LOCAL

CJ Extra: Kansas Silent Film Festival features greats

Carolyn Kaberline, Special to The Capital-Journal
Attendees fill the lobby at Washburn’s White Concert Hall at a previous Kansas Silent Film Festival. This year’s festival will be Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, Feb. 29. [Submitted]

Harold Lloyd, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Douglas Fairbanks, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are just a few of the greats from the early days of the film industry. All these and many others will be part of this year’s Kansas Silent Film Festival.

Whether you enjoy comedy, adventure, gangster, documentaries or drama, you are sure to be entertained by the selections. Now in its 24th rendition, this year’s festival promises to continue its tradition of showcasing films that started America’s love affair with the movies.

Bill Shaffer, director of the Kansas Silent Film Festival, answered questions about the event set for Feb. 28-29 at Washburn University.

Could you give us a history of the festival?

The Kansas Silent Film Festival began as a joint event between the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library and Washburn University in 1996. It was a one-day, all-day event on Saturday. Over the years, a Friday evening "Opening Night" was brought in and breaks for lunch and dinner were added on Saturdays. We are currently in our 24th year.

What is the purpose of the festival and has it changed any through the years?

The Kansas Silent Film Festival was created to present classic silent movies made between 1900 and 1929 with live musical accompaniment provided by local musicians and guest artists from across the country and even outside the United States. In this way, we are introducing entertainment, art and culture from another era to audiences young and old, who are able to experience these films as they were meant to be seen. Our event has continued to gain momentum and new audience members over the past 24 years and counting. We've pretty much stayed with that mission since the beginning.

Where and when will this year's festival take place? Is there an admission charge?

This year's festival will take place at White Concert Hall at S.W. 17th and Jewell on the Washburn University campus on Friday night, Feb. 28, from 7 to 10 p.m. and all-day Saturday, Feb. 29, with breaks for lunch and dinner. There is no admission charge. Through generous donors and grants, we have been able to keep this a free festival from the start.

Is there a theme to this year's festival? If so, what is it?

In the past several years, we have introduced different themes, such as “The First Academy Awards” (1928-29), which was the only year(s) in which all nominees were silent films. We've also had themes on “Women in Silent Films” and "Lost Films: Recovered and Restored." This year we've decided on "No Theme" so we can show a number of films we've never been able to fit in screenings of before.

What are some of the films that will be shown?

Well, Friday night is comedy night so we're featuring two short films (newly restored) from D.W. Griffith (America's first famous film director) plus two feature-length films, “Why Worry?” with Harold Lloyd (born in Burchard, Neb.) and "Leap Year“ with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (born in Smith Center, Kan). Saturday brings a special documentary for early risers at 9 a.m. and the feature “Soul of the Beast” showcasing an orphan girl and her pal, an escaped circus elephant. Saturday afternoon includes “The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg” and the gangster classic “Underworld.” Saturday evening will spotlight the swashbuckling hero Douglas Fairbanks in the first feature version of "Robin Hood (1922).“

Who should plan to attend the festival?

Everybody. We have older attendees (some in their nineties), families, college and high school students and lots of classic film fans (who usually watch Turner Classic Movies).

Are there any guest speakers this year?

Yes, we have Tracey Goessel, author of the biography “The First King of Hollywood: The Life of Douglas Fairbanks,” who will introduce "Robin Hood.“ She's also connected with The Biograph Project, which is tasked with restoring over 400 of D.W. Griffith's earliest films, and she'll also be introducing some of these at the festival. She'll also be signing copies of her book during the Saturday afternoon break.

Who will provide the music to go with the films?

We have the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra from Boulder, Colo., returning this year to do their scores for "Leap Year“ and a new one for "Robin Hood.” Organist Marvin Faulwell will be returning for his 24th year. Jeff Rapsis comes in from New Hampshire to play piano for several films. Bob Keckeisen adds percussion and Bill Beningfield will play the organ for the new restorations of the Griffith films.

Who are the sponsors of this year's festival?

There are so many — Washburn University, Paul Post, the Blanche Bryden Foundation, American Pre-Sort, the Topeka Community Foundation, Gizmo Pictures, the Sabatini Family Foundation, Core First Bank & Trust and over a hundred generous, individual donors who continue to keep this event free every year.

Anything else you would like to add?

Over the years, there have been so many extraordinary stories and events happening that we hope to chronicle most of them in a book or booklet for our 25th year. I can only add that I have met the most incredible people during those years — an African American relief projectionist who had shown the original "Phantom of the Opera“ film in 1925, a 97-year-old man who remembered playing Zorro at age 5 after seeing the Douglas Fairbanks epic ”The Mark of Zorro“ when it was new in 1920, plus our great special guests, the granddaughters of Buster Keaton and W.C. Fields and our film restoration expert, the late David Shepard, who adopted us and supplied us with so many great films for free. Also we have been blessed with some of the finest musicians in the world, all of them known for providing exceptional music scores for classic silent films.

When: 7-10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, and all day Saturday, Feb. 29, with breaks for lunch and dinner

Where: White Concert Hall at Washburn University, S.W. 17th and Jewell

Admission: Free

Information: www.kssilentfilmfest.org