SILVER

Based on the play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, this suspenseful picture from writer/director Roland West sees a masked criminal dressed as a bat spread fear and terror among the guests staying at a lavish mansion rented by a mystery writer. Hidden somewhere in the estate is a vast sum of money aching for the taking… An underappreciated silent-era gem, THE BAT served as inspiration for the creation of DC Comics' Batman. DIR/SCR/PROD Roland West, from the play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood. U.S., 1926, b&w, 87 min. Silent with English intertitles. NOT RATED

About Ben Model
Ben Model is one of America's leading silent film accompanists. Ben has been playing piano and organ for silent films at the New York Museum of Modern Art since 1984 and has performed numerous shows at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center over the years. His recorded scores can be heard on numerous DVD/Blu-Ray releases, on TCM and on his YouTube channel. His indie DVD label Undercrank Productions has released several discs of rare/lost silent films, including films preserved by the Library of Congress. Ben is a regular accompanist at classic film festivals around the U.S. and internationally, and he performs at universities, museums and historic theaters. In 2020, Ben also created a popular weekly livestreamed silent film show from his living room called "The Silent Comedy Watch Party." Visit Ben's YouTube channel and view past performances!