Filtering by: Douglas Fairbanks
Silents at the Senate Presents: The Thief of Bagdad
Jun
8
8:00 PM20:00
Movie

Silents at the Senate Presents: The Thief of Bagdad

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

2hr 34min | NR | Adventure/Fantasy | United States 

Live Organ Accompaniment by Andrew Rogers 

Presented with the Arab American National Museum and the Center for Arab Narratives 

 

 

Flying carpets! Monsters of land and sea! Crystal balls! Derring do! Immortal love! 

A GRAND ADVENTURE MADE ALL THE MORE MAGNIFICENT BY A LIVE ORGAN SCORE! 

Silents at the Senate, along with our partners at the Arab American National Museum and the Center for Arab Narratives, is proud to present the silent film classic, The Thief of Bagdad!

Organist Andrew Rogers will provide the magnificent musical accompaniment, playing our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ along with the film. enhancing the action and emotions on screen in real time. 

Few films are as extravagant, as romantic, as fantastic, or epic. With enormous sets, innovative special effects, and a cast of thousands, this loose adaptation of several stories from One Thousand and One Nights tells the tale of a thief named Ahmed—scoundrel turned hero, transformed by the power of love. In order to win the hand of his beloved princess, he must embark on a dangerous quest across vast distances, beset by gigantic beasts, mythical creatures, and sinister rivals. 

AN ENDURING, SWASHBUCKLING MASTERPIECE! 

Released at the height of Douglas Fairbanks’ career, the film cemented the star as a matinee idol of lavishly staged adventure films, a dazzling screen presence known for acrobatic stunts, physical prowess, and boyish charm. It was an enormous hit. Today, The Thief of Bagdad stands as a premier example of the art of silent filmmaking and has deeply influenced subsequent works inspired by or adapted from the folktales of One Thousand and One Nights.  

 

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 

 

Parking is available in a gated parking lot on Gilbert St., behind the theater.

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Silents at the Senate – Robin Hood (1922)
May
20
8:00 PM20:00
Movie

Silents at the Senate – Robin Hood (1922)

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. 
 

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