Charlie Chaplin a hit with audience

Charlie Chaplin and Silent Cinema were all the rage at Baycourt on Saturday night. Photos and video: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Tauranga came alive on Saturday night with hundreds of people enjoying a 1920's circus-themed silent film event at Baycourt.

Presented by Night Owl Cinema and Baycourt Presents, Silent Cinema, now in its third year, featured Charlie Chaplin's film "The Circus".

The evening began with the Baycourt foyer and Exhibition Hall spilling over with circus act performers, jugglers, mimes, candy floss and popcorn. I was asked to join in the fun playing the foyer piano as people arrived, but first I popped into the hall to capture some of the set up.

It was stunning to walk into Baycourt and find myself under a circus tent style roof complete with chandelier bathed in purple lighting thanks to the highly creative Baycourt technical staff. Outside the main doors, classic vintage cars from the Bay of Plenty Vintage Car Club also added to the wow factor.

Inside the Exhibition Hall, the pre-film entertainment by Night Owl Cinema included a travelling photobooth and candy floss. Compered by Mark Eagle and Jolene James from The Breeze, also entertaining the crowd was a balloon twister, Charlie Chaplin, mimes, a fortune teller, the tattooed lady, and Rowan Ford Dawson with performers from Circus in a Flash. Jannine Bishop who heads BOP Film's Art Department worked her magic with set design.

Maree Bieleski (The Fortune Teller) and Susa Walters (The Amazing Tattooed Lady).

The stand out star of the night for me though was Ron Clark. NZ's premier silent movie organist, Ron accompanied not only the Charlie Chaplin movie for a full 70 minutes on the Mighty Wurlitzer in the Addison Theatre, but also the preceeding short films by BOP Film. This requires immense skill and concentration, ensuring the music is perfectly timed with the scenes and action in the films.

The Circus (1928) written and directed by Charlie Chaplin is about a penniless and hungry Tramp (Chaplin) who is mistaken for a condemnable pickpocket and chased by both the police and the real crook (the latter having stashed a stolen wallet and watch in the Tramp's pocket to avoid detection). Running away, the Tramp stumbles into the middle of a performance and unknowingly becomes the hit of the show. The ringmaster hires Chaplin's Little Tramp as a clown, but discovers that he can only be funny unintentionally, not on purpose. The Circus was the seventh highest grossing silent film in cinema history taking in more than $3.8 million in 1928. The film continues to receive high praise.

Silent Cinema is becoming a highly popular addition to the annual arts events held in Tauranga, providing opportunity for people to enjoy the unique instrument that was built to accompany silent films.

Kaeve Peacock at the popcorn stand.

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