On Friday afternoon the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival in conjunction with The Academy of Motion Pictures presented Harold Lloyd: New Dimensions in Sight And Sound. The program was a part of the 2018 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival and was only open to pass-holders who were delighted by the new sights and sounds of the great silent movie comedian. The new sights were a collection of Lloyd’s Home movies and 3D photographs and the new sounds came from an old source…a 1917 American Fotoplayer.
Throughout the program the music was supplied by Joe Rinaudo performing on the Fotoplayer which is a piano-organ hybrid used in theaters in the silent movie era. The Fotoplayer was donated and restored by Mr. Rinaudo several years ago and is used by the Academy for movie programming and demonstrations. The Academy’s Fotoplayer is one of very few that are available for public view.
The highlight of the program was Rinaudo performing on the Fotoplayer while the movies Jazzed Honeymoon and Never Weaken were hand-cranked on a 1909 Power’s Cameragraph Projector by Mr. Rinaudo’s assistant Gary Gibson.
The program was hosted by Mr. Randy Habercamp of the Academy and Suzanne Lloyd, grand-daughter of the silent comedian.
TCM Classic Film Festival 2015: Dream Machine behind the scenes
HAROLD LLOYD: NEW DIMENSIONS IN SIGHT AND SOUND
2018 Turner Classic Film Festival Friday, April 27, 2018 2:30 pm
Admission: All Pass levels are eligible for this event. No Individual tickets are available for this passholder exclusive event.
Once again Professor Rinaudo will be in grand performance at the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival in Hollywood, but this time he won’t be cranking a projector.
Back in the Spring of 2015 the Professor, in conjunction with The Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences cranked through a series of the earliest films showcasing the birth of the art of cinema and the progress made in its early years as can be seen in this very short video.
If you are one of the many who will be attending this year’s festival we implore you to make your way to the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater on Friday April 27th at 2:30pm to see the Professor accompany several Harold Lloyd silent short subjects on the Academy’s American Fotoplayer.
The Professor happens to be the “King of the Fotoplayers” as you will see when he plays music and sound effects by pulling levers and cords, and pushing buttons and switches with both hands and feet.See it in action here.
The Fotoplayer is a marvel of an invention that was used to provide music for silent films in the theaters that were too small for live orchestras. The Academy’s American Fotoplayer featured at this event was restored by Joe Rinaudo, Dave Hartman, and team.
The Professor’s assistant will be doing the cranking of the 1909 Power’s projector at this year’s event while the professor provides the musical accompaniment.
Presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Linwood Dunn Theater, with special guest Suzanne Lloyd, Harold Lloyd’s granddaughter. Join Randy Haberkamp, Managing Director of Preservation and Foundation Programs at the Academy, as Suzanne Lloyd shares the great silent comedian’s stunning 3D photography (including shots of Disneyland in 1955 and Marilyn Monroe poolside), personal home movies, a new 3D conversion of a sequence from Safety Last (1923) and additional Lloyd short subjects: A Jazzed Honeymoon (1919), produced and directed by Hal Roach and co-starring Harold’s frequent leading lady Bebe Daniels and comedian Snub Pollard, and thrill comedy Never Weaken (1921), produced by Roach and co-starring Harold’s real-life leading lady, his future wife (and Suzanne’s grandmother) Mildred Davis. Live accompaniment provided by Joe Rinaudo on the Academy’s newly restored 1917 Fotoplayer, a rare and amazing instrument designed during the era of silent film to provide musical accompaniment and sound effects at movie theaters that could not afford an orchestra. This Fotoplayer is one of only 12 in existence today. (Digital)
For more details on the Linwood Dunn Theater, click here.
Note: All Pass levels are eligible for this event. No Individual tickets are available for this passholder exclusive event.
It is most apropos that the founder of Silent Cinema Society is named Joe, for that was ranked as one of the most popular names during the silent cinema years.
Celebrate National Joe Day by having a cup of “joe” with all of your friends named Joe, Jo, Joette, Joey, Joseph, Josephine, Johanna, Joann, Jodie or any variant of the name Joe every year on March 27th, National Joe Day.
Happy National Joe Day, Professor Rinaudo!
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