Me Tarzan, you Jane, he’s Joel Brown

The 2017 Whitley Bay Film Festival is working in partnership with the Tyne Theatre and Opera House to celebrate ‘The Cinema Years’ of the listed former cinema on Westgate Road. A Stoll cinema for more than fifty years up until 1974, many blockbusters were screened with queues snaking around the block such was its popularity with film goers. Now, over three days, cinema buffs are rolling up to the Tyne Theatre to watch films originally screened way back when, view exhibition material, participate in workshops and partake of a ‘dainty tea’ as was the custom.

Friday’s opening event presented Tarzan of the Apes (Dir. Scott Sidney, 1918). Black and white, silent, with live piano accompaniment. Our pianist? Joel Tofield Brown. Yes, the very same Joel   Brown who has made a big impression at the Jazz Café’s regular jam sessions! Tarzan, played by

Elmo Lincoln, could never have imagined piano accompaniment like this! Joel, at seventeen, played it his way…jazz piano all the way. Improvising to the moving image, Joel’s interpretation of the on-screen action maintained audience interest throughout. One hour’s worth of piano, the concentration required no doubt a real challenge, Joel Brown did a grand job. Oh, yeah…Tarzan got his girl. 

Russell.