Friends and Neighbors: Silent Movies on the Porch

An audience of all ages settles in for three short films by Charlie Chaplin. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

Amalia Najera, 11, works a popcorn stand in front of the porch. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

Movie goers line up early in front of Pleasant Home, which asks for a 0 donation. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

Dusty Evans, 11, found comfortable seating in the frame of one of Pleasant Home’s stained-glass windows. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

Even silent films had rules for noise and behavior. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

Pianist Thomas Holmes uses a mix of period music, like Ragtime, and his own original compositions to score each film. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

A Charlie Chaplin film is reflected in a glass door and Holmes is visible, playing to keep up with every Chaplin gesture. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

Charlie Chaplin returns to life on the porch of Pleasant Home in three movie shorts from 1916. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

With the popcorn stand closed, Amalia found a place to watch the movie. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

Pleasant Homes’ long porch allows for plenty of seating and room for Holmes and his piano. (David Pierini/staff photographer)

The magic of the silent film era sparkles on the generous porch of Oak Park’s Pleasant Home.

A girl with an apron stands ready to sell popcorn, a string of warm, filament light bulbs border the porch and a young, talented composer is eager to lift and interpret the movements and gestures of the stars. Music and laughter spill onto nearby streets.

The “Silent Movies on the Porch” series ends Friday with the Harold Lloyd classic, Safety Last. This is the second August in a row that Pleasant Home has hosted a Friday night silent film series. 

Pianist Tom Holmes (not the writer whose work appears in Wednesday Journal and not the DOOPer who dresses up as Uncle Sam each July 4^th) scores each of the films with a mix of period music and his own compositions. This year the films included Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr., three short films by Charlie Chaplin and, for the second year in a row, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

A $10 donation helps Pleasant Home continue the series. Showtime is around 8:15 p.m.