Ben Model’s
Silent Film Performance Schedule
Shows are usually posted 2-3 months in advance. Bookmark this page or sign up for my emails so you don’t miss a show. For booking info, send me an email.
2019
May
Weds at 1:20, weekly (ends May 8) – “Silent Storytelling” – silent film course – open to Wesleyan students only, no auditing allowed – Wesleyan College of Film and Media Studies – instructor/piano
Sun May 5 at 1:00 – Silent Comedy Shorts: Chaplin’s One A.M, Buster Keaton in The Playhouse, Laurel & Hardy in Big Business – Bedford Playhouse – Bedford NY – piano
Fri May 10 at 7:30 – “An Evening With Changemaker Ernie Kovacs” – co-hosted by Josh Mills and Ben Model – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA
Sat May 10 at 2:00 – Harold Lloyd in Speedy (1928) – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA – theatre organ
Sat May 11 at 7:30 – “An Evening With Edie Adams” – co-hosted by Josh Mills and Ben Model – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA
Weds May 15 at 7:30 – Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood – new digital restoration from Cohen Media – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY (Long Island) – theatre organ
Sat May 18 at 1:00 – Buster Keaton in Sherlock, Jr., plus Charlie Chaplin in The Rink – La Mirada Theater – La Mirada CA – piano
Weds May 22 at 10:30am – “The Ernie Kovacs Centennial: 1919-2019” – New Jersey State Museum Auditorium – Trenton NJ – M.C. of event
Summer 2019 . . .
Shows have been being scheduled and will be posted during May. I still have some dates available – even if I’m not, I can refer you to one of my coleagues. Bookmark this page or sign up for emails to be notified of performances and DVD releases.
Previously, in 2019…
April
Weds at 1:20, weekly – “Silent Storytelling” – silent film course – open to Wesleyan students only, no auditing allowed – Wesleyan College of Film and Media Studies – instructor/piano
Fri April 5 at 7:30 – Lois Weber’s Hypocrites (1914) – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA – theatre organ
Sat April 6 at 7:30 – The Metropolitan Washington Old Time Radio Club performs live reenactments of episodes of The Shadow and Fibber McGee and Molly – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA – theatre organ
Sun April 7 at 3:45 – “Mostly Lost” Workshop – AFI Silver Theatre – Silver Spring MD – theatre organ
Mon April 8 at 12:30 – guest lecturer at NYU Cinema Studies “Curating Moving Images” course – discussing DVD production/distribution and crowdfunding – New York NY
Sat April 13 at 2:45 – Tom Mix in Outlaws of Red River (1926) and The Great K&A Train Robbery (1927) – 10th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival – Legion Theater Post 43 – Hollywood CA – theatre organ
Tues April 16 at 7:30 – Dorothy Daventport Reid’s The Red Kimona – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY (Long Island) – theatre organ
Thurs April 18 at 10:30a – guest accompanist at Columbia University Film Program silent film course – not open to the public – piano
Weds April 24 at 8:00 – Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1925) – Goldsmith Family Cinema, Wesleyan University – Middletown CT – theatre organ
Mon April 28 at 6:00 – silent film program TBA – St. Francis College – Brooklyn NY – piano
March
Sat, March 2 at 1:30 – Harold Lloyd in The Kid Brother (1927) – Beatrice Community Players Theatre part of weekend of Harold Lloyd events in his hometown, sponsored by the Gage County Museum and Historical Society – Beatrice NE – piano
Tues March 5 – DVD release – The Alice Howell Collection – 2-disc set of 12 rare comedy shorts starring Alice Howell – from Undercrank Productions – available on Amazon, Shop TCM, DeepDiscount, et al.
Tues, March 5 at 4:30 – Kentucky Pride (1925) dir. by John Ford – new 4K restoration from 35mm nitrate – MoMA – New York NY – piano
Tues, March 5 at 6:30 – The Shamrock Handicap (1926) dir. by John Ford – new 4K restoration from 35mm nitrate– MoMA – New York NY – piano
Sat, March 9 at 12:00 noon – “Family Films” – DW Griffith’s The Lonedale Operator and Keaton’s One Week – MoMA – New York NY – piano
Sat, March 9 at 2:00 – Douglas Fairbanks in The Thief of Bagdad (1924) – The Silent Clowns Film Series – New York NY – piano
Sun, March 10 at 2:00 – Laurel & Hardy in Putting Pants on Philip, Wrong Again and Big Business – The Five & Dime – New York NY (lower Manhattan) – digital piano
Tues, March 18 at 4:30 – Tom Mix in Outlaws of Red River (1927) – new 4K restoration from 35mm nitrate– MoMA – New York NY – theatre organ
Tues, March 18 at 6:30 – While New York Sleeps (1920) – dir. by Charles Brabin – MoMA – New York NY – theatre organ
Weds, March 19 at 7:30 – Alice Howell comedies: In Dutch, Distilled Love, and A Convict’s Happy Bride – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY (Long Island) – theatre organ
Sat, March 23 at 1:00 – Fay Wray in Erich von Stroheim’s The Wedding March – AFI Silver Theatre – Silver Spring MD – theatre organ
Sunday, March 24 at 2:00 – Buster Keaton in Steamboat Bill, Jr. – Hewlett-Woodmere Library – Hewlett NY (Long Island) – piano
Friday, March 29 at 7:00 – Laurel & Hardy in Putting Pants on Philip, Wrong Again and Big Business – The Weston Playhouse – Walker Barn – Weston VT – piano
February
Weds at 1:20, weekly – “Silent Storytelling” – silent film course – open to Wesleyan students only, no auditing allowed – Wesleyan College of Film and Media Studies – instructor/piano
Fri, Feb 1 at 10:00a and 12:30p – Buster Keaton in One Week – education program for area 6th graders – Egyptian Theater – Boise ID – theatre organ
Sat, Feb 2 at 8:00 – Harold Lloyd in Grandma’s Boy, with score by Ben Model performed by Boise Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, plus Alice Howell in Neptune’s Naughty Daughter and Charlie Chaplin in The Floorwalker accompanied by Ben Model – Egyptian Theater – Boise ID – orchestral score / theatre organ
Thurs, Feb 7 at 8:00 – Lecture: Music and Silent Film – Modfest: Vassar College’s annual exploration of the arts of the 20th and 21st centuries – Vassar College Skinner Hall – piano
Sat, Feb 9 at 2:30 – Larry Semon comedies — The Silent Clowns Film Series – NYC – piano
Mon, Feb 11 at 3:00 – The Golem – St. Francis College – Brooklyn NY – piano
Tues, Feb 12 at 3:00 – silent comedy film program – The Osborn, senior living – Rye NY – piano
Sat, Feb 16 at 2:00 – F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise – North Castle Public Library – Armonk NY – piano
Tues, Feb 19 at 7:30 – Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr., plus The Goat – new 4K restorations from Cohen Media – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY – theatre organ
Thurs, Feb 21 at 7:00 – Harold Lloyd in Safety Last – Ursinus College Bomberger Auditorium – Collegeville PA – pipe organ
Fri, Feb 22 at 11:00a – Film Music course, guest speaker – Ursinus College – Collegeville PA – lecturer/piano
Sat, Feb 23 at 6:00 – lecture: Undercranking: The Magic Behind the Slapstick – for attendees of annual Cinema Dinner – Kansas Silent Film Festival – Topeka KS – lecturer
Sat, Feb 23 at 8:00 – Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was In Flower – Kansas Silent Film Festival -– White Concert Hall, Washburn University – Topeka KS – pipe organ
January
Fri, Jan 11 at 7:00 — Ernst Lubitsch’s Forbidden Paradise (1925) – new restoration – MoMA – NYC – theatre organ
Sat, Jan 12 at 2:30 – Harold Lloyd in Safety Last (1923) plus Charley Chase shorts. — The Silent Clowns Film Series – NYC – piano
Sun, Jan 13 at 1:30 – Marcel Perez comedies — Kobe, Japan — providing films (digitally) for screening
Weds, Jan 15 at 7:30 – Frank Borzage’s Seventh Heaven (1922) – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY – theatre organ
Thurs, Jan 17 at 9:30a – Alice Howell comedies – Slapstick Festival screening, hosted by Lucy Porter – Bristol UK — providing films (on DCP) for screening
Mon, Jan 21 at 6:30 – Orphan Films program – MoMA’s “To Save and Project” festival of film preservation – accompanying Three American Beauties (1906), Something Good – Negro Kiss (Selig Polyscope Co., 1898) and others – MoMA – NYC – piano
Weds, Jan 23 at 7:00 – The Lumberjack’s Bride/Koskenlaskijan Morsian (1931), dir. Erkki Karu – Scandinavia House – New York NY – piano
Thurs, Jan 24 at 11:00a – Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant (1917) – education program, not open to public – Museum of the Moving Image – Astoria NY – piano
Weds, Jan 30 at 1:20 – “Silent Storytelling” begins – teacher of silent film course – open to Wesleyan students only, no auditing allowed – Wednesdays through May – Wesleyan College of Film and Media Studies – instructor/piano
Shows from 2018:
January
Weds, Jan 3 at 1:30 – Orson Welles’ Too Much Johnson, with Joseph Cotten – MoMA – NYC – piano
Weds, Jan 17 at 7:30 – Victor Sjöstrom’s Terje Vigen (A Man There Was) – Tromsø International Film Festival – Arctic Cathedral – Tromsø, Norway – organ
Weds, Jan 24 at 7:30 – Louise Brooks and Wallace Beery in Beggars of Life (new restoration) – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY – theatre organ
Fri, Jan 26 at 7:30 – Frank Capra’s Submarine (1928) – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater – Culpeper VA – theatre organ
Sun, Jan 28 at 2:30 – Lewis Mileston’s The Racket (1928) – new restoration – MoMA – NYC – piano
Weds, Jan 31 at 9:00 – Cecil B. DeMille’s Affairs of Anatol – Wesleyan University film course (not open to public or to students not enrolled in course) – Middletown CT – theatre organ
February
Sat, Feb 3 at 8:00 – Dziga Vertov’s Man With a Movie Camera – Wesleyan University, Goldsmith Cinema – Middletown CT – theatre organ
Sat Feb 3 at 8:00 – Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant – orchestra score by Ben Model performed by the Northern Duchess Symphony Orchestra – Rhinebeck NY – orchestra
Weds, Feb 7 at 3:00 – silent film program TBD – The Osborn Senior Living Community – Rye NY – piano
Sat, Feb 10 at 2:30 – comedy shorts: A Jitney Elopement (Chaplin), Fatty and Mabel Adrift (Arbuckle), Ask Father (Lloyd), Neighbors (Keaton) — The Silent Clowns Film Series – NYC – piano
Fri, Feb 16 morning – silent comedy shorts, performances for school groups – Egyptian Theatre – Boise ID – theatre organ
Sat, Feb 17 at 8:00 – Keaton’s One Week plus Laurel & Hardy in Wrong Again (world premiere of score!) — Boise Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble – orchestral scores; plus Ben Model accompanying two shorts TBA on Robert Morton theatre pipe organ – Egyptian Theatre – Boise ID – orchestra & theatre organ
Tues, Feb 20 at 9:00 – William Wellman’s Wings – Wesleyan University film course (not open to public or to students not enrolled in course) – Middletown CT – theatre organ
Weds, Feb 21 at 7:30 – Fritz Lang’s Spies (new restoration) – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY – theatre organ
Tues, Feb 27 – DVD release – The Marcel Perez Collection: Volume 2 – Undercrank Productions – available on Amazon
Weds, Feb 28 at 12:30 – performance and talk at NYU Cinema Studies class – NYC – piano
March
Sun Mar 2 at 2:00 – Marion Davies in King Vidor’s Show People – Hewlett-Woodmere Library – Hewlett NY (Long Island) – piano
Sun Mar 2 at 8:00 – Buster Keaton in One Week – Treasure Valley Symphony Orchestra – Ontario OR – orchestral score by Ben Model
Sat Mar 10 at 2:30 – “Women’s ‘Herstory’ Month” program – The Silent Clowns Film Series – New York NY – piano
Tues Mar 13 – W.C. Fields in It’s The Old Army Game – DVD/Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber – theatre organ
Weds Mar 14 at 7:30 – “Slapstick Divas” program, introduced by Steve Massa – comedy shorts with Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Drew, Alice Howell, Fay Tincher, Wanda Wiley and Gale Henry – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY (Long Island) – theatre organ
Mon Mar 19 at 2:00 – Lois Weber’s “Shoes” – St. Francis College Women’s Film Festival – Brooklyn NY – piano
Thurs-Sat Mar 22-24 – Parallel Exit’s “The Final Reel” (physical comedy theatre show) – Voorhees Theatre at City Tech College/CUNY – Brooklyn NY – piano
Thurs Mar 29 at 10:00am – Columbia University silent film course (not open to public) – Columbia University – New York NY – piano
April
Thurs April 5 at 7:30 – “Mostly Lost” presentation – includes Ben Model’s “Undercranking: The Magic Behind the Slapstick” – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA – piano
Thurs April 12 at 7:30 – Thomas Meighan in The Racket – new restoration by the Academy Film Archive – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY (Long Island) – theatre organ
Sat April 14 at 1:30 & 7:00 – Charlie Chaplin in The Immigrant and The Adventurer, plus Felix the Cat in Pedigreedy – Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra – Saskatchewan ON, Canada – orchestral scores by Ben Model (not in attendance)
Sat April 14 at 2:30 – Chaplin and Keaton shorts: The Tramp, The Fireman, The Scarecrow, The Blacksmith — The Silent Clowns Film Series – New York NY – piano
Mon Apr 16 at 7:00 – Modern Mondays: Shannon Plumb – MoMA – New York NY – piano
Tues Apr 17 at 5:30 – Julien Duvivier’s Au Bonheur de Dames – St. Francis College – Brooklyn NY – piano
Sat Apr 28 at 8:00 – Marion Davies in King Vidor’s Show People – TCM Classic Film Festival – Egyptian Theatre – Hollywood CA – theatre organ
Sun Apr 29 at [TBD] – “Mostly Lost” presentation – includes Ben Model’s “Undercranking: The Magic Behind the Slapstick” – TCM Classic Film Festival – “Club TCM” – Hollywood CA – piano
May
Thurs May 3 at 8:45am – school assembly for 4th graders – The Town School – NYC – piano
Fri May 4 at 1:30pm – Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail – MoMA – NYC – piano
Sat May 12 at 2:30 – Buster Keaton in Steamboat Bill, Jr. — The Silent Clowns Film Series – New York NY – piano
Weds May 16 at 7:30 – Edith Storey in A Florida Enchantment, plus (short) Jane’s Bashful Hero – guest speaker, Steve Massa – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY (Long Island) – theatre organ
Sun May 20 at 1:30pm – Howard Hawks’ Fig Leaves – MoMA – NYC – theatre organ
Sun May 20 at 4:00pm – Howard Hawks’ Fazil – MoMA – NYC – theatre organ
Sun May 20 at 7:00pm – Howard Hawks’ Paid To Love – MoMA – NYC – theatre organ
Summer
Fri June 1 at 10am – Charlie Chaplin in The Immigrant (1917) – education program – Museum of the Moving Image – Long Island City NY – piano
Sat June 9 at 2:30 – John Barrymore in Tempest (1928) — The Silent Clowns Film Series – New York NY – piano
June 13-16 – 7th annual Mostly Lost film identification workshop – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA – piano
Thurs June 14 at 7:30 – Marie Doro in Lost and Won (1916) – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA – theatre organ
Fri June 22 at 7:00 – Paul Wegener’s The Golem (1920) – The Morgan Library & Museum – New York NY – piano
Tues June 26 at 7:30 – The Lost World (1925) – new restoration – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY (Long Island) – theatre organ
Sun July 1 at 8:00 – Charlie Chaplin’s The Adventurer (1917) – Missouri Theatre – Columbia MO – orchestral score performed by the Missouri Symphony
Sat July 7 at 2:30 – Laurel & Hardy in: From Soup To Nuts, You’re Darn Tootin’, Their Purple Moment and Should Married Men Go Home? — The Silent Clowns Film Series – New York NY – piano
Fri July 13 at 8:30 – Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) – Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts – State Theater – State College PA – theatre organ
Weds July 18 at 7:30 – Buster Keaton’s Three Ages (1923) – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY (Long Island) – theatre organ
Weds July 25 at 8:00 -Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) – Alamo Drafthouse – Brooklyn NY – theatre organ
Fri July 27 at 6:30 – silent comedy shorts program (TBD) – Katonah Library – Katonah NY – piano
Thur Aug 2 at 8:30 – Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant and The Adventurer plus Buster Keaton’s One Week and Cops – Queen of the Square Cinema, presented outdoors – Stratford, Ontario (Canada) – orchestral scores performed by the Stratford Symphony
Fri Aug 3 at 7:30 – Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was In Flower (1922) – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA – theatre organ
Weds Aug 8 at 6:30 – 16mm Film Nights: Women in Silent Film – NY Public Library Schwarzman Building – New York NY – piano
Weds Aug 15 at 7:30 – Marcel Perez comedy shorts (titles TBD) – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY (Long Island) – theatre organ
September
Thurs, Sept 6 at 8:50am – Josef von Sternberg’s The Docks of New York – Wesleyan University film course (not open to public or to students not enrolled in course) – Middletown CT – theatre organ
Sat, Sept 8 10 at 2:30 – Harold Lloyd in Grandma’s Boy, plus Charley Chase in The Fraidy Cat and A Ten-Minute Egg — The Silent Clowns Film Series – NYC – piano
Tues Sept 18 at 11:10am – William S. Hart in Hell’s Hinges – St. Francis College – Brooklyn NY – piano
Weds, Sept 19 at 7:30 – Douglas Fairbanks in The Three Musketeers (35mm print of new restoration by SFSFF/MoMA) – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY – theatre organ
Mon Sept 24 at 3:00 – silent film TBA – St. Francis College – Brooklyn NY – piano
October
Sat, Oct 13 at 2:30 – Harold Lloyd in All Aboard (’17) and High and Dizzy (1920), Charley Chase in Love in Armor (’15), The Rat’s Knuckles (’25) and Bromo and Juliet (’26). — The Silent Clowns Film Series – NYC – piano
Sat Oct 13 at 7pm – movie-themed symphony concert including Buster Keaton’s Cops (1922) – Symphony in the Valley – Ute Theatre – Rifle CO – orchestral score by Ben Model
Sun Oct 14 at 4pm – movie-themed symphony concert including Buster Keaton’s Cops (1922) – Symphony in the Valley – Glenwood Springs High School – Glenwood Springs CO – orchestral score by Ben Model
Fri Oct 19 at 7:30 – Todd Browning’s Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA – theatre organ
Sat Oct 20 at 7:30 – Benjamin Christensen’s Haxan (1922) – Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre – Culpeper VA – theatre organ
Tues Oct 23 at 7:00 – Joan Crawford in Our Dancing Daughters (1928) – Ambler Theatre 90th anniversary show – Ambler PA – theatre organ
Weds, Oct 24 at 7:30 – F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY – theatre organ
Thurs, Oct 25 at 8:00 – Todd Browning’s Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi – Rivertown Film Society, in association with Arts Rock and Arts Angels – Nyack High School – Nyack NY – theatre organ
Tues Oct 30 – *DVD RELEASE* – Found at Mostly Lost: Volume 2 from Undercrank Productions – disc details are on the Undercrank Prods. website
Weds Oct 31 at 2:00 – Halloween silent film TBA – St. Francis College – Brooklyn NY – piano
November
Thurs, Nov 1 at 1:30 – Douglas Fairbanks in American Aristocracy – MoMA – NYC – piano
Fri, Nov 2 at 7:30 – Alice Howell comedies – AFI Silver Theater – Silver Spring MD – theatre organ
Sat, Nov 3 at 1:30 – Marion Davies in The Cardboard Lover (1927) – AFI Silver Theater – Silver Spring MD – theatre organ
Sat, Nov 3 at 5:00 – Marion Davies in Beauty’s Worth (1922) – AFI Silver Theater – Silver Spring MD – theatre organ
Sun, Nov 4 at 4:00 – Marion Davies in Show People (1928) – AFI Silver Theater – Silver Spring MD – theatre organ
Sun, Nov 4 at 6:00 – Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was In Flower (1922) – AFI Silver Theater – Silver Spring MD – theatre organ
Sun, Nov 4 at 8:00 – Buster Keaton in One Week (1920) – performed by the Oklahoma Youth Symphony – Petrie Recital Hall – Oklahoma City OK – orchestral score
Sat, Nov 10 at 2:30 – Harold Lloyd and Charley Chase comedies — The Silent Clowns Film Series – NYC – piano
Sun, Nov 11 at 4:00 – silent comedy shorts program – Edmond Town Hall – Newtown CT – piano
Weds, Nov 14 at 7:30 – Lois Weber’s The Blot – Cinema Arts Centre – Huntington NY – theatre organ
Thurs, Nov 15 at 8:00 – Charlie Chaplin’s The Adventurer and Buster Keaton’s One Week – Arbor View High School Orchestra – Las Vegas NV – orchestral scores
Fri Nov 23 thru Sun Dec 2 – “Silent Comedy International” – 1o-day series of silent comedy films from France, England, Germany, Italy, Denmark and the US – co-curated by Ben Model, Steve Massa and Dave Kehr – program listings and film titles will be available late October on the MoMA film calendar.