_The Circus_ (and some other films) in San Francisco

I just returned home from my first experience of the San Francisco
Silent Film Festival, July 10-11, where _The Circus_ (in 35mm)was the
final offering on the program.

The films were screened in a restored art deco theater, the Castro,
which is equipped with a Mighty Wurlitzer and seats 1,500. There were
eight screenings
in all, of which I managed to attend four--_The Dragon Painter_ (a
restored Sessue Hayakawa silent, complete with live benshi); _The Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse_;_When the Clouds Roll By_ and _The Mystery
of the Leaping Fish_; and _The Circus_. All were screened in good 35mm
prints. The theater was sold out for all screenings.

The audience was actively engaged during all the screenings I
attended, the comedies naturally provoking the most audible response.
_Horsemen_ attracted the longest early line, probably because of the
rarity of Valentino screenings, and the audience was enthusiastic. In
the case of the Fairbanks films, they seemed more impressed with his
stunts and athletic performances than with the gags, but they
obviously enjoyed themselves. _The Circus_ got by far the most
uproarious response, which was almost continuous after Chaplin's first
appearance. I'd never found the mirror maze sequences all that funny,
though they're fascinating enough, but this crowd found them
hilarious. They laughted at everything I've always found funny, and
quite a bit besides, such as the hangdog look on the clowns' faces
when the ringmaster criticizes their performance. I did notice some
details for myself which I'd never seen before--one sees a great deal
more on a big screen in 35mm--but I learned quite a bit from listening
to the audience.

When I saw _The Gold Rush_ in 35mm, I was fascinated by the subtle
nuances of Chaplin's facial espressions, which I'd never seen before.
In the case of _The Circus_ this difference was not so striking. I did
find the handling of the love triangle somewhat more finely shaded and
plausible than it seems on video, but the greatest strength of the
film is its amazingly intricate and ingenious gag sequences. In that
respect alone it is a kind of masterpiece.

_The Circus_ was accompanied by an informative presentation by Jeffrey
Vance,
and followed by an interview with Sydney Chaplin.

Apart from _The Circus_, I found _The Dragon Painter_ surprisingly
good, especially the acting and photography, and _Horsemen_ is the
best showcase for Valentino I'd seen yet. I finally got a chance to
enjoy Jon Mirsalis's work as pianist, and I was astounded by the
Mighty Wurlitzer, which has to be seen, heard, and felt in live
performance to be properly respected.

Connie K.