Chevalier Theatre to host silent film night on Oct. 1

Chevalier Theatre will host the opening night event for Arts Across Medford 2016 on Saturday, Oct. 1, with internationally acclaimed organist Peter Krasinski returning to accompany three family-friendly silent films.

With “Transform” the theme for Arts Across Medford, “Chevalier Charades” will harken back to when silent films not only were popular fare at Medford movie houses, but also were produced by several film companies in the Wright’s Pond area of the city.

After setting the mood by accompanying a 1916 silent newsreel, Krasinski will provide improvisational accompaniment for two silent favorites. In “The Rink” (1916), Charlie Chaplin transforms from a bumbling waiter into man of wealth, crashing a posh party and displaying his amazing roller skating ability. In “Grandma’s Boy” (1922), Harold Lloyd’s meek character transforms into the town’s brave hero, emboldened by a good luck charm from his grandmother.

The third movie on the program will be a community-made film featuring the hidden talents of Medford residents (a la Chaplin’s). To learn more about how to take part, visit the Friends of Chevalier Auditorium website. A community-made film was a popular feature of last year’s Arts Across Medford silent film event at Chevalier, in which Krasinski accompanied that film along with “The Red Balloon” and two other silent classics. He made his Chevalier debut in 2011 when he accompanied the World War I epic “Wings” as part of Arts Across Medford.

General admission tickets for Chevalier Charades, which begins at 7 p.m., are $10 ($5 for ages 10 and under) and are available online through the Chevalier Theatre website. They also may be purchased at Medford Electronics, 25 Salem St., Medford, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and will be sold at the door.
Chevalier Charades is presented by Chevalier Theatre Organ Society, the Friends of Chevalier Auditorium & Gene Mack Gym, and the Chevalier Auditorium Commission.

The sixth annual Arts Across Medford festival is curated by CACHE, the Coalition for Arts, Culture and a Healthy Economy in Medford. It takes place throughout October, highlighting the diverse arts and cultural programs available in Medford throughout the year.