The Silent Film Music Podcast with Ben Model

Ben Model
  • 5.0 (31)
  • TV & FILM

A podcast from renowned silent film accompanist/historian Ben Model covering the techniques of creating and performing live scores to silent films, as well as a discussion of the language of silent cinema. Find what goes on in the mind of a silent film accompanist before, during and after playing for a show. Learn about the aesthetics of silent filmmaking and storytelling language.

  1. JAN 10

    ep. 72: 2025 Year-End Roundup

    Ben and Kerr discuss accompaniment Ben’s accompaniment techniques for films he played for toward the end of 2025: Keaton’s “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” at the Barrymore Film Center, Mary Pickford in “Sparrows” at the Library of Congress, and Max Davidson in “Pass the Gravy” at the Silent Clowns Film Series in NYC. Ben gives an update on the Undercrank Productions releases currently in production, of rare silents with Roscoe Arbuckle and with Marion Davies. Ben shares some advice for aspiring accompanists about the kind of music light to bring to a show. Ben and Kerr close out the episode discussing ideas about the current status and next-steps for silent film restoration and exhibition. Show notes for episode 72 can be found here.

    55 min

  2. 12/04/2025

    ep. 71: Phantoms and Pipe Organs

    Ben and Kerr talk about Ben’s busy Halloween season, underscoring the unmasking scene in “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) at Angel Nyack, and his encounters with theater ghosts; also covered are Ben’s accompanying “Her Sister From Paris” (1925) with Constance Talmadge at the Silent Clowns Film Series, the differences between playing a church pipe organ and a theatre organ for silents, and more. The episode includes performance excerpts from Ben’s scores for the two films mentioned above as well as from a show at the Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater of Josef Von Sternberg’s “Underworld” (1928). Show notes for episode 71 can be found here.

    57 min

  3. 10/21/2025

    ep. 70: Flappers, Roscoe and Laura LaPlante

    Ben and Kerr talk about Ben’s shows at MoMA’s “Silent Movie Week” of “Saxophon Susi” and “Berlin: Symphony of a Great City”, and at the Rubinstein Atrium at Lincoln Center for an early Louise Brooks Paramount feature. Ben discusses adjusting his approach to laying down a recorded score when scoring “Poisoned Paradise” (1924) with Clara Bow for the National Film Preservation Foundation, and for Keystone shorts for the “Rediscovering Roscoe” Blu-ray set due out in 2026. Ben and Kerr discuss their both noticing a growing and a younger audience for silent film in recent years, with Ben observing this at Capitolfest this past August. Performance excerpts include “Saxophon Susi” (piano, at MoMA), “Love ’em and Leave ’em” (1924) (piano, at the Atrium), and “Finders Keepers”(1928) starrring Laura LaPlante (theatre organ, at Capitolfest). The latter is also included as an example of a live score being affected by the film’s introduction, in this case by historian/author Laura Jerrolds. Show notes for episode 70 can be found here.

    53 min

  4. 08/01/2025

    ep. 69: Back to Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd

    Ben and Kerr talk about Ben’s recent shows in the Adirondacks and NYC, his in-progress recording of scores for a new Arbuckle Blu-ray set, the art and craft of a venue’s developing an audience for silent films, accompanying Chaplin’s “The Kid” (1921) and Harold Lloyd’s “The Freshman” (1925), and Ben’s managing being able to practice or rehearse; also updates on his book “The Silent Film Universe”, a new Blu-ray release of NJ-made silents, and upcoming shows in August.. Show notes for episode 69 can be found here.

    50 min

  5. 05/31/2025

    ep. 68: “The Silent Film Universe” mini-episode

    Ben and Kerr talk about Ben’s new book “The Silent Film Universe” on this mini-episode. Ben discusses the various aspects of silent film language covered in each chapter and how we as viewers are engaged with them, his own development and honing of the ideas in the book, and his rationale for writing and publishing the book. The publication date for “The Silent Film Universe” is June 17, 2025, and can be purchased in paperback and hardcover wherever you buy books. There is information about “The Silent Film Universe” – as well as endorsement quotes and ordering links – on the book’s web page. Show notes for episode 68 can be found here.

    26 min

  6. 04/24/2025

    ep. 67: Scoring Wallace Reid in Kansas, Maurice Tourneur at MoMA, and “Ramona” for Kino Lorber

    In this episode, Ben and Kerr talk about accompanying a rare Wallace Reid Film “The Valley of the Giants” and other films at the Kansas Silent Film Festival; playing for the newly restored “The White Heather” and for Francis Ford’s “The Craving” (both 1919) at MoMA’s “To Save and Project” festival; creating a new theatre organ score for “Ramona” (1928) which will be released in May by Kino Lorber; Ben’s returning to the TCM Classic Film Festival to live-score a silent film – this year it’s Harold Lloyd in “The Freshman” – and more. Show notes for episode 67 can be found here.

    1 hr

  7. 12/31/2024

    ep. 66: Catching up on live shows from the 2nd half of 2024

    In this episode, Ben and Kerr talk about: Ben’s accompanying a rare Reginald Denny feature, sight-unseen, at Capitolfest 21; the rediscovery of “The Gorilla” (1927) and accompanying it on both piano and on theatre organ; Ben tries a new approach to underscoring the house-fall in Buster Keaton’s “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (1928); the challenges and concerns in approaching the live-scoring of sound-era films like the 1931 “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”; Ben’s accompanying of “Her Wild Oat” (1927) starring Colleen Moore, and his initiative to renew interest in the 2010’s restoration of this film. Show notes for episode 66 can be found here.

    53 min

  8. 12/30/2024

    ep. 65: Scoring Roland West’s “The Bat” (1926)

    In this episode: On this episode, Ben and Kerr talk about Ben’s process for scoring Roland West’s “The Bat” (1926) for a home video release. The new restoration was produced and released by Ben’s Undercrank Productions home video label. Show notes for episode 65 can be found here.

    46 min
See All (70)

5
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

A podcast from renowned silent film accompanist/historian Ben Model covering the techniques of creating and performing live scores to silent films, as well as a discussion of the language of silent cinema. Find what goes on in the mind of a silent film accompanist before, during and after playing for a show. Learn about the aesthetics of silent filmmaking and storytelling language.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Model
  • Years Active
    2012 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All music composed + performed by Ben Model is copyright @2025 by Undercrank Productions LLC, all rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Silent Film Music Podcast with Ben Model