September 15, 2008
The Freshman is a kid who will do anything to be popular.
Played by silent film icon Harold Lloyd, the ultimate underclassman
fills the screen with football and frolic at 3 pm on Sunday,
October 5 at the Michigan Theater.
In vintage movie palace style, the show will begin with
a short Vaudeville Overture featuring Michigan Theater organist
Stephen Warner on the Barton Theater Organ with Adam Olson
on the saxophone, playing novelty tunes and concert waltzes
of 1920s-era saxophone virtuoso, Rudy Wiedoeft.
Mr. Warner will also provide the musical accompaniment for
the film, featuring vintage college songs including several
from the University of Michigan songbook.
In the movie, Lloyd’s character, Harold “Speedy”
Lamb, is so desperate to make friends that he falls afoul
of antagonistic classmates. He manages to find love with
a local girl played by Jobna Ralston. The 1925 film was
directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor. It is
unrated and has a 76-minute running time.
The film was selected for the National Film Registry, Library
of Congress in 1990. If you think you’ve already
seen it, you could be right. Preston Sturges reused
some of the football scenes in his 1947 film, The Sin of
Harold Diddlebock.
“The Freshman is a good entry point to silent films
for newcomers. (It) moves incredibly fast - and it’s
constantly entertaining. It does demand close attention,
as Lloyd’s a busy comedian, but in structure, it has
more in common with modern comedies than other silent comedies
do.” – Andrew Wickliffe, TheStopButton.com
Reserved seats at $15 are available in advance on Ticketweb.com.
General admission is $9.00, $7.00 for students, seniors
and US veterans, $6.50 for Michigan Theater members, $6.00
for all Wednesday screenings. All shows take place
at the historic Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty Street,
across from Borders Books and Music in downtown Ann Arbor
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