EAST & WEST: 1923 SILENT FILM WITH LIVE SCORE

A beloved gem of early Jewish cinema comes vibrantly to life in this special live-score screening of East & West (1923), the delicious silent comedy starring legendary Yiddish theater icon Molly Picon.

Just twenty-five at the time of filming, Picon shines as a spirited New York tomboy sent to a family wedding in Europe, where her boxing, shimmy-dancing, and appetite for mischief scandalize tradition at every turn. When a staged wedding to a shy Talmudic student (played by her real-life husband Jacob Kalich) spirals into real consequences, the result is a joyous culture-clash comedy filled with Yom Kippur scenes, Shabbat dinners, dancing, and a riotous Viennese finale.

Beautifully restored by Filmarchiv Austria, the film is presented with an original klezmer-and-Viennese score performed live by world-renowned violinist Alicia Svigals and celebrated silent-film pianist Donald Sosin. The restored premiere earned Best Feature at the Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival, with a disc release from Flicker Alley forthcoming in 2026.

Director Ivan Abramson and Sydney M Goldin
Austria | 1923 | 90 MINUTES

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Host or Publisher Jewish Community Center of San Francisco