If you haven’t been to a Silent Movie event at Peace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, you have missed out! But the good news is that on Nov. 3 at 4pm, Arts@Peace will be presenting the original film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from 1920. What makes a silent movie at Peace special? We have the world renowned Walt Strony live on the theater organ accompanying the film as in the “olden days.” And this showing will be even more special, because it is a benefit for the victims of the recent hurricanes in the U.S. Southeast.
As with all of the Peace silent movie events to date, this one is FREE, including the wine and cheese reception that will follow the movie. But this event also includes an opportunity to provide donations directly through Lutheran Disaster Response and its partners in the affected areas. We are all being solicited on many fronts to give, but this offers a safe channel to assure every dollar makes its way to those hardest hit.
And now for the fun part! There is hardly a person that has not heard of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In fact it has made its way into modern English language as a term to describe someone who flies off the handle, going from calm to crazed. Little needs to be said about its plot, except that there is a little romance. The movie’s origin is the 1886 horror novella entitled The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (yes – the same Scottish author of Treasure Island and a Child’s Garden of Verses.) It is thought that Mr. Stevenson was inspired by a friend he knew as “normal” who was eventually found out and tried for poisoning his wife, and possibly several other people, with toasted cheese laced with (lots of) opium.
Although this horror story has been made repeatedly into film, (Wikipedia states that there have been 123 films made!) the 1920 version from Paramount which will be shown was made in the heart of the silent movie era. It starred one of the most famous male actors of stage and film – John Barrymore, born into a theater family which included his brother Lionel Barrymore with whom he often appeared, and has continued with his granddaughter, Drew Barrymore (Drew was his mother’s maiden name.)
And now for the really fun part! Continuing Halloween fun and/or celebrating this horror genre, all the movie-goers are encouraged to don their costumes which are, of course, optional.
Step back in time as Strony brings this film to life with his original score and sound effects on the wonderful Peace Allen Organ and pipes – an experience rarely found today. Strony is an inductee into the American Theater Organ Society Hall of Fame and is the only living two-time winner of the ATOS Organist of the Year Award.
Have fun raising funds! We have seen the destruction caused by the hurricanes. Many families have nothing left, no power, no potable water and some are still missing family members. Join Lutheran Disaster Response in aiding these devastated victims. If you have to miss out on the event, you are welcome to send a check to:
Peace Lutheran Church, 828 W. Main Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945
Memo: Hurricane