmap 30:24
Verdensteatret 100th anniversary recap. Kansas Silent Film Festival – researching the on-screen song “Hindustan.” Being a “360 creator.” Toronto premiere of When Knighthood Was in Flower.
- Hindustan – researching period songs from Victrola label close-up 22:31
- Being a 360 creator – knowing all aspects of the job 38:52
Stuart Oderman tribute. Redford Theater Detroit – Barton organ with piano wired in. Show People – holding back for William Haines’ pathos moment. The Crowd – playing internal sorrow over external noise.
- Stuart Oderman – obituary, MoMA 2000 series 07:23
- Show People – holding back for William Haines’ pathos moment 15:50
- The Crowd – playing internal sorrow through fire truck cross-cut 30:17
Universality of silent film – One Week’s laughs identical worldwide. Seventh Heaven – when to introduce the love theme “Diane.” Shoes – holding back for an actress’s extended decision take.
- Universality of silent film – One Week, identical laughs worldwide 15:04
- Seventh Heaven – “Diane” theme, not forcing the love theme too early 39:36
- Shoes – extended take, holding back for the actress’s decision 50:25
Playing an audience into a film – the hypnosis metaphor. Metropolis – anticipating mood shifts. Spite Marriage – reinterpreting as a drama about actress Trilby Drew.
- Playing an audience into a film – hypnosis metaphor 10:36
- Spite Marriage – reinterpreting as drama about actress Trilby Drew 34:48
Arctic Cathedral, Tromsø. Boise world premiere of Wrong Again. TCM Classic Film Festival. Comprehensive discussion of main theme technique: three to six uses maximum, dramatic alignment.
- Main theme technique – three to six uses maximum 54:23
- Pre-show use of recognizable music – Lee Erwin’s Toccata before Nosferatu 43:08
Mostly Lost 7. Hypocrites (Lois Weber) – church organ vs. theatre organ for 1914 scenes. Your Darn Tootin’ – inside joke theme for L&H fans. Alice Howell DVD Kickstarter.
- Hypocrites – church organ vs. theatre organ, tremolo off for church scenes 22:15
- Your Darn Tootin’ – Old Spinning Wheel as inside joke theme 43:04
Wrapping up musical phrases at scene fades. Lee Erwin’s “Tootsie Oodles” and its connection to Calvin Hampton’s Triple Play (Ondes Martenot). How a gig at Strand Theater Schroon Lake came about.
- Lee Erwin’s “Tootsie Oodles” – Arthur Godfrey Show composition 24:13
- Calvin Hampton’s Triple Play – Ondes Martenot, quoting Tootsie Oodles 28:29
- Getting a gig: the nonlinear path to Strand Theater, Schroon Lake 47:54
A primer for first-time silent film accompaniment at Halloween. What to avoid: recognizable music, Mysterioso Pizzicato, sound effects, overusing themes. The “it’s not about you” philosophy.
- Avoid recognizable music, Mysterioso Pizzicato, song title puns 11:58
- The Music of the Silent Films – Ben’s sheet music book (Music Sales, 2015) 16:26
- Lee Erwin’s best compliment: “I forgot you were playing” 17:49
Detailed process for live underscore of Dracula (1931). Silent Comedy International at MoMA. Pat and Patachon – Danish comedy team. Young fan: “I love silents.”
- Dracula – watching as viewer first to find where music is needed 11:20
- Young fan at North Salem library – “I love silents” 50:55
Harold Lloyd birthplace in Nebraska. Thief of Bagdad – Lee Erwin’s score sampled by Nas. The permission-to-laugh moment. Something Good-Negro Kiss (1898) – a thoughtful approach.
- Lee Erwin’s Thief of Bagdad score – sampled by Nas on “Represent” 13:18
- The permission-to-laugh moment – choosing the right short for new audiences 14:54
- Something Good-Negro Kiss – thoughtful, careful approach to a sensitive film 24:51
Two recordings of The Rink one day apart – improvisation vs. composition. Capitolfest – handling a sudden shock (horse falls). Beverly of Graustark – creating full melodies as underscore.
- The Rink – two performances one day apart, improvisation vs. composition 11:35
- Beverly of Graustark – melodies as underscore, key shifting 39:12
COVID-19 pandemic context. Introduction of Kerr Lockhart as co-host. The Silent Comedy Watch Party origin story. Nell Shipman’s films at Idaho State Museum. FAQ: Do you make it all up?
- Silent Comedy Watch Party – origin, format, value during COVID-19 04:14
- Kerr Lockhart – introduction as co-producer and co-host 01:21
The Pottery Maker at the Met. Behind the Door – last live gig before lockdown. Strike (Eisenstein) – Russian sound-alikes. FAQ: Leitmotif use, three or four times.
- Behind the Door – last live gig before lockdown, March 7, 2020 10:31
- Eileen Bowser: “Preservation isn’t complete until shown to an audience” 36:15
Robin Hood – using Victor Schertzinger’s published themes. Loves of Carmen – deciding NOT to use Bizet. White Sister – tremolo off for nun scenes. FAQ: Do’s and don’ts of theatre organ sound effects.
- Loves of Carmen – not using Bizet, getting it out of the way pre-show 22:41
- Theatre organ sound effects – Lee Erwin’s philosophy, Modern Times as model 51:45
The Cameraman’s rainy kiss scene. The General’s Civil War context and eye-blink gag. Liberty on AFI Silver’s Allen organ. FAQ: Recording process and Kickstarter strategy.
- The Cameraman – rainy kiss scene: pulling back to almost nothing 10:28
- Kickstarter/Manufacture on Demand – formula for independent DVD releases 37:03
Four Horsemen tango scene syncing. In the Street (Helen Levitt, 1948) for the Met Museum – scoring a film with no narrative; the Arthur Kleiner connection. FAQ: Cue sheets – when they work and when they don’t.
- In the Street – scoring film with no narrative, Arthur Kleiner connection 18:23
- FAQ: Cue sheets – when they work and don’t; compiled score for Grandma’s Boy 49:29
A complete history of Ben’s journey from piano to theatre organ: the SynthOrg, Kurzweil PC2, the Miditzer origin story with Jim Henry, and the Hauptwerk/Paramount upgrade. Why theatre organ sounds better than piano for silent film.
- SynthOrg – Lee Erwin’s inherited synths for theatre organ sound 10:25
- Miditzer – Jim Henry contacts Ben, first show at Wesleyan with Safety Last 37:48
- Theatre organ advantages over piano – sustain, swell shades, applause 52:32
A year of virtual performing. mimoLive software pan inspired by Mr. Rogers’ “Picture Picture.” Making wrong notes part of the language. Ragtime as visual overload combined with Keystone’s busy imagery.
- mimoLive software – dissolve from pianist to screen, Mr. Rogers inspiration 23:44
- Ragtime and Keystone – too much visual and musical information simultaneously 16:36
Sight-reading is historically authentic. Metropolis’s whole-tone scale changed meaning over time. Cenere (Eleonora Duse, 1913). “You can always play less” – the blue card on the piano.
- Whole-tone scale changing meaning over time – modern vs. horror 06:50
- “You can always play less” – blue card on the piano 16:44
Return to in-person shows after 18 months of virtual. Our Hospitality outdoors at MoMA – first in-person NYC show since the pandemic. Silent Comedy Watch Party impact during COVID.
- Return to in-person shows – Our Hospitality outdoors at MoMA, July 2021 01:49
- Bob Hope/army base analogy – entertainment was essential, not just a show 12:45
Edward Everett Horton shorts – archival detective work growing the set from 5 to 8 films. Blogging project 2021 – 65+ posts on the language of silent film. Eileen Bowser tribute.
- Blogging project 2021 – 65+ posts on the language of silent film 15:27
- “Classic film with live accompaniment” – preferred alternative name 19:29
- Eileen Bowser tribute – slapstick preservation 34:32
A deep dive into Chaplin’s City Lights score from Ben’s position as piano/celeste player in the Arctic Philharmonic under Timothy Brock. Score analysis: odd-numbered bars, the boxing match, deceptively simple melodies.
- Odd-numbered bar counts (7s and 9s) – Chaplin’s unusual phrase lengths 16:40
- City Lights score as leap forward – stop-start cues nobody else was doing in 1931 50:22
Edward Everett Horton shorts – first live laughs. Zander the Great – accompanist as scene partner. Beverly of Graustark – Kickstarter funded in 2 hours.
- Accompanist as scene partner – Philip Carli: “act along with the film” 33:54
- Beverly Kickstarter – 150-backer limit, funded in 2 hours 44:49
Kansas Silent Film Festival 25th anniversary. Walter Kerr’s “Bowery Waltz.” Unprepared modulation technique from Lee Erwin. Raymond Griffith DVD Kickstarter announced.
- Walter Kerr’s “Bowery Waltz” – Hardy moves to an unheard waltz 27:56
- Unprepared modulation – following melodic notes to new key 36:09
The Patsy – trusting instincts. The Cameraman’s Tong War sequence – reassessing ethnic musical stereotypes. Gilbert Gottfried – improvising live score to his impromptu silent film narration.
- Tong War sequence – playing the battle instead of ethnic markers 28:44
- Gilbert Gottfried – improvising live score to his impromptu narration 12:51
Guest interview, hosted by co-host Kerr Lockhart (Ben does not appear in this episode). Rick Benjamin of the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra discusses rescuing Arthur Pryor’s orchestral music collection from a dumpster, the 1992 discovery of 26 crates of cue sheets and photoplay mood music at the Washington DC Public Library, and the Black Manhattan recording project. Note: Benjamin’s practice of performing from authentic period photoplay cues is a different approach from Ben’s primarily improvisational method.
- Rescuing Arthur Pryor’s orchestral collection from a dumpster at Juilliard 06:38
- 1992 discovery of 26 crates of cue sheets at the Washington DC Public Library 14:52
- The Capitol Theater (DC) collection – ~900 cue sheets for 900 films (1912-late 1920s) 16:23
- Photoplay/mood cue music explained – generic situational repertoire 17:22
- Scale of historic cinema orchestras – the Rialto (45 pieces), the Roxy (110 pieces) 22:07
- Authenticity of live sound effects – improvisational in comedy, written in drama 23:11
Camille (Nazimova/Valentino). Full history of Ernie Kovacs’ Oriental Blues theme. The General at Epsilon Spires – the railroad tie gag, the eye-blink gag.
- Ernie Kovacs Oriental Blues theme history – Tony DiSimone, Rialto Ripples 14:35
- The General – railroad tie gag: consistent audience applause 35:05
Accompanying serial chapters. The Silent Film Universe book manuscript discussed for the first time. Ernie Kovacs’ “Sound Into Sight” music videos. Raymond Griffith DVD scoring update.
- Kevin Brownlow: audience as final participant in filmmaking 30:30
- Ernie Kovacs “Sound Into Sight” – one-take live television 31:58
Guest interview (Part 1 of 2). Note: speaker attribution is approximate. William Perry (b. 1930) discusses his background as a classically trained pianist at Harvard, his service in the 7th Army Symphony, and his unlikely entry into silent film accompaniment: auditioning cold on Broken Blossoms at the recommendation of Paul Killiam, who had been producing the comedy-driven “Silents Please” TV series. Perry became MoMA’s music director from 1969 into the early 1980s and went on to score The Silent Years (PBS, 1971/1975, narrated by Orson Welles and featuring Lillian Gish). He describes his recording process for that series at Empire Studios (reel by reel, piano only) and his major technique contribution: establishing a theme in the opening titles and bringing it back throughout a film, treating “the screen as my sheet music.” Other highlights: a marathon screening of Abel Gance’s La Roue late at night for an audience of three; the Zander the Great mix-up (expecting a circus-strongman story, getting a film about a boy); and a striking demonstration of music’s power – playing two different shows of the same Chaplin film, one scored for pathos (afternoon) and one for comedy (evening), entirely directing audience response. King Vidor personally reveals to Perry that The Crowd was cut to the rhythm of Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique Symphony.
- William Perry’s background – Harvard, Hindemith and Piston, 7th Army Symphony 05:15
- MoMA audition on Broken Blossoms, cold – 1969, Paul Killiam’s referral 10:35
- Paul Killiam – from “Silents Please” comedy jokes to serious restoration 15:43
- Silent Years recording process – Empire Studios, reel-by-reel, piano only 21:23
- Opening title music as technique – establishing theme that returns throughout 23:00
- La Roue marathon – 12:30am, an audience of three, one hand resting 32:52
- Zander the Great story – expected a strongman, found a different kind of film 30:02
- “The screen is my sheet music” – Perry’s guiding philosophy 34:59
- Two Chaplin shows, same film: afternoon pathos, evening comedy – music directs response 43:10
- King Vidor: The Crowd edited to Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique Symphony 39:29
Guest interview (Part 2 of 2). Note: speaker attribution is approximate. Continuing the conversation, Perry describes MoMA’s role at the center of the 1960s-70s silent film renaissance, where he previewed only about one film in ten before a show, working from synopses and research the rest of the time – and learned to stay one step ahead of the audience (including an 85-year-old patron who once told him, “you play too loud”). He recounts having tea with Lillian Gish at her East 57th Street apartment, hearing her recall Mary Pickford calling mid-visit and Valentino once asking her, bewildered, why he was famous (a story involving H.L. Mencken), plus Gish passing along D.W. Griffith’s own lessons about lighting an actor’s face. Perry discusses expanding his musical vocabulary for films requiring Spanish or Southern musical color, and contrasts Griffith’s non-musical editing with King Vidor’s score-like, Tchaikovsky-influenced cutting. He describes how playing piano for silent film taught him to think orchestrally – crediting Sunday mornings hearing Erno Rapee’s Radio City orchestra play Mahler – which led him to leave MoMA for a career writing for Broadway and television, including the Tony-nominated Wind in the Willows and the PBS Mark Twain series (with John Williams in the room for one session). He also recalls recording the Silent Years LP on a piano that had once belonged to Rachmaninoff, and shares a favorite harmonic trick: resolving a dominant seventh chord to an unexpected major key.
- MoMA era of discovery – the 1960s-70s silent film renaissance 07:56
- Preview rate of about one film in ten – working from synopsis the rest of the time 09:20
- An 85-year-old patron’s verdict: “You play too loud” 13:06
- Tea with Lillian Gish – Mary Pickford phone call, Valentino/Mencken story 13:34
- Lillian Gish passes along D.W. Griffith’s lessons on lighting an actor’s face 16:27
- Expanding musical vocabulary – Spanish and Southern color, avoiding unidentified songs 19:25
- Griffith’s non-musical editing vs. Vidor’s Tchaikovsky-influenced cutting 21:11
- Thinking orchestrally while playing piano – Erno Rapee’s Radio City Mahler concerts 30:25
- Leaving MoMA for Broadway and television – Wind in the Willows, Mark Twain (PBS) 37:40
- Recording Silent Years LP on a piano that once belonged to Rachmaninoff 55:51
- Perry’s harmonic trick – dominant seventh resolving to an unexpected major key 54:42
- Perry on Ben Model and Donald Sosin carrying the tradition forward 52:17
Frankenstein (1931) live underscore process. Halloween programming guide. Listener Q&A: adapting to surprises, playing an unknown film (GPS-at-night analogy).
- Frankenstein – watching as viewer first, finding where music is needed 11:20
- Listener Q: playing unknown film – GPS-at-night analogy 58:26
Ocean Grove’s giant Hope Jones pipe organ. Everett Theater centennial. Shoes (Lois Weber) – playing less/slower for the decision scene. Sid Caesar’s human equation insight.
- Robert Hope Jones pipe organ – 5 manuals, 207 ranks, 12,200 pipes 03:11
- Sid Caesar: concentrate on the human equation, not the topical 38:23
Documentary/educational scoring for the Met’s “From the Vaults” series. Spirals (Joyce Chopra) – Reaper click track. Danny Joe’s Treehouse children’s show.
- Spirals – Reaper click track, phrases fitting editor’s visual rhythm 17:32
- Danny Joe’s Treehouse – Mr. Rogers/Johnny Costa comparison 34:53
The Unknown (Lon Chaney) restoration with extra Russian footage. Ernie Kovacs’ Dutch Masters commercials. Wings’ aerial battle disorientation. Barrymore Film Center first visit.
- Lon Chaney as actor ahead of his era – Louis Armstrong analogy 17:30
- Ernie Kovacs Dutch Masters commercials – Hoffstetter not Haydn 29:13
Comprehensive recording workflow discussion. The Best Bad Man – racial fright-gag sequences in context. Sky High – William Perry’s influence on the piano decision.
- Recording workflow – whole film first, Reaper punch-in editing 02:20
- Racial fright-gag trope peak 1924-25 – historical context 25:10
Undercrank’s 10th anniversary. TCM Classic Film Festival – Clash of the Wolves closing night, audience organically booing/cheering. Kindergartners with Oranges and Lemons.
- TCM Classic Film Festival – Clash of the Wolves, audience booing/cheering 09:32
- Film tinting vs. toning – explanation of the two restoration processes 49:22
San Francisco Silent Film Festival debut. Practical advice on music lights – Littlite vs. LED spill problems. Safety Last building climb as accompaniment challenge.
- Music lights – Littlite incandescent recommendation, LED spill problem 33:13
- Safety Last building climb – tension and release for 20+ minutes 39:48
New podcast waltz theme origin story. Loves of Casanova’s surprise 2h40 running time. Roland Juno synthesizer during a projector failure. The Bat Kickstarter – Batman connection.
- New podcast waltz theme – origin during pandemic live streams 55:09
- The Bat Kickstarter – Batman connection, UCLA co-branding, 681 backers 41:06
Kurosawa’s lifetime Oscar speech as annual inspiration. The Big Parade’s charm theme. A Sante Notte – creating an original theme when the real song is unknown.
- Kurosawa lifetime Oscar speech – “I do not yet understand cinema” 53:39
- Memorizing theme by intervals – Lee Erwin’s method 24:39
Sky High at LOC – first time applying piano themes to organ. Stella Maris at Wesleyan. Marcel Perez at Silent Clowns. Man, Woman, and Sin – writing themes ahead as a new practice.
- Sky High at LOC – first time transferring piano themes to organ 07:19
- Man, Woman, and Sin – writing themes ahead as new practice 40:25
Silent Comedy Watch Party 100th episode. Shoes at NYU. Fleischer Cartoons Restored at MoMA – seven-note mnemonic for seven cartoons. “Less is more” as 2024 resolution.
- Seven-note mnemonic – starting pitch equals cartoon number 22:04
- Harry Weiss quote: “music of momentary significance” 23:03
Schroon Lake L&H pie fight accompaniment. Steamboat Bill Jr. at Plattsburgh Strand Wurlitzer. TCM 2024. A Story of Floating Weeds (Ozu) – Joan Jonas’s cleansing breath shots.
- Battle of the Century pie fight – pacing, modulating, filling extra beats 17:03
- A Story of Floating Weeds – Ozu’s cleansing breath shots 58:40
A deep dive on The Bat – restoration history, why the cue sheet was rejected, scoring 90 minutes of horror. Silence in scores – Phantom of the Opera unmasking vs. Dracula/Frankenstein anxiety.
- Choosing not to use the original cue sheet – contemporary expectations 12:06
- “Audience preservation” vs. “film preservation” – the distinction 42:43
Steamboat Bill Jr.’s house fall reconsidered – the joke is Buster’s non-reaction. Modern “silent” films thought experiment. Her Wild Oat as tribute to Joe Yranski. Book confirmed for spring 2025.
- Steamboat Bill Jr. house fall – joke is Buster’s non-reaction 23:35
- Her Wild Oat – tribute to Joe Yranski, Jazz Age idiom 43:25
MoMA To Save and Project – sold-out for an unknown film. Chaplin estate now allows The Kid with live music. Ramona – leaning into schmaltz, not playing ethnic stereotypes.
- Chaplin estate – now allowing The Kid with live music 28:51
- NOT playing ethnic stereotypes for Native American scenes 52:57
A mini-episode devoted entirely to The Silent Film Universe (Undercrank Productions, June 2025). Silent film’s central thesis: right-brain inference, undercranking, the “fish walking on land” moment.
- The Silent Film Universe – published June 17, 2025 00:30
- The podcast IS the book on film accompaniment 01:06
Tupper Lake’s first silent since 1929. Building an audience takes three years. The Freshman – Harold Lloyd’s vulnerability, cross-cutting applied. Why not to rehearse.
- Building a silent film audience – takes about three years 10:47
- Walter Kerr: Harold Lloyd as “architect of sympathy” 35:26
Berlin Symphony – deciding NOT to honor the dark original score. Saxophone Susie. Rediscovering Roscoe Arbuckle – Keystone scoring approach. Finders Keepers at Capitolfest.
- Berlin Symphony – deciding NOT to follow dark original Erdmann score 10:31
- Finders Keepers – thought lost, film coming alive with audience 42:25
Silent Clowns moves to Symphony Space. Three pipe organs over one fall. Phantom unmasking scene – hands off keys, audible audience gasp. Cardboard Lover restoration complete.
- Phantom unmasking – hands off keys, audible gasp 27:40
- Cardboard Lover restoration complete 43:00
Film comedy only visible in a full room. Pass the Gravy’s restoration project begun. MoMA January 2026 – Cardboard Lover world premiere. Micro-cinemas as the future. The podcast IS the book.
- Pass the Gravy – Yiddish Book Center origin, restoration begun 37:13
- The podcast IS the book on film accompaniment 54:24