Bare Knees

We’re celebrating Silent Movie Day with esteemed Accompanist and Film Historian Ben Model, who will join us to provide a live original score to two great silent-era comedies, A THRILLING ROMANCE (1926) and BARE KNEES (1928).

Released in 1928, BARE KNEES is a prime example of the flapper comedy genre. A young married woman in a small town is visited by her sister, who causes a scandal with her bobbed hair and short skirts. It's utterly tame by today’s standards, but the film reflects a moment in history when the art form was pushing boundaries of storytelling that could not be conveyed in other mediums.

This "lost" film was saved and uncovered by local Film Preservationist Lou DiCrescenzo with the assistance of our sister theater, The Ambler Theater. Lou donated a large collection of over 200 assorted prints to the Ambler, including several early nitrate films. Among the nitrate films was the only surviving 35mm print of BARE KNEES. The Ambler, in turn, donated those prints to the Library of Congress who preserved the original print, and made this new copy for exhibition.

Before the movie, we will be playing the comedic short A THRILLING ROMANCE (1926) starring Wanda Wiley. In this clever and fast-paced short Wiley is an aspiring writer of romance novels who inadvertently gets caught up in an adventure involving a handsome taxi driver, stolen jewels, and a wild chase – just the inspiration she needs for her new book!

Director Erie C. Kenton

Cast Virginia Lee Corbin, Donald Keith, Jane Winton

Country USA

Language English

Aspect 1.33

More info on IMDB ››