The Silent Film Music Podcast with Ben Model

On this episode, Ben Model talks about creating and performing a live score on theatre organ for the 1931 "Dracula" with Bela Lugosi, shares some insights about programming the "Silent Comedy International" series at MoMA, and discusses why playing at a suburban library is just as important as playing a big film festival. Performance recordings on this episode are from "Dracula" at the Library of Congress, "Vester Vov Vov" with Danish comedy duo Pat & Patachon ("Fy og Bi"), and Harold Lloyd in "Ask Father". Plus, there's news about Ben's upcoming silent film shows and DVD projects. Be sure you're on Ben's email list, so you don't miss a show or new DVD. And, if you want to say "thanks!", why not buy him a cup of coffee? Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Spotify and Overcast; please consider supporting the podcast at Patreon.

On this episode, Ben Model recaps his summer silent film shows, discusses musically wrapping up a scene to match the film, talks about what to do musically when the film breaks, traces a 14-year trajectory in a "how'd you get that gig?" story, shares some info on Lee Erwin's synthesizer-based theatre organ and his novelty song "Tootsie Oodles", and more. All this plus news about upcoming silent film shows and DVD info. Here are links to Kino Lorber's new release of Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers, a video of "Matchmaking Mammas", and Ben's email list. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and Overcast; please consider supporting the podcast at Patreon.

On this episode, Ben Model takes you above the Arctic Circle to hear a pipe organ accompanying a Swedish silent, to Boise ID to its historic 1927 Egyptian Theatre, and to Hollywood for the TCM Classic Film Festival. Ben discusses choosing a main theme for his score "Show People", the importance of John Morris's music for Mel Brooks films, plus some insight on the use and usefulness of a silent film score's main theme. All this plus news about Mostly Lost, upcoming silent film shows and DVD info. Show links: Tromsø International Film Festival, Arctic Cathedral, TCM Classic Film Festival, Mostly Lost 7.

Welcome and intro - reports on recent shows and recordings, and October DVD releases - starting a score at a performance: playing the audience into the film - performance clip: "The Temptress" with Garbo & Moreno, on organ at the LoC - explanation of the podcast's theme - anticipating mood shifts and when to make the change - performance clip: "Metropolis" in Brooklyn - finding a way to make the most of "Spite Marriage" with Buster Keaton - score clip: original 1929 score recording - reasoning behind my choices for the same sequence - performance clip: "Spite Marriage" at the Iola Buster Keaton Festival - my defunct altscore.com service lives on? - upcoming show info: shorts at the Silent Clowns, Nosferatu in Nyack, Keaton and Slapstick Divas at the AFI Silver - signoff and thank you. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher; please consider supporting the podcast at Patreon.

Welcome and intro - "Silent Film Days" in Tromsø, Norway - demonstrating musical moods for 5th graders - the universality of silent comedy - recording of score for One Week for students - making underscoring fit physical actions in an unobtrusive way - performance recording ofexcerpt from score for L&H in From Soup To Nuts - waiting for just the right moment for the first instance of a love theme - excerpt from performance of Borzage's Seventh Heaven - upcoming DVD release and project info - signoff and thank you. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher; please consider supporting the podcast at Patreon.

Welcome and intro - Stuart Oderman - DVD/Blu ray release of "When Knighthood Was In Flower" - holding back in playing in order to get audience inside a character's head - performance excerpt from "Show People" - underscoring a moment that extends into a scene with different energy - performance excerpt from "The Crowd" - Silent Film Days in Tromsø again next month - score recording of Lee Erwin accompanying "The Thief of Bagdad" - upcoming DVD release and project info - signoff and thank you. click to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Welcome and intro - "Silent Film Days" festival Tromsø (Verdensteatret 100 År!) - performance clip "Madame de Thebes" - scoring "Why Change Your Wife" and hunting for "Hindustan" for the Kansas Silent Film Festival - performance clip "Why Change Your Wife?" - more about scoring WFYW and about seeing William DeMille's films - show prep is more than just musician prep - performance clip "It's The Old Army Game" - being in an oil painting and on a book cover - premiere of my restoration of "When Knighthood Was in Flower" at the Toronto Silent Film Festival - upcoming shows - how you can help silent film - signoff and thank you. click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

00:00 Welcome, and intro to Cruel and Unusual Comedy -- 04:02 More Plots and Plotters -- 11:21 Ethnic Profiling: Stereotypically Speaking -- 19:47 Loco Motives: On the Wrong Track -- 27:52 Scared Silent -- 36:27 Hits of the Past -- 45:29 Working Girls. This episode contains chapter stops. (Your podcast player may or may not recognize these.) click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

00:00 Welcome, and intro to Cruel and Unusual Comedy -- 04:31 Westward Whoa -- 14:36 Love and War: Romantic Skirmishes -- 26:16 Family Jewels: Child Progeny -- 34:29 Wage Slaves and Working Stiffs -- 40:00 Slapstick Hash This episode contains chapter stops. (Your podcast player may or may not recognize these.) click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

00:00 welcome; intro to special "Cruel and Unusual Comedy" series and podcasts - 05:40 Plots and Plotters - 14:07 Chaplinitis - 26:15 Sports Injuries - 36:11 Arts Deprectiation. This episode contains chapter stops. (Your podcast player may or may not recognize these.) click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

coming in January 2017: 3 special episodes of the podcast This mini-episode is more of a trailer of sorts for three special podcast episodes that I will post simultaneously in the first half of January 2017. In this 10-minute mini-podcast – first off, I recap some fall DVD releases and a couple that are on tap for spring of 2017. Then you'll hear about some orchestral score performances coming in February, as well as a "Director's Speed" screening of "Sunrise". Finally, the piece de resistance (if you'll pardon my French), some news about "Cruel and Unusual Comedy" at MoMA January 13-26 and the podcasted film notes by Steve Massa that I've produced as a companion guide. Thanks for listening! click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

episode 18: scoring The Bride's Play, explaining the 1920s jokes, travel to South Korea and Norway Welcome (back)! Long time no podcast, so I recap a few highlights from March-July. Such as: finishing a year of being Professor Model, releasing the "Found at Mostly Lost" DVD, et al. Performance recording: accompanying "The Moth" starring Norma Talmadge at Mostly Lost 4 in 2015 on the Walker Digital Theatre Organ, at the Library of Congress. A discussion of the unique situation of being able to play a live show of a rare film just before recording a score for it, in this case Marion Davies in "The Bride's Play". (Did you pledge to Ed Lorusso's Kickstarter for this project?) Performance recording: accompanying Ozu's "Tokyo Chorus" at the Cinema Arts Center on theatre organ, using Paramount Organ Works' sample set via Hauptwerk. My upcoming trip to play at a big festival in South Korea, plus news about an award from the American Theatre Organ Society. Then - a tip to presenters and accompanists about the merits of giving an audience cultural historical context for a silent film before a show. Performance recording: a few minutes of a live score on piano for Laurel & Hardy in "Putting Pants on Philip" at the Silent Clowns Film Series. Looking forward to my 11th time at the "Silent Film Days" festival in Tromsø Norway, plus fall plans to release a few DVDs and some news about the current Silent Clowns shows. We close with a call-to-arms about Audience Preservation and the fact that you can't wonder "why wasn't this advertised more?" Thanks for listening! click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

episode 17: organs and orchestras - choosing music for a scene, Boise world premiere, Steamboat Bill Jr, Hammond theatre organ Welcome Recent shows recap: William S. Hart, Bert Williams, Criterion release of "The Kid" Boise Philharmonic - world premiere of new score for "Dog Shy" with Charley Chase Recording: in performance at Wesleyan silent film course, Larry Semon in "The Bellhop" Choosing music for a scene: Chaplin films A minidisc miracle Recording: in performance at Sedgwick Cultural Center (Philadelphia) in 2002, accompanying "The Cat and the Canary" on a Hammond theatre organ. Keeping it fresh, trying new things - 2 months of William S. Hart Accompanying "Steamboat Bill, Jr". on a Jaeckel pipe organ Recording: in performance at the Sluberski Film Series at Concordia College, accompanying Buster Keaton's "Steamboat Bill, Jr." RIP Harry Weiss, silent film accompanist Upcoming performances at LoC, Cinema Arts Centre, Silent Clowns Film Series Recording: in performance for 700 school kids at the Egyptian Theatre in Boise, ID, for Stan Laurel in "Oranges and Lemons" Audience preservation Thanks, and closing click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

In this episode: Ben talks about accompanying Laurel & Hardy's pie fight in "The Battle of the Century", for a decisive moment for Keaton's character in "Steamboat Bill, Jr.", for Ozu's "A Story of Floating Weeds", and for Raymond Griffith and Max Fleischer silents at the 15th TCM Classic Film Festival. Performance clips include recordings from shows at the Strand Theatre in Schroon Lake NY, the Strand Theatre in Plattsburgh, and at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Show notes for episode 64 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben recaps his month's activities in March 2024, talks about the subtleties of underscoring dramatic moments when a main character thinks through an important decision, a creative way to invent main themes for a program of 7 animated shorts, accompanying a 1914 "Italian Diva" melodrama, and picking up on something about the film from its spoken introduction that affected the score created during the show; plus live-performance excerpts from scores for "Shoes" (1916) by Lois Weber at NYU, a restored Koko the Clowns cartoon at MoMA, and "Sangue Bleu" (1914) at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò; and more. Show notes for episode 63 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben accompanies Tom Mix in "Sky High" at the Library of Congress, adapting for organ some themes he originally composed for piano; Ben and Kerr discuss the importance of seeing silents with live music, and how a film may play one way when watched alone and completely differently at a show; Ben and Kerr discuss the hilarious and gifted silent film comedian Marcel Perez; Ben covers an upcoming Blu-ray/DVD release from Undercrank Productions; discussion of the newly restored "Man, Woman and Sin" screened at MoMA in January; news about upcoming shows, and more. Show notes for episode 62 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben shares his experiences accompanying the silent era blockbuster "The Big Parade", the rare Italian film "A' Santanotte", Laurel & Hardy shorts, and others; he and Kerr discuss the practices of creating leitmotifs on the fly during a show, and then repeating them later in the film's score; there's some deep info and history on the different pianos at MoMA, and how the feel of playing these pianos – and the many others Ben encounters in his work – affect his playing and live-scoring; Ben's New Year's resolution for his silent film accompaniments (with a nod to Akira Kurosawa); and more. Show notes for episode 61 can be found here.

In this episode: accompanying several films at MoMA in August of new restorations and a series of early color process silents; audience response difference between San Francisco Silent Film Festival and MoMA screening, and how this affected Ben's score in NYC; Ben talks about pivoting when presented before a show with a change of running time or of musical instrument; audience laughs during the climax of Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last"; accompanying a film where only way to preview was by reading trade reviews; live recording excerpts from "Loves of Casanova" at MoMA, "Safety Last" in Schroon Lake, "Second Fiddle" at Capitolfest, and "The Mark of Zorro" at the Williams Center in NJ; and more. Show notes for episode 60 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben talks about preparing for his performance at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, his first time at the fest; his Undercrank Productions home video label celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023; Ben talks about the two newly restored Tom Mix silent films that were released by Undercrank on Blu-ray in July; he shares some tips and insights on having music light on the piano at different venues, some thoughts about scoring a few different scenes from Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last"; and…don't click away during the wrap-up, or you'll miss a nice surprise at the end of the episode. Show notes for episode 59 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben talks about doing double-duty as both silent film accompanist and Blu-ray producer-distributor; Ben talks about accompanying "Clash of the Wolves" starring Rin-Tin-Tin at the TCM Classic Film Festival and the differences between this performance and the one of recording a score for this film, along; Kerr and Ben talk about the upcoming Ernie Kovacs book "Ernie in Kovacsland", and Kerr takes a real deep dive into the history and recordings of "Die Moritat", known to Kovacs fans as the music heard during the comedian's "oscilloscope" gag sequences; Ben talks about the 10th anniversary of his first DVD release, about starting what became his homevideo label Undercrank Productions, and about he's celebrating; musical performance excerpts are heard from a show for Kindergarteners, and from a recent performance on piano accompanying "Wings". Show notes for episode 58 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben and Kerr discyss about Ben's process for creating and recording silent film scores for home-video releases, and how it differs from scoring a silent in performance. Ben talks about composing by using the start-stop possibilities of recording in place of traditional notation, as well as using underscoring to help audiences register certain kinds of transitions or to grasp subtleties in the mood or intent of certain kinds of scenes. Recording examples includes segments from Tom Mix in "The Best Bad Man", recently restored by the Museum of Modern Art,; Tom Mix in "Sky High"; newly restored by Undercrank Productions; and "Clash of the Wolves" starring Rin Tin Tin, newly restored by Kino Lorber, aired on TCM and also presented at the TCM Classic Film Festival. Show notes for episode 57 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben and Kerr talk about the current theme music for the podcast and its impending replacement; Ben talks about playing for a recent screening of the newly restored Chaney film "The Unknown" and how he musically meets the issues of possible inadvertent laughter in this and other silent dramas; Ben and Kerr discuss Ernie Kovacs' use of music in Kovacs' commercials for Dutch Masters cigars; Ben talks about a scoring films with extensive WWI battle sequences, how these utilize a 1910s form of silent film's visual language and how this can affect scoring these scenes; plus news about other recent and upcoming shows, and live performance clips from "The Unknown" (at MoMA) and "Wings" (at the Library of Congress). Show notes for episode 56 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben talks about scoring silent films that lack a traditional narrative – films made for educational purposes – and creating music that is more "visual" than what is usually done for silents; films discussed are the 1922 "Making of a Bronze Statue" and the 1970 "Spirals" produced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Ben has been hired to score these and others for the Met's online "From the Vaults" series; also covered are the live-scoring of polar exploration silent films shown at the Stumfilmdager (Silent Film Days) festival in Tromsø, Norway, and the accompanying of college graduates receiving their diplomas at Radio City Music Hall; Ben talks about creating and recording musical motifs, transitions and underscore for the streaming children's program "Danny Joe's Tree House". Show notes for episode 55 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben talks about the fun and challenges of playing a number of different organs at silent film shows during October and November in Ocean Grove NJ, Ursinus College in PA, and at the historic Everett Theatre in Delaware; Ben and Kerr discuss how often to use leitmotivs and some techniques Ben uses to create themes before or during a show; Ben talks about the sixth sense silent film accompanists develop and use to sense an audience's engagement with a silent film during a screening; plus some thoughts on Lois Weber's direction of "Shoes" (1916), meeting a Silent Comedy Watch Party fan at a show, using a Zoom digital recorder for show recordings, and more. Show notes for episode 54 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben reflects on his conversation with William Perry heard in the previous two episodes of the podcast; discusses how considering a show's intended audience is part of his programming process; covers the different film options for Halloween shows; talks at length about his recent live-underscoring of the 1931 "Frankenstein" at the Library of Congress, incl. multiple examples recorded during the show; shares a few minutes of his pipe organ accompaniment for Harold Lloyd's "The Freshman" at South Dakota State University; answers listener questions, and more. Show notes for episode 53 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben interviews composer, silent film pianist and television producer William Perry. Perry is probably best-remembered for his scores for the now-legendary television series "The Silent Years", produced by Paul Killiam, that ran for two seasons on public television, in 1971 and 1975. For twelve years Perry was the music director and composer-in-residence at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In the second part of this interview, Perry talks about his work as MoMA's full-time silent film accompanist, his friendship with Lillian Gish, how he approached composing his "Silent Years" scores, how he orchestrated them for symphonic performances and recordings in later years, his decision to leave MoMA and film accompaniment, his serving as producer and composer for series of Mark Twain films for PBS, and more. The 1st half of the interview was posted in September 2022. Show notes for episode 52 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben interviews composer, silent film pianist and television producer William Perry. Perry is probably best-remembered for his scores for the now-legendary television series "The Silent Years", produced by Paul Killiam, that ran for two seasons on public television, in 1971 and 1975. For twelve years Perry was the music director and composer-in-residence at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In the first part of this interview, Perry talks about his impressive musical background, how he became MoMA's full-time silent film accompanist, the origins of the "Silent Years" shows, and more. The 2nd half of the interview will be posted in October 2022. Show notes for episode 51 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben accompanies a bunch of shows of silent serials during June, and talks about the musical challenges of accompanying serials and in scoring an entire program of them; Kerr and Ben continue their conversation about Ernie Kovacs's use of music, and discuss Kovacs' "Street Scene" video of Bartok's "Concerto For Orchestra", and for music by Stravinsky, Karajev and Esquivel; Ben gives a progress update on his new book "The Silent Film Universe"; Kerr and Ben talk about silent film comedian Raymond Griffith, and Ben discusses the nuances of accompanying a comedian whose humor is more personality-based than others. Show notes for episode 50 can be found here.

In this episode: Ben plays with holding back musically to help an audience of art deco fans connect with Valentino and Nazimova during a show of "Camille" (1921); he and Kerr Lockhart dig in to details about "Oriental Blues", the theme song Ernie Kovacs used for all of his shows from 1951-1962; and Ben discusses the various intricacies of live-scoring Keaton's "The General" in order to help one gag, get out of the way of another, and to create a musical arc for a feature-length comedy that's essentially one very long chase. Show notes for this episode can be found here.

In this bonus episode, podcast co-host Kerr Lockhart talks with Rick Benjamin, musical director of The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, about mood cues and photoplay music from the silent era.

In this episode: Ben trusts his instincts and has a little magic happen during a show of "The Patsy"; makes a decision and tries something new when it comes to using a "characteristic" musical mode in scoring Keaton's "The Cameraman" and "The General"; pays tribute to Gilbert Gottfried and talks about getting to do a comedy bit with him when Ben was a guest on Gilbert's Amazing Colossal Podcast in 2021; pulls back to help the audience zoom in for a tender moment in "The Cameraman"; plus performance clips from shows at St. Francis College and the Oxford Community Center; and a teaser for a bonus episode (no. 48), in which podcast co-host Kerr Lockhart interviews the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra's Rick Benjamin Show notes for episode 47 can be found here.

Ben talks about: being a guest accompanist at the 25th annual Kansas Silent Film Festival; playing for Edward Everett Horton in a Cathedral, and the use of a "Bowery waltz"; introducing Marcel Perez to fans at the KSFF; playing for William S. Hart in Brooklyn; being able to turn on a dime in underscoring and have it make sense musically; live-scoring "The Goose Woman" on piano; new Marion Davies Blu-ray and DVD releases from his Undercrank Productions label and the new Kickstarter for Raymond Griffith films; and more. Episode 46 show notes are available here.

Ben talks about: the process of scoring "Zander the Great" and "Beverly of Graustark" for home video release; a recent Kickstarter that funded super-quick; Marion Davies's talents as a silent film actor; teaching in-person and on-campus again after two years; accompanying Edward Everett Horton shorts and "The Fire Brigade" at the Museum of Modern Art; various silent film accompaniment techniques; upcoming streams and shows, and more. Episode 45 show notes are available here.

This is a re-posting "flashback" of episode 8, which originally posted on February 4, 2015. Welcome – News from January: composing and performing music for Parallel Exit's "Everybody Gets Cake", running off-Bway thru Feb 8, 2015 – Recording: instrumental from "Cake" show: "A Shakespearean Smoke Break" – the restoration of Georges Melies' "A Trip to the Moon" with narration – recording: live performance piano and narration for "A Trip to the Moon" in Tromsø, Norway – funeral organists workshop in Oslo, Norway – Recording: live accompaniment to DeMille's "King of Kings" on the pipe organ at the Holmen Church in Oslo – Upcoming performances, Egyptian Theatre in Boise, with Boise Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, release of Marcel Perez DVD, Hal Roach at Silent Clowns, Zorro in Bklyn, Keaton at Wesleyan, and more – Closing. Somewhere back in 2017 when I absorbed my blog and podcast into my website, episodes 1-8 of the podcast became unexplainably unavailable. Some listeners have inquired about getting to hear these early shows from 2012-2015 and the easiest thing for me to do (tech-wise) was to re-post them. Here's episode 8!

This is a re-posting "flashback" of episode 7, which originally posted on January 21, 2015. Welcome – News from the road – December 2014 recap: the Silent Clowns Film Series, Chaplin Mutuals, Library of Congress holiday party, the Powers kids in "The Skeleton" – Recording: live performance, accompaniment to "Peter Pan", Peter saves Tinkerbell –Using ragtime to accompany silent films, then and now, pros and cons – On accompanying the murder scene in "Blackmail" – Recording: live performance, from Hitchcock's "Blackmail" at Alden Theater – Silent film series at the Alden Theatre in McLean, VA – Upcoming performances, Egyptian Theatre in Boise, with Boise Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, release of Marcel Perez DVD, off-Broadway show "Everybody Gets Cake" – Closing. Somewhere back in 2017 when I absorbed my blog and podcast into my website, episodes 1-8 of the podcast became unexplainably unavailable. Some listeners have inquired about getting to hear these early shows from 2012-2015 and the easiest thing for me to do (tech-wise) was to re-post them. Here's episode 7!

Ben relates the journey of playing piano as part of a full orchestra live accompanying Chaplin’s City Lights under the baton of the score’s restorer, Timothy Brock, during the Silent Film Days Festival in Tromsø, Norway. Ben also explores how he experienced Chaplin’s score “from the inside” and what he learned about making music to support silent film as a result. He describes the technical difficulty of playing live accompaniment with a large group, and analyzes Chaplin’s choices of accompaniment, the structure of his melodies, matters of authentic technique and style in a 1931 score for a 1931 film, and Chaplin’s innovations in scoring at the dawn of synchronized sound. Episode 44 Show Notes: IntroductionHow Ben was invited to play piano and celeste with the Arctic Philharmonic playing the score of City Lights by Charles Chaplin live under the baton of Timothy Brock, music restorer and consultant to the Chaplin estate.Timothy Brock on restoring the score of City LightsLearning to play the piano scoreStudying and learning the score leads to revelations about Chaplin’s choices in scoringExcerpt from Ben’s accompaniment for His Nibs starring Colleen Moore (1921) recorded at CapitolFest in Rome, NY on August 24, 2021 on the theater's original 1928 Möller theatre pipe organ.How Timothy Brock kept the music in tight synchronization with the film in a live performance Use of sound effects on the film soundtrackThe agitato theme as conducted by Timothy BrockPeculiarities of the copyright deposit score (lyrics, wrong keys)The interrupted waltz as The Tramp examines the statue - turning pantomime into danceKeeping on the beat with a large orchestra, given the delay of sound wavesHow undercranking works with the synchronized musicHow the agitato motif in the boxing scene works across the rhythm of the physical movementThe City Lights score as innovative in underscoringUse of scalar melodies to avoid drawing attention to the musicExcerpt from Ben’s accompaniment to The Ploughshare (1915), an Edison/Biograph film directed by John Collins, improvised at a performance at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, NY on September 17, 2021Matters of authenticityChoke cymbalVibratoPortamentoSwingBen becomes a section by name: Strings, Brass, Percussion, “Ben”Observing the film while playing to see how Chaplin uses musicChaplin’s use of 7-bar phrase rather than the standard 8Ben sums up how Chaplin broke away from silent era scoring technique of music beds and mood cues to create genuine film underscoring as it developed in the synchronized sound era.Sign-offs

This is a re-posting "flashback" of episode 6, which originally posted on January 7, 2015. Welcome — Mea culpa, and welcome to the podcast reboot — The Silent Film Sound and Music Archive — My new DVD label Undercrank Productions and the LoC — Live performance: "My Best Girl" at St. Francis College — Using pre-existing music in film accompaniment — The Herb Graff show: silent comedies on public TV in the 1970s — Recording: Arthur Kleiner playing "The Philanderer" — Arthur Kleiner, MoMA's first silent film pianist — Composing silent film scores for concert band — Recording: the Palisades Virtuosi playing my "Spice of the Program" — Upcoming performances, release of Marcel Perez DVD, off-Broadway show "Everybody Gets Cake" from Parallel Exit — Closing. Somewhere back in 2017 when I absorbed my blog and podcast into my website, episodes 1-8 of the podcast became unexplainably unavailable. Some listeners have inquired about getting to hear these early shows from 2012-2015 and the easiest thing for me to do (tech-wise) was to re-post them. Here's episode 6!

This is a re-posting "flashback" of episode 5, originally posted on March 18, 2013. Welcome – A whirlwind week of performances and travel - 7 shows in 8 days Live performance: "The Mark of Zorro" at Central Baptist Church – Preparing for a performance: music prep, bench height, piano light, etc – Live performance: "My Best Girl" at Port Washington library – Upcoming performances, including a week of Mary Pickford in April – Closing Somewhere back in 2017 when I absorbed my blog and podcast into my website, episodes 1-8 of the podcast became unexplainably unavailable. Some listeners have inquired about getting to hear these early shows from 2012-2015 and the easiest thing for me to do (tech-wise) was to re-post them. Here's episode 5!

This is a re-posting "flashback" of episode 4, originally posted on January 14, 2013. Welcome – Playing the organ at the Library of Congress theater – My Kickstarter project to release rare/lost silents on DVD and YouTube – Live performance: Raymond Griffith in "You'd Be Surprised" at Silent Clowns – Listening to a film's spoken intro can give clues for a score – Thoughts on scoring "Oliver Twist", W.C. Fields in "It's the Old Army Game" and Larry Semon in "The Wizard of Oz" – Live performance: "Oliver Twist" at MoMA – Upcoming performances and orchestral scores in Boise – Closing Somewhere back in 2017 when I absorbed my blog and podcast into my website, episodes 1-8 of the podcast became unexplainably unavailable. Some listeners have inquired about getting to hear these early shows from 2012-2015 and the easiest thing for me to do (tech-wise) was to re-post them. Here's episode 4!

This is a re-posting "flashback" of episode 3, originally posted on July 12, 2012. Welcome – Playing for "The Avenging Conscience" and "Paths to Paradise" – Live performance: "Paths to Paradise" at Silent Clowns – Thoughts on scoring "The Saphead" and "The Devil's Needle & Other Tales of Vice and Redemption" on DVD from Kino Lorber – Downloadable mp3 scores – Live performance: "Cat and the Canary" on Steere & Sons orchestral organ – Upcoming performances, and preparing to work with funeral organists in Oslo – Closing Somewhere back in 2017 when I absorbed my blog and podcast into my website, episodes 1-8 of the podcast became unexplainably unavailable. Some listeners have inquired about getting to hear these early shows from 2012-2016 and the easiest thing for me to do (tech-wise) was to re-post them. Here's episode 3!

This is a re-posting "flashback" of episode 2, originally posted on June 29, 2012. Welcome – report on what was the first “Mostly Lost” film identification workshop – live performance recording "Ten Commandments" on Steere & Sons organ in Brooklyn – an ethical issue on uploading silents to YouTube from DVDs – on quoting popular songs of the day in silents – a record "heard" in Vidor's "The Crowd" – upcoming performances: films by both silent Griffiths – closing. Somewhere back in 2017 when I absorbed my blog and podcast into my website, episodes 1-8 of the podcast became unexplainably unavailable. Some listeners have inquired about getting to hear these early shows from 2012-2016 and the easiest thing for me to do was re-post them. Here's episode 2!

This is a re-posting "flashback" of the very first episode of The Silent Film Music Podcast, originally posted on June 9, 2012. Welcome - score for "The Eagle" - new web series - Mabel Normand - Raymond Griffith at The Silent Clowns - score for "The Night Club" - playing for Ernie Kovacs - unidentified silents at Library of Congress - King Vidor's "The Crowd" - score for "Chicago" - underscoring cross-cutting - closing Somewhere back in 2017 when I absorbed my blog and podcast into my website, episodes 1-8 of the podcast became unexplainably unavailable. Some listeners have inquired about getting to hear these early shows from 2012-2016 and the easiest thing for me to do was re-post them. Here's episode 1!

In the second half of this 2-parter, Ben Model recaps the past pandemic year: producing and releasing the Edward Everett Horton DVD set, a handful of DVD release projects in development, remembering MoMA's Eileen Bowser, and looking toward the future of silent film live-streaming in 2022. Episode 43 Show Notes: Announcement: Episodes 1 through 8 of the Silent Film Music Podcast will be reissued in the podcast feed.Discussion of the development of the Edward Everett Horton short comedy project; filming locations and thanks to Richard Simonton in connection with the films; getting to hear audience reaction to the filmsMusical Interlude: excerpt of Ben’s performance of The Kid Brother at The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio on November 4, 2021. Ben’s blog series about The Language of Silent FIlm begins here. Will it become a book? Underwriting Announcement:Beauty’s Worth starring Marion Davies, on DVD by Undercrank Productions/Library of Congress in association with Ed Lorusso Upcoming release from Undercrank Productions/LIbrary of Congress: Zander The Great starring Marion Davies in association with Ed Lorusso; projects in development with Jon Mirsalis for early Lon Chaney films, with Kathy Fuller Seeely of The Craving starring Francis Ford, and with Andrew Simpson for Back Pay directed by Frank Borzage; shout-out to associate producer Crystal Kui for getting home video titles produced, including the video essay for Edward Everett Horton and making films available to the public Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies by Lara Gabrielle, due from the University of California Press in late 2022Live events and venues hoped for in 2022: hoping for a Mostly Lost, The Silent Clowns Film Series in New York, Film Forum and MoMA with and without masks, Epsilon Spires in Brattleboro VT, Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway NJ, the Cinema Arts Center, Huntington NY, and more…Ben’s innovation: The Silent Cine-Stream; live-accompanied classic silent features via live streaming (Watch for future announcements!)Upcoming virtual appearance: Slapstick Festival from Bristol, UK, 26 - 30 January 2022; Ben is presenting Horton comedies together with Steve MassaMusical interlude: The Cat and The Canary - Syracuse, NY, October 12, 2021 on a Wurlitzer theater organ at the New York State FairgroundsRemembering Eileen Bowser; Silent Comedy Watch Party Episode 43 - 21 Jan 2021 with guest Ron Magliozzi; “A film restoration is not complete until it’s been shown to an audience.” And, we add, with live musical accompaniment!Kerr’s recommendations: Cartoon Carnival - a history of silent film animation; The Lost Laugh - free digital magazine about silent film comedy; Maryland Symphony Orchestra accompanies silent comedies, 2-3 April 2021Sign-offs

"End of the Year 2021 Recap" – in the first half of this 2-parter, Ben Model recaps the past pandemic year of silent film live-streaming, rediscovering the meaning of providing entertainment for fans, the return to in-person accompaniments, and ponders the future of the silent movie virtual cinema. Episode 42 Show Notes: Live shows return in early summer; re-adjustment to in-person performance; getting to leave the house; no longer having to be “the booth” as with the Silent Comedy Watch Party; variations among keyboard instruments - need for flexibility; meeting fans of the SCWP - Wearing the MerchandiseMusic Interlude - Metropolis on the Estey pipe organ at Episilon Spires in Brattleboro, VT, August 30, 2021What the Silent Comedy Watch Party means to its viewers: a respite, some laughter, and an anchor to the week; comparison to Bob Hope entertaining the troops; no longer just another film show; with all the difficulty in pulling the SCWP off, the audience counts on the show; that appointment is an emotional responsibility; shout-out to Marlene Weisman for the SCWP logoUnderwriting Announcement from Undercrank Productions: Marcel Perez Volume 2Live-Streaming at Arthouse theaters and elsewhere in 2021 and beyond: plans to continue live-streaming with Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, L.I., NY; Dylan Skolnick, Co-Director; many theaters want to return to in-person only; future of digital performance in live theatre is in doubt; Ben’s feeling of responsibility to the new audience who has just discovered the difference live music makes in the enjoyment of silent film, and believes in the future of live-streaming; programming “the PD Classics” (Shirley Hughes, Toronto Silent Film Festival)Music Interlude - Our Hospitality at the Museum of Modern Art, July 2021Sign-offs

"Live-Scoring for the Virtual Cinema" – in part two of this conversation, Ben Model discusses what it's been like to accompany silent films throughout 2021 via live-streams he's produced and presented out of his home. Ben and co-host Kerr Lockhart discuss: the differences for Ben between the creative mindsets of scoring a silent film while performing in a theater, when recording a score and when hosting a live-stream; the reasons Ben prefers live-scoring a stream to pre-recording the music; thinking of the home viewer as the audience, and more. Episode 41 Show Notes: To preview or not to preview films before accompanying themview The Eagle with synthesized orchestral score based on cue sheetsEyewitness account of accompanist in the silent era preparing by looking at the poster and lobby picturesWhy authentic compiled scores are often not suitable; often repetitiveSilent Film Sound and Music Archive (sfsma.org)Score materials for The Birth Of A NationThe Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, Rodney Sauer, music directorThe Paragon Ragtime Orchestra - Rick Benjamin, music directorAn excerpt from Metropolis using the original Gottfried Huppertz scoreOne of many explanations of the whole tone scaleOpening of Modern Times“In A Mist” by Bix Beiderbecke as an example of whole-tone composition from 1927Sponsor announcement by Undercrank Productions: Accidentally Preserved Volume 4How has playing for live-streams influenced Ben’s playing?Ben discusses scoring the 1916 Italian film “Ceneri”  (view here with a score by someone else.)Having to play while being a television director“You can always play less”Excerpt from Ben’s score for The Making of a Stetson HatErnie Kovacs as a model and playing in the “intimate vacuum” of television (or streaming)Sign-offs

"Live-Scoring for the Virtual Cinema" – in part one of this conversation, Ben Model discusses what it's been like to accompany silent films throughout 2021 via live-streams he's produced and presented out of his home. Ben and co-host Kerr Lockhart discuss: the differences for Ben between the creative mindsets of scoring a silent film while performing in a theater, when recording a score and when hosting a live-stream; the reasons Ben prefers live-scoring a stream to pre-recording the music; accompanying Keystone comedies so they work and entertain better; playing the audience into the film, in the virtual realm, and more. Part two of this conversation will be posted next month.

Ben tracks his own journey to find the digital devices that best re-create or at least evoke the classic theater pipe organ experience under modern screening conditions.

On this episode Ben talks about meeting an audience's expectations of a score when a certain piece of music or style is indicated onscreen, and in a rare case of a non-narrative film made after the silent era. Also covered are silent era mood cues and cue sheets, Marion Davies in "When Knighthood Was in Flower", techniques in performance to match music to action, this episode's FAQ, and more. Live performance clips include Valentino's tango dance in "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", Keaton's pantomime to "The Prisoner's Song", and Ben's new score for Helen Levitt's "In the Street" (1948).

On this episode Ben talks about: the annual Mostly Lost film identification workshop at the Library of Congress, currently postponed until 2021; underscoring a key scene in Keaton's "The Cameraman" and noticing a parallel with "Singin' In The Rain", playing for "Spite Marriage", the challenge of introducing and presenting "The General" at a college show; playing for Laurel & Hardy on a 1980s electric theatre organ, and using that console's MIDI function to bring the sound of the Wurlitzer to a cinema; how Ben chooses and utilizes piano or organ for score recordings, and much more.

On this episode Ben talks about: using music an audience may or may not expect to hear during a film in preparing scores for shows of Fairbanks' "Robin Hood" and Raoul Walsh's "Loves of Carmen"; using underscore to help smooth over missing footage; playing the theatre organ like it's an orchestra and sparingly using its "toy counter"; expanding his live-streamed silent film shows beyond his weekly "Silent Comedy Watch Party", and more. episode 36: "Famous Players and Famous Melodies" Silent Comedy Watch Party updateAccompanying Westerns - Art Acord in The Showdown and William S. Hart in Three Word BrandFairbanks’s Robin Hood; incorporating songs written for the film by Victor SchertzingerProgramming Douglas Fairbanks films for performance todayKelly Kitchens from Dallas talks about The Silent Comedy Watch PartyThe Loves of Carmen versus the melodies of BizetImprovising in the style of traditional folk music formsCreating musical bridges for missing frames and scenesExpanding live streaming accompaniment to silent film online for art houses and institutionsSponsorship: Accidentally Preserved Volume 4 from Undercrank ProductionsPlaying more orchestrally for The White Sister starring Mary Pickford and Ronald ColmanFAQ: “Don’t”s and “be careful”s for sound effects on a theater organ (the “toy counter”)Kerr recommends Kanopy, a streaming classic film service. Links from the episode: Watch The Silent Comedy Watch Party Episode 11Watch The Silent Comedy Watch Party Episode 12Watch The Showdown starring Art Acord, accompanied by BenWatch Three Word Brand starring William S. Hart accompanied by BenRead Rosie Taylor’s blog post about Three Word Brand at Southwest SilentsHewlett Woodmere Public Library“Just An Old Love Song” by Victor Schertzinger written for Robin Hood (1922)The Museum of Modern Art Department of FilmSteamboat Bill, Jr. online with live accompaniment by Ben Model for The Cinema Arts Center (Huntington NY)Accidentally Preserved Volume FourSuggest a Frequently Asked Question for Ben to answer in the podcastNick White’s Vintage Sound EffectsMike Dobson - composer, sound designer and foley artistKanopy Streaming Classic Film

On this episode, Ben and Kerr talk about a cancelled gig at the Metropolitan Museum of Art turning into an online one, Gage County Nebraska and Hollywood, accompanying Russian silent films, scoring a French film for an audience with live-translated intertitles. Plus: using leitmotifs, finding a lost reel of a Baby Peggy comedy, piano tuning and this week's silent film book recommendation.

On this "pandemic catch-up" episode, Ben Model talks about creating and presenting The Silent Comedy Watch Party on YouTube, discusses some recent travels and shows in Boise, shares samples of new scores to two new Blu-ray releases from Kino Lorber for a Hitchcock silent and a rare film made by Julia Crawford Ivers, plus the podcast's new co-host Kerr Lockhart joins in for a new FAQ segment, and Ben and Kerr share some silent film home video recommendations.

In this episode I discuss scoring a Laurel & Hardy silent comedy utilizing a tune many fans of theirs know, recording a new score for Lois Weber's Hypocrites for the new Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers box set for KinoLorber currently screening in select cities, accompanying The Golem at the Morgan Library and Museum, and other insights into the silent film accompaniment process.

On this episode of the podcast -- I use a song-title-pun during Mostly Lost, play for the same Chaplin shorts three days in a row to work on an orchestral score, play a Möller in Rome like it's an orchestra, bring silent comedies to the Adirondacks, score two Marion Davies films in a recording session and at the Library of Congress, and make the sun rise a little faster in Pennsylvania. Plus news about Douglas MacLean, upcoming shows and more.

On this episode of the podcast, I discuss meeting an audience's expectations while staying true to the film's original culture, choosing a comedy short to show newbies, and playing for a show where someone else's music credit is onscreen; also, Arthur Kleiner accompanies a Harold Lloyd short with an iPhone, 700 kids in Boise laugh at Buster Keaton, I play a MoMA premiere of a film from the 1890s; plus – news about recent and upcoming shows.

On this mini-episode, Ben Model gives you some tips and some do's & don't's on how to accompany a silent movie if you're doing one this Halloween...or any time of the year. Plus, there's news about Ben's upcoming silent film shows and DVD projects. Be sure you're on Ben's email list – and if you want to say "thanks!", buy him a cup of coffee here at Ko-Fi.com Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Spotify and Overcast; please consider supporting the podcast at Patreon.

episode 19: a trip to Egypt?, Keaton and Lloyd in South Korea, prepping for a 1915 Swedish silent Welcome. I get lost en route to a gig whilst dealing with a snafu in overseas travel. Next, I talk about explaining the onscreen music credit (attributed to someone who is not me) to 3,000 people in Jecheon, South Korea. Performance recording: accompanying "Steamboat Bill, Jr." starring Buster Keaton at the 12th Jecheon International Music and Film Festival. I talk about preparing for and playing during two outdoor shows at JIMFF for huge crowds, outdoors by a lake, as well as my recent experience with the universality of silent film. Performance recording: accompanying "The Freshman" starring Harold Lloyd at the 12th Jecheon International Music and Film Festival. Preparing to accompany "Madame de Thebes", a 1915 Swedish silent film, at the 11th "Silent Film Days" festival in Tromsø, Norway; the challenges of a contemporary audience decoding the cinematic storytelling language of a 1915 drama, and in particular one with footage missing, and how creating a new score can help the film go over better. DVD/BluRay recording: a few minutes of my score for Fritz Lang's "The Spiders", recorded using multi-tracked orchestral samples on the Kurzweil PC2 digital keyboard for a restoration just released on BluRay by Kino Lorber. I share a brief rundown of my September shows, and some news about coming to L.A., and wrap up with a note about the "ripple effect" and filling empty seats. Thanks for listening! click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

episode 16: Norwegian edition - Too Much Johnson, Roald Amundsen, Chaplin's City Lights Welcome 10th anual "Silent Film Days" festival in Tromsø, Norway Shows for 6th grade school kids, childrens' show on Saturday Recording: in performance at Verdensteatret cinema, Baby Peggy in "Carmen Jr." October DVD release of Baby Peggy in "The Family Secret", restored by Library of Congress Challenge of scoring workprint-rushes of "Too Much Johnson" Recording: in performance at Verdensteatret cinema, accompanying Orson Welles' "Too Much Johnson" Performing as part of Arctic Philharmonic accompanying Chaplin's "City Lights" conducted by Timonthy Brock Recording: in performance at Verdensteatret cinema accompanying Roald Amundsen north pole expedition film Upcoming performances at LoC, Cinema Arts Centre, Silent Clowns Film Series "Mark of Zorro" Thanks, and closing click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

episode 15: Laurel and Hardy, orchestral Chaplin gig, scoring Technicolor at MoMA Welcome Silent Film Sound and Music Archive Recap of June shows: Clara Bow in "Mantrap" in Lake Placid, Mostly Lost 4 at Library of Congress, a special L&H program concept from Bruce Lawton at Silent Clowns Recording: in performance at Silent Clowns Film Series, Laurel and Hardy in "Duck Soup" Returning to Tromsø, Norway for "Silent Film Days", and special Chaplin accomp assignment Recording: in performance at MoMI, accompanying Chaplin's "The Immigrant" for 5th graders Upcoming shows: Silent Clowns' "Men In Trouble", Cinema Arts Centre shows of Ernie Kovacs plus restored Baby Peggy Recording: in performance at MoMA for "Toll of the Sea" from Technicolor series The importance of participating in audience preservation Thanks, and closing click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

episode 14: silence in the theater, Docks of NY, playing into the film, an orchestral organ Welcome Silent Film Sound and Music Archive Recap of May shows: Mary Astor in "Heart to Heart", Buster Keaton in "Battling Butler", plus "Docks of New York" and a faster fps Recording: in performance at MoMA, from 2008, playing the audience into the beginning of Douglas Fairbanks in "A Modern Musketeer" Rules of the Game: playing an audience into a film, keeping the show momentum going Recording: in performance at MoMA, from 2009, accompanying, "Poil de Carotte, a French film with live translation of intertitles Upcoming shows: Lake Placid Film Forum, Silent Clowns' Laurel & Hardy, Mostly Lost 4 at Library of Congress Packard Campus Theatre Recording: in performance at Baptist Temple in Brooklyn NY, from 2010, on Steere & Sons orchestral organ, accompanying "The Ten Commandments" The importance of participating in audience preservation Thanks, and closing click here to download or subscribe to podcast on iTunes Click here to stream podcast: If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element