See captivating examples of Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock’s early works as the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) presents Hitchcock’s Silents on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, 2014.
Produced early in his career, the British director’s silent films featured early explorations of themes that would preoccupy him, including deception and romantic obsession. Each film features a live piano performance by Steve Sterner, a popular New York-based silent-film accompanist.
Moviegoers can meet Steve and toast with a glass of bubbly between Saturday evening’s screenings.
Screenings of Hitchcock Silents at MFAH
- The Ring | Friday – A love triangle melodrama set in 1927’s world of boxing, Alfred Hitchcock’s only original screenplay follows boxer Bob Corby who hires a sparring partner and soon becomes smitten with the man’s beautiful wife. The conflict between the two men gives rise to an inventive series of expressionist flourishes evoking the characters’ states of mind. 108 minutes. 7pm.
- The Manxman | Saturday – Two boyhood friends who take markedly different paths in adulthood: one becomes a fisherman, the other a lawyer, but both fall in love with the same woman, a femme fatale-type played by Czech actress Anny Ondra, in this 1929 film. 100 minutes. 1pm.
- Blackmail | Saturday – Anny Ondra stars as Alice White, a young woman whose brief flirtation with an artist turns suddenly and terribly sour. Hitchcock’s masterly 1929 thriller boasts great London locations including the British Museum, Whitehall and the Lyons Tea House at Piccadilly Circus. 75 minutes. 6pm.
- Champagne | Saturday – The 1928 film is a combination of romantic comedy and melodrama, Champagne revolves around a millionaire’s decision to feign bankruptcy in order to teach his frivolous “flapper” daughter a tough lesson. 105 minutes. 8pm.
Hitchcock Silents presented by MFAH
- Dates: Friday, May 16 through Saturday, May 17, 2014
- Location: Brown Auditorium Theater, Caroline Wiess Law Building, 1001 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005
- Admission: $15 for nonmembers; $12 for MFAH members, students with ID or senior adults.