Before There Were Talkies March 15, 2009

Step back in time to the 1920's, when movie audiences thrilled to on-screen adventure as the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ created an aura of excitement!

Before There Were Talkies

Benefit Performance for the New Branch Library
When Mary Pickford portrayed a spunky heroine , Douglas Fairbanks a swashbuckling pirate or Charlie Chaplin a curious Little Tramp, no sounds were heard from the silent screen. It was the role of the theater organist to set the mood for the movie audience during slapstick comedies, weepy romances and action adventures alike.

Celebrate the golden age of the theater organ when the Gail Borden Public Library Foundation presents Lee Maloney, House Organist for The Chicago Theatre. Mr. Maloney performs on an organ that digitally recreates the sounds of a 1920's pipe organ and will discuss how this music played an integral role in the presentation of silent movies. He will accompany the screening of Laurel and Hardy's short 1929 silent movie Liberty and conduct a sing-along with musical numbers from the 1920's and 30's, the golden age of movie palaces.

Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased online www.gailborden.info or in the library's administration office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. All proceeds from this special event will go toward the purchase of books for Gail Borden Library's new west side branch to be opened this summer.

Only 230 tickets will be sold for this one-time-only performance, so buy yours today!

Official Website: http://gailbweb.gailborden.info/evanced/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=2683&rts=&disptype=info&ret=eventcalendar.asp&pointer=&returnToSearch=&SignupType=&num=0&ad=&dt=mo&mo=3/1/2009&df=calendar&EventType=ALL&Lib=&AgeGroup=ALL&LangType=0&WindowMode=&noheader=&lad=