On Saturday, October 25th at 7 PM at Chaminade High School in Mineola, the acclaimed – and hilarious – 1923 silent movie comedy classic, Safety Last starring Harold Lloyd – one of the most popular and memorable films of the “Roaring Twenties” – will be presented with LIVE theatre organ accompaniment by nationally-acclaimed organist, Ben Model. Mr. Model, heralded as one of the country’s foremost silent film accompanists, will be performing on Chaminade’s magnificent Austin Morton Theatre Pipe Organ – the largest and only fully-operational theatre organ of its kind on Long Island! The program is a presentation of the New York Theatre Organ Society, The Nassau Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and Chaminade High School.
Safety Last is a classic Harold Lloyd comedy featuring all of the action, laughs, pratfalls and romance for which Harold Lloyd was known and heralded. Long before the daredevil stunts of Indiana Jones, Spiderman and other Hollywood daredevils, Lloyd had movie audiences riveted to their seats with his heart-stopping antics – hanging mid-air from the hands of a large clock twelve stories up. And, unlike many of today’s superstars, Lloyd performed all of his own heart-pounding stunts! With Ben Model’s exciting original LIVE organ accompaniment, the performance – which will also include the 1920 comedy short His Royal Slyness – is going to be a night of terrific – and hilarious – family entertainment!
“Safety Last is an exciting and highly-entertaining film whose action-packed scenes have become archetypes for today’s modern films – from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Back to the Future. Experiencing Harold Lloyd’s heart-stopping stunts for the first time is a thrill. When featured along with Mr. Model’s original live accompaniment on Chaminade’s powerful Austin Morton Theatre Organ, it will truly be a memorable entertainment experience,” said Brother Rob Lahey, S.M. of Chaminade. “Our silent film performances over the years have drawn large family audiences and the evenings usually end with roaring applause and standing ovations, Lahey added.
Fully restored, Safety Last, starring Harold Lloyd will be presented on October 25, 2014 in Darby Auditorium at 7 PM at Chaminade High School, Jackson Ave. Mineola, New York. Tickets are $12 – Adults, $10 – Seniors 65+ and NYTOS Members, $5 – Students, and Children under 13 FREE. Special Package Group Rates available (Please call for details). Tickets will be available at the door – no reserved seating, first come, first served. For information, please call 516-742-5555.
Ben Model (www.silentclowns.com) is one of the USA’s leading silent film accompanists who, for the past 28 years, has been playing piano and organ accompaniment for silent films present at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Mr. Model co-curates MoMA’s annual “Cruel and Unusual Comedy” series, as well as the Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle retrospective in 2006 and Shout!Factory’s new “Ernie Kovacs Collection” DVD boxed set. A five-time recipient of the Meet the Composer grant, Ben is a regular accompanist at classic film festivals here in the USA and Norway. He is the producer and co-founder of “The Silent Clowns Film Series,” now in its 14th year in New York City. Model’s recorded scores can be heard on numerous DVD releases from Kino Video, et al. His composed ensemble scores for films by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd are regularly performed around the country by orchestras and concert bands
The Chaminade Theatre Pipe Organ is Long Island’s largest publicly played theatre organ. It was originally housed at the Queens Village Theatre and purchased and donated to Chaminade by Dr. Robert Atkins. The organ was restored and rebuilt by the late Ken Ladner and Chaminade’s Marianist Brothers. It was finally present to the school in 1980 on the 50th anniversary of the school’s founding. With the generous work of volunteers, additional restorations took place in 1982 when a Robert Morton console was acquired, fully refurbished and installed. Additional pipes were replaced between 1999 and 2002, enhancing the organ’s sound quality. The organ now includes 15 ranks of pipes and a full complement of percussion instruments.
The New York Theatre Organ Society (www.nytos.org) is one of more than 60 chapters of the American Theatre Organ Society. The organization was founded in 1955 for the purpose of preserving and promoting the tradition of theatre organ and its music. The group is comprised of professional and amateur organists and technicians as well as people who enjoy the unique, magnificent sound of theatre pipe organ. NYTOS present concerts and silent film programs, open console sessions, technical work as well as social activities centered on theatre organ installations in the New York Metropolitan Area.
The American Guild of Organists (www.agohq.org) was founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization which seeks to set and maintain high musical standards, and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music.
