Scots Kirk Mosman 9 Belmont Rd Mosman Three magnificent programs of silent classics Sundays at 3pm 9 March; 13 April; and 11 May Digital restorations with live music Tickets Phone 0419 267318 or through the website www.ozsilentfilmfestival.com.au Comedy shorts Chaplin, Chase and Keaton Laughter and thrills for the Young at Heart: : Rudolph Valentino in the Son of the Sheik; and Buster Keaton s Steamboat Bill Jr. A Australia s Silent lm Festival with Roseville Cinemas presents five sensational sessions 1
Tickets per session $25/$20 concession Gold Festival Pass to all three sessions: $65/$50 concession Sunday March 9 3.00 pm Laughter and Thrills for the Young at Heart Charlie Chaplin is on the run from cops in The Adventurer; Charley Chase is hilarious in his own unique way in Mighty Like a Moose; and Buster Keaton is also on the run again in Cops. Musical accompaniment by Heather Moen Boyd. Sunday April 13 3.00 pm The Son of the Sheik starring the greatest of the golden matinee idols, Rudolph Valentino, has majestic swirling deserts, action and eruptive emotions a plenty. Musical accompaniment by Paul Paviour OAM. Sunday May 11 3.00 pm Steamboat Bill, Jr (1928) One of Keaton s greatest feature films with breathtaking stunts and action! Musical accompaniment by Heather Moen Boyd. LAUGHTER AND THRILLS FOR THE YOUNG AT HEART 90 minutes 2
70 minutes Three of the era s greatest comedians are featured in 20-minute short films: the legendary Charlie Chaplin flees from the cops in The Adventurer (1917); Charley Chase reveals his own unique talents in Mighty Like a Moose (1926); and deadpan-faced Buster Keaton showcases his extraordinary skill for physical gags and stunts as he gives police the run-around in Cops (1922). No Silent Film Festival would be complete without a session dedicated to the Great Clowns of the silent screen, whose skill and talent in creating comedy were so enormous, that their antics continue to entertain generations nearly a century later, serving as a testament to their genius. Innocent and cartoon-like in nature, these short comedies are comical masterpieces, full of unpredictable, ridiculous and outrageous antics and stunts. Charlie Chaplin s The Adventurer (1917) features a recurring theme in slapstick comedies, namely being chased by bungling policemen, making an enemy of the everpresent big, strong and ugly guy, and trying to impress the girl while hiding embarrassing shortcomings. 3
One of Chaplin s contemporaries was Charley Chase, and in Mighty Like a Moose (1926) Chase is fabulously convincing as the ugly Mr. Moose with teeth like a walrus, married to a woman with a huge, unsightly nose. One day, this homely couple decided to have their flaws corrected without telling each other. The result is that their appearances changed so much that they did not recognize each other after their operations, leading to a ridiculous but thoroughly entertaining series of events. 4
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Affectionately nicknamed The Great Stone Face because of his world-famous trademark deadpan expression, many modern-day scholars of film history believe Keaton was the greatest comedy master of them all. Looking beyond the funny façade, one cannot fail to marvel at the precise choreography of movements, stunts and action which create great moments of thrills and laughs. This painstaking planning is most evident in the chase and action scenes of Cops (1922) in which a ladder is used like a see-saw over a fence as Buster once again tries to elude the police. Cops is a highly regarded classic short comedy for its impressive scenes of crowds and dozens of cops chasing Buster through city streets. 7
The Son of the Sheik 1926 (United States) Starring: Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Banky Director: George Fitzmaurice0 Film: Digital presentation of restored film Duration: 69 minutes The Son of the Sheik is the quintessential Hollywood-style Arabian Nights adventure, complete with romance, humour, swordfights, a sandstorm and the happy couple riding 8
off into the sunset. It is the sequel to The Sheik (1921) and the sets were designed by William Cameron Menzies, whose unmistakable good taste and artistic talent always add visual splendour and delight to any film. On top of that, the screenplay was written by journalist/author Frances Marion, who wrote scenarios for many Mary Pickford films as well as Greta Garbo in Camille (1933) and Shirley Temple in Poor Little Rich Girl (1936). But The Son of the Sheik is best remembered because it was the last film starring the legendary silent film icon, Rudolph Valentino, and success at the box office was greatly increased at the time of his funeral. His sudden death, from complications following an operation, shocked and saddened a nation that had come to love Valentino and his films. The nation came to a stand-still during the several days his coffin was transported by train across the country, with masses of people lining the railway to catch a glimpse. The Son of the Sheik gives today s audience a reasonably good idea of Valentino s onscreen charisma which captivated so many people in the 1920s. The dozen or so earlier films in which he starred all reveal aspects of his character and versatile acting style, from a devious con-man in The Married Virgin (1918) to a moody and deeply troubled matador in Blood and Sand (1922), just to name a few. He rose to fame for his role in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) and his starring role in The Sheik is one of his most famous. 9
Valentino is best remembered as the great screen lover, convincingly playing romantic leads and causing women in the audience to swoon. Although his role as Ahmed, the son of the Sheik, starts off in a sweet young romance, the couple s rocky road of true love has many unpredictable twists and turns, making The Son of the Sheik not as superficial or typical as one might expect. 10
His lovely co-star is Vilma Banky, who plays Yasmin, the dancing girl. Born in Hungary, Vilma enjoyed considerable success during the silent era, appearing in mostly German films until discovered by Samuel Goldwyn in 1925, which lead to her co-starring with Valentino in The Eagle (1925) and playing the lead role in The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926). Not only is Valentino the handsome young hero in The Son of the Sheik, but he also plays the role of his father, the Sheik. While the make-up is already impressively deceptive, Valentino s acting makes the dual roles appear like two separate characters thereby revealing once again that he was much more than just a pretty face. The cast of The Son of the Sheik showcases a range of colourful characters among the gang of thieves and misfits, and has exciting action scenes of ambush, kidnap and revenge balanced with drama and some humour. Most impressive, perhaps, are the highly-charged emotional scenes with Ahmed and Yasmin which poignantly convey the anger, anguish and pleading of the two characters without a word being heard. 11
STEAMBOAT BILL JR. 69 minutes USA Director: Charles Reisner Starring: Buster Keaton No doubt the most recognised name and face of silent comedy next to Charlie Chaplin is Buster Keaton. One of the many reasons why Steamboat Bill Jr. is so highly acclaimed today is that it features one of the most famous and breathtaking stunts in film history. Filmed in Sacramento, California, with a production cost of $135,000, breakaway street sets and riverbanks were constructed and then their destruction by six powerful Liberty-motor wind machines was filmed for the famous hurricane scene. Keaton himself was suspended by a cable from a forty metre crane which turned him around, as if airborne in the wind storm. Buster who plays the sensitive college boy son, Bill Jr., reluctantly learns the river boating trade from his tough and grouchy father but is more interested in the daughter of his father s riverboat rival, which leads to escalating antics, culminating in the amazing windstorm scenes. 12
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AUSTRALIA'S SILENT FILM FESTIVAL www.ozsilentfilmfestival.com.au Phone 0419267318 info@ozsilentfilmfestival.com.au 14
We acknowledge the invaluable and generous support from the renowned David Shepard, Film Preservation Associates and Blackhawk Films, Jeff Masino and Flicker Alley, Lobster Films and the sublime flair and talents of Stephanie Khoo, Please visit and read about your favourite silent film with the superb reviews at Amazon by the Festival s tireless supporter, Barbara Underwood. www.ozsilentfilmfestival.com.au A CELEBRATION CHARLIE CHAPLIN S 100 YEARS IN THE MOVIES 2014 Throughout the year Australia s Silent Film Festival salutes Charlie Chaplin s start in film 100 years ago: 1914-2014 Charlie s genius captivated and enchanted audiences around the world within a very short period of time. That relationship has never ended. The whole world claims Charlie as its own: the qualities in his roles as director, actor and composer are timeless and universal. 15
Thank you Charlie! 1914-2014 16