Sat. Feb. 17 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

1hr 11min | NR | Drama/Romance | United States 

Live Organ Accompaniment by Lance Luce 
 

Depravity seizes upon poverty as extravagance collides with innocence in Queen Kelly,

a silent drama of doomed romance, presented with live musical accompaniment by Lance Luce on the Senate’s Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ! This incomplete but still captivating exercise in cinematic excess from director/screenwriter Erich von Stroheim proves that even an unfinished work from a master is still a masterwork. 

Co-produced by and starring Gloria Swanson, one of the silent era's biggest stars, what survives of the film tells the story of a playboy aristocrat who balks at his betrothal to his mad queen. On the eve of the marriage, he falls for an enchanting and fiery convent girl (Swanson) and then schemes to possess her, no matter the cost.  

In its existing form, the film presents a meticulously realized world in beautiful detail, a simple but sumptuous tale of worlds colliding—an ill-fated meeting that ends, (spoiler) in tragedy.  

But the epic and transgressive melodrama that could have been was never completed, itself a victim of incompatibility. But rather than a clash of class and circumstance, what doomed Queen Kelly from reaching its potential was the battle between art and business, the vision of an auteur versus censorship. 

Silents at the Senate is proud to present the 1932 release of this almost lost piece of silent film history!

Released only in Europe well into the “talkie” period, this is the most concise and cinematically pure version of the film. It features the so-called “Swanson” ending, filmed after the dismissal of Stroheim and shot two years after the abrupt end to the production due to massive cost overruns and the directors’ efforts to skirt the demands of censors. 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Silents at the Senate – Robin Hood (1922) 

Sat. May 20 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets – $12 

2hr 12min | NR | Adventure/Drama | USA 

Live Organ Accompaniment by Scott Smith 

It is a familiar tale.  

An absent king. A tyrannical prince. An evil sheriff. A band of merry men. A Lady named Marian. A champion of the people who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. 

It can only be Robin Hood. But not just any Robin Hood.  

 
Silents at the Senate is proud to present a silent film that is truly the equal of our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. Its towering sets, baroque costumes, and exciting feats of derring-do have stood the test of time. And they will only stand taller with the marvelous musical wizardry of a theater organ at its side, played by the talented silent film accompanist, Scott Smith. 

Starring, co-written, and produced by silent screen titan, Douglas Fairbanks, this grandiose adaptation marked the first feature length screen appearance Robin Hood. Through its massive success the film firmly established a host of familiar story elements that would be repeated in later screen versions and cemented its star as a swashbuckling icon of the Roaring Twenties. The castle set alone covered ten acres in the then country setting of Hollywood, complementing the elaborate court pageantry that makes up much of the film’s first half. And when Douglas Fairbanks transforms into the acrobatic and mischievous folk hero, Robin Hood in the second half, the nearby woods of Hollywood serve as a convincing Sherwood Forest. 

So, join us, all ye merry moviegoers, for a night of action, adventure, and drama, with a live organ score to match the emotion of every minute! And remember to stick around after the show for a chance to ask the organist a question and take a tour of the organ pipe chambers. This is a rare opportunity to get an up-close look at the inner workings of this marvelous musical machine. 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 
 

Silents at the Senate – Safety Last (1923) 100th Anniversary Screening 

Sat. Apr. 1 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

1hr 20min | NR | Slapstick/Romance| USA  

Ask Father short film  

13min | NR | Slapstick/Romance| USA

Live Organ Accompaniment by Andrew Rogers

Harold Lloyd, one of the titans of silent slapstick comedy, was known for his exhilarating stunts, fast-paced chase scenes, and the high-energy, go-getting, bespectacled characters he so often played. He was also a man who lost a thumb and forefinger to a bomb mistaken for a prop and has been first and foremost remembered for this film, Safety Last.  

Go figure. 

Yes, Lloyd may have had a dubious commitment to safety. But if he played it safe, we might not have this opportunity to celebrate the centennial of his most famous work, featuring one of the most iconic sequences of all time. The film follows a small-town guy, (Lloyd) as he fumblingly attempts to make his way in the big city so that he can earn the hand of his sweetheart. In the course of this striving hijinks ensue, and at one point Lloyd scales a skyscraper and dangles perilously from the hands of its giant clock.  

So, what we’re saying is it’s a zany good time, made all the zanier by organist Andrew Rogers’ expert comedic timing at our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ! Which, according to Harold Lloyd himself, is exactly the kind of instrument to accompany his film. Lloyd once said, “I just don’t like pictures played with pianos. We never intended them to be played with pianos,” even refusing to allow screenings if an organ wasn’t available, an opinion we can’t help but appreciate. 

The show will also include the Harold Lloyd short film, Ask Father. And remember to stick around after the feature for a chance to ask the organist a question and take a tour of the organ pipe chambers. This is a rare opportunity to get an up-close look at the inner workings of this marvelous musical machine!  

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts.