Silence Remains Golden In Classic ‘Nosferatu’

What with all this talk of 24-screen theaters, stadium seating, Dolby sound, etc., it’s refreshing to imagine how movies were originally screened.

That is, on a square screen, in the dark with an organ providing the required sound effects.

Actually, thanks to the Cathedral and the Arts Association, you don’t have to imagine anything. On a regular basis, the Association screens silent movies at St. John’s Cathedral to the organ accompaniment of the incomparable Charles Bradley.

And as a special Halloween treat, Bradley will provide the music for two showings of the 1922 silent version of “Nosferatu,” at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Cathedral, 127 E. 12th.

Adapted from Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula,” “Nosferatu the Vampire” (“Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens”) was directed by German-born filmmaker F.W. Murnau. A product of German Expressionism, Murnau’s film was influenced by Robert Wiene’s “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (1919).

Yet where Wiene’s film is marked by its starkly bizarre set designs, Murnau made “Nosferatu” unique by shooting it on location. It loses nothing, however, in spookiness.

And in most ways, it follows the standard “Dracula” storyline: Jonathan Harker visits the mysterious Transylvanian land owner Count Dracula and is seduced by the sophisticated blood-sucker. The Count then seeks out Harker’s fiancee back in England before, finally, being defeated by his own insatiable hunger.

General admission tickets to both shows are $7 ($5 for seniors, $3.50 for ages 12 and under). Tickets are available at all G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or by calling (800) 325-SEAT.

A warning: As seating is limited, Bradley’s Halloween shows typically sell out.

Some people, it appears, love their silence. Especially in the dark.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo