Buster Keaton was a genius. He had a face that could make you laugh uproariously one moment and have you crying the next. His film The General, is widely considered to be a masterpiece.
It’s also a film for which several composers have written new scores. Several years ago composer Jeff Beal, a five-time Emmy winner, was commissioned to write a score for Keaton’s classic movie. The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra will be playing that score live, with Beal conducting, as the film is projected at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel on Saturday night.
If you don’t know this movie, you should. It’s amazing what directors could do long before CGI. This is storytelling at its best.
Update: If you want to learn more about this, look for my interview with Jeff Beal elsewhere on these pages.
Photo Credit: courtesy of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra