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Charity
Matinee: Silents & Piano
Proceeds towards the Curzon
Restoration Fund.
Another
selection of great comedy films featuring Ben Blue, Charlie
Chaplin, Billy Gilbert, Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy,
Harold Lloyd and more. All 'U' certificate programme, with
live piano accompaniment, and a pre-show concert on the Compton
organ.
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A Magical Musical
Extravaganza
to raise funds to help with the installation in the cinema of the
Christie Theatre pipe Organ, formerly at the Regent, Poole.
The event saw
six organists playing the Curzon's existing Compton Organ (on permanent
loan from Desmond Jenkins of Penarth), an interval with a buffet
in the Oak Room, followed by three silent comedies with organ accompaniment:
Harold Lloyd in "Lonesome Luke's Movie Muddle" and "I
Do, and Ben Turpin in "Off His Trolley".
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Martin
Berger of West Star Holidays formally presented the Curzon
with the Christie Organ, along with a generous cheque towards
the installation.
Visit www.weststarholidays.co.uk
>>
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photos to enlarge... |
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Charity performance in aid of the CURZON Restoration Fund
"Stars of the Silent Screen", an afternoon of silent
movies
An afternoon
of comedy films - featuring Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy and
Harold LLoyd - with live music including the Curzon's COMPTON Melotone
Organ (on permanent loan from Desmond Jenkins of Penarth) played
by Brian Boobyer and piano accompaniment for the films from Richard
Baker. A large audience, marvellous musicians and a great atmosphere
made for an enjoyable afternoon's entertainment.
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Sunday
28 March 2004: THE Curzon in Clevedon was packed as silent
movies, accompanied by a live organ, returned to the cinema
for the first time in 80 years.
With around
270 tickets sold in advance, there was a long queue and a
jam in the foyer, but that was nothing to the panic going
on behind the scenes just hours before the performance.
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Resident
organist at the Leicester Square Odeon, Donald MacKenzie
was to accompany the 1926 swashbuckling film The Black
Pirate, starring film legend Douglas Fairbanks senior,
on the organ to provide music for the classic film.
Donald
had written the music score especially for the performance
as the original The black Pirate score had been lost.
But shortly after arriving at the cinema Donald fell
and injured a hand which needed hospital treatment immediately
as a precaution. It threw Curzon manager Jon Webber
into a blind panic.
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"It
was about a quarter to six when we realised Donald needed
treatment and he wasn't going to be able to play, and the
film was opening in just over an hour. We were in a desperate
situation," said Jon. Jon then found out that the West
of England Theatre Organ Society was staging its AGM in Weston
that weekend and got busy on the phone.
Cue Byron
Jones, one of the UK's top professional organists, to come
to the Curzon from his Filton home in Bristol and save the
day. Jon said: "I managed to get hold of Byron and when
he arrived he had about 15 minutes on the organ to familiarise
himself with it, but he had no time to prepare the music."
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"It
was all improvised play and at the end I went down with
the mike to thank Byron and he said that was the first
time he'd ever seen the film.
He
was a real true professional," said Jon. Byron,
aged 55, known as the Welsh Wizard, said: "I'd
had a heavy schedule over the weekend and was just going
to relax on Sunday evening, and when I arrived I had
no time to practice because the film was going to start
in 20 minutes.
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"I
have played silent movies in America and also for Charlie
Chaplin films but they had only been around 20 minutes long.
So to play for an hour and 40 minutes was quite an achievement
and it was nice to get a standing ovation at the end. All
I could do was keep my eyes on the screen and accompany it
as best as I could, but we managed and everyone was pleased.
I really enjoyed it."
Mary Frances
from Tickenham was there and commented: "The audience
cheered, clapped and had a thumping good time. I'm still laughing."
Jon added: "For me the whole thing about going to the
cinema is about having a magical evening and experience and
this night was certainly that, even though it took about five
years off my life."
The film
was shown to help raise money towards the Curzon Restoration
Fund, and other silent films are planned for this summer.
Story
by Kevin Emery for the Clevedon Mercury
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