This is a stellar weekend for movie buffs on both coasts, with Rome, New York's Capitolfest in full swing and the Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum starting tonight.
The Friday night program will pay tribute to the one, the only Max Linder, the first bonafide comedy star of the silver screen.
The always dapper Max, star of 238 films, was one of the greatest movie comedians who ever lived and among the very few who preceded Chaplin as a star of his own series, beginning in 1905. Before John Bunny and Mack Sennett, there was Max Linder.
Tonight's program, with accompaniment by pianist David Drazin, shall include the following Max Linder comedies. TROUBLES OF A GRASSWIDOWER will be presented in a 35mm print.
Max Juggler Par Amour
Max Victime Du Quinquina
Le Soulier Trop Petit
Max Pintre Par Amour
Max & The Statue
Troubles Of A Grasswidower (1912, Pathe, 35mm)
Au Secours! (1924) Directed by Abel Gance
One of these days, this writer and silent comedy buff would love to see a restoration and screening of Max Linder's hilarious sendup of The 3 Musketeers, Douglas Fairbanks and swashbucklers in general, The Three Must-Get-There's.
San Francisco Silent Film Festival? Pordenone? TCM Classic Film Fest? MoMA NY? Throwing down the gauntlet!
The Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival is in the Niles Historic District (of Fremont) where the early cowboy star Broncho Billy Anderson and comic Charlie Chaplin made movies for the Essanay Studios. There will be very rare screenings of drama, comedy, action, silent serial stars and travelogues to exotic lands, as well as the recently discovered A TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET filmed shortly after the 1906 earthquake.
In addition to tonight's Max Linder program, Robert Bloomberg and Eric Kurland will be presenting early 3D films on Saturday, including Bob's 3-D doc on the 1906 and 1989 bay area earthquakes. A Sunday panel discussion, "Heroes and Villains- Film Collectors and Movie Pirates" will feature a panel of collectors/film detectives/archivists/restoration experts Jon Mirsalis, Peter Conheim and Kathy Rose O'Regan. The program concludes with screenings the spoof CAPTAIN CELLULOID VS. THE FILM PIRATES and THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY in a unique surprise presentation, both with musical accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis.
Go here to check out the Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival schedule, as well as buy advance tickets and festival passes.
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