If any of you get the opportunity to see a silent film with a musical accompaniment, I would highly recommend it. It is a unique art form that is disappearing, since there are so few organists who can do the job. Most of the greats, like the incredible Gaylord Carter, have died, so this is becoming a lost art.

Once I projected a John Barrymore film at the Carnegie Hall Cinema
from a silent 16mm print on a Hortson projector. A famous organist
supplied the sound. At the end, I shone a pink spotlight on him as he took his bows to a thunderous, standing ovation.

Yes, nothing compares, for emotional evocativeness, to a classic silent film with expert live music.

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The chief projectionist, Joe Quick, who I worked under at the Regal (ABC), Kingston-upon-Thames, previously was the chief operator (as they were called in those days) at the Regal, Marble Arch, did the first London premiere run of BEN HUR.

The Regal, Marble Arch, later renamed Odeon, during the 1950s was equipped with four BTH projectors for 3D. Later demolished for a new build Odeon with a D-150 screen. Now converted into a multi 5 screen

I have actually shown one silent 35mm film, which was for the BFI at Cinema City, Chalk Farm, a temporary cinema & exhibition at the Roundhouse Theatre. I think the film title was NURSE CAVELL, anyway it was about Florence Nightingale. Projected at 18 fps on Kalee 20 projectors, with live piano accompaniment.

Gerard,

The Projected Picture Trust have just installed a 16mm Hortson projector, replacing a Philips in the projection box of the Enigma Cinema, Bletchley Park.

The film was remade by Wilcox as Nurse Edith Cavell in September 1939, starrring his wife Anna Neagle. Needless to say there was a lot less political controversy over antagonising the Germans!

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I have in fact shown another ‘silent’ but it did have a soundtrack. Pasted from 12.23.2001.

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A nice surprise for me some 30 years ago was when I was helping out the British Film Institute at the converted Roundhouse Theatre Chalk Farm, London (formally a steam engine train depot with turntable), for the BFI Cinema City Exhibition. One night I showed Harold Lloyd’s film “Safety Last “ plus a couple of shorts, the prints were Mr Lloyd’s personal ones, they were also struck special with academy ratio within 1.85:1 wide frame, the mono soundtrack was magnetic in place of the optical track although still coated 4 track but with standard perforations and not foxhole, most unusual. After the screening Harold Lloyd visited the projection box and thanked me for the presentation. The equipment at the Roundhouse, Kalee 20 projectors, Kalee xenons, Kalee Duosonic sound with 4 track magnetic penthouses to mono only.

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