I have had fantastic experiences at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, both as a presenter and a viewer. I’ve been introduced to several films that are new favorites, such as A Cottage on Dartmoor and Tonka of the Gallows, films I never would’ve been able to see otherwise. But my absolute peak experience, without question, was being able to see Napoleon at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. This was the greatest single experience I’ve ever had in a movie theater, so great I went on consecutive days to absorb the splendor of it all. I can’t thank the Silent Film Festival enough for having the courage to undertake that massive project. It was a once-in-a-lifetime—well, no, it was a twice-in-a-lifetime experience, for which I will be forever grateful.
EDDIE MULLER, the Bay Area’s own Czar of Noir, is founder and president of the Film Noir Foundation, producer-host of the annual Noir City film festivals held nationwide, and the host of “Noir Alley” on Turner Classic Movies.