Join silent film lovers in Vancouver on Monday, May 1st, on a journey back to the 1920s. Vancouver Civic Theatres will be hosting Silent Movie Mondays at the historic Orpheum theatre. There will be three films that are selected to be screened.
- Monday, May 1, 2023 – Safety Last! (1923)
- Monday, June 5, 2023 – The General (1926)
- Monday, July 10, 2023 – Charlie Chaplin Shorts
Safety Last! (1923) is an American romantic comedy film about a man, played by Harold Lloyd, that ends up hanging off the hands of a large clock from a tall building. The General (1926) is an action adventure comedy silent film that was inspired by a true story about the Great Locomotive Chase during the American Civil War. Charlie Chaplin is a well-known English comic actor and filmmaker, the one wearing the round hat and the toothbrush style moustache. I’m sure you’ve seen some of his works where he does all sorts of funny things in his films that are just hilarious to watch.
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What are silent films?
Silent film is a film or movie that has no recorded sound. That means there is no dialogue and no music that is edited into the film, so no sound is synced to the video. You won’t hear the characters talking and you won’t hear the ambient sound where ever the story takes place. That being said, usually these films are accompanied by live music like a piano or an organ and sometimes even small orchestras. The silent movie era lasted about 15 years before films with sound took over the spotlight. I think silent films are still a very interesting form of art and we should learn to appreciate it.
It harkens back to 100 years ago, before the introduction of the talkies. Every Monday, people in Vancouver can now partake in silent movies complete with an organ player providing all the drama. @GlobalDurant has more in This is BC.#ThisIsBC pic.twitter.com/xErmkmhWX9
— Global BC (@GlobalBC) April 28, 2023
“Escape to the 1920s silent movie era at the Orpheum theatre! Vancouver Civic Theatres is thrilled to present Silent Movie Mondays, an immersive experience that screens popular silent films accompanied by dramatic music played live on the historic Wurlitzer organ – the last theatre organ in Canada still performing in its original home.”
Vancouver Civic Theatres
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If you like watching silent films or have never seen one and want to get your first experience, don’t hesitate and get your admission tickets to one of these movie nights. After the screening of the movie, the Vancouver Film School will be hosting a discussion about the movie where you can ask questions and learn more about the silent film era and the evolution of film history. Invite your friends and family to go together and see a movie on Monday night!