Elaina Archer, Film Historian-in-Residence at the Montgomery Arts House for Music and Architecture, and Director of Legacy and Archives for the Mary Pickford Foundation, has worked tirelessly to save rare vintage silent films from lifelessness in a vault hidden from view of the modern public. Here at MAHMA, and on national concert tours, great interest has been garnered in the restoration and musical scoring of these valiant pieces of American film history. Archer has brought these silent era films to the attention of our public through researching the film elements, film restoration and the commissioning of modern day musical scoring, breathing life into an era once forgotten...
Montgomery Arts House Composer-in-Residence, Maria Newman, has scored a major library of these rare and classic silent films.
Our Silent Movies are Not-So-Silent
As both a part of the regular Winter Season Kairos Musical Soirees, and the Annual Summer Season Malibu Coast Music Festival, classic feature length silent films and rare silent film shorts are screened regularly, always with world-class performances of original music live to the film.
Guests will recognize musical programs dedicated to these silent film screenings under the MAHMA in-house title of:
"A Night at the Not-So-Silent Movies." Be sure to further peruse all Kairos Musical Soiree chamber music scheduling, as well as the Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra concert scheduling, as many rare vintage silent short films are paired in concert with other genres of musical programming, sure to provide concertgoers with: Not Just Concerts, EXPERIENCES!
Library of Silent Films Scored by Maria Newman
In 1997, American Composer Maria Newman was approached by Timeline Films President, Hugh Munro Neely, then Director of the Mary Pickford Library, to score the 1919 Mary Pickford silent classic film, Daddy Long Legs. A highly noted film historian and documentarian, Mr. Neely was interested in the music of Maria Newman for its distinctive voice, ceaseless energy, thematic and melodic continuity, and rich imagery, feeling that it would lend itself well to the breathing of new life back into silent classics of our great American film history.
Firstly a composer of concert music, Newman was reticent to take on this initial task. Sensitive to Newman's bold aesthetics in her own field of music and music-making, Neely assured the composer that her musical voice would be utilized as a collaborative force in the restoration (and subsequent DVD release of the film), rather than as a subordinate, giving Newman the freedom to write to the film as though it were indeed a commission for the concert stage.
Seeing the project possibilities in a new light, Newman eagerly rose to this task, savoring the idea that the vintage silents could be viewed in a highly modern, operatic fashion. The composer was able to give herself artistic permission for the characters, storyline and thematic development, both musical and literary, to take on an equal partnership, with both the visual and musical forces working in tandem in a way that had not really been explored in the past.
Newman was further taken with the notion that, just as poetry could be construed very differently by various readers, then so could the emotions, motivations and feelings of the characters in silent film. The music would not need to be wallpaper, nor live inside a box. Rather it would liberated to make a statement, an interpretation, one living composer's vision of what was put to film nearly 100 years earlier.
Newman felt this opportunity to be great gift, and is to this day, honored to have the continued privilege to compose music for the art of silent film. The Malibu Coast Silent Film Orchestra regularly performs Newman's fearless and vivid silent film works for delighted audiences throughout the United States, most of whom have never experienced silent films in the past.
Library of Vintage Silent Films Scored by Maria Newman
Daddy Long Legs (1919) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 85 minutes) For Piano Quintet and Percussion -or- Full Chamber Orchestra Released by Milestone Film and Video
The Heart O' the Hills (1919) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 87 minutes) Directed by Marshall Neilan For String Quartet and Percussion (Optional Prepared Piano) -or- String Orchestra and Percussion Released by Milestone Film and Video
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 78 minutes) Directed by Marshall Neilan For Flute, Two Violins, Viola, Cello, Piano and Percussion Commissioned by the Mary Pickford Institute and Grand Performances, Los Angeles
The Love Light (1921) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 89 minutes) Directed by Frances Marion Produced by United Artists For Piano Quartet Released by Milestone Film and Video
Quality Street (1927) Marion Davies Conrad Nagel (Running Time: 110 minutes) Produced by Marion Davies For Flute, Harp, Piano Quintet and Percussion Commissioned by the Annenberg Foundation
Tom Sawyer (1917) Jack Pickford (Running Time: 45 minutes) For Flute, Violin and Percussion -or- String Quartet Commissioned by the Library of Moving Images
Cinderella (1914) Mary Pickford (Cinderella) Owen Moore (Prince Charming) (Running Time: 52 minutes) Directed by James Kirkwood Famous Players Film Co. For Chamber Orchestra -or- Piano Quintet and Percussion Commissioned by the Omaha Conservatory of Music Mr. Wu (1927) Lon Chaney (Running Time: 92 minutes) Produced by MGM For Piano Quartet and Percussion -or- Chamber Orchestra Commissioned by Turner Classic Movies
M'liss (1918) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 73 minutes) Directed by Marshall Neilan Produced by Mary Pickford Co./Artcraft Pictures Corp. For String Quartet and Percussion -or- Chamber Orchestra Commissioned by the Mary Pickford Foundation
The Gibson Goddess (1909) Marion Leonard (lead role) Mary Pickford (extra) (Running Time: 9 minutes) For Violin, Viola and Piano -or- Cello Quintet -or- String Orchestra -or- Chamber Orchestra Commissioned by the Omaha Conservatory of Music
What the Daisy Said (1910) Mary Pickford Owen Moore (Running Time: 12 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For String Quartet -or- Solo Piano -or- String Orchestra -or- Chamber Orchestra Released by Milestone Film and Video Commissioned by the Icicle Creek Music Center
Ramona (1910) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 17 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For Violin, Piano and Percussion -or- Viola, Piano and Percussion -or- Cello, Piano and Percussion Released by Milestone Film and Video Commissioned by Turner Classic Movies and Timleline Films
Willful Peggy (1910) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 12 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For Piano Quartet -or- String Orchestra and Piano Commissioned by the Young Musicians Foundation As it is in Life (1910) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 12 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For Soprano, Flute, Viola, and Piano -or- Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano Commissioned by the Family of Mary Lofdahl
Tender Hearts (1909) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 3 and 1/2 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For Violin, Viola, Piano and Percussion -or- Viola, Piano and Percussion -or- Cello, Piano and Percussion Commissioned by the Malibu Friends of Music
Sweet and Twenty (1909) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 12 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For Piano Quartet and Percussion Commissioned by the Malibu Friends of Music
Friends (1912) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 12 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For Piano Quartet and Percussion Commissioned by the Malibu Friends of Music
They Would Elope (1909) Mary Pickford Billy Quirk (Running Time: 12 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For Piano Quartet and Percussion Commissioned by the Malibu Friends of Music
The One She Loved (1912) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 12 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For Piano Quartet and Percussion Commissioned by the Malibu Friends of Music
The Dream (1911) Mary Pickford Owen Moore (Running Time: 12 minutes) Independent Moving Picture Company (IMP) For Wind Ensemble and Percussion -or- Chamber Orchestra, Piano and Percussion -or- Woodwind Quintet and Percussion Commissioned by the Sierra Symphony Orchestra
Feud in the Kentucky Hills (1912) Mary Pickford (Running Time: 12 minutes) Directed by D.W. Griffith American Biograph Company For Piano Quartet and Percussion Commissioned by the Malibu Friends of Music
Hearst Castle Home Movies Marion Davies (Running Time: 10 minutes) For Piano Quartet and Percussion Commissioned by the Malibu Friends of Music
...and Starring
Many of the vintage silent films shown under the auspices of the Malibu Coast Silent Film Series feature:
"America's Sweetheart:" Mary Pickford
"The Man of a Thousand Faces" Lon Chaney
"The Gibson Girl" Marion Leonard
The inimitable Jack Pickford
...and the brilliant and beautiful: Marion Davies
The Malibu Coast Silent Film Orchestra
Always bringing you world-class performances of original music live to the film, musicians from near and far gather at MAHMA to comprise the Malibu Coast Silent Film Orchestra.
Special Thanks
The Malibu Friends of Music is grateful to:
The Annenberg Foundation
The Mary Pickford Foundation
Mr. Robert Board
Turner Classic Movies
Hugh Munro Neely Timeline Films
Dennis Doros Milestone Film and Video
Christopher M. Allport Allport Productions
Film Historian-in-Residence & Documentarian: Elaina Archer
for their generous facilitation of this fabulous association!
Thank You!
Silent Film Music Leadership Supporters
Scores have been commissioned by: The Annenberg Foundation, The Mary Pickford Foundation, Viklarbo Chamber Ensemble, The Malibu Friends of Music, Timeline Films, Luther College Dorian Festival, Omaha Conservatory of Music, Icicle Creek Music Center, Central Washington University, The Family of Mary Lofdahl, Milestone Films, A&F Productions, The Sierra Festival Symphony Grand Performances Los Angeles, and Turner Classic Movies.