A lost art restored to silent films
Musician brings back lost art of putting live music to silent films as part of Roxy Theatre series
Rick Friend’s mission is to bring back the art form of live music for silent movies.
The L.A.-based New Jersey native rented Buster Keaton’s The General back in high school and started improvising piano music for it. He’s since performed all over North America and with numerous symphony orchestras.
Friend has appeared in Saskatoon seven times for the Roxy Theatre’s Silence is Golden events with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.
He talks to Cam Fuller about the Roxy’s new Riversdale Silent Classics Series and the First World War film Wings. Q How did you get interested in silent movie music?
A I have always taken in movies, and since I was a kid I have wanted to contribute music to movies. It came in an unexpected way. I was a projectionist at a retro movie theatre, the Loyola Theater in Westchester, California. I heard they were going to experiment with showing a silent movie, and I offered to try and see what happened if I played piano for it. They agreed to give it a try. To be safe we started with a short: The Charleston. It was a success. For me, it was one of those moments when I feel I am in the right place doing the right thing. So I decided to continue playing and composing for silent movies. Q What was Wings like to work on? A Both emotionally exhausting
and exhilarating. A long movie with many battle scenes, and elaborate details (but showing very little blood). While composing I would watch it over and over, and still be wowed by the super photography, both aerial photography and on the ground. Actors who bring tears to my eyes every time — not only the principal actors, but the underrecognized veteran Julia Swayne Gordan, who plays the mother of one of the pilots. The director,
William Wellman, was a fighter pilot himself, and he uses the insight he gained from his experiences of the jargon and camaraderie among the air force pilots.
Q What do you like about coming here and performing at the Roxy?
A Nothing, really. Movie theatres are dark places that show movies. What I do like about the Roxy is the staff who run it. The manager Jordan Delorme is a really friendly, collegial, smart, easy to work with chap. And as far as projecting movies, he is conscientious and meticulous about putting on a quality presentation. Now, more theatre managers also run the projectors, but few of them are like Jordan.
The musicians I am playing with at the performance are all ace musicians. I know them. They are from the Symphony. I’ve played with them before and they are great to work with.