Silent film festival this weekend

Festival will feature silent films

A film that was once thought lost will have it's re-premiere in Topeka at this weekend's Silent Film Festival at Washburn.

The 1926 silent film Bardelys the Magnificent was found recently in a cellar in France and restored.

The print found was missing ten minutes and was recreated with production stills.

Find out why KTKA Film Critic Keith Van Sickle says silent films are an important part of our history <a href="http://www.ktka.com/videos/2009/feb/25/23911/"> here</a>.

The film stars John Gilbert, Eleanor Boardman, and a young John Wayne.

The film festival's director, Bill Shaffer, says it's a movie for everybody.

"It's a romantic movie, it's an action picture, it's a comedy and it's kind of a swashbuckler. There's a big climax in the end, Douglas Fairbanks-style climax in it. And John Gilbert was a big star at the time and MGM wanted him for the part. They wanted King Vidor to direct the movie because they wanted it to be a success and it was," Shaffer said.

Get a full schedule of events and film screeenings at the Kansas Silent Film Festival here.

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