DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (1920) – With live accompaniment on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ
Staff | October 25, 2012 | CommentThe Bardavon 1869 Opera House will open its 15th season of classic films on the big screen with the enduring 1920 silent horror film classic Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde on Friday, October 26 at 7:30 pm, at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie. This special Halloween presentation will feature Juan Cardona, Jr. performing live on the theater’s Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. And all seats are just $6.
The Bardavon’s Friday Film Series is made possible by: Marshall & Sterling Insurance and The Poughkeepsie Journal. The Wurlitzer Organ is presented exclusively by: the New York Theatre Organ Society.
By the year 1920, there had already been several different film versions of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novella. But no one has ever portrayed Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde as successfully as John Barrymore. Directed by John S. Robertson, this chilling classic has amazing special effects for its day. It’s the best-known silent adaptation of the tale in which Dr. Jekyll devises a potion that separates the good and evil of the human persona – and in doing so unleashes Mr. Hyde.
John Barrymore starred on stage at the Bardavon in a 1922 production of Hamlet. See attached photo from that tour.
Juan Cardona, Jr. has been the house organist at the Bardavon for over 11 years, and the staff organist at the Thomaston Opera House for past 16 years. In 1994 and 1995, he won first place in the American Theatre Organ Society’s Hobbyist Division Competition. Juan began his silent film work by accompanying cartoons at a stage production of School House Rock at the Thomaston Opera House. He also accompanied the Academy Award-winning film Wings as his first full-length feature. He went on to score other films including Phantom of the Opera, Robin Hood, The Beloved Rogue, Tell it to the Marines, Speedy, The General; and silent short comedies The Great Race, Big Business and One Week.
The Bardavon Marshall & Sterling Friday Film Series will continue on: November 9, The Maltese Falcon – 1941 murder mystery with Humphrey Bogart; November 30, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure – the 1984 big screen debut of Pee-Wee Herman; February 15, The Way We Were – The 1973 romance with Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford; March 8, Annie Hall – Woody Allen’s 1977 classic also starring Diane Keaton; April 19, The Magnificent Seven – This 1960 classic, one of the most popular movie westerns of all time, stars Yul Brynner, the baddest bald man in the West.
All seats are just $6 and are general admission. Tickets are available at Bardavon Box Office, 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, 845.473.2072, or through Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000 or www.ticketmaster.com..
The Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Inc. (the Bardavon) is a New York State nonprofit corporation that owns and operates two historic theaters – the 944-seat namesake theater in Poughkeepsie and 1500-seat Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) in Kingston – and the region’s premiere orchestra, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. It presents top-notch music, dance, theater, and classic films for diverse audiences at both its venues; stages free annual outdoor events in local communities; and partners with regional schools to offer unique arts-based learning experiences. The Bardavon also continues to restore and preserve its historic theaters for future generations to enjoy. For more information, go to www.bardavon.org