06.03.09
Silent Movie Mondays Return to the Paramount, June 8-22
The always worthwhile Silent Movie Mondays series returns to the glorious 1920s-era former movie palace The Paramount here in Seattle. The new series runs every Monday at 7:00 PM from June 8 through June 29, 2009.
As always, the films will be accompanied on the restored Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ by the incomparable Dennis James. If you’ve never seen a silent film, this is absolutely the way you should start. Very few cities ever get this kind of authentic experience, and if they do it’s usually one-off screenings or a festival. Seattle is incredibly lucky to get what amounts to a mini-festival a couple-three times a year.
Of especial note is that admission to the first show in the series is FREE courtesy of longtime series sponsor, Trader Joe’s. Damn, thanks Trader Joe’s!
The entire line-up is excellent, as usual. I highly recommend catching the June 22 show, The Godless Girl (Cecil B. DeMille, 1929), which is great stuff (the heavy Christian moralizing notwithstanding). I had the privilege of watching Dennis accompany it at the Silent Film Festival in San Francisco a couple years back, and it was possibly the best I’ve ever seen him play. During the climactic scenes, he dang near brought down the house. Also very highly recommended is the concluding film on June 29, Seventh Heaven (1927) directed by Frank Borzage.
Here’s the full schedule, with links to details (and in turn to online ticket purchase):
June 8: Flesh and the Devil (Clarence Brown, 1926) — FREE ADMISSION! Come early for decent seating.
June 15: Romola (Henry King, 1924)
June 22: The Godless Girl (Cecil B. DeMille, 1929)
June 29: Seventh Heaven (Frank Borzage, 1927)
