January Rush

The month of January ends with an indulgent flurry of screenings for Pacific Northwest silent film enthusiasts, featuring three theaters and four films over three days, with logistics to challenge all but the most avid of silent era moviegoers.

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
Friday, January 25, 8:00 p.m., Northwest Film Forum

Northwest Film Forum kicks off it’s 2008 Children’s Film Festival on Friday, January 25, with what is generally considered the first full-length animated feature film, Lotte Reiniger’s haunting 1926 masterpiece, The Adventures of Prince Achmed. When compared to the present state of commercial animation, which is virtually devoid of originality or any sense of organic craftsmanship, Reiniger’s telling of The Arabian Nights using exquisitely detailed silhouette puppets and stop action animation is phenomenal and inspiring. A new live musical score was commissioned by NWFF to accompany all screenings of the film, which may be too dark and intense for the pre-school set.

Additional shows,
Sunday, January 26, 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 31, 8:00 p.m. and
Sunday, February 3, 1:00 p.m.

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927)
Saturday, January 26, 12:00 & 3:30 p.m., The Rose, Port Townsend

Port Townsend’s beloved Rose Theater and The Port Townsend Film Festival will present an expanded version of their winter silent film program, this year offering two films screened over two days, and showcasing two of the finest musical accompanists available anywhere.

The Third Annual Port Townsend Silent Film Festival opens Saturday, January 26 with the first ever Port Townsend appearance of Dennis James at The Rose for two performances of his brilliant score originally commissioned by David Packard for MGM’s 1927 blockbuster The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg. Dennis opened the 2007 San Francisco Silent Film Festival with this film, at The Castro Theater’s 4/21 Wurlitzer last July. Rarer still (I’ve been waiting for years!), Dennis will accompany The Student Prince on the acoustic grand piano!

It (1927)
Sunday, January 27, 12:00 & 3:30 p.m., The Rose, Port Townsend

The PTSFF continues on Sunday, January 27 at The Rose with the return of The Seattle International Film Festival’s favorite accompanist Donald Sosin, for two performances of Paramount’s 1927 romantic comedy It, starring late era flapper Clara Bow. Let’s hope the expanded program is a sign of things to come!

The Gold Rush (1925)
Sunday, January 27, 4:00 & 7:00 p.m., The Lynwood, Bainbridge Island

January’s whirlwind silent film weekend concludes with two screenings of Charles Chaplin’s 1925 masterpiece, The Gold Rush at Bainbridge Island’s Lynwood Theater. Wrapping up his busy weekend, The Lynwood presents theater organist in residence Dennis James, performing this time for the original 1925 version of Chaplin’s film (Wahoooo!)

Next ...
Dennis James and Napoleon.