The Eleventh San Francisco Silent Film Festival is happening this weekend, July 14-16 at the Castro Theatre. I’ve attended three in the past and always loved them. There’s something about the quality of the monochrome nitrate film, music and evocation of people and views at the beginning of the last century that is mesmerizing.
The Friday Opening Night film is Seventh Heaven starring Janet Gaynor. The film gets 8.3 out of 10 stars on imdb.com, so I expect it to be quite good. Robin Adrian, the son of Janet Gaynor will be present. The film includes the 1906 short, “A Trip Down Market Street.” And the live accompaniment is on the Castro Mighty Wurlitzer performed by Clark Wilson.
Then on Saturday morning, Harry Carey, Jr., son of the great cowboy star Harry Carey will take part in an on-stage conversation with noted Ford scholar Joseph McBride at a screening of the 1917 John Ford western “Bucking Broadway“, starring, of course, Harry Carey. The film includes the 1906 short, “San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.” And the live accompaniment is on the Castro Mighty Wurlitzer performed by Michael Mortilla.
I particularly look forward to Saturday evening’s showing of G.W. Pabst‘s classic “Pandora’s Box” starring Louise Brooks. It’s no accident that Louise Brooks sports the cover of the S.F. Silent Film Festival. And “Pandora’s Box” is considered one of the seminal silent films. The film includes the 1906 short, “Exploded Gas Tanks, U.S Mint, Emporium and Spreckels Building.” And the live accompaniment is on the Castro Mighty Wurlitzer performed by Clark Wilson.
There are other films in the festival that are quite interesting on the schedule. So if you have some time this weekend, perhaps I’ll see you there.