The Silent Treatment: Peter Pan

Peter Pan, the Darlings, Captain Hook—the abundant seeds of endless adaptations and franchises—all came into being via J.M. Barrie’s pen. In 1924, based on the original books and play by Barrie, came the very first filmic adaption of Peter Pan—an authorized (by Barrie!) silent feature, faithful particularly to the theatrical production. This historical gem, previously believed to be lost, was luckily deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress, and subsequently preserved in the National Film Registry, enabling us to share it in all its 35mm glory! Though, in the words of Jonathan Rosenbaum, this is “one of the loveliest movies for and about children ever made,” we’re talking about Neverland, so for this show, everyone’s a kid.

Dir. Herbert Brenon, 1924, 35mm (courtesy of Kino Lorber), 105 min.