A COMPOSER'S JOURNEY




Silent film was never meant to be viewed in silence. Yet, in the archives of silent cinema, gems from a forgotten era wait to be seen once again…and to be heard. Classic silent films are beautifully scored, digitally re-mastered, and once again screened with live musical accompaniment, creating an exciting symbiosis of film and music. World-renowned composer, Maria Newman and her husband, Conductor Scott Hosfeld, and *The Malibu Coast String Quartet* accompany silent films at schools, in theatres and at the *Montgomery Arts House for Music and Architecture, Malibu’s school of the arts. The Malibu Friends of Music, a non-profit arts organization, presents classical music and dance concert programs, bringing world-class artists to the community, and providing Malibu with its first professional chamber orchestra. The perfect place to expose the world to the music of silent film… Maria Newman* is critically acclaimed in the art of silent movie music. Following the legacy of her nine-time Academy Award-winning father, Alfred Newman, she has composed original musical scores for such classics as: The Gibson Goddess (1909), What the Daisy Said (1909), Wilful Peggy (1910), Ramona (1910), Tom Sawyer (1917), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917), Heart O’ the Hills (1919), Daddy Long Legs (1919), The Love Light (1921), Mr. Wu (1927). As we continue to acquire films for scoring, our list keeps growing. Please see Films Available for Live Performances.

We ask for your support for these films to be performed at schools and various venues around the country. Due to the generosity and kindness of Keith Lawrence and Hugh Munro Neely of the Mary Pickford Institute for Fim Education, Robert Board and Alan Boyd, we have acquired five films for Maria to score, and so we also ask for your support in scoring and re-mastering these films in order to present them to a worldwide modern audience:

	Quality Street (1927) Directed by Sidney Franklin, and based on a play by James M. Barrie, this film is a timeless classic. Marion Davies proves herself to be one of the most versatile actresses of the silent screen. A wonderful farce and a charming film, Quality Street received tremendous praise for its high production values, excellent cast, and superb direction. It holds up today as one of the rare gems of the silent era. Courtesy of Robert Board. Due to the generosity of The Annenberg Foundation, this film will be available for touring and on DVD with a beautiful new score by Maria Newman in 2012.

	Hearst Castle Home Movies (1924) An incredibly rare collection of home movies from an exciting weekend stay at the Hearst Castle. Marion Davies and W.R. Hearst entertain friends such as John Gilbert, King Vidor, Eleanor Boardman, Irving Thalberg, and many more. These films are a rare glimpse to the Hearst Castle in its heyday when Marion Davies opened the doors to her friends from Hollywood yesteryear. The impeccable transfer is from the original nitrate, providing a crisp, clear look behind the scenes in film’s Golden era. Courtesy of Boyd Production Group.

	In Wrong (1919) Sadly forgotten, Mary Pickford’s younger brother Jack was one of the most versatile and naturally talented actors of the silent screen. The film is a charming piece of Americana, and Jack Pickford is unforgettable asa boy who comes of age while learning some hard lessons along the way. In Wrong is one of the few surviving films showcasing Jack Pickford’s impeccable work. Luckily the story remains intact, and the print is a clean and beautiful example of quality silent cinema. Courtesy of Keith Lawrence and Hugh Munro Neely of the Mary Pickford Institute for Fim Education.

	M’liss (1918) This delightful film is a stunning adaptation of Bret Harte’s witty and heart-rending spoof on the American Western. Cleverly directed by Marshall Neilen, Mary Pickford shines in this film, demonstrating her ability to master both comedic farce and tragedy with her seamless acting. The production values are superb, and the supporting cast top notch; making this film a joy to watch from start to finish. Courtesy of Keith Lawrence and Hugh Munro Neely of the Mary Pickford Institute for Fim Education.

	The Dream (1911) Mary Pickford co-stars with her first husband, Owen Moore in this early IMP film about a neglectful husband who prefers drink to his sweet, lovely wife. He passes out in a drunken stupor, and in his dream, his wife becomes his worst nightmare, a female version of himself. It a wonderful shock to see young Mary Pickford throwing back drinks in a tight sexy dress, blowing smoke into her husband’s eyes as she exits for the bar. A clever and telling moment in film history, as it is believed that Mary herself wrote this scenario as a spoof on her own unhappy marriage, The Dream allows a rare glimpse to America’s Sweetheart years before she was to become one of the most powerful forces in the history of cinema. Courtesy of Keith Lawrence and Hugh Munro Neely of the Mary Pickford Institute for Fim Education.

	As it is in Life (1910) This sweet and poignant and simple Biograph short, directed by D.W. Griffith and starring a very young Mary Pickford covers the close relationship of a father and daughter over many years. This film is one of Griffith’s most aesthetically pleasing early films, an early example of his experimentation with the infant medium of film. Courtesy of Keith Lawrence and Hugh Munro Neely of the Mary Pickford Institute for Fim Education.

	Elaina Archer and Todd Friedrichsen plan to create a documentary film, *The Music of Silent Film: A Composer’s Journey,* which will present a parallel study of a film being created in 1920’s Hollywood, and a modern composer breathing life into silent cinema. They will produce an in depth study of composer Maria Newman at her craft: writing, rehearsing, and finally, accompanying silent films for a live audience.

	Maria Newman, educated at Eastman School of Music and Yale University, was born into one of the most famous and influential families in Hollywood. Maria Newman is the recipient of many prestigious awards, grants and composition commissions from organizations such as ASCAP, the Composer’s Guild, Variety Magazine, the Mary Pickford Foundation, the NEA, the California Arts Council, the YMF, among numerous others. Maria has collaborated with Elaina Archer on the productions, In Mary’s Shadow: The Story of Jack Pickford, Rita, and Why Be Good? Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema. Maria performs regularly with her husband, Scott Hosfeld at the Montgomery Arts House for Music and Architecture, and they also perform at various venues across the U.S.

Revenue from the newly-scored silent films and the documentary film will benefit the *Malibu Friends of Music, the non-profit entity for the Montgomery Arts House for Music & Architecture*.

Films are a bold illusion and therefore their very existence must always be in the hands of magicians – the conjurers – who breathe this life into them. - King Vidor, Film Director