Keeping silent cinema alive, by offering audiences a chance to rediscover films from the era with the accompaniment of talented pianists, is an essential component of the Cinémathèque's programming. As digital technology continues to invent new ways of creating images, it is more relevant than ever to remember how eloquent the images from the so-called silent era of film history truly were. It's fascinating to see how much these works and filmmakers contributed to modern cinema – not to mention that it is always a pleasure to return, for a few hours, to the era of images that speak for themselves.
Accompanied on piano by Roman Zavada
Played by Harold Lloyd, Speedy works casual jobs in New York, including driver, which leads him to take Babe Ruth to Yankee Stadium. His lover's grandfather owns the last of the horse-drawn streetcars, and there's a plot to get him out of the business. Speedy does everything in his power to help him out. Lloyd's last silent film, Speedy is a major work of burlesque cinema of the 1920s, and presents the American metropolis of the time in brilliant fashion.
Ted Wilde
Ted Wilde was a comedy writer and director during the era of silent movies, though he also directed two talkies released in 1930. He was born in New York City. His initial career was as a member of Harold Lloyd's writing staff. His final film as a director was Clancy in Wall Street.
