Enjoy Silent Movie Mondays at Orpheum Theatre on May 1, June 5, and July 10

New Vancouver Civic Theatres series features early 1900s Charlie Chaplin flicks and more

SPONSORED POST BY Vancouver Civic Theatres

The General.

Travel back to the 1920s with Silent Movie Mondays, a new film series hosted by Vancouver Civic Theatres at Orpheum Theatre. Taking place on May 1, June 5, and July 10, the nostalgic experience features screenings of popular silent productions paired with a live soundtrack played on the historic Wurlitzer pipe organ.

An instrument originally developed to accompany silent films, Orpheum’s Wurlitzer is the last theatre organ in Canada—and one of only 12 worldwide—that is still performing in its original home. Three films will be screened in the opulent domed auditorium: Safety Last on May 1, The General on June 5, and Charlie Chaplin Shorts on July 10.

Orpheum’s stage and Wulitzer.

Following each show, Vancouver Film School instructor Keith Blackmore will host a lively discussion about the movie and the role of silent films in the evolution of film history. The first show on the lineup, Safety Last, will be introduced by a special guest—Suzanne Lloyd, granddaughter of the film’s lead actor Harold Lloyd, who is widely considered among the most influential comedians of the silent film era.

The plotline of Safety Last follows a boy (Lloyd) who moves to New York City in an effort to earn enough money to support his girlfriend (Mildred Davis), but soon discovers that making it in the big city is harder than it looks. When he hears that a store manager will pay $1,000 to anyone who can draw people to his store, Lloyd enlists his friend (Bill Strother) to climb the building as a PR stunt and split the profits. But when his pal gets in trouble with the law, Lloyd must complete the crazy stunt on his own.

The second film, The General, is one of the most revered comedies of the silent era. It follows a hapless railroad engineer as he faces off against Union soldiers during the American Civil War. The tale takes off when the engineer’s fiancée is accidentally kidnapped on a stolen train.

Finally, Charlie Chaplin Shorts features some of the famed actor-filmmaker-composer’s best works, made for the Mutual Film Corporation: The Pawn Shop, The Rink, and The Immigrant.

Tickets for each of the shows and more information is available at Vancouver Civic Theatres.

Post sponsored by Vancouver Civic Theatres.

Safety Last.