Silent Movie Pianist Gerhard Gruber
Gaumont - Projector 1899
Without this machine I probably would not be a silent movie pianist.
It was discovered during the demolition of the "Lifka Cinema" in Linz/ Austria.
The projector has been restored by Mr. Markus Häupl and was presented to the public on June 16th 1988.
This was also my first silent movie performance.
25 Years Silent Movie Pianist
A long and winding road
When I was a child of about 11,12 years, I saw my first silent movies in a boarding school. On Sundays we sometimes watched comedies by Ch. Chaplin, Buster Keaton or Laurel & Hardy.
For me the screen was somehow a window to an (at least) inner freedom, escape from the not so easy times in a boarding school of the 60ties.
But it took many a years until I met silent movies again, in an intensive way.
I can say, it was more "forces of nature" on that June 16th 1988, at least for me.
I remember me with a hot red head, falling into the movies with all of my possible enthusiasm, melting with all those motions and emotions, the stories and the great masters of silent movie.
Meanwhile it´s more than 1300 performances, more than 550 different silent films. I visited Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Tokyo, Valencia, Mexico, Kiev, Odessa, Kharkiv, Oslo, Hobart, Auckland and many other towns with my silent movie programs.
And the most beautiful thing: since 25 years silent movie my passion has remained, never my performanes became routine.
Many thanks to all, who supported me on my way as a silent movie pianist!
"EASY STREET" was one of my first movies. The first performance was in Linz/ Austria at the Museum Francisco-Carolinum.
We travelled through Austria with "Metropolis", even a special copy was being made. - I wish we could have now the possibilities we had then ....
The next year we showed "The Freshman" by Harold Lloyd and made a lot of friends among children and students.
