PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) Classic Horror with Live Pipe Organ Soundtrack!

Join us in our historic sanctuary Halloween weekend for a classic silent film set to live musical score performed on our 1916 Estey Pipe Organ by renowned organist Dennis James, one of the nation’s leading silent film accompanists!  *This program is appropriate for all-ages, Tricks and Treats will be provided!

The Phantom of the Opera the 1925 film adaptation of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, directed by Rupert Julian and starring Lon Chaney in an iconic performance of the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House, causing murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star. The film remains famous for Chaney's ghastly, self-devised make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premier! 

A forerunner of the American horror film, and one of the most lavish productions of the silent cinema, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has inspired countless remakes and imitations. But none of its successors can rival the mesmerizing blend of romance and mystery that haunts every frame of the Lon Chaney original. The newly restored edition for this special screening presents the 1929 theatrical version, restored from archival 35mm elements by Film Preservation Associates. It is highlighted by the Technicolor Bal Masque sequence (in which the Phantom interrupts the revelry wearing the scarlet robes of the Red Death), as well as meticulously hand-colored sequences (replicating the Handschiegl Color Process). TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGzgLMAedxA&feature=youtu.be

About Dennis James 

For over 40 years, the renowned organist has played a pivotal role in the international revival of silent films paired with live music. Dennis James is dedicated to furthering public interest in pipe organs and to the continuation of the theatrical traditions of organ performance. He tours worldwide presenting silent film screenings with piano, theatre organ, chamber ensemble and full symphony orchestra accompaniments. 

James has appeared together with such popular film personalities as Vincent Price, Ray Bolger, Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Myrna Loy, Olivia DeHavilland, Ginger Rogers and Fay Wray. He toured throughout the 1980s with silent film stars Lillian Gish and Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers, providing musical accompaniment on national tour revivals of their motion pictures. His research and experiences have led him to develop his now frequently-imitated authentic film accompaniment recreations incorporating actual period performance practices and utilizing the surviving musical source materials from the silent film era with unwavering commitment to stylistic integrity in performance. 

Dennis James and his production company, Silent Film Concerts have amassed one of the largest private libraries of authentic silent film music in existence today, acquired via film musicians, film music collectors and from historic theatres throughout the world. It includes complete original film scores plus hundreds of published generic silent film music compositions that are used to create historically accurate new musical scores where the originals do not survive. The resulting accompaniment performances are presented as historical recreations faithful to scoring practices of the period of each individual film’s original release.

Read an interview with Dennis James in THE COMMONS.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM:

"Theatre organist Dennis M. James is one of the only living musicians who understands what is musically, historically, and cinematically appropriate for silent films. Dennis James' choice of music (some of which is original) subconsciously guides the listener into many moods, tension, bliss, excitement, despair, terror, and hilarity. He is able to accomplish this while remaining correct for the period of the film. In other words, if Mr. James' performance had been played when the film was first exhibited, it would have been considered contemporary. He would never attempt to modernize the feeling of the period by creating a score that would clash.” -Peter Mintun, New York pianist and cultural historian.

“Silent films are a rare and precious art form of tremendous historical importance, and the art of live musical accompaniment to a silent film is a discipline of equally important historic value. Dennis James is both a musician of tremendous artistic scope and range, and a scholar who strives to preserve and restore this unique 20th century musical practice. He is without doubt the greatest practitioner of the art of solo silent film accompaniment. To witness a contemporary audience experience the beauty and power of silent film through the overwhelming symphonic dynamism that Dennis James unleashes with unerring skill on the theatre organ is an absolute revelation. He’s a national treasure.” — Stephen Salmons, Artistic Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival

 “In commenting on the art of silent film accompaniment, it should be pointed out that a proper performance involves much more than ‘chase’ music, pratfall sound effects, or ‘hamming it up’ by introducing familiar song title interludes designed to attract titters from the audience. Considerable hard work is involved in terms of research, scoring, practice and timing in order to create a musical accompaniment which is both appropriate and unobtrusive while enhancing both the action and the mood of what is taking place on the screen . . . at the conclusion of this film a sophisticated audience loudly proclaimed that Dennis James had done his homework well, resulting in a truly excellent job of silent film accompaniment.” - Theatre Organ Journal