Silent Movie Night – When the Earth Trembled & The General
Once again we are delighted that Stephen Horne will accompany this screening. Tonight we will screen a double bill of silent movies as they were intended to be seen – with live musical accompaniment.
When the Earth Trembled (or The Strength of Love)
1913 / USA / 43 min. / B&W Director: Barry O’Neil
Harry Myers, Ethel Clayton, Richard Morris
108 years to the day we will again be screening the newly restored version of the very first film ever screened here in Westerham. When the Earth Trembled, featuring original footage of the devastation of the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, it tells the story of a mother and her two children surviving the earthquake, their journey and eventual reunion with their father. The Fleapit also sponsored this restoration and is acknowledged in the credits.
The General
1927. USA. 75 min. B&W.
Director: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton, Marion Mack
This story of a kidnapped train (based on a true event from the American Civil War) is Buster Keaton’s finest hour, blending romance, action and comedy in a showcase for his prodigious dexterity, impeccable comic timing, and expressive body language. Keaton’s insistence on authenticity and and his eye for explosive set pieces gives the film a sense of scale rarely seen in the silent era. one of the greats.