Thrills and chills mixed with comedy has been a cinematic staple since movies began – even before with optical toys and magic lantern shows. In the mid-1920’s Hollywood embraced the horror comedy with films about mysterious doings in haunted houses. Features such as The Bat (1926), and The Cat and the Canary (1927) followed, and for this program, we present the recently rediscovered and restored The Gorilla (1927). One of the most popular of the genre, the bravura camerawork and feeling of creeping dread from German Expressionism meet the slapstick antics of Charlie Murray. Closing the show is the spooky two-reel comedy A Fraternity Mix-Up (1926).

The Silent Clowns Film Series is New York’s longest-running regularly scheduled silent film showcase. Our programming reaches the serious film buff by including rarely-screened titles and rare prints, yet it also introduces kids and new audiences to the classics of the silent screen. Screenings feature live piano accompaniment by MoMA’s Ben Model, with an introduction and Q&A by film historians Model and Steve Massa.

111 Amsterdam Ave, between West 64th and 65th Street Map
212-642-0142