Silent Movie Mondays

Silent Movie Mondays honor the history of The Paramount Theatre, from when it opened its doors on March 1, 1928 with the feature film FEEL MY PULSE starring Bebe Daniels and William Powell.

Each season, Seattle Theatre Group presents silent films accompanied by organists on the Mighty Wurlitzer, original to the theatre. These iconic films look back at the past and often inform the present. The art of cinema is embraced by introductions and CineClub post-film discussions led by regional and national film professionals.

Relationships with organizations such as the Library of Congress, MoMA, George Eastman House, UCLA Film Archives, the Mary Pickford Foundation and the International Silent Film Festival in Pordenone, Italy are key to bringing significant films to The Paramount Theatre. Don’t miss these extraordinary silent movies!

Upcoming Silent Films

Step back into the golden age of cinema at the historic Paramount Theatre with four of the most iconic silent films ever made. The 2024-2025 Silent Movie Mondays series captures the height of early 20th-century storytelling, where humor, drama, and classic horror are conveyed without a single word. All films are accompanied by the original Mighty Wurlitzer organ, with The Gold Rush presented with a full live orchestra! Audiences are invited to arrive early to get popcorn and enjoy the majestic theatre before taking their seats and stay afterward for a robust discussion with film experts. Each film is $12 ($9 for students & seniors) and $50 for the whole four-film series.

Monday, August 25th, 2025 @ 7PM – The Freshman (1925)
Music by Tyler Pattison on the Mighty Wurlitzer and Foley Sound by Paul Hansen.

The Freshman (1925) – Harold Lloyd shines as the lovable underdog Harold Lamb, a naive and eager college freshman who dreams of becoming popular by joining the school’s football team. He adopts the nickname “Speedy” and tries to emulate his movie idol, “The College Hero.”

Despite his enthusiasm, Harold becomes the butt of jokes and is unaware that he is the laughingstock of the school. His only true friend is Peggy, the daughter of his landlady. Harold’s attempts to fit in lead to a series of comedic mishaps, including a memorable scene where his hastily stitched tuxedo falls apart during a dance. Through his perseverance and genuine nature, Harold finally earns the respect and popularity he sought. A delightful blend of physical comedy and sweet charm.

The Freshman was one of Harold Lloyd’s most successful films, both critically and commercially.

The film’s blend of slapstick and situational comedy has influenced many subsequent comedies and remains a classic example of the genre.

ASL interpretation

Running time approximately 76 minutes

Monday, September 29th, 2025 @ 7PM – The Last Laugh (1924)
Music by Donna Parker on the Mighty Wurlitzer.
Guest speaker Anita Monga

The Last Laugh (1924) – This German silent film directed by F.W. Murnau stars Emil Jannings as an aging hotel doorman who takes immense pride in his job and uniform. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he is demoted to the position of washroom attendant due to his advancing age. He tries to hide his new position from his friends and family, but when they discover the truth, he becomes the subject of ridicule and scorn. The film ends with a surprising twist allowing him to return to the hotel in a position of newfound wealth and respect. The Last Laugh is celebrated for its innovative use of the moving camera and its profound depiction of human dignity and despair.

ASL interpretation, audio described performance

Running time approximately 90 minutes

Upcoming Silent Films

Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 @ 7PM – Metropolis (1927)

LIVE ACCOMPANIMENT ON THE MIGHTY WURLITZER ORGAN BY TEDDE GIBSON

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis is the towering achievement of German Expressionist cinema and one of the most influential science fiction films ever made. Set in a sprawling futuristic city sharply divided between a wealthy elite living in soaring towers and a subjugated workforce toiling in the depths below, the film follows Freder, the son of the city’s mastermind, as he falls for Maria, a worker whose message of hope threatens to upend the social order.

When Maria is replaced by a robotic double built in her image, the fragile peace between the city’s classes erupts into chaos. Lang’s staggering visual scale — vast futuristic sets, expressionist lighting, and groundbreaking special effects — helped define the visual language of science fiction for a century to come.

Metropolis is unrated. The film contains scenes of industrial peril, class conflict, and stylized violence that may not be suitable for young children.

Monday, Jan. 11, 2027 @ 7PM – The Kid Brother (1927)

LIVE ACCOMPANIMENT ON THE MIGHTY WURLITZER ORGAN by Tyler Pattison on the Mighty Wurlitzer and Foley Sound by Paul Hansen.

Harold Lloyd stars in one of his most beloved comedies as Harold Hickory, the underestimated youngest son of a small-town sheriff, forever overshadowed by his two brawnier brothers. When a traveling medicine show rolls into town and a theft threatens to disgrace his family’s name, mild-mannered Harold gets his chance to prove his courage.

Blending Lloyd’s trademark athletic stunt comedy with genuine warmth and romance, The Kid Brother is widely regarded as one of the finest achievements of silent-era comedy — funny, tender, and thrilling in equal measure, culminating in a hair-raising climax aboard a derelict ship.

The Kid Brother is unrated. Suitable for general audiences, with mild slapstick peril throughout.

Monday, Apr. 12, 2027 @ 7PM – Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

LIVE ACCOMPANIMENT ON THE MIGHTY WURLITZER ORGAN BY DONNA PARKER

F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise is a landmark of silent cinema and one of the most visually poetic films ever made. The story follows a farmer seduced by a woman from the city into a plot to murder his devoted wife — a plan he cannot bring himself to carry out. What follows is a quietly devastating, ultimately redemptive journey as the couple travels to the city and slowly rediscovers their love for one another.

Murnau’s fluid, roving camera work and dreamlike visual style broke new ground for the medium, earning the film the very first Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Production. Equal parts tragedy and tender romance, Sunrise remains a touchstone for filmmakers nearly a century later.

Sunrise is unrated. The film contains mature themes including attempted violence and marital betrayal; parental discretion advised for younger viewers.

Monday, July 26, 2027 @ 7PM – The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)

LIVE ACCOMPANIMENT ON THE MIGHTY WURLITZER ORGAN BY KEN DOUBLE

We close the season with a true rarity: the oldest surviving feature-length animated film in the world. Made by German animator Lotte Reiniger using intricately cut silhouette figures animated frame by frame against luminous backgrounds, The Adventures of Prince Achmed weaves together tales from the One Thousand and One Nights into a sweeping story of magic, romance, and adventure.

Prince Achmed is tricked onto an enchanted flying horse and swept into a world of witches, demons, and a beautiful princess he must win and rescue. Reiniger’s silhouette animation technique — a painstaking, handmade art form — produced images of extraordinary beauty that still enchant audiences today, nearly a century on.

The Adventures of Prince Achmed is unrated. Suitable for general audiences, including families.

The Mighty Wurlitzer

Seattle’s Paramount Theatre is home to Wurlitzer opus 1819, one of eighteen “Publix 1” models built by Wurlitzer, and only three of which still remain in their original venues. Many of our Silent Movie Monday screenings feature The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, with master organ players from across the country! The organ has been cared for since the 1950s by volunteers from the Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society.

CineClub

CineClub is the post-film discussion featuring leading scholars and participating musicians, to engage patrons in film trivia and a deeper knowledge of the film and artists involved. All audience members are welcome to join this free discussion in the lobby bar.