Carry On Sergeant screening celebrates film produced in Trenton
Administrator | Oct 30, 2014 | Comments 0
One of the most important titles in Canadian film history will screen Nov. 10 at Picton’s historic Regent Theatre in honour of the 100th anniversary of the First World War.
The 1928 silent film Carry On Sergeant, was filmed in Trenton and surrounding areas by Canadian filmmaker Gordon Sparking and British director Bruce Bainsfather.
The controversial story of a married Canadian soldier who carried on a secret affair with a French mistress was, at the time, the most expensive movie produced in Canada with a budget of $500,000.
Most of the money was spent recreating First World War era France on sprawling sets, as well as battlefield scenes that included hundreds of extras and real explosives.
Trenton was on the verge of becoming ‘Hollywood North’ but the film was released just as the talkies arrived and only had a two-month run the theatres.
A print of the film was donated to the Library and Archives of Canada and it was restored in 1990.
Ottawa’s beloved indie-rockers Hilotrons will perform live renditions of classic film themes by Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who wrote the music for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Fist Full of Dollars and many other films. They are performing a short run of Canadian dates in heritage theatres across Ontario and Québec presented by the band and the Ottawa-based Lost Dominion Screening Collective.
Led by pop-auteur Mike Dubue, Hilotrons began releasing music in 2002 and have shared bills with indie darlings including The Arcade Fire, The Unicorns, The Von Bondies and The Constantines.
Carry on Sergeant, Monday Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. at the Regent Theatre. Tickets $20 regular; $15 students and seniors. No charge for veterans.
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