In the latest silent film series, Silent Clowns, with live piano accompaniment, we pay tribute to Charlie Chaplin, focusing on his second year in films, at Essanay. Not content to have his screen character be a figure of fun, this program of HIs New Job (1915), By the Sea (1915), The Bank (1915), and Police (1916) illustrates Charlie’s development into a comic underdog, hero, and lover. Chaplin’s inspiration and hard work produced films that remain fresh and funny for audiences of all ages.

The Silent Clowns Film Series is New York’s longest-running regularly scheduled silent film showcase. Our programming reaches the serious film buff by including rarely-screened titles and rare prints, yet it has also introduced kids and new audiences to the classics of the silent screen.

Screenings feature live piano accompaniment by MoMA’s Ben Model, with an introduction and Q&A by film historians Model and Steve Massa.