A screening of the science fiction masterpiece Metropolis (1927) was held at the historical Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge on April 8. The Pickwick Theatre was first opened in 1928, one year after the premiere of Metropolis itself, a most appropriate place to host the movie. Upon arrival at the theater, the moviegoer is struck with the beauty of the Pickwick’s art deco structure and interior, feeling as if immersed in an opera house setting.
Silent films in a way are a misnomer–they were never presented during the early movie era without music or a soundtrack; hence, they were never “silent.” There was always live music in conjunction with the screening of the movie. In fact, audiences watching silent films back in the day were not silent either. Silent movie audiences of the 1910s and 1920s were vocal while watching. Movie viewing was an interactive experience during the silent film era.
Known as one of the most famous German movies of all time, Metropolis was recognized for its propagandistic effects. The director, Fritz Lang, fled Germany in the 1930s before he could be utilized for agendas against his best interests. The intertitles for the showing of Metropolis in Park Ridge were in the original German with English subtitle translations.
The Silent Film Society of Chicago organized the event and their ever-present organist Jay Warren provided the live organ accompaniment. Jay Warren has been traveling around the Chicago area for more than thirty years providing live organ music to many silent films shown by the Society. While the original orchestral score for Metropolis has been found and recorded, Warren created his own music score, playing a 93 year old organ in the Pickwick. The organ didn’t have added speakers to boost its sound for the night, its reverberating sound carrying naturally throughout the theater. Warren had used parts of already written music compiled from famous composers Franz Waxman and J.S. Zamecnik, in addition to other composers, for his blend of organ score for Metropolis. He says he likes what he arranged better than the original score. Jay also wrote original parts of music for Metropolis, of which he said a person could not tell which parts were his. Warren had a drop-down organ for a screening for The Phantom of the Opera silent film when he was playing for that film but did not have it for this time at the Pickwick Theatre.
When asked what informs his music choices for each particular scene, he said that the scene must be fully understood to establish certain themes, saying a lot of thought has to go into each choice. He said that he does get tired when playing for two hours or more. He was always interested in film as a kid, being a fan of the Keystone Cops comedy films. He discovered Battleship Potemkin on Channel 11 WTTW and loved it. Some of his favorite silent films to play live accompaniment to are Wings, Speedy, and a more obscure film called Bare Knees starring Betsy Love.
The audience was full, which was surprising for a Monday night. The film has gathered generations of fans and still conjures incredible awe when seen. Metropolis has lent influence to many other films, including Blade Runner, Brazil, Akira, and The Fifth Element. Fritz Lang’s vision has inspired so many filmmakers of the fantastic and continues to do so almost one hundred years later. Seeing it on the movie screen was a visual and sensory treat.
The Silent Film Society of Chicago has regular screenings throughout the area and can be found at silentfilmchicago.com. Silent films have gained in popularity in the 21st century, providing a visual feast for the jaded moviegoer. What the films lacked in audio dialogue was more than compensated with visual vistas for the eyes. Silent films, though never silent, allow an added escapism by giving a whole new experience to the moviegoer who thinks he has seen it all. If a picture has a thousand words, then silent films by dint of that logic have millions of words. Each viewing of a silent film with live music is a deluxe experience.
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