SILENT SOCIETY ANNOUNCES UPCOMING SCREENINGS

by Randy Haberkamp

Following in the footsteps of a successful return of programming to Hollywood Heritage Museum in October 28, more programs are being prepared for the museum. The October show was a Halloween tribute featuring 2 reel comedies with cross-dressing by the stars including Fatty Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and others. Thanks to the Silent Society volunteers: projectionist and co-programmer Jere Guldin, and staffers Sue Guldin and Betty Petit, and for silent movie pianist to Michael Mortilla for a fun evening on Hollywood and the movies. A special thanks to Silent Society co-founder David Shepard who not only supplied some of the films, but ran out to get an extra projector and stand when one projector began to misbehave. And additional thanks to the LA Times coverage (with a Fatty Arbuckle photo) that demonstrated the public’s interest in silent films as people called for two days after the show wanting to see more silent movies at the museum.

Plans now call for a tribute to legendary director D.W. Griffith on, what would be his 125th birthday, January 22, 2000, with a film and talk (given by a soon to be announced Griffith scholar). A similar tribute is planned in February for movie pioneer J. Stuart Blackton, co-founder of Vitagraph Pictures, and whose 125th birthday will occur in February. Check HHI for exact dates and times on all these and other upcoming screenings.

On Tuesday, November 23 at 7:30 pm at the James Bridges Theater on the UCLA campus, there will be a very special 35mm screening of the newly restored 1916 Snow White. What better holiday treat than a screening of a long-thought-lost film unseen since its Christmas release more than eighty years ago. This silent version of the classic story was restored recently by George Eastman House, from a nitrate print discovered by the Nederlands Filmmuseum. Marguerite Clark--ranked second in popularity to Mary Pickford by moviegoers of the time­appeared in the 1912 stage production. This is one of the few of her 39 silent features known to survive.