Let’s get out loud for silent movie night

By Kate Kerr Redstone Review

LYONS – Charlie Chaplin? Buster Keaton? Harold Lloyd? Step back in time with these movie star comedians from over 100 years ago with a silent film quadruple feature. The films will be accompanied with live piano by Rodney Sauer, a local musician specializing in the repertoire and history of silent film music. Back in the days before “talkies” added sound to the movies, silent films were shown with live musical accompaniment. Carrying on that tradition here in Lyons, our piano soloist, Sauer will bring these silent films to life.

The Silent Film Comedy Program will be held at the Lyons Regional Library, at 451 4th Ave. in Lyons on Saturday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, but suggested donations are $10 a person or $25 a family. All proceeds go to Friends of the Lyons Library that supports all the wonderful books, programs and services the library offers our community.

Here’s the silent film line-up for this fun night for movie-goers of all ages:

• The Rink (1916) Charlie Chaplin is a waiter at a restaurant, and he angers a customer who has paid unwanted attention to a girl. Chaplin saves her, and she invites him to a skating party. When the rude customer also arrives, there may be a fight… if they can stay on their feet. (24 min)

• Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) The Lyons Regional Library is bringing a long-extinct sauropod to Lyons. Gertie has been learning to do some tricks and will demonstrate her dancing skills. And if she’s well-behaved, she’ll get a pumpkin as a treat. This was the first film to use certain animation techniques that influenced the next generation of animators including Walt Disney. (12 min)

• Ask Father (1919) Harold Lloyd tries to reach a very busy businessman to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. But the man has set up many obstacles to unwanted interruptions in his workplace. (13 min)

• Sherlock Jr. (1924) After failing in his amateur detecting hobby, projectionist Buster Keaton falls asleep and enters his own film, dreaming that he’s a super-sleuth. For its effects and stunts, this remains one of the most impressive films of the entire silent era. (45 min)

Our guest artist, Rodney Sauer, founded and directs a five-piece chamber ensemble, The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, which has become known worldwide for the quality of its film score compilations and performances. They tour the country and regularly play at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival, the Turner Classic Movies festival, and many others. Locally they can be found performing for silent films at large venues such as Chautauqua and Longmont Museum.

The room often fills with watery eyes and touched hearts as she shares her impactful moments with the animals.

Save the date for a book reading with Thoenelt including some of these heartfelt stories. Join us on Friday, March 10 at the Lyons Library from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be merchandise raffles, educational stories, and so much more.

All the proceeds of this book, both at the Center and Lyons Library, will be donated to the operations of Greenwood and the release of orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife. Register now at the Lyons Library events page.

Kaitlyn Fletcher is the new Communications and Content Associate at Greenwood Wildlife Sanctuary in Longmont.

Rodney Sauer has a huge collection of silent film music, acquiring five different collections of orchestrations from historic theaters around the country, keeping copies, and donating the originals to the University of Colorado’s American Music Research Center. He has scored over 150 silent films, all using this historic music repertoire.

Kate Kerr often her services as a volunteer to work for various art shows and events. She lives in Lyons.