Venue: Orpheum

VCT Presents Silent Movie Mondays: Kings of Comedy

Escape to the 1920s silent movie era at the historic 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.

Join us in the West Coast Lounge for a pre-show performance by the Gatsby Strutters Jazz Band. The organists for this evening will be Ed Norman, Koos van Nieuwkoop and Michael Dirk. Following the show, Keith Blackmore of the Vancouver Film School will host a lively discussion about the movie and the role of silent films in the evolution of film history. Keith's guests for this talk are comedy writers Ian Boothby and David Dedrick hosts of the Sneaky Dragon podcast, a mix of real-life stories and interviews with comedians, writers and musicians. Along the way they’ve done acclaimed limited run podcasts like Completely Beatles, Totally Tintin and Full Marx, working their way through the history of the Marx Brothers films. 

Kings of Comedy Short Film Lineup

Good Night Nurse (1918) - Starring Roscoe Arbuckle with Buster Keaton 

Roscoe's wife wants him committed to the No Hope Sanitarium for a cure from drink. He is horrified when the doctor due to perform surgery is blood spattered, cleaver-wielding Buster Keaton. Roscoe and a female patient (Alice Lake) attempt to escape but are quickly apprehended. Several more crazy escape attempts ensue. 

April Fool (1924) - starring Charley Chase with Blanche Mehaffey

Chase appears as a small-town cub reporter in love with the manager's daughter, who indulges in some April Fool jokes with results disastrous to himself. A happy comedy about the suspicion most people have of their neighbours on the day when every sort of practical joke is legitimate. Almost every time-honored practical joke is shown - the placing of tacks on chairs, a rubber hammer and the imitation ink spot.

Mighty Like a Moose (1926) – Starring Charley Chase with Vivien Oakland

In this short silent comedy, a homely husband and his equally unsightly wife improve their looks with plastic surgery without telling each other. The two later meet, and not recognizing each other, begin to flirt, both thinking they are cheating on their spouse. The film is representative of Chase's adroit blend of farce, surrealism, and sight gags.

Fiddlesticks (1927) – Starring Harry Langdon

"A beautiful movie experience in Vancouver's most beautiful theatre!"
"Do not miss the Wurlitzer - you will never look at the Orpheum the same way once you experience the entire building as a musical instrument."
"What a joyful cinematic experience! A treat for cinephiles and novices alike."
"A fabulous and entertaining experience that doesn’t break the bank."
"I look forward to Silent Movie Mondays more than any other event in Vancouver, by far!"
"The Orpheum’s silent movie nights are so much fun! It’s a gorgeous venue, the films are hilarious, and the post-film discussion is rich with movie trivia."