Silent Cinema is excited to come back to Art Deco Cinema & Theatre in Ballymote, Co. Sligo, this time with The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, an early haunting masterpiece by Alfred Hitchcock and one of the first surviving films from his career.

This 1927 British silent thriller tells the story of a mysterious young man, portrayed by matinee idol Ivor Novello, who moves into a London boarding house during a time when the city is in fear of a serial killer reminiscent of Jack the Ripper.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the film features performances by Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, June Tripp, and Malcolm Keen. Adapted from the 1913 novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes and the play Who Is He?, it stands as a significant work in the history of early suspense cinema.

This special screening will include live piano accompaniment by Mila Maia, enhancing Hitchcock’s atmospheric vision and bringing it to life in a vivid way.

*****

IMDb: 7.3/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 96%

Experience the 1926 horror-mystery classic — the direct inspiration behind Batman — like never before, accompanied by a haunting live piano score by Mia Fitzgerald.

Based upon the Broadway play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, this silent gem was directed by Roland West in 1926, later being remade as the Bat Whispers in 1930 (by Roland West) and again in 1958 starring Vincent Price.

Never mind its wider significance – The Bat hangs from its own two feet, and delivers lively entertainment throughout. A masked criminal who dresses like a giant bat terrorises the guests at an old house rented by a mystery writer. From today’s perspective, the mere idea of ​​renting a house is terrifying.

This film—long considered lost but rediscovered in the 1980s—accompanied by live music, is the perfect way to kick off our favorite Halloween.

Live piano accompaniment

by Mia Fitzgerald

*****

IMDb: 6.5/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 70%

Step into the distorted world of the 1920 silent classic—brought to life with an evocative live piano accompaniment by our resident pianist.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Weine, is a landmark of German Expressionist cinema and one of the most influential silent horror films of all time.

The mysterious Dr. Caligari (played by Werner Krauss) arrives in a rural German village with his companion Cesare (Conrad Veidt), a man in an eternal state of sleep who can be ordered to perform his master’s commands. A series of gruesome murders lead some to believe that the doctor and his strange “assistant” may well be to blame.

Live piano accompaniment

by Mia Fitzgerald

*****

IMDb: 8/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 96%