When Joe Rinaudo restored his Model 20 Fotoplayer over three decades ago, he never intended to play classic rock & roll on it. But the people of YouTube made sure he did. Here is one of the cleverist, perfectly timed dubs you’ll ever see and hear and LOL to. (Don’t be fooled—this is not the Huell Howser segment you saw on TV.)
Here’s a poster series for anyone who is in tune with ampersands, brand names with ampersands, or Guns & Roses with an ampersand instead of their official n’ (which should really be ‘n’). AmperArt is created by Chaz DeSimone, who also restores title cards for Joe’s silent films.
This documentary explores the use of orchestras, bands, sound effects artists, piano players & organists during the Silent Film Era (1895-1927).
Feature interviews:
Dr. Paul Monaco
Bob Mitchell
Joe Rinaudo
Mildred Lewis
Ed Kelsey
Produced by Chapman University as a graduate film project Jeff Callaway & Craig D. Forrest, co-directors Aaron Burns & Ben Bateman, editors Special thanks to David Shepherd (film historian), Michael Kowalski (advisor) & the late David Garcia (advisor)
Awards: Voted Best Short Documentary @ Oxford Int’l Film Fest (2007) Best Student Short Documentary @ Family Film Fest (2008) Best Student Short Documentary @ Hollywood Int’l Student Film Fest (2007) Official Selection: Whittier Film Fest (2008), Scene First Student Film Fest (2006), Charleston Film Fest (2008), Reynolda Film Fest (2009).
Of Special Interest:
Famous Players Orchestra
Famous Players Orchestra performs and records historic cinematic music used by movie theater orchestras during the silent film era. Listen to samples and learn about the organization here:
Dean Mora evokes suspense, laughter, even horror, at the Mighty Wurlitzer when he accompanies Joe Rinaudo’s hand crank Silent Cinema itinerant show at the Nethercutt.
Mr. Mora and His Orchestra are also regularly featured at Maxwell DeMille’s Cicada Club, a vintage night club and Los Angeles swing dancing venue in downtown Los Angeles as well as many other venues, events and private parties throughout Southern California.
Mr. Mora’s music is regularly played throughout Disneyland’s Main Street and Disney’s California Adventure where it is heard by thousands of visitors each day.
Who’s Who of Victorian Cinema is edited by Stephen Herbert and Luke McKernan. The website states: “This is a guide to over 300 leading figures in Victorian cinema, defined as filmmaking in its broadest sense from the first glimmerings in the 1870s to the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901.”
As stated on the website: “The Bioscope is dedicated to the subject of early and silent cinema. It covers news, publications, events, discoveries, documents, critical theory, filmmakers, performers, audiences and the technology of the silent era, embracing film production, distribution and exhibition, as well as ‘pre-cinema’, chronophotography, optical toys, and related media, across the world. There is an emphasis on research and scholarly discovery, but there should be as much here for the general enthusiast as for the specialist.” The Bioscope is no longer active as a blog but is being kept online as an archive. It was administered and written by Luke McKernan.
Title Design
Title, Intertitle and Lantern Slide Restoration and Recreation
Chaz DeSimone, Joe Rinaudo’s friend of 50 years, retouches and recreates titles and intertitles for Joe’s silent film restorations, as well as for other collectors and restorers.
In this century, Chaz designs logos, books, brochures and websites (including this one). His personal design project is amperart.com, featuring “the ampersand as fun & fabulous art.”
The Early To Bed Tent – Oasis #239 is where people of all ages join us six times a year to honor the lives and enjoy the classic humor of the greatest comedy team in the world—Laurel & Hardy.
Joe Rinaudo plays Laurel & Hardy’s theme song:
First you will recognize an original soundtrack of the Laurel & Hardy theme song. Next, Joe Rinaudo tells us a heartwarming story about its composer, Marvin Hatley. Finally, listen to the “Cuk-Cuk Walzer” which inspired the famous theme song, played on the American Fotoplayer.
The main focus of our tent is on the films of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. We screen all of their movies that are available to us in the 16mm film format. In addition to the films that Laurel & Hardy made as a team, we view some of their early solo work as well.
Joe Rinaudo, Gary Gibson and Dean Mora are mentioned on this page.
Suggestions?
Please suggest more links to build the Silent Cinema Society Resources List in the comments section, below. And of course (not so silently) tell your fellow silent cinema fans to visit SilentCinemaSociety.org. Thank you.
Here’s a poster series for anyone who is in tune with ampersands, brand names with ampersands, or Guns & Roses with an ampersand instead of their official n’ (which should really be ‘n’). AmperArt is created by Chaz DeSimone, who also restores title cards for Joe’s silent films.
