CWP Halloween Treat: The Man Who Laughs

Disfigured by a king as a child, an 18th-century clown again becomes the pawn of royalty and star of the freak show of a travelling carnival. This screening of The Man Who Laughs will feature live accompaniment by Ben Model!

Ben Model is one of the nation’s leading silent film accompanists, performing on both piano and theatre organ. Over the past 44 years, he has created and performed thousands of live scores for silent films at universities, museums, and historic theaters, and is one of the few exponents of this craft who is working at it full-time. Ben is a resident film accompanist at the Museum of Modern Art (NY) and at the Library of Congress’ Packard Campus Theatre, and he accompanies silents at classic film festivals around the USA and internationally.

Ben’s Blu-ray/DVD label Undercrank Productions works with archives and collectors to bring undiscovered gems of silent cinema to fans. Ben is a Visiting Professor of Film at Wesleyan University. His book The Silent Film Universe was published in June 2025. silentfilmmusic.com @silentfilmmusic