Download SILENT FILM ACCOMPANIST DENNIS JAMES PERFORMING ON

SILENT FILM ACCOMPANIST DENNIS JAMES
PERFORMING ON THE SHEA’S WURLITZER ORGAN
TO “THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” SILENT FILM
APRIL 22, 2:30 P.M.
Of Dennis James' silent film scoring Dr. Ed Mullins wrote, "James' accompaniment
was one of the finest backgrounds I have ever heard to a silent film. His
performance was flawless. Its sensitivity to the action on the screen was an
emotional experience bringing lumps to the throat and tears glistening in the
eyes of an awestruck audience. It was superb."
For over forty years Dennis James has played a pivotal role in the international revival
of silent films with live music. He began professional film accompaniment at Indiana
University while he was a music student in the late 1960's. James now tours under the
auspices of the Silent Film Concerts production company performing to silent films with
solo organ, piano, and chamber ensemble accompaniments in addition to presentations
with major symphony orchestras throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New
Zealand and Europe. James is renowned for providing the most comprehensive
selection of authentic silent films with live music presentations available today.
A featured solo performer on the international film festival circuit, James appears
regularly at annual Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia
events as well as the Pordenone and Rome (Italy) Festivals Cinema Muto. He may be
seen frequently at the National Gallery of Art, Walker Contemporary Art Center,
Cleveland Museum of Art, Chicago Art Institute and the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art plus the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Palazzo Delle Espisozioni in Rome. James
has performed film programs under the auspices of the American Film Institute,
National Film Registry, Museum of Modern Art (NYC), Library of Congress, Pacific Film
Archive, George Eastman House, American Federation of the Arts, UC LA Film and
Television Archive plus the British Film Institute and Germany’s Goethe-Institut. His solo
silent film presentations have been seen throughout Australia, New Zealand, France,
Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Italy, England and Canada.
Beginning in 1987, James served as U.S. tour organist for the Film Museum of Munich,
West Germany performing his musical scores to such restored German epic silent film
classics as the 4 1/2-hour Fritz Lang DIE NIBELUNGEN, the 5-hour DR. MABUSE saga
plus the F. W. Murnau silents FAUST and NOSFERATU, A SYMPHONY OF TERROR. In
2001 he was commissioned by the San Francisco Film Society to prepare and perform
the musical score for the US premier of the restored METROPOLIS, and, in 2005, he
commissioned to prepare organ-solo traditional score for the US tour of the new
restoration of the hitherto lost 1922 silent film BEYOND THE ROCKS starring Gloria
Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. He often performs his own solo organ scores to the
Museum of Modern Art reconstructions of the D. W. Griffith films WAY DOWN EAST and
INTOLERANCE and his widely acclaimed performances to rarely screened Soviet silent
film features (including AELITA QUEEN OF MARS, BED AND SOFA, THE HOUSE ON
TRUBNAYA SQUARE, POTEMKIN and THE MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA) together with
his various Filmharmonia instrumental ensembles have been presented throughout the
United States plus in Paris, Rome and London.
Filmharmonia’s AELITA score was recorded by the British Film Institute for Criterion
video distribution and Turner Classic Movies has recorded of James' solo organ THE
MERRY WIDOW score that was commissioned for the cable broadcast edition of the
MGM classic silent film. James was selected by composer/conductor Carmine Coppola as
the organist for the Zoetrope Studios world tour of NAPOLEON (1927 epic silent film by
Abel Gance). He has performed the film with orchestras throughout the U.S. plus major
cities in Canada, Mexico and the Nether lands. James also performed together with the
Opera Orchestra of Milan, Italy for the RCA soundtrack and the film’s video and DVD
releases.
Critic Scott Cantrell says, "James has to be heard to be believed. His way with
the instrument is virtually magical. He transforms it into an orchestra, a
brass band, a dazzling array of movie sound effects. Without so much as a
note of music in front of him he can whip out a big orchestral movement and
make you think you're listening to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Next
thing you know you're back on the beach, with the tide rolling in and love
songs wafting down from on high."
Dennis James was appointed Hollywood's International Ambassador of the Silent Film in
1998, bringing silent film programming around the world. Recent appearances include
a sellout three performance series at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, his debut
with silent films for the dedication performance of the new Esplanade Concert Hall pipe
organ in Singapore plus country-wide silent film tours in England and New Zealand. In
August, 2008 he was the premier silent film performer for the new Chungmuro
International Film Festival in Seoul, Korea.
Following an extensive nationwide search, James was selected in 1999 to debut the El
Capitan Theatre's Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ and serve as the theatre's premiere
House Organist. James has gone on to appear before tens of thousands enthusiastic
patrons at the Hollywood landmark, including sellout attendance at all of his silent film
performances in the restored theatre. James also frequently plays solo organaccompaniment for silent films at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre where his anniversary
celebration series have become a Hollywood tradition. With regular silent film
performances at theatres up and down Hollywood Boulevard, James has now carved a
permanent niche in Hollywood's entertainment history.
James currently serves two additional professional appointments, House Organist for
the Historic Everett Theatre in Everett, plus Theatre Organist for the San Diego
Symphony demonstrating his dedication both to furthering public interest in pipe organs
accompanying silent films and to the continuation of the theatrical traditions of
professional organ performance. James also regularly performs at other theatres
throughout the West Coast including the Paramount Theatre (Seattle), Washington
Center for the Performing Arts (Olympia), Stanford Theatre (Palo Alto), California
Theatre (San Jose), State Theatre (Monterey), Arlington Theatre (Santa Barbara),
Castro Theatre (San Francisco), Paramount Theatre (Oakland), and the Berkeley
Community Theatre in California in addition to his nationwide tour sites.
“Without question Dennis James has taken the mantle of the No.1 silent
movie film music accompanist discarded with the passing of such people as
Parmentier, Erwin and Gaylord Carter.” Alan Ashton, Organist Magazine
Dennis James has served as house organist for the Lansdowne and Brookline Theatres
in Pennsylvania plus the Paramount and Rivoli Theatres in Indiana. From 1975 to 1990
James was the final appointed professional staff organist for the Ohio Theatre in
Columbus and from 1998 to 2008 served as the final appointed House Organist for the
Paramount Theatre in Seattle plus sole silent film organist for the Cantos Foundation’s
silent film series at the Uptown Theatre in Calgary. In a career filled with diverse
activities he has appeared together with such historic film personalities as Vincent Price,
Ray Bolger, Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Jimmy Durante, Olivia DeHavilland, Ginger Rogers,
Loretta Young, David Niven and Ethel Smith. He toured throughout the 1980s with
silent film stars Lillian Gish, Myrna Loy, Fay Wray and Charles 'Buddy' Rogers providing
musical accompaniment on national tour revivals of their motion pictures.
Lillian Gish announced, "Dennis James' playing brought tears to my eyes . . . his
score was just what we intended it to be when we made the film" at James'
debut performing the accompaniment to her MGM silent classic La Boheme at the
Chicago Civic Opera House inaugurating a six year tour as Miss Gish’s personal
accompanist.
James, who has many record album, cassette and compact disc releases to his credit,
has been the subject of or participated in many national broadcasts over NBC, ABC, CBS
television plus NPR and APR radio. He has been presented in a feature television
documentary for the Australian Broadcast Commission, a full length solo concert over
national Austrian television and on numerous radio broadcasts for the BBC in England,
the CBC in Canada and for French and Belgian national radio and television. James may
be heard on the feature Hollywood film scores THE FACULTY and MINUS MAN by
composer Marco Beltrami.
James' other musical activities include solo, chamber ensemble, and symphonic
performances worldwide featuring his celebrated collection of antique and modern glass
instruments along with various other unusual and/or forgotten musical devices. Under
the auspices of his Musica Curiosa organization, James performs with Benjamin
Franklin's armonica (the 1761 set of mechanized musical glasses), the theremin (the
1921 Russian electronic musical device) and the Cristal d' Baschet (the 1954 French
sonorous sculpture) among many others in his ever-expanding collection. He has many
record album, cassette and compact disc releases to his credit, has been the subject of
or participated in many national broadcasts over NBC, ABC, CBS television plus NPR and
APR radio. James has been presented in a feature television documentary for the
Australian Broadcast Commission, a full length solo concert over national Austrian
television and on numerous radio broadcasts for the BBC in England, the CBC in Canada
and for French and Belgian national radio and television. James’ recording career
includes a Sony-Classical current release, Cristal: Glass Music Through the Ages,
featuring James performing with the Emerson String Quartet, as well several popular
music recordings with vocalists Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and EmmyLou Harris on
the Epic label.
“Dennis James is one of the best silent film performers, if not the very best.
He posseses a rare combination of showmanship and scholarship that truly
set him apart. The recent and rapid revival of interest in silent film music
seems both extraordinary and exciting. New accompanists to this burgeoning
field, however, can only dream of attaining Dennis’ level.” Margaret Parsons,
Head, Dept of Film, National Gallery of Art
“He’s not only a fabulous organist, he brings a wealth of knowledge. He talks
with the audience and fills them in on nuances, telling stories about the
film. He really brings people into the silent movies in a unique way.”
Tom
Iovanne, executive director, Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Olympia, WA
Theatre Organ Journal reviewer writes, "In commenting on the art of silent film
accompaniment, it should be pointed out that a proper performance involves
much more than 'chase' music, pratfall sound effects, or 'hamming it up' by
introducing familiar song title interludes designed to attract titters from the
audience. Considerable hard work is involved in terms of research, scoring,
practice and timing in order to create a musical accompaniment which is
both appropriate and unobtrusive while enhancing both the action and the
mood of what is taking place on the screen . . . At the conclusion of this film
a sophisticated audience loudly proclaimed that Dennis James had done his
homework well, resulting in a truly excellent job of silent film
accompaniment."