Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:44 am
Pondering what I'd answer, I find that my response would vary with the nature of the group to whom you'll be making the presentation. Young kids, teenagers, a church group, hipsters, and so on--I'd be swayed in different ways for each audience. For any of them, though, I think I'd recommend showing something which wouldn't carry preconceptions as the audience looks at the first frames. With some of these performers, their attitude and shtick has diffused so well into popular culture that the minute they see, say, Chaplin, the audience member already--rightly or wrongly--has his or her own personal feeling about the actor, and, be they pro or con with the performer, it's an uphill battle for you as presenter to deal with that in an effective way. I'd choose something wonderful from a star not well known today to the general public, something such as Lupino Lane's Hello Sailor, which the audience could see with fresh eyes. The previously-suggested My Best Girl or Putting Pants on Philip, though with stars people know, are good as well, as they at least have the stars inhabiting characters which to some small degree differ from people's expectations. Along the same lines, shows such as The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg or the Nazimova Camille will surprise and engage audience members. Expectations cloud understanding; best, I think, to intrigue the audience by evading expectations.
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"She confessed subsequently to Cottard that she found me remarkably enthusiastic; he replied that I was too emotional, that I needed sedatives, and that I ought to take up knitting." —Marcel Proust (Cities of the Plain).
