OGUNQUIT— Classics of the silent film era will return to the big screen starting this summer at Ogunquit’s Leavitt Theatre, which will host a season of vintage cinema with live music in the historic facility.

The series gives area film fans a chance to see movies from the pioneering days of cinema as they were intended to be shown—on the big screen, with an audience, and accompanied by live music.

Most screenings will be weeknight evenings and the series runs through October, concluding with a Halloween screening of F.W. Murnau’s chilling silent version of ‘Faust’ (1926) on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Admission for each screening is $10 per person.

A total of five programs will be offered in the series. Films will include a program of Charlie Chaplin’s great short comedies and “Her Sister From Paris” (1925), a sophisticated romantic comedy starring Ronald Colman and Constance Talmadge.

“These are the films that first made people fall in love with the movies, and we’re thrilled to present them again on the big screen,” said Max Clayton, the Leavitt’s manager.

The Leavitt, a summer-only moviehouse, opened in 1923 at the height of the silent film era, and has been showing movies to summertime visitors for nine decades.

The silent film series honors the theater’s long service as a moviehouse that has entertained generations of Seacoast residents and visitors, in good times and in bad.

“These movies were intended to be shown in this kind of environment, and with live music and with an audience,” Clayton said. “Put it all together, and you’ve got great entertainment that still has a lot of power to move people.”

Live music for each program will be provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer and composer who specializes in scoring silent films.

In accompanying silent films live, Rapsis uses a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of the full orchestra. He improvises the music in real time, as the movie is shown.

In scoring a movie, Rapsis creates music to help modern movie-goers accept silent film as a vital art form rather than something antiquated or obsolete.

“Silent film is a timeless art form that still has a unique emotional power, as the recent success of ‘The Artist’ has shown,” Rapsis said.

Some programs in this year’s Leavitt silent film series include:

• Wednesday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m. ‘Charlie Chaplin’s Best Short Comedies.‘ A selection of classic short comedy films that helped propel the Little Tramp to worldwide fame and rocked the globe with laughter. See the movies that paved the way for Chaplin to go on to make later masterpieces such as ‘The Gold Rush’ and ‘City Lights.’

• Wednesday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m. ‘Her Sister From Paris‘ (1925) starring Ronald Colman, Constance Talmadge. The scene: Europe. The cast: Rich people. Get swept off your feet by not one but two privileged ladies, both played by amazing actress Constance Talmadge, in this effervescent battle-of-the-sexes comedy.

• Saturday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.: ‘Faust‘ (1926) directed by F.W. Murnau. Just in time for Halloween, our annual “Chiller Theatre” presentation! Oscar-winning actor Emil Jannings stars in F.W. Murnau’s terrifying version of the classic tale. A visual tour de force, full of creepy characters and frightening images.

The Leavitt Fine Arts Theatre is at 259 Main St. Route 1, in Ogunquit and admission is $10 per person with general seating.

For more information, call 646-3123; or visit www.leavittheatre.com. For more details about the music, visit www.jeffrapsis.com.