presents

“KNOCKS AND SHOCKS”
Silent Films with Live Musical Accompaniment

Auditorium, APS Conference Center, Argonne National Laboratory

Friday, February 28, 2003 at 7:30 p.m.

[Lon Chaney] [Harry Langdon]
Lon Chaney Harry Langdon

More on the program, the artist, the location, and ordering tickets below.

This program is partially supported by The University of Chicago and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency

  • About the Program

    • Tales of sudden, dramatic changes in fortune have long been the stock in trade of novelists and playwrights. Filmmakers, too, have commonly focused on contemplating life's reversals, from yesterday's “Trading Places” to today's “Maid in Manhattan.” Sometimes it's a Cinderella story about overcoming adversity to reach a happily-ever-after ending; in other cases, it's a tragic downward spiral and fade to black.

    From its earliest days, Hollywood has rung the changes on this favorite theme; nearly every silent film offers some sort of reversal story. Our 2003 program includes two notable examples. First, in a two-reel comedy short, hapless Harry Langdon beats the odds, bumbling through a series of misadventures to finally win his heart's desire through a combination of dumb luck and pluck. Then, in the night's feature film, Lon Chaney, the immortal “Man of a Thousand Faces,” hobbles through the gangland underworld, a cripple bent on his mission, only to find that he must sacrifice himself to save what he loves best. Other items on the bill include a hundred-year-old “primitive” film and an early animated work.

  • About the Artist

    • [David Drazin] David Drazin
    (Photo credit: Carol Kyros Walker, with permission)

    Live piano accompaniment for the films is provided by Chicago musician David Drazin, official silent-film accompanist for the Gene Siskel Film Center. Mr. Drazin has also played for the Vickers Theatre in Three Oaks, Michigan; the Northbrook and Park Ridge, Illinois, Public Libraries; and the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina. A composer, film maker, and motion-picture historian, Mr. Drazin is active in the areas of sound recording and live theater, both as performer and as director. He accompanies ballet classes, has performed in jazz ensembles, and plays in the roots rock band “Jesse Scinto and the Dignitaries.”

  • Location

    • The Silent-Film Night will be presented in the Auditorium of the APS Conference Center (Bldg. 402) at Argonne. The event is open to the public. US citizens and permanent residents: Please, bring a photo ID to gain entrance to the laboratory site.
    Non-residents: Please, register before the event by calling (630) 252-3751.

    Don't know how to reach Argonne? Confused about the layout of the laboratory site? Here are some navigational aides:

  • Tickets

    • Admission to the silent-film night is $5. Order your tickets by phone (630-252-3751); VISA and MasterCard accepted.

    Remaining tickets will be sold in the lobby of the Argonne Cafeteria (Bldg. 213) in the week of February 24 between noon and 1:00 p.m. The Auditorium Box Office will be open on the day of the performance at 7:00 p.m.

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