The Town Hall Theatre in Wilton opens its 2026 silent film series with a newly restored screening of Annie Laurie (1927), a rarely seen MGM epic starring silent-era star Lillian Gish. The film will be shown Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St.
The screening is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10 per person to support the theater’s silent film programming. The event was originally scheduled for Jan. 25 but was postponed because of winter weather.
Live musical accompaniment will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who performs at screenings across the country.
Set in 17th-century Scotland, Annie Laurie places Gish in the role of a diplomat’s daughter caught between rival clans during the violent feud between the Campbells and the MacDonalds. Gish’s character, herself a Campbell, falls in love with Ian MacDonald, played by Norman Kerry, the chief of the rival clan. Their romance complicates fragile peace efforts as the two sides move toward open conflict.
As the clans prepare for battle, Gish’s character must choose between loyalty to her family and the possibility of warning the MacDonalds in advance of the infamous Massacre of Glencoe. The film builds to a dramatic “race to the rescue” climax, filmed in an early Technicolor process.
A major MGM release in 1927, Annie Laurie has not been publicly available since its original run. In 2024, the U.S. Library of Congress transferred a pristine 35mm print from its collection to digital media, completing restoration work where needed.
Director John S. Robertson staged the story on an epic scale, with large battle scenes set against rugged Scottish landscapes. Period costumes are a prominent feature of the production, which was released at the height of silent film artistry just before the arrival of talking pictures.
At the time, Gish was among MGM’s top stars, following acclaimed roles in D.W. Griffith films including The Birth of a Nation (1915), Way Down East (1920), and Orphans of the Storm (1921). Kerry was a popular leading man known for swashbuckling and romantic roles and was at the peak of his career when Annie Laurie was made. A young John Wayne appears among the large cast as an extra in one of his earliest roles.
Annie Laurie is the first film in the Town Hall Theatre’s 2026 silent film series, which presents a classic silent-era motion picture each month with live music. Movies have been shown at the venue since 1912.
“It’s a great way for audiences to experience the magic of silent film in the way it was intended,” Rapsis said. “Early movie-making was a shared experience that took place in a theater.”
For more information, call (603) 654-3456.
