On August 30th at 4pm Peace Lutheran Church’s Arts @ Peace is hosting another of its popular silent movie events with Walt Strony at the Theatre Organ. The feature film, “IT” premiered in Los Angeles in January 1927 (not to be confused with the 2017 horror film!) The famous silent film lead, Clara Bow, sex symbol of the Roaring 20’s, was launched into stardom with this box office hit. Bow was thereafter known as the “It Girl” – with “IT” defined in the film opening as the “quality possessed by some which draws all others with its magnetic force.”
The story was written and the film produced in part by Elinor Glyn. For silent film buffs, IT was thought to be lost until the 1960’s when a nitrate copy was found in Prague. This silent film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
The story centers around Bow as salesclerk Betty Lou Spence, in the “world’s largest store,” who sets her sights on the heir and new manager of the establishment, Cyrus Waltham Jr., played by Antonio Moreno. However, there is a large difference in social class and Cyrus is already involved with socialite Adela Van Norman. Betty Lou is noticed by Monty, a friend of Cyrus, and she uses Monty as a conduit to Cyrus. Betty Lou is able to get a date with Cyrus to Coney Island, which he thoroughly enjoys, but ends with Cyrus’ attempted kiss and a slap.
With Monty again in the middle, there is a huge misunderstanding involving Betty Lou’s roommate, a baby, and the offer of an arrangement that highly offends Betty Lou. With the assistance of Monty, Betty Lou sets out to teach Cyrus a lesson on a yachting excursion he is hosting which is also attended by socialite Adela. What follows is drama as only a silent movie with live organ can portray.
Before sound, movie production relied on a live organist playing dramatic background music and sound effects. There was no original score produced for IT; the accompanying music and effects will be personally written and performed live by Walt Strony. In addition to being the Peace organist and artistic advisor for Arts@Peace, Strony has specialized in theatre organ during his long, varied career. He is an inductee into the American Theatre Organ Society Hall of Fame, is the only living two-time winner of the ATOS Organist of the Year Award and has recently returned from a European tour. He will be using the Peace Allen-Reuter organ which he helped design and that has a special “suite” of sounds reproducing the sound of the Mighty Wurlitzer organs originally used to accompany silent films. IT will be an exciting opportunity to hear Strony and theatre organ at its most dramatic.
Peace Lutheran Church’s Arts @ Peace invites you to spend the afternoon enjoying a silent film as if you were back in the roaring 20’s. A wine and cheese reception will follow the film showing. Doors will open at 3:30pm. The event is free to all ages; however, donations to Arts@Peace to bring more events to this community will be welcomed.
Peace Lutheran Church is located at 828 W. Main St. in Grass Valley. For more information visit https://peacelutherangv.org or call the church office at (530) 273-9631.