Harold Lloyd’s WELCOME DANGER (1929) in New York City
September 21st, 2006 by Andre Soares
Photo © A.M.P.A.S.
Press Release:
New York, NY — The rarely seen silent version of Welcome Danger, Harold Lloyd’s final silent film, will screen for "Monday Nights with Oscar®" audiences on Monday, October 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City.
The program will feature a new print made from original materials restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive with a newly recorded orchestral score composed specifically for the film by Robert Israel, courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
In 1928 Lloyd began production on what would prove to be his final silent film. Directed by Clyde Bruckman, Welcome Danger stars Lloyd as a former police chief’s meek son who returns to San Francisco to uncover a crime ring in the city’s Chinatown district.
With the transition to sound pictures well underway, Lloyd announced plans to complete the silent version, preview and edit it, and then determine how to produce a sound version. He ultimately shot much of the film a second time, recasting several of the key roles, blending some of the footage shot for the silent film with new dialogue sequences, and adding sound effects.
The sound version of Welcome Danger became Lloyd’s highest-grossing film. The silent version was sent out to theaters that were not yet wired for sound, but in the decades leading up to the film’s recent restoration, it has not been available for public viewing.
Lloyd’s career spanned from 1912 to 1947 and included more than 200 films ranging from silent one-reelers to feature-length sound pictures. A founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Lloyd was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 1952 as a "master comedian and good citizen."
The Academy Theater at Lighthouse International is located at 111 East 59th Street in New York City. Tickets for the screening are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID.
Tickets may be reserved by calling 1-888-778-7575. Depending on availability, tickets may be purchased the night of the screening. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.oscars.org/events.
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