The First Degree (Live Score)

The First Degree (Live Score)

August 6, 2022
A lost silent film... Found. Scored LIVE by Chicago's Quasar Wut-Wut

Details About the Film

Ragtag Cinema celebrates the rediscovery of a film long thought lost from the silent era—featuring a live performance of a newly commissioned score by Chicago experimental indie rock group Quasar Wut-Wut.

Frank Mayo stars as a good-hearted sheep farmer ruthlessly blackmailed by his jealous half-brother. Ratcheting tensions explode in a rural courtroom confession of murder recalled through flashbacks and daring impressionism.

Like most feature films made during the silent era, The First Degree was presumed lost forever — until an original 35mm nitrate film print from 1923 was discovered and digitally restored by the Chicago Film Archives.At nearly 100-years-old, the film made its 21st-century premiere at Chicago's Gene Siskel Film Center—and is coming soon to Columbia.

 

Tickets: $15 / $6 for Members
No free passes, discount promotions, nor member punches will be honored for this special event.

Presented By

Director(s): Edward Sedgwick
Starring: Frank Mayo, Sylvia Breamer, Philo McCullough
Year Released: 1923
Runtime: 65 minutes
Country: USA
Language(s): English
Accessibility Options: 

Film Reviews

“There are five reels of bully entertainment in this picture, with no waste material clogging up the action, and a surprise finish that gets across with tremendous effect.”
—Exhibitor’s Trade Review

"A great night for cinephiles...This was a blast, and hearing Quasar Wut-Wut's live accompaniment really made it come alive."
—Michael Phillips, The Chicago Tribune

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