Introduction by Martin Winkler
Burnett Thompson performs his original score at the piano

Two adaptations of Edward George Bulwer-Lytton's best-selling 1834 novel—the 1935 RKO version by Ernest B. Schoedsack and a new restoration of a rare 1913 silent Italian costume drama by Eleuterio Rodolfi, recently restored in Bologna—will be discussed following the screenings. The silent Last Days with Burnett Thompson on piano is first, followed by the sound version. Schoedsack's RKO film, with stunning sets and scintillating effects, carries a disclaimer saying it has little in common with the novel except a volcanic eruption. The 1913 Italian historical drama by Eleuterio Rodolfi (screened first, before the 1935 film) attempts to revive the characters and plot elements of the book. (Total running time approximately 198 minutes with intermission)

Introduction by Martin Winkler
James Doering on piano
Premiere of original 1914 score

A 1913 Italian production (the only extant copy is this slightly shorter 1917 re-release) presents a classic East-West confrontation on an epic scale. Shot on location in Italy and Egypt and bolstered by ornate sets and a huge cast, the film caught the attention of influential American film promoter George Kleine, who bought distribution rights and hired George Colburn to compose a score for the American premiere. Colburn's theme music, researched and recently adapted for piano by James Doering, has not been performed in public since 1914. (Enrico Guazzoni for Cinès, 1913, 16 mm, 80 minutes)

Introduction by Martin Winkler

Inspired by the Roman comic playwright Plautus and based on Stephen Sondheim's 1960s musical, this period farce finds disreputable slave Zero Mostel conniving to obtain freedom by helping his young master woo a woman. Buster Keaton, in his last film, plays the character called Erronius. Interestingly, the film's sets were modeled on Pompeii. (Richard Lester, 1966, 35 mm, 100 minutes)