2003 Maryland Film Festival

The Black Pirate (with Dragonflies, The Baby Cries)

Screening Time: Sunday, May 4, 11:00 AM, Charles Theatre 1

Director: Albert Parker

Cast: Douglas Fairbanks, Billie Dove, Tempe Pigott, Donald Crisp

Country: U.S.
Year: 1926
Running Time: 73 minutes
Format: 35mm, silent

When a ship is attacked and looted by pirates, there is but one survivor, who washes ashore on the very island where the pirates are burying their treasure. To get revenge for his fallen shipmates, which includes his own father, he must join them, becoming the Black Pirate. He infiltrates the group, and kills their leader in a sword fight and then further impresses them by single-handedly taking the next ship.

The Black Pirate is classic swashbuckling adventure at its best. It has all the elements you’d expect including the revenge plot and that famous scene where Fairbanks slides down the sail of a ship on the edge of a knife. It was also one of the first films shot in color, using the two strip Technicolor technique.

Presented By: Alloy Orchestra and Michael Sragow

Preceded by: DRAGONFLIES, THE BABY CRIES

Director: Jane Gillooly

Cast: Jessie Rowe, Ruby Viens, Cami Jetta, Nizhoni Brown, Jillian Wheeler, Kerry Getchonis, Maureen Rowe

Country: U.S.
Year: 2000
Running Time: 10 minutes
Format: 35mm, silent

Deep in the forest, beyond the restraints of the adult world, a group of children meet to play. The line between fantasy and reality begins to blur. A nursery rhyme becomes an incantation, and surprising things begin to happen.

Presented By: Jane Gillooly

--Dan Krovich

Biography:

In their twelve years of performing live accompaniment to classic silent films, The Alloy Orchestra has established themselves as one of the premiere musical groups in the country. While their unique instrumentation, including electronic synthesizers and their famous “rack of junk,” is the first thing that attracts attention, it is their connection to the films themselves that makes their performances ultimately memorable. Their first original score was for Metropolis in 1991, and to date they have scored 15 feature length silent films and numerous short films. They have performed their scores at some of the most prestigious film festivals and cultural centers in the U.S. and abroad, including The Telluride Film Festival, The Louvre, and Lincoln Center.

Jane Gillooly is an award-winning independent producer / director and educator. Her most recent documentary project Theme: Murder won Best Documentary at the New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and a Gold Apple from the National Educational Film Festival. Gillooly is also the Director/Producer of Leona's Sister Gerri, awarded Best Documentary from the Nation Women's Political Caucus. She is also a faculty member at the School of The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Massachusetts College or Art.

Print Source: Doris Films