Where and how to stream Louise Brooks and silent & classic film from home

Interested in Louise Brooks? Like silent and classic films? Wondering what to watch during these trying times? Here are a few suggestions.... more to come in the following days.

First off, let me recommend Ben Model's “The Silent Comedy Watch Party”.  The premiere episode  will stream live on Sunday March 22 at 3pm EDT (New York, east coast USA). Hosted by silent film accompanist Ben Model and film historian Steve Massa, the one-hour program will present three rare slapstick comedy shorts. The films will be streamed live — Ben Model will accompany them live on piano, and Steve Massa will introduce the films. The show will live-stream on YouTube (scroll down for link and embed). More info HERE.

Time zone info “The Silent Comedy Watch Party”

    Pacific Time – 12 noon
    Mountain Time – 1pm
    Central Time – 2pm
    Eastern Time – 3pm
    Argentina Time – 4pm
    UK/England – 7pm
    Europe/Scandinavia et al – 8pm (20:00)
    Eastern Australia – 3am Monday; Western Australia – 6am Monday
    Japan (Tokyo) – 4am Monday

Yesterday, Forbes magazine ran an article by Sheena Scott titled "Where To Stream Films And Shows For Free". I recommend you check it out. The author surveyed the online offerings from various archives and institutions, including the British Film Institute (BFI) and Cineteca Milano. Regarding the latter, she wrote. 

The Milan Cinematheque was one of the first film archives to have its rich catalogue be available to stream online for free due to the spread of the Coronavirus. Italy is the country most hit by the virus and is now on lockdown. To access the film catalogue, you must first register at this address (click here). Instructions are pretty easy to follow, even if you don’t speak or read Italian.

According to Le Figaro, the number of people who registered increased from 300 to 19,000, four days ago. That number must have by now further increased. The Morando Morandini Collection, named after the Italian film critic, offers over 500 films dated from the beginning of cinema. There is thus an important proportion of silent films, majority of which of course are Italian, with a few added gems from France (see notably an early sound film by Augusto Genina’s Prix de beauté, named Miss Europa in the catalogue, starring the “It” girl of the 1920s Louise Brooks), the U.S. (see for example Paul Leni’s silent classic The Man who Laughs (L’uomo Che Ride) starring Conrad Veidt), and Germany (see, for example, F.W. Murnau’s classic silent Faust).

WOW! As is known, the silent and sound versions of Prix de beauté was released in four different languages. This generous offering - a rare opportunity - from the Cineteca Milano means that fans of Louise Brooks can now watch the silent Italian version of Prix de beauté (1930), one of the actress' great films. Even if you have seen this film before, you will want to watch this version.

Louise Brooks, stuck at home, in the 1930 film, Prix de beauté

Subscribe and stay tuned to this blog for more recommended viewing and reading in the coming days.