Buster Keaton never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of “the Great Stone Face,” but his comedies filled Hollywood’s silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.
Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, will show Keaton’s “The Cameraman” with live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis Sunday, April 30 at 2 p.m. Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to help defray expenses.
The screening is the latest in the Town Hall Theatre’s series of vintage silent feature films all set in New York City.
“The Cameraman” tells the story of a young man (Keaton) who tries to impress the girl of his dreams (Marceline Day) by working as a freelance newsreel cameraman. His efforts fail spectacularly, but then a lucky break gives him an unexpected chance to make his mark. Can he parlay the scoop of the year into a secure job and successful romance?
“The Cameraman” will be preceded by “Sherlock Jr.” (1924), in which Keaton plays a small-town movie projectionist who dreams of working as a detective, but then his romantic rival frames him for stealing a watch from his girlfriend’s father.
However, the situation mirrors the plot of the movie currently playing at the theater. Inspired by the film, can he find the real thief and win back his girl?
Both films focus on exploring the potentials of the motion picture, then a brand-new medium. In “The Cameraman,” Keaton uses the movie business itself to create comedy that plays with the nature of film and reality.
“The Cameraman” was originally scheduled to be shown at the Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, May 21, but was moved to Sunday, April 30, due to a scheduling conflict.
Upcoming films in the series include:
Sunday, May 14, at 2 p.m., “The Docks of New York” (1928) — Set in late 19th-century New York, roughneck stoker Bill Roberts gets into unexpected trouble during a brief shore leave when he falls hard for Mae, a wise and weary dance-hall girl. Intense silent drama from director Josef von Sternberg.
Sunday, May 28, at 2 p.m., “Speedy” (1928) — Harold Lloyd’s final silent feature finds him at the peak of his career playing a baseball-crazed go-getter forced to rescue the business of his girlfriend’s father from being destroyed by thugs. Filled with scenes of 1920s New York City, with notable cameo by baseball’s Babe Ruth.
Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person at each screening is suggested to help defray expenses. For information about the movies, call 603-654-3456. For more about the music, visit jeffrapsis.com.