'The Freshman' Screening

A predecessor for classics like Buster Keaton’s College, Harold Lloyd’s The Freshman kicked off the college movie trend in 1925 with the tale of a freshman accepted to Tate University who tries to become the most popular boy on campus. He finds himself at odds with the resident football star and most of the school, save for his sweetheart Peggy, who supports him even when he defies logic and tries out for the team. Whether it’s a successful move remains to be seen, but the football game that ends the film made history as one of the first onscreen portrayals of the sport, helping make room for gridiron films like Remember the Titans and Rudy. Catch the original with accompaniment by the Berklee Silent Film Orchestra, which will perform the world premiere of its original score at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on May 1. / Katja Vujic