Friday, August 8 silent movie accompaniment by David Peckham

Man and Wife (Effanem, 1923) Directed by John L. McCutcheon; with Maurice Costello, Gladys Leslie, Norma Shearer (50 minutes) SILENT. Maurice Costello is a noted brain surgeon who, broken in health, begins boarding with a farmer and his family. He marries the farmer’s youngest daughter, but there is a dark secret waiting to be unveiled. “…a story unusual enough to have been taken from life….It’s a wild tale, wildly done on the screen, but it had a great element of melodramatic suspense.” –Variety. (New digital restoration by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.)

The Luckiest Girl in the World (Universal, 1936) Directed by Edward Buzzell; with Jane Wyatt, Louis Heyward, Nat Pendleton, Eugene Pallett, Catherine Doucet, Phillip Reed (68 minutes) Jane Wyatt (in her first top-billed film) is the daughter of a millionaire (Eugene Pallett) but, despite her currently lavish lifestyle, is determined to marry a tennis player of limited means (Phillip Reed). Her father doubts she can adapt to such circumstances and challenges her to live on $150 a month. “An engagingly human little romantic comedy that clings steadfastly to real life and lightens it gayly with a twinkle of whimsey. The story is a mere trifle but its telling is to delightfully unrestrained and bubbling with good humor that it makes capital entertainment.” –Hollywood Reporter. (New digital restoration by Universal Pictures.)

King of Jazz (Universal, 1930) Directed by John Murray Anderson; with Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra, Laura La Plante, John Boles TECHNICOLOR (98 min.) Our Friday night war horse for this year’s Capitolfest, it will be the premiere of the full-length King of Jazz at the Capitol Theatre. (The much-abridged re-issue was shown here as part of a 1933 double bill.) Restored by Universal, this mammoth revue features songs (such as “It Happened in Monterey,” “Happy Feet,” etc.), a performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, “black-out” sketches with Universal players (including tribute star Laura La Plante), and a great many surprises and oddities. (Digital restoration by Universal Pictures.)

Saturday, August 9 silent movie accompaniment by Dr. Philip C. Carli and Ben Model

Love, Honor and Oh, Baby! (Universal, 1933) Directed by Edward Buzzell; with ZaSu Pitts, Sim Summerville, George Barbier, Lucile Gleason, Verree Teasdale, Donald Meek (65 minutes). A down-on-his-luck lawyer (Slim Summerville) and his finacee (ZaSu Pitts) concoct a fake breach-of-promise suit against a wealthy man (George Barbier) with an eye for the ladies. “For adult audiences this is great entertainment of the sophisticated comedy type but, for young children, hardly recommendable.” –Motion Picture News. (35mm film print from Universal Pictures.)

The Affair of Susan (Universal, 1935) Directed by Kurt Neumann; with ZaSu Pitts, Hugh O’Connell, Walter Catlett, Tom Dugan, Inez Courtney, James Burke, Mae Busch (62 min.) Two strangers (ZaSu Pitts, Hugh O’Connell) meet at Coney Island and fall in love with the accidental help of an obnoxious drunk (Walter Catlett). A light comedy remake of 1928’s Lonesome, The Affair of Susan was a surprise hit at Capitolfest in 2013 and is brought back by popular demand. (35mm film print from Universal Pictures.)

The Gorilla (FN, 1927) Directed by Alfred Santell; with Charles Murray, Fred Kelsey, Walter Pidgeon, Alice Day, Brooks Benedict, Claude Gillingwater (80 min.) SILENT  “A series of killings, believed to be by a gorilla, precede a murder at an old mansion. Bungling detectives Garrity and Mulligan (Charles Murray and Fred Kelsey) arrive to investigate. “I believe that First National has hit upon another good one. The Gorilla is a creepy, suspensive melodrama, of The Bat and The Cat and the Canary type, only more breath-taking, if that is possible. It should please everywhere, particularly where strong pictures are liked.”–Harrison’s Reports (New digital restoration by Fondazione Cineteca Italiana, Milano.)

Menace (Paramount, 1934) Directed by Ralph Murphy; with Gertrude Michael, Paul Cavanagh, Henrietta Crossman, John Lodge, Ray Milland, Burton Churchill, Halliwell Hobbes, Montagu Love. A psychopath threatens the life of three persons who he believes were responsible for the suicide of his brother. “It is eerie, and holds the audience in tense suspense.” –Harrison’s Reports. (58 min.) (35mm film from Universal Pictures.)

Sunday, August 10 silent movie accompaniment by Ben Model and Dr. Philip C. Carli

Dead Game (Universal, 1923) Directed by Edward Sedgwick; with Hoot Gibson, Robert McKim, Laura La Plante, Harry Carter (50 min.) SILENT A ranch hand (Hoot Gibson) decides to kidnap the woman he loves (Laura La Plante) on her wedding day to save her from a disastrous marriage. “[Familiar] situations are put to spectacular use. The director is forceful and there is plenty of action. Laura La Plante…proves a winsome heroine.” –Moving Picture World. (35mm film preservation by the George Eastman Museum)