LUDLOW, Vt. – The classic feature-length silent comedy “Our Hospitality” (1923) will be screened with live music, on Saturday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m., at Heald Auditorium in the Ludlow Town Hall, 37 Depot Street, Ludlow.
He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of “the Great Stone Face.” But Buster Keaton’s comedies rocked Hollywood’s silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s, and remain popular crowd-pleasers today.
Presented by the Friends of Ludlow Auditorium, the screening will feature accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer, who specializes in creating live music for silent film presentations.
Set in the 1830s, “Our Hospitality” tells the tale of a young man (Keaton) raised in New York City, but unknowingly at the center of a long-running backwoods family feud. Resolving to return and claim his family homestead, he sets in motion a perilous cat-and-mouse game in which every move could be his last.
Highlights of the picture include Keaton’s extended journey on a vintage train of the era, as well as a climatic river rescue scene.
The film stars Keaton’s then-wife, Natalie Talmadge, as his on-screen love interest; their first child, newborn James Talmadge Keaton, makes a cameo appearance, playing Buster as an infant. Keaton’s father also plays a role in the film.
The screening is part of the annual Silent Movie Festival, presented by the Friends of Ludlow Auditorium. The program will also include a Keaton short comedy with piano accompaniment by local musician Glenn Brown.
Keaton entered films in 1917 and was quickly fascinated with the then-new medium. After apprenticing with popular comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Keaton set up his own studio in 1920, making short comedies that established him as one of the era’s leading talents.
A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his entire body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise. And in an era without special effects, Keaton’s acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts.
In 1923, Keaton made the leap into full-length films with “Our Hospitality,” which proved popular enough for him to continue making features for the rest of the silent era.
Although not all of Keaton’s films were box office successes, critics later expressed astonishment at the sudden leap Keaton made from short comedies to the complex story and technical demands required for full-length features.
Accompanist Rapsis will create a musical score for the film live during its screening, in the manner of theater organists during silent cinema’s peak years in the 1920s. “For most silent films, there was never any sheet music and no official score,” Rapsis said. “So creating original music on the spot to help the film’s impact is all part of the experience.”
“That’s one of the special qualities of silent cinema,” Rapsis said. “Although the films themselves are often over a century old, each screening is a unique experience – a combination of the movie, the music, and the audience reaction.”
Admission is free and all are welcome to this family-friendly event. Donations are accepted at the door to support the Friends of Ludlow Auditorium. For more information on the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.