Norma Shearer in After Midnight (1927)

Kennington Bioscope presents another special evening of 9.5mm films from the collection of Kevin Brownlow, who will also introduce the programme.

As our regular audience will know, 9.5mm was the pioneering amateur film gauge that enabled film enthusiasts to make and project their own films and also screen commercial popular films of the day in their own homes. The 9.5mm gauge preserved many subjects that are now either lost or difficult to obtain in 35mm. 9.5mm has a frame size similar to 16mm and was usually copied from the original 35mm elements, thus providing superb quality images. As usual, there will be a live piano accompaniment.

Highlights will include After Midnight (1927), written and directed by Monta Bell and starring Norma Shearer, whose 1924 film The Trail of the Law was one of the recent unknown gems screened at Kennington Bioscope; the 1927 French drama La Glu, directed by Henri Fescourt with Germaine Rouer and Francois Rozet in the lead roles; and Frank Capra’s The Younger Generation (1929), adapted from a stage play by Fannie Hurst, which stars Jean Hersholt, Lina Basquette and Ricardo Cortez.

Kevin Brownlow began his famous career as a collector of 9.5mm in the 1950s and a sampling of his extensive archive is always a treat.

Anyone interested in silent film should visit the website for more info.

Tickets & Pricing

£5. Seats are limited, so please request an invitation using the email kenbioscope@gmail.com.

Ricardo Cortez & Lina Basquette in Frank Capra’s The Younger Generation (1929)