Los Ángeles Silent Film Festival

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Los Ángeles Silent Film Festival The mission of the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival is to promote education and enthusiasm about the art of Silent Film.

Retroformat screens historic silent films with live, improvised keyboard accompaniment. Each performance is highlighted by the live creation of a traditional but completely unique, improvised keyboard score by Los Angeles' premier live film accompanist, Cliff Retallick.

Tomorrow night, the UCLA Film & Television Archive presents the North American premieres of two newly restored films sta...
10/14/2026

Tomorrow night, the UCLA Film & Television Archive presents the North American premieres of two newly restored films starring Dorothy Mackaill, including the rarely seen silent feature The Man Who Came Back (1924), with George O'Brien, featuring live accompaniment by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick.

The Los Angeles Silent Film Festival is proud to serve as a Community Partner for this special presentation. Admission is completely free, on a first come, first served basis. There are no advanced reservations.

One of the few surviving Fox silent features, The Man Who Came Back has been restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive using American and foreign 35mm nitrate prints more than a century after its original release. The evening begins with Man Trouble (1930), a pre-Code gangster talkie starring Mackaill and Milton Sills, followed by The Man Who Came Back.

Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Program begins at 7:30 p.m. FREE ADMISSION. Man Trouble (1930) screens first, followed by The Man Who Came Back (1924). Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. No advance reservations. Seating is first come, first served. The box office opens at 6:30 p.m., so we recommend arriving early.

Complete screening information:

https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/man-trouble-the-man-who-came-back-2026-10-14/

Stay in touch with the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival! Join our email list for festival news, screenings and special events. Visit losangelessilentfilmfestival.org and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

From the Ziegfeld Follies to Hawaii Five-O! This Wednesday, October 14, the UCLA Film & Television Archive celebrates Do...
10/12/2026

From the Ziegfeld Follies to Hawaii Five-O! This Wednesday, October 14, the UCLA Film & Television Archive celebrates Dorothy Mackaill with two newly restored films.

Born in England in 1903, Mackaill began dancing on the London stage as a teenager before moving to Paris and eventually New York, where she joined the Ziegfeld Follies. By the early 1920s, she was appearing in motion pictures.

Her starring role opposite George O’Brien in The Man Who Came Back (1924) helped establish her as a leading lady, and she remained a familiar screen presence throughout the Jazz Age.

Mackaill successfully transitioned to sound, appearing in The Office Wife (1930), Safe in Hell (1931) and No Man of Her Own (1932), alongside Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. These performances revealed an actress particularly well suited to Hollywood's daring pre-Code years.

After leaving films in 1937, Mackaill eventually settled in Honolulu. She briefly returned to acting in the 1970s, appearing on Hawaii Five-O, and died in Honolulu in 1990 at age 87.

This Wednesday, UCLA presents the North American premieres of its restorations of Man Trouble (1930), a pre-Code gangster melodrama with Milton Sills, and the rarely seen silent feature The Man Who Came Back (1924), with George O’Brien. The Los Angeles Silent Film Festival is proud to be a Community Partner.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14 | FREE ADMISSION!

Program begins at 7:30 p.m. with Man Trouble, followed by The Man Who Came Back, accompanied live by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick.

Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. No advance reservations.

Complete screening information:
https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/man-trouble-the-man-who-came-back-2026-10-14/

Stay in touch with the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival! Join our email list for festival news, screenings and special events. Visit losangelessilentfilmfestival.org and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

George O’Brien is best remembered for John Ford’s The Iron Horse (1924) and F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise (1927), but his life a...
10/11/2026

George O’Brien is best remembered for John Ford’s The Iron Horse (1924) and F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise (1927), but his life away from the camera was every bit as remarkable. This Wednesday, October 14, the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival is proud to serve as a Community Partner for the North American premiere of the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s new restoration of The Man Who Came Back, starring George O'Brien and Dorothy Mackaill, with live accompaniment by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick.

Born in San Francisco in 1899, O’Brien enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1917. During World War I, he served aboard a submarine chaser, volunteered as a stretcher-bearer for wounded Marines and was decorated for bravery. He also became the light-heavyweight boxing champion of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet.

After the war, O’Brien worked behind the camera and as a stuntman before becoming one of silent cinema’s most popular leading men.

During World War II, he returned to active naval service, serving as a beachmaster coordinating military landing operations. He was present during the American recapture of Attu in the Aleutian Islands in 1943, and received several decorations, attaining the rank of commander.

After the war, O’Brien continued serving in the Naval Reserve, retiring in 1962 with the rank of captain. He also returned to acting, appearing in several more John Ford films, including Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Cheyenne Autumn (1964).

Thanks to our Facebook follower Craig, whose comment on a recent post inspired us to share this fascinating chapter of O’Brien’s life!

FREE ADMISSION! Wednesday, Oct. 14, The UCLA Film & Television Archive’s Dorothy Mackaill double feature begins at 7:30 p.m. with the pre-Code gangster talkie Man Trouble (1930), costarring Milton Sills; followed by The Man Who Came Back (1924), costarring George O'Brien, with live accompaniment by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick. Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum. No advance reservations.

Complete screening information:
https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/man-trouble-the-man-who-came-back-2026-10-14/

Stay in touch with the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival! Join our email list for festival news, screenings and special events. Visit losangelessilentfilmfestival.org and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

Today, Dorothy Mackaill is particularly admired for the frank Precode films she made at the dawn of the sound era. But i...
10/10/2026

Today, Dorothy Mackaill is particularly admired for the frank Precode films she made at the dawn of the sound era. But in 1924, she was a rising young silent-film actress, and The Man Who Came Back helped demonstrate just how formidable a dramatic performer she could be.

Mackaill had just been selected as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars of 1924, the annual group of young actresses expected to become major screen personalities. Contemporary coverage praised the emotional range she displayed in the film.

Now Los Angeles audiences can rediscover that performance in the North American premiere of the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s new restoration of The Man Who Came Back.

The Los Angeles Silent Film Festival is proud to participate as a Community Partner in this screening.

With live accompaniment by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick.

Wednesday, October 14. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. The Man Who Came Back screens second, following the precode gangster talkie, Man Trouble (1930), starring Dorothy McKaill and Milton Sills . Billy Wilder Theater. FREE ADMISSION! No advance reservations. First come, first served.

Complete screening information: https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/man-trouble-the-man-who-came-back-2026-10-14/

Stay in touch with the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival! Join our email list for festival news, screenings and special events. Visit losangelessilentfilmfestival.org and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

1924 was a pivotal year for George O’Brien. The Man Who Came Back put him opposite rising actress Dorothy Mackaill in a ...
10/10/2026

1924 was a pivotal year for George O’Brien. The Man Who Came Back put him opposite rising actress Dorothy Mackaill in a major Fox production, and that same year he starred in John Ford’s epic The Iron Horse. Just three years later, he would give his best-remembered performance in F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise.

But The Man Who Came Back itself has been exceedingly difficult to see. Next Wednesday, October 14, as part of a Dorothy McKaill double feature, the UCLA Film & Television Archive presents the North American premiere of its new restoration of The Man Who Came Back. The Los Angeles Silent Film Festival is proud to serve as a Community Partner for the screening.

With live accompaniment by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick.

Wednesday, October 14. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. The Man Who Came Back screens second, following the precode gangster talkie, Man Trouble (1930), starring Dorothy McKaill and Milton Sills . Billy Wilder Theater. FREE ADMISSION! No advance reservations. First come, first served.

Complete screening information: https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/man-trouble-the-man-who-came-back-2026-10-14/

Stay in touch with the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival! Join our email list for festival news, screenings and special events. Visit losangelessilentfilmfestival.org and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

The Man Who Came Back: the title could hardly be more appropriate. Starring George O’Brien and Dorothy Mackaill, it was ...
10/08/2026

The Man Who Came Back: the title could hardly be more appropriate. Starring George O’Brien and Dorothy Mackaill, it was released by the Fox Film Corporation in 1924.

More than a century later, the UCLA Film & Television Archive identifies it as one of the relatively few Fox silent features to survive. The film follows two damaged people whose paths cross as each struggles toward redemption.

On Wednesday, October 14, Los Angeles audiences will have the rare opportunity to see the North American premiere of UCLA’s new restoration, created using surviving 35mm nitrate material from both the United States and abroad. The Los Angeles Silent Film Festival is proud to be a Community Partner for this special UCLA Film & Television Archive presentation.

With live accompaniment by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick.

Wednesday, October 14. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. The Man Who Came Back screens second, following Man Trouble (1930). Billy Wilder Theater. FREE ADMISSION. No advance reservations. First come, first served.

Complete screening information: https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/man-trouble-the-man-who-came-back-2026-10-14/

Stay in touch with the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival! Join our email list for festival news, screenings and special events. Visit losangelessilentfilmfestival.org and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

Next Wednesday, October 14, the UCLA Film & Television Archive presents the North American premiere of its new restorati...
10/08/2026

Next Wednesday, October 14, the UCLA Film & Television Archive presents the North American premiere of its new restoration of The Man Who Came Back (1924), a rarely seen Fox Film Corporation production starring George O’Brien and Dorothy Mackaill. The Los Angeles Silent Film Festival is proud to serve as a Community Partner for this screening.

The UCLA Film & Television Archive describes The Man Who Came Back as one of the few Fox silent films to survive. Its new restoration draws upon both domestic and foreign 35mm nitrate prints, bringing this remarkable survivor back to audiences more than a century after its original release.

With live accompaniment by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick.

Wednesday, October 14. Program begins at 7:30 p.m. The Man Who Came Back is the second film on the program. Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum. FREE ADMISSION. No advance reservations. Seating is first come, first served, and the box office opens at 6:30 p.m.

For complete program information, visit https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/man-trouble-the-man-who-came-back-2026-10-14/

Stay in touch with the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival! Join our email list for festival news, screenings and special events. Visit losangelessilentfilmfestival.org and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

One of the most encouraging things about the growing interest in silent cinema is seeing a new generation of film lovers...
10/06/2026

One of the most encouraging things about the growing interest in silent cinema is seeing a new generation of film lovers discover it. The combination of his contemporary film-industry career and deep enthusiasm for cinema history makes Los Angeles Silent Film Festival Board member Austin Gold a particularly welcome presence at our festival.

Austin is a writer and associate producer for Turner Classic Movies, where his work reflects a passion for classic film that began long before he joined TCM. While studying at Ithaca College, he was already writing film criticism and interviewing filmmakers. Since graduating in 2017, he has worked across film and television, with credits including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.

Here he is introducing Ernst Lubitsch’s So This Is Paris (1926) at the 2026 Los Angeles Silent Film Festival. One hundred years after Lubitsch made this sophisticated, playful comedy, Austin helped introduce it to a new audience. The film was projected in 35mm from a print preserved by the Library of Congress and accompanied live by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick. We’re delighted to have Austin on our Board and look forward to seeing him introduce many more films at the festival.

Stay in touch with the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival! Join our email list for festival news, screenings and special events. Visit losangelessilentfilmfestival.org and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

Photo by Iain Kennedy/Los Angeles Silent Film Festival

Austin Gold Turner Classic Movies: TCM

Pictured here is Suzanne Lloyd, Harold Lloyd’s granddaughter, onstage just before introducing our 100th anniversary scre...
10/06/2026

Pictured here is Suzanne Lloyd, Harold Lloyd’s granddaughter, onstage just before introducing our 100th anniversary screening of For Heaven’s Sake (1926). Suzanne has devoted decades to preserving and sharing her grandfather’s remarkable legacy, and having her with us for this centennial presentation made the occasion especially meaningful.

Some films arrive with enormous reputations. Others remind you, unexpectedly, just how much there is still to discover in silent cinema. For Heaven’s Sake may not be as frequently discussed today as some of Lloyd’s other great comedies, but seeing it with an audience made a persuasive case for placing it among his finest. Fast, inventive and consistently funny, it builds to an exhilarating final stretch that reminded us once again how extraordinarily well Harold Lloyd’s comedy plays a century later.

The screening was accompanied live by LASFF Musical Director Cliff Retallick, making this one of our favorite memories of this year’s festival.

We’re grateful to Suzanne for joining us, and delighted that the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival could celebrate the 100th anniversary of this wonderful film with such an enthusiastic audience.

Stay in touch with the Los Angeles Silent Film Festival! Join our email list for festival news, screenings and special events. Visit losangelessilentfilmfestival.org and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

Photo by Kelby Thwaits/Los Angeles Silent Film Festival

Harold Lloyd

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