Tuesday, May 19 at 7:30pm
(Long Island, NY) Josef von Sternberg’s haunting tale of a rough-hewn ship stoker who falls for a tortured dance-hall girl is considered by many to be one of the greatest dramas of the silent era. “The Docks of New York” (1928) screens with live organ accompaniment by Ben Model screens in the monthly Anything But Silent series on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:30pm at Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington, NY. 631-423-7611 www.CinemaArtsCentre.org.
Members $10 / Public $15. Tickets can be purchased online, www.CinemaArtsCentre.org or at the box office during theater hours.
The Docks of New York (1928) poster. Photo Credit: Joseph Yransky collection.
Although he is most famous for his legendary collaborations with Marlene Dietrich (The Blue Angel, Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus), master filmmaker Josef von Sternberg made many of his greatest films in the silent era. In this dark melodrama, rough-hewn ship stoker Bill Roberts (George Bancroft) falls for tortured dance-hall girl Mae (Betty Compson) after saving her from a suicide attempt. Cinematographer Harold Rossen’s (The Wizard of Oz) haunting photography creates an expressionistic haze that looms over their love affair. New York is not only the backdrop of this classic silent film but an integral character, showing us the landscape of back-alleys and flophouses of 1920s New York. This elegant and elegiac love story about battered souls at the bottom of the barrel is often considered to be von Sternberg’s most emotionally affecting film and one of his greatest masterpieces. 35mm print courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Betty Compson and George Bancroft in The Docks of New York (1928). Photo Credit: Joseph Yransky collection.
BEN MODEL is one of the USA’s leading silent film accompanists, and has been playing piano and organ for silents at the Museum of Modern Art in New York for the past 28 years and for CAC for over 7 years. Ben co-curated MoMA’s “Cruel and Unusual Comedy” series and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle retrospective, and also curated Shout! Factory’s new “Ernie Kovacs Collection” DVD box set. A five-time recipient of the Meet The Composer grant, Ben is a regular accompanist at classic film festivals around the U.S.A. and in Norway, and performs at universities, museums, and historic theaters. Ben is the producer and co-founder of The Silent Clowns Film Series, now in its 14th season in NYC. Ben’s recorded scores can be heard on numerous DVD releases from Kino Video and others. Ben’s composed ensemble scores for films by Chaplin, Keaton and Lloydare performed around the U.S. every year by orchestras and by concert bands.
Upcoming Anything But Silent:
- Harold Lloyd’s Girl Shy (1924)
Wed, June 17,7:30
Romantic comedy silent film - Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lodger
Tuesday, July 14 at 7:30 pm
1927 ‧ Thriller/Drama ‧ 2h 40m
A Story of the London Fog
When a landlady (Marie Ault) and her husband (Arthur Chesney) take in a new lodger (Ivor Novello), they’re overjoyed: He’s quiet, humble and pays a month’s rent in advance. But his mysterious and suspicious behavior soon has them wondering if he’s the killer terrorizing local blond girls. Their daughter, Daisy (June), a cocky model, is far less concerned, her attraction obvious. Her police-detective boyfriend (Malcolm Keen), in a pique of jealousy, seeks to uncover the lodger’s true identity. - The Cat and the Canary
Wednesday, October 28 at 7:30pm
1927 ‧ Thriller/Drama ‧ 1h 48m
The relatives of Cyrus West gather at his estate on the 20th anniversary of his death to hear the reading of his will. Annabelle West (Laura La Plante) is named the heir to Cyrus’ fortune, under the condition that she is declared sane by a doctor (Lucien Littlefield). Later in the evening, the family is informed that a dangerously insane man known at “the Cat” is on the loose in the area. When Cyrus’ lawyer (Tully Marshall) is found dead, Annabelle fears she is the next target. Director: Paul Leni - The Family Secret
Tuesday, November 17 at 7:30pm
USA. Directed by William A. Seiter. Screenplay by Lois Zellner, based on a story by Frances Hodgson Burnett. With Baby Peggy Montgomery (Diana Serra Cary), Gladys Hulette, Edward Earle. Adapted from a children’s book by Burnett (The Little Princess, The Secret Garden), this 1924 feature was a vehicle for the child star Baby Peggy, who, as Diana Serra Carey, remains very much with us today at the age of 96. A typical Burnett tale of a traumatic childhood leading to a compensatory discovery of independence and imagination, the material makes a surprisingly good fit for its young director, Seiter, who would go on to become one of Hollywood’s most accomplished directors of character comedy (Sing and Like It, If You Could Only Cook). Preserved by The Library of Congress; courtesy Universal Pictures. - Chaplin Mutuals
Tuesday, December 8 at 7:30pm
An evening of classic Charlie Chaplin shorts, seen in brand new archival 2K digital restorations, sourced and scanned from multiple 35mm prints from all over the world that will make these classic hilarious films look like new! In 1916, the Mutual Film Corporation built Charles Chaplin his own studio and he entered a fruitful twelve-month period which he acknowledged to be one of the most inventive and liberating of his career. Chaplin had full control over casting, scripting and directing. The resulting movies feature “the little tramp” in situations that make for some of Chaplin’s funniest works.
Since 1973, presenting the best U.S., International, Independent & Repertory films on 3 screens 365 days of the year, in a comfortable ambience including the sculpture garden & The Sky Room Café, the Cinema Arts Centre is located at 423 Park Ave (just south of 25a), Huntington, NY 11743 (25 miles east of New York City). Admission for regular programs $12. Discounts for members, seniors, students & children. CAC is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. For further information call 631-423-7610. To sign up for weekly email schedule: info@CinemaArtsCentre.org Membership and Schedule: www.cinemaartscentre.org.
The mission of the Cinema Arts Centre is to bring the best in cinematic artistry to Long Island, and use the power of film to expand the awareness and consciousness of our community.
