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Sunday, July 16, 2023

Silent Sundays at the Academy Museum

Harold Lloyd dangling
from a a clock in Safety Last!
Nearly from the beginning of Turner Classic Movies in 1994, silent movies have aired on the channel on Silent Sunday Nights. Since 2019 Silent Sunday Nights has been hosted by Professor Jacqueline Stewart, who is also Academy Museum Director and President. Beginning on July 23 2023 the Academy Museum will be showing silent movies every Sunday at 2:00 PM Pacific. Silent Sundays will showcase movies ranging from well-known, American classics to forgotten films to classics from across the world.

It was during the Silent Era that the language of cinema evolved, so that movies made during the era still have an influence on movies made today. Sadly according to a study conducted by the Library of Congress in 2013, 75% of the movies made in the Silent Era have been irrevocably lost. Both Turner Classic Movies and the Academy Museum are dedicated to shining a spotlight on silent movies as an important part of cinema history.

Below are the upcoming movies being shown for Silent Sundays.

July 23, 2023--Earth (1930) at the Ted Mann Theater: Also known by its original Ukrainian title Zemlya, Earth was directed by legendary Ukrainian director Oleksandr Dovzhenko. The film focuses on the process of collectivization during the Soviet Union's first Five-Year Plan and its impact on farmers. Earth was banned by Soviet authorities only nine days after it was released and various scenes were cut from the film. It was not until 2012 that the film was fully restored. Earth at the Academy Museum will feature a new soundtrack created by Luke Corradine by order of the UFACE association.

July 30 2023--Fanchon the Cricket (1915) with Rosita (1923) at the Ted Mann Theater: This is is a double feature starring Mary Pickford. Fanchon the Cricket is notable as being the only movie in which all three Pickford siblings appear (Mary, Lottie, and Jack). Fanchon the Cricket was long thought to be lost when a copy was discovered at the Cinémathèque Française. Rosita stars Mary Pickford as a street singer in Seville who catches the eye of the King of Spain. It is notable as the first Hollywood film made by director Ernst Lubitsch. Rosita was restored in 2016. Both films will include live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla.

August 6 2023--Flesh and the Devil (1926) at the Ted Mann Theater: Flesh and the Devil is the film that made Greta Garbo an international star. She plays opposite John Gilbert, then at the height of his career. Greta Garbo and John Gilbert's chemistry was such that the two actors made three more movies together. They would also have an off-screen romance. Flesh and the Devil will include live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla.

August 13 2023--Tokyo Chorus (1931) at the Ted Mann Theater: Its original Japanese title is Tōkyō no kōrasu. Tokyo Chorus was directed by legendary director  Yasujirō Ozu. Amazingly enough, it would not be released in the United States until 1982. The film has much in common with the classic silent The Crowd (1928) in that it focuses on common people. Themes related to everyday life would continue to appear in Ozu's films for the entirety of his career. The movie will include live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla.

August 20 2023--The Racket (1928) at the Ted Mann Theater: The Racket is an early and influential gangster movie directed by Lewis Milestone. The movie proved controversial in Chicago because of its portrayal of corrupt police and government officials, and was banned in the city for a time. Regardless, The Racket was nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Picture at the 1929 Academy Awards. The Racket was thought to be lost until a copy was found in Howard Hughes's personal collection. It was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2016. The film will include live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla.

August 27 2023--Safety Last! (1923) at the David Geffen Theater: This is a 100th anniversary showing of one of the most famous and most popular silent movies of all time.Safety Last! stars Harold Lloyd as the Boy, who moves to the city to "make good," only to experience misfortune as things go from bad to worse. The scene of Harold Lloyd hanging from a large clock is still one of the most famous images from silent cinema.

For information on tickets, visit the Academy Museum's page on Silent Sundays. The Academy Museum is located at 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

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