On Oct. 1 at 4pm at Peace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, there will be a showing of the 1928 comedy, Speedy, starring the famous Harold Lloyd in his last silent film.
Walt Strony, Peace’s organist and artistic advisor for Arts@Peace, will be performing his own live original score for the film. This Grass Valley resident is one of only a handful of people specializing in the art of accompanying silent movies, continuing to perform at movie events and festivals across the country. Having studied and observed some of the original silent movie accompanists, he works to duplicate what was done originally.
This special event will be a fundraiser for the victims in Maui! Attendance will be by donation of any amount to go to Lutheran Disaster Response for our devastated Maui. When Suzanne Lloyd, CEO of Harold Lloyd Entertainment, Inc (and granddaughter of actor Harold Lloyd and heir to his estate and movie rights) found out that we were showing her movie as a benefit for Maui, she offered to waive the usual royalties to show the film. She loved our “cause” and has a close connection to Maui – she was married there and still holds family celebrations there! She plans a surprise for attendees.
Speedy tells the story of the chronically unemployed Yankees fan Harold “Speedy” Swift (Harold Lloyd.) He dates Jane Dillon (Ann Christy), a girl whose beloved grandfather, Pop (Bert Woodruff), runs a failing horse-drawn trolley business in a rapidly changing city where the railway is becoming king. When a crooked railroad official steals Pop’s last car, hoping to force him into a shutdown, Speedy must race against the clock to find the culprits, return the car in time, and keep the service running on schedule. Baseball star Babe Ruth makes a cameo appearance, as well as Lou Gehrig.
Walt 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. Beginning his public career at 18, Strony has performed worldwide in venues ranging from theaters and concert halls to churches and cathedrals. Arts@Peace is presenting this event as a way for our community to give to Maui.
Peace Lutheran Church is located at the top of the hill from Historic Downtown Grass Valley at 828 W. Main Street. Doors will open at 3:30pm. www.PeaceLutheranGV.org; 530/273-9631