San Diego Theatres will screen a series of silent films accompanied by organists on various Mondays beginning in August at the Balboa Theatre in the Gaslamp.
This special showcase invites audience members to explore the history of cinema without words, supported by the sound of an organ, which was common in the 1920s to evoke emotion and provide nuance to this new medium of motion pictures.
During the films, special guest organists will play a historic Wonder Morton organ. It is a 4-manual, 23-rank organ with 2,000 pipes ranging from the size of a pencil to 16 feet in height.
Tour of the 100-year-old Balboa Theatre with a look at the theater’s recently restored pipe organ in Downtown on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The schedule kicks off with a special Saturday matinee showing of the 1924 version of “Peter Pan” on Aug. 9, accompanied by organist Brett Valliant, before picking back up on Monday, Sept. 29.
For its second season, Silent Movie Mondays’ lineup will increase from five to nine films, following the inaugural season (and the 100 year anniversary of the Balboa Theatre in the Gaslamp), which featured films like; Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” (1925) and “The Mask of Zorro” (1920).
The second season of the silent movie showcase will continue through the rest of the year and extend into 2026. All movie showtimes are 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Sept. 29: “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) with organist Russ Peck
Oct. 27: “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” (1922) with organist David Marsh
Dec. 15: “Old Scrooge” (1926) and “A Dog’s Life” (1918) with organist Ken Double
Feb. 9: “Wings” (1927) with organist Russ Peck
March 30: “The Black Pirate” (1926) with organist Ken Double
April 20: “Metropolis” (1927) with organist Brett Miller
June 8: “Safety Last!” (1923) organist Russ Peck
Tickets for the Silent Movie Monday series start at $28 for reserved seating ($24 for students, seniors, and military members) and are available for purchase at sandiegotheatres.org/silent-movie-mondays. Additionally, each Monday screening will have a post-film conversation with the evening’s featured organist and hosted by a special guest film expert.
Premium reserved seating is available for $38 or $33 for students, seniors and military members. This ticket includes a special VIP entrance and a complimentary bag of popcorn.
Series packages are available for all eight screenings with premium and general seating pricing options.