He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of “The Great Stone Face," but Buster Keaton's comedies provided Hollywood's silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.

Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St. in Wilton, will present Keaton’s 1927 film “College” Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested to help defray expenses.

The screening will feature live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

“College” follows the story of a hapless university bookworm (Keaton) forced to become a star athlete to win the attention of his dream girl. Can he complete the transformation in time to woo her from his rival? And along the way, can he also rescue the campus from sports-related shame?

The film was released in 1927, at the crest of a national fascination with college life. In addition to being a famed Keaton comedy, “College'” offers vintage glimpses into what higher education was like nearly a century ago.

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands today as one of the silent screen's three great clowns. Born in 1895, he made his stage debut as a toddler, joining his family's vaudeville act and learning to take falls and do acrobatic stunts at an early age.

Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions from sadness to surprise, and in an era with no post-production special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents enabled him to perform all his own stunts, including some in “College.”

In showing Keaton's “College,” the Town Hall Theatre aims to show silent film as it was meant to be seen – in restored prints, on a large screen, with live music and with an audience.

"All those elements are important parts of the silent film experience," stated Rapsis. "Recreate those conditions, and classics of early Hollywood such as 'College' leap back to life in ways that audiences still find entertaining."

The Town Hall Theatre's silent film series was recently featured in the weekly Hippo Press in a story about discovering life-enriching activities and hobbies.

For  information, call 603-654-3456. For more about the music, visit jeffrapsis.com.

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