When in Rome . . .

TV Stevie and I just spent three days and two nights in Rome, NY, home of the Capitol Theatre and CapitolFest. TV Stevie has been attending CapitolFest since its inception 10 years ago. I'm a relatively recent devotee, 2012 being my third or fourth year. Maybe my fifth. Time flies when you're having fun and all that.

One of the great things about this film festival is its use of the original installation Moller theater organ.

Bernie Anderson, Avery Tunningley, and Dr. Philip Carli (and others) breathe life into silent movies using this magnificent instrument.


Ran into several people we know.

Bill DeLapp, Syracuse New Times

Gerry Orlando, Syracuse Cinephile Society

Some of this year's highlights:

The Friday session opened with a TV documentary from Sweden about Warner Oland, this year's CapitolFest tribute star. The documentary was introduced to the CapitolFest audience by a distant cousin of Oland. The screening on Friday was only the third time the documentary has been shown. The first time was on Swedish television, the second time was in China (where many people were allegedly shocked that Charlie Chan wasn't Chinese).

Although Oland is best known for his portrayal of Charlie Chan, we saw only one Charlie Chan trailer. The rest of the program focused on his other roles. I personally liked A Passport to Hell.

Another highlight had its roots in CapitolFest 8. A partially reconstructed version of Paramount on Parade was on the 2010 CapitolFest schedule. The film had been edited for television, for length, for a variety of reasons, and in the process, elements were lost, including the original audio discs. Turns out projectionist Bob Hodge actually has one of the missing discs in his personal collection. For the whole story, check out Bill DeLapp's article. This year, CapitolFest 10 attendees were treated to the reconstructed segment,'Isador the Toreador', which might never have happened had it not been for CapitolFest 8.

Besides Oland, there were one or two other themes: car commercials (Studebaker and Oldsmobile) and golf (Warner Oland was in the first, but never spoke; Bing Crosby sang in Spanish in the second -- the only time he ever did this). I thought both pieces ran too long, but then, I loathe golf. Oh, and there were dogs: a short with Lightning (a serial) that was worth watching for Gary Cooper and the finale was a Rin-Tin-Tin movie that was good. Dr. Carli's accompaniment made it better.

Several of the comedies were fabulous.

CapitolFest 11 is scheduled for August 9-11, 2013. If you like old movies -- and I mean old movies -- you should check it out.

Getting A Dose of Culture

This was a very artsy weekend for TV Stevie and me. On Friday night, we saw TURN OF THE SCREW at Syracuse Stage, and on Saturday night, we drove to Rome to see Buster Keaton's THE GENERAL at the Capitol Theatre.

TURN OF THE SCREW:
The acting was fabulous, the staging was amazing (Kudos to the lighting whatever!), but the show itself -- well, I was disappointed. The only thing that I knew about the story was that it is a ghost story and that it is supposed to be filled with suspense.

::YAWN:: Maybe for its day, but this late 20th/early 21st century woman wasn't impressed. And that was the flaw of the production. A lame story.

SIDE NOTE: Ever since the Chromos were involved in drama club, I've paid more attention to staging. I find I like the minimalist sets more than the elaborate. (Although I recently attended a stage production of  THE LION KING and was blown away by the staging, costumes, etc. Not a fan of the show itself. Didn't like the movie, prefer the music from Tim Rice and Elton John's other collaboration, AIDA.)

Original installation organ at the Capitol Theatre in Rome, NY

THE GENERAL: I loved it! Great character development. Wonderful print. And Bernie Anderson, Jr. on the organ? Amazing. I forgot I was watching a silent movie with a live organist accompanying it. His playing melded perfectly with the action on the screen.

It's A Capitol Time!

If you like movies -- old movies, classic movies, rare movies, silent movies -- you might want to check out CapitolFest in Rome, NY. TV Stevie and Y-Chromo have been going to movies and CapitolFest for years, at least until Y went off to college.

Original installation, 3-manual,
9-rank Möller Grand Theatre Organ.



 I was leary of going in Y's place. In 2006, TV Stevie dragged the whole family to a film festival in central Ohio. Other than the 2 Columbus Clippers games we attended and listening to Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation both ways, the trip was hideous. I attended one movie. It was in a musty hotel conference room with rows of folding chairs. The only good thing about the festival experience was hearing (and meeting) Dr. Philip Carli for the first time, as he accompanied Don Q, Son of Zorro on the piano. (Actually, the movie was pretty good, too. I just don't like musty hotel conference rooms, folding chairs, and flat seating.)

So I wasn't real thrilled when TV asked me in 2008 to go to the Capitol Theater to see a local theater production of Man of La Mancha, but I went. That was my first time at the Capitol Theater. And it was a good production. And they had real theater seats. And sloped floors. And a theater cat. Gotta love a place with a cat.

In 2009, our wedding anniversary fell during CapitolFest, plus we had tickets for the Glimmerglass Opera on that date. Steve suggested we stop at the Capitol on our way home from Cooperstown. The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra would be accompanying a movie that evening. I said, "sure, why not."

They were amazing. Plus, I wanted to see the movie that followed their performance.

I was hooked.

Last year, TV Stevie and I went to every session. I took many photos of their amazing, original installation Moller organ.

And we were part of an exciting bit of cinema history. Paramount on Parade, a showcase of Paramount contract players, is a "partially missing" film. Several of the shellac sound-track discs are missing, footage is missing (from the movie being edited-for-TV): it's a hodge-podge of audio and video. But it turns out that the projectionist had in his possession of of the "missing" sound track discs. We were able to hear it (altho' it wasn't synced up with the film). And no, he didn't steal it. Missing sound track discs is a common problem, but thanks to the Vitaphone Project, some movies are being restored using new technology.

In a bit of trivia, we were watching a short about dental hygiene, and the bureau in boy's bedroom is the same bureau I use. Well, not quite as beat up as mine is, but that was weird and memorable. I knew my bureau was old, but not that old!

This year, Y-Chromo doesn't head for college until after CapitolFest. He and I have been arguing over who gets to accompany TV Stevie this year. Probably both of us.