Join us for a special series celebrating the Kimball Theatre Organ's centennial!
Step back in time to the early twentieth century, a golden age of cinema, when silent films captivated audiences with their visual storytelling. Before the invention of "talkies"—films with synchronized dialogue, sound effects, and scores—the theatre organ reigned supreme, providing the rich, dynamic soundscapes that brought these films to life.
The incredible artistry and improvisational skill of the organist crafted each film's emotional landscape in real-time, transforming silent scenes into immersive experiences. This nearly lost art form, overshadowed by the advent of sound films, is a rare and captivating experience that few performers today can replicate.
The Kimball Theatre Organ, with its storied past and intricate mechanisms, stands as a living testament to an era when live music was an essential part of the movie-going experience. Don't miss the unique chance to hear the Kimball Theatre Organ in its full glory, just as it was originally intended to be experienced!
Screening Dates:
Sunday October 6th - Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)
Sunday October 13th - The Scarecrow (1920)
Sunday October 22nd - Cops (1922)
Sunday October 29th - Liberty (1929)
Seating is limited & first come, first served.
About Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914):
Kid Auto Races at Venice, Cal. is enormously important as the comedy in which audiences first saw Chaplin’s Tramp character. It is also invaluable as it affords an opportunity to examine the reactions of Chaplin’s first audience—the spectators at the car race—to the comic antics of the Tramp. Kid Auto Races at Venice, Cal. was filmed at the second annual 'Pushmobile Parade,' a children’s car race, held on Sunday January 11, 1914 in Venice, California. The improvised film (allegedly filmed in a mere forty-five minutes) has as its comic situation the Tramp managing to get in the way of the motion picture cameraman who is attempting to film the event. At first the spectators do not know what to make of the funny little man. Is he really a nuisance? As the action continues, their puzzlement changes to genuine amusement. Unlike other screen comedians, Chaplin immediately positions himself as one with his audience. A split-reel film (running 500 feet or less), Kid Auto Races at Venice, Cal. was originally released with the educational film Olives and their Oil.
Length: 6 minutes, 22 seconds