This Sunday - Marion, Ohio - Dennis James - THE IRON HORSE
Mus...@gmail.com
to the Palace once again to work his magic on the Mighty Wurliitzer
organ. James will perform at the Mighty Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ
playing the original score composed for the silent film "The Iron
Horse" as the 35mm color tinted restored print unspools upon the
theatre's silver screen. This is an entertaining, nostalgic look back
at an era gone by.
THE FILM: After the success of Paramount's The Covered Wagon, Fox
studio was eager to meet the challenge with their own epic-scale
Western. They turned to director John Ford. Entrusted with the largest
budget of his then-young career, Ford responded by creating an epic-
scale Western that manages to outdo The Covered Wagon in terms of
grandeur. Ford shot most of the film in Arizona, where a good-sized
town was built in order to support the movie's huge cast and crew
(over 6,000 people altogether). A train of 56 coaches was required to
transport the production to the site. The resulting movie is one of
the great silent epics. The main story of The Iron Horse (1924)
involves the building of a transcontinental railroad and culminates in
a reenactment of the famous union of the Union Pacific and Central
Pacific railways at Promontory Point, Utah in 1869. However, The Iron
Horse also involves a cattle drive, an Indian attack, a saloon brawl,
and the Pony Express. In addition, Wild Bill Hickcok, Buffalo Bill,
and Abe Lincoln make appearances. The basic situation is filled with
suspense as the railroad workers hammer spikes into rails and lay down
the iron rails, struggling to be the first to complete their stretch
of railroad tracks.
THE ORGANIST: Dennis James has 40 years' experience as a world-
renowned touring theatre organist. He plays a pivotal role in the
international revival of silent films featuring live music performing
solo piano, organ and together with symphony orchestras. He toured
extensively with silent film stars such as Lillian Gish, Charles
'Buddy' Rogers, Myrna Loy and Fay Wray throughout the 1980s providing
musical accompaniment to revivals of their motion pictures. James'
Silent Film Concerts programs feature authentic historical-revival
silent film screenings accompanied by the actual period-music as heard
in the large metropolitan motion picture palaces of the 1920's. His
restoration of THE IRON HORSE score for full orchestra was
commissioned by the San Diego Symphony in 1994 and was premiered as
part of the popular Nickelodeon Series on April 22nd that year.
James has now transcribed the orchestra score and arranged it so as to
be able to be performed as a solo organ event. His extensive studies
and personal associations with legendary veteran film organists Lee
Erwin of New York City, Dr. C. A. J. Parmentier of New York City,
Leonard MacLain of Philadelphia. Lowell Ayars of Bridgeton, NJ, Esther
Higgins of Collingswood, NJ, Gaylord Carter of Los Angeles, CA, and
Lloyd del Castillo of Los Angeles, CA led him to develop his now
frequently imitated authentic film accompaniment recreations
incorporating actual period performance practices and utilizing the
surviving musical source materials from the silent film era with
unwavering commitment to stylistic integrity in performance.
THE THEATRE: Built in 1928 and renovated in 1976, the Palace is an
atmospheric theater that surrounds the audience with a Moorish
architectural courtyard and the feeling of being entertained under
twinkling stars and circulating clouds at dusk. The effect is produced
by the original now-reconditioned cloud machine in a hidden location.
The Palace was designed by the great theater architect John Eberson,
nicknamed "Opera House John," for his magnificent theaters. Actual
stuffed birds are suspended in the theater for realism, while his
signature parrot is perched in an alcove. The original Page Organ was
sold in the early 1970's to help pay the bills. For the reopening in
1976, a replacement 3 manual restored Wurlitzer theater organ was
installed. The console sits in the orchestra pit upon a rising
hydraulic platform. The organ's pipes are hidden behind great screens
on either side of the stage with openings built to look like courtyard
windows. The courtyard walls are adorned by classic sculptures that
were mass produced by the architect's company to allow the completion
of the theater to be done in record time. One sculpture has George
Washington dressed in Masonic garb looking down from the East balcony.
There is an unobstructed view of the stage from the balcony, for the
theater was built featuring "every seat with a perfect view." Seating
capacity is 1,420.
Sunday - April 15, 2007 @ 2:00 p.m.
Ticket Prices: $10 Adults; $8 Seniors; $5 Students
Palace Theatre
276 West Center St.
Marion, OH
Phone: (740)383-2101
Fax: (740)387-3425