SPECIAL FILM: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Event Details
An epic drama that launched the career of silent film heartthrob and megastar Rudolph Valentino, free for Veterans!
‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ (1921), a multi-generational family saga that climaxes during World War I, will be screened with live music accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. Based on a novel by Spanish author Vicente Blasco Ibañez, ‘Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ tells the story of an extended Argentine family with mixed ethnic background: one side is German, while the other is French. The family gets drawn into World War I in far-off Europe, with members ending up on opposing sides. With brothers pitted against one another on the battlefield, the destruction of war changes lives forever.
‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ had a huge cultural impact, becoming the top-grossing film of 1921, beating out Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Kid,’ and going on to become the sixth-best-grossing film of the silent era. The film turned then-little-known actor Rudolph Valentino into a superstar, associating him with the image of the Latin Lover. In addition, the film inspired a tango craze and fashion fads such as gaucho pants.
Directed by Rex Ingram for Metro Pictures (an ancestor of MGM studios), ‘Four Horsemen‘ grew into a mammoth production: over $1 million was spent in making it and more than 12,000 people were involved. The film was hugely successful at the box office, grossing nearly $5 million during its initial run, an enormous sum at the time. The film was notable as one of the first major Hollywood productions to include World War I (then known as the ‘Great War’) in its storyline, and also in that it did not glorify the recent conflict or look past the tragedy that it brought. It was among the first U.S. feature films to make full use of the unlimited visual power of the new motion picture medium.
Although Valentino dominates the film, other actors of note are featured. Alice Terry, the billed star as well as Ingram’s wife, was a popular actress of her day. She would be cast in the next Ingram/Valentino flick rushed out in the same year before Rudy’s jump to Paramount, ‘The Conquering Power’ (1921).
Alan Hale Sr. appears in a supporting role; he was perhaps best known as Errol Flynn’s sidekick in numerous films, his role of Little John in several Robin Hood flicks, and as the father of Alan Hale, Jr., who played the Skipper on the television series Gilligan’s Island.
In 1995, the silent version of ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Regarding the title: the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are mentioned in the Bible in chapter six of the Book of Revelation, which predicts that they will ride during the Apocalypse. The four horsemen are traditionally named War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death.
Rapsis will improvise live musical accompaniment during the show, using a digital synthesizer to recreate the sound of a full orchestra and other more exotic textures.
Estimated run time: 180 minutes
‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ had a huge cultural impact, becoming the top-grossing film of 1921, beating out Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Kid,’ and going on to become the sixth-best-grossing film of the silent era. The film turned then-little-known actor Rudolph Valentino into a superstar, associating him with the image of the Latin Lover. In addition, the film inspired a tango craze and fashion fads such as gaucho pants.
Directed by Rex Ingram for Metro Pictures (an ancestor of MGM studios), ‘Four Horsemen‘ grew into a mammoth production: over $1 million was spent in making it and more than 12,000 people were involved. The film was hugely successful at the box office, grossing nearly $5 million during its initial run, an enormous sum at the time. The film was notable as one of the first major Hollywood productions to include World War I (then known as the ‘Great War’) in its storyline, and also in that it did not glorify the recent conflict or look past the tragedy that it brought. It was among the first U.S. feature films to make full use of the unlimited visual power of the new motion picture medium.
Although Valentino dominates the film, other actors of note are featured. Alice Terry, the billed star as well as Ingram’s wife, was a popular actress of her day. She would be cast in the next Ingram/Valentino flick rushed out in the same year before Rudy’s jump to Paramount, ‘The Conquering Power’ (1921).
Alan Hale Sr. appears in a supporting role; he was perhaps best known as Errol Flynn’s sidekick in numerous films, his role of Little John in several Robin Hood flicks, and as the father of Alan Hale, Jr., who played the Skipper on the television series Gilligan’s Island.
In 1995, the silent version of ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Regarding the title: the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are mentioned in the Bible in chapter six of the Book of Revelation, which predicts that they will ride during the Apocalypse. The four horsemen are traditionally named War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death.
Rapsis will improvise live musical accompaniment during the show, using a digital synthesizer to recreate the sound of a full orchestra and other more exotic textures.
Estimated run time: 180 minutes
$13.50 Members / $15.00 / FREE for Veterans
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