http://www.jmucci.com/films/grange.htm
Three classic silent film comedies will be shown with live piano
accompaniment at the Wilton Cannon Grange, Wilton, CT on February 18, 2006
at 7 pm. Children and adults will enjoy a short feature and two 12-minute
comedies from the golden age of silent cinema.
Buster Keaton's The General (1927), one of the most celebrated silent films
is the feature, with Laurel and Hardy's Big Business (1929), and the
pre-Russian Revolution "Revenge of a Kinematographic Cameraman" (1912).
Noted silent film accompanist and film historian John Mucci of Wilton will
play a live score. Refreshments will be served at 7:00 pm, and the films
will begin at 7:30 pm, with an intermission. Admission is free.
The Wilton Cannon Grange Hall, at 25 Cannon Road has ample parking available
at the Cannondale Railroad Station. Click here for directions.
ABOUT THE FILMS:
THE GENERAL (1927)
The feature film, Buster Keaton's "The General" (1927) is generally regarded
as one of the greatest of all silent comedies, and was Keaton's own
favorite. The Civil War epic is undoubtedly the best train film ever made.
The plot centers around the youthful Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton), a brave
little Southern engineer on the Western & Atlantic Rail Road running through
Georgia. When the Civil War is declared Johnny tries to enlist, but is told
that he is more valuable as an engineer. When his train, containing his
girlfriend Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), is stolen by Union spies, Johnny
takes another locomotive and the most memorable chase in silent film history
ensues. Insisting on accuracy in every detail, Keaton created a remarkably
authentic historical epic, replete with hundreds of costumed extras,
full-scale sets, and the breathtaking plunge of an actual locomotive from
burning bridge into a river.
BIG BUSINESS (1929)
Laurel and Hardy are selling Christmas trees door-to-door in southern
California with little success, not even to getting advance orders for the
next year. They decide to use all their salesmanship skills with James
Finlayson, who proves to be adamant in his refusal. A few simple mistakes
quickly develop into a ritual of mutual destruction that ruins their
business, Fin's home and the boys' car. William K. Everson calls "Big
Business" The apotheosis of all Laurel and Hardy films, and goes on to call
it "one of the comedy classics from any star, any country and any period."
It is certainly one of the tightest edited films of Laurel and Hardy, also
featuring James Finlayson, one of the Hal Roach Comedy All-stars, who
appeared in 33 of their films.
A tacit thank you to a number of web contributors for content.
