The Alden Theater, McLean, VA
The Silent Clowns Film Series, is New York City’s free showcase for classic silent film comedy.
The series presents monthly showings of the silent movies of Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Lloyd, and many others, with live musical accompaniment by renowned silent film accompanist Ben Model.
Every program features a spoken introduction and Q&A by film historians Bruce Lawton and Steve Massa. The programs are presented on weekend afternoons, and are geared to classic film fans and families.
The Silent Clowns Film Series is held in the Bruno Walter Auditorium, located in the NY Library for the Performing Arts, at the back of Lincoln Center.
The next show is Saturday, April 12 at 2:30pm, and it features several Charlie Chaplin Films produced by the Mutual Film Corporation. The show features these iconic Chaplin’s films: The Count (1916), The Pawnshop (1916), The Immigrant (1917), and The Adventurer (1917).
Silent Clown Film Series Comes to Washington, DC
April 16, 2014 marks Charlie Chaplin’s 125th birthday.
Charlie Chaplin, aka The Little Tramp, is the most iconic and influential comedy star of the silent film era. He starred in classic films including The Kid, The Gold Rush, City Lights and Modern Times.
To celebrate Chaplin’s birthday, the Alden Theatre, outside Washington DC, is hosting a screening of Chaplin’s best movies, with commentary by film historian Bruce Lawton and live music by accompanist Ben Model. The Alden Theater in McLean, Virginia is little gem of a theater inside the McClean Community Center.
For the past couple of seasons, we’ve enjoyed the silent film series at the Alden. The series is produced by the same guys from New York City, who curate the Silent Clowns Film Series. Composer Ben Model creates a completely improvised score, while film historian and preservationist Bruce Lawton introduces the films and takes questions after the screening. Lawton is a Chaplin guru who’s worked with the Chaplin estate to restore his films.
The next event takes place Wednesday April 16, 7:30 pm at The Alden, 1234 Ingleside Avenue McLean, VA 22101.
At last month’s screening, we ran into a friend who told us that she heard about the show from the discount ticket site, Goldstar.
General admission tickets from the box office are $10, but you can pick up discounted tickets via Goldstar. The discounted tickets are $5, plus a $2.50 service charge.
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