Buster Keaton double feature at Flying Monkey on Friday, Nov. 16

PLYMOUTH — He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of "the Great Stone Face." But Buster Keaton's comedies rocked Hollywood's silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.

Screenings of 'Sherlock Jr.' and 'The Cameraman,' two of Keaton's landmark feature films, will be shown at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center, 39 South Main St., on Friday, Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m. 

The program will be accompanied by live music, performed by silent film composer Jeff Rapsis. Admission is $10.

In 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924), Keaton plays a small-town movie projectionist who dreams of working as a detective.

'The Cameraman' (1928) tells the story of a young man who tries to impress the girl of his dreams by working as a freelance newsreel cameraman.

Both films focus on exploring the potentials of the motion picture, a brand new medium at the time.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions ranging from sadness to surprise. In an era when movies had few special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents meant he performed all his own stunts.

"These films are audience favorites, and people continue to be surprised at how engrossing and exhilarating they can be when shown as they were intended: in a theater, and with live music," said Rapsis, who accompanies more than 100 screenings each year at venues around the nation and abroad.

Rapsis, who lives in Bedford, improvises live scores for silent films using a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of the full orchestra.

"It's kind of a high wire act," Rapsis said. "But for me, the energy of live performance is an essential part of the silent film experience."

For more information, call 603-536-2551, or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com.

For more information about the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.