It’s a film series 100 years in the making.
Starting in January, the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main Street in Wilton, will reset the clock and celebrate the top box office hits of 1922.
The program includes Rudolph Valentino’s bullfighting drama “Blood and Sand,” Marion Davies in the medieval romance “When Knighthood was in Flower” and the year’s highest-grossing film, “Robin Hood” starring Douglas Fairbanks.
First up is Harold Lloyd’s comedy “Grandma’s Boy” Sunday, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m. Live music will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per person to help cover expenses.
Subsequent programs will include all of 1922’s five highest-grossing titles, each shown on the big screen with live music, as well as century-old oddities, short films, cartoons and more.
“Putting these films back on the big screen is a great way to celebrate the 100th anniversaries of some terrific motion pictures,” stated Rapsis, who will provide music for all the films in the series. “These are films that set the standard for Hollywood, and still retain their power to entertain, especially when shown in a theater with live music and an audience.”
“Grandma’s Boy” tells the story a cowardly young man (Lloyd) who seeks the courage to battle a menacing tramp who terrorizes his small hometown. The film grossed $1.1 million, making it the year’s fourth-highest grossing picture and the year’s most-popular comedy.
At the time, a successful feature film typically grossed $100,000. The picture helped establish Lloyd as a major star for the rest of the silent film era, and prompted rival comedians Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton to also make feature-length films.
The Jan. 9 screening will include a special 100th anniversary cake to be enjoyed by movie-goers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Upcoming programs in the series include:
— Sunday, Jan. 23, at 2 p.m.: “Nanook of the North,” a breakthrough documentary telling the story of an Inuit hunter struggling to survive in far-north Canada.
— Sunday, Feb. 6, at 2 p.m.: Rudolph Valentino in “Blood and Sand,” in his first starring role, as a sexy bullfighter in this romantic thriller.
— Sunday, Feb. 20, 2 p.m.: “When Knighthood was in Flower.” Marion Davies goes medieval in this big-budget costume picture that put her on the map as a top Hollywood star.
— Sunday, March 13, at 2 p.m.: Norma Talmadge in “Smilin’ Through.” In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, a 1922 romantic drama set in the Emerald Isle.
— Sunday, March 27, at 2 p.m.: Douglas Fairbanks in “Robin Hood.” Celebrate the 100th anniversary of this blockbuster adaptation, which was the top-grossing film of 1922.
— Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m.: Chaney/Houdini double feature. In “Flesh and Blood,” escaped convict Lon Chaney hides out in Chinatown and plots revenge. In “The Man From Beyond,” illusionist Harry Houdini plays an Arctic adventurer frozen for 100 years.
— Sunday, April 24, at 2 p.m.: Emil Jannings in “Othello.” Shakespeare’s tragedy brought to the screen in this early German version in honor of the author’s 458th birthday.
“With 80 percent of all films from the silent era lost or missing, we’re fortunate to have all top five films from 1922 available to screen a full century after their release,” Rapsis stated. “We invite all silent film fans, and also those who haven’t experienced this type of cinema in a theater with an audience and live music, to come see the motion pictures that caused people to first fall in love with the movies.”
For information on the series, call 603-654-3456 or visit wiltontownhalltheatre.com.
For information on the music, visit jeffrapsis.com.