Maine Silent Film Festival 2025
The third Maine Silent Film Festival is a two-day event blending comedy and drama at the historic Alamo Theatre in Bucksport with live accompaniment by Doug Protsik, focusing on rare and unusual films seldom screened theatrically.
Wednesday, July 23rd starting at 7:00pm
The Vampire
No, not undead creatures, but a femme fatale—a man-eater—a woman bringing downfall and ruin to men who cannot resist her alure. The evening begins with Theda Bara, the quintessential vamp, in the film that defined her character, A Fool There Was. Following are two short comedies showcasing vamps as they turned from melodrama to parodies of themselves.
Feature:—
A Fool There Was (Fox, 1915)
While on a diplomatic mission to England, John Schuyler falls prey to an uncaring seductress, abandoning his wife and child, his wealth and position to be with her.
Starring Theda Bara and Edward José · Directed by Frank Powell · 80 min.
Shorts:—
The Danger Girl (Triangle, 1916)
A dangerously seductive woman threatens to lure the men astray. Gloria has a plan to save her beau by disguising herself as a man and capturing the vamp’s attention, but not everyone will let her go without a fight.
Starring Gloria Swanson and Bobby Vernon · Directed by Clarence G. Badger · 32 min.
The Campus Vamp (Sennett, 1928)
At Beverly College, Matty is on the point of proposing to Sally when flashy blonde-haired Carole swings onto the campus and threatens to lure him away.
Starring Sally Eilers, Matty Kemp, and Carole Lombard · Directed by Harry Edwards · 23 min.
Thursday, July 24th starting at 7:00pm
The Undead
No, not vampiric creatures, but films in which characters fake their own deaths only to come back to life at the most opportune (or perhaps the most inopportune) moment. After three short comedies, the evening concludes with the theatrical premiere of a new restoration of Playing Dead.
Shorts:—
A Regiment of Two (Vitagraph, 1913)
Ira and his son-in-law Harry pretend to enlist in the 13th regiment where they have “drills” every Friday night. When the 13th is called to the front, the two take a fishing trip, only to learn that “their” regiment has been wiped out.
Starring Sidney Drew and Harry T. Morey · Directed by George D. Baker and Ralph Ince · 33 min.
A Severe Test (Solax, 1913)
After a year of marriage, Frank does not show Daisy the same degree of affection he did when they were newlyweds. To test his love, Daisy fakes her own death to see how he responds. Little does she know, Frank is aware of her game and decides to play along.
Starring Marian Swayne and Vinnie Burns · Directed by Alice Guy-Blaché · 17 min.
The Egyptian Mummy (Vitagraph, 1914)
Dick wants to marry Florence, but is too poor to win her father’s consent. Her father is an antiquarian searching for the elixir of life and needs an ancient Egyptian mummy to experiment on, for which he is willing to pay thousands. With his fortune in mind, Dick bribes a filthy old bum with liquor to lie still in a sarcophagus. The plan works perfectly, until the bum starts drying out and getting antsy.
Starring Billy Quirk · Directed by Lee Beggs · 18 min.
Feature:—
Playing Dead (Vitagraph, 1915)
Jimmy’s wife Jeanne falls for Proctor Maddox, a socialist and feminist activist, and wants a divorce. To avoid the scandal, Jimmy stages a fake suicide instead, but he forgot to leave his will where it could be found.
Starring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew · Directed by Sidney Drew · 74 min.
Alice Guy-Blaché’s A Severe Test, long thought lost, is presented here sourced from the rare and only known surviving print from the Harpodeon film collection.
We are also pleased to present the 2025 Harpodeon restoration of Playing Dead in what will be its theatrical debut, marking the first time the film has been screened in its entirety and in the best quality possible in many decades.
Exhibits in the Lobby
See signed photographs of the stars, an original poster, a cloche worn by Theda Bara, a “Kiss Me, My Fool” promotional pin from the premiere of A Fool There Was, and more.
The Alamo Theatre
85 Main Street, Bucksport, Maine
25 miles south of Bangor, 40 miles west of Bar Harbor, and 19 miles east of Belfast
$20 for tickets to one day or $30 for tickets to both
Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted at the door.
Tickets ordered within one week of showtime will not be shipped but held at the box office for pickup.
Price includes a printed program and mini-posters for
Preorder your tickets now.
