Escape to the 1920s silent movie era at the historic Orpheum Theatre for this season of Silent Movie Mondays. The historic, immersive experiences screens popular silent films accompanied by dramatic music played live on the theatre’s historic Wurlitzer organ – the last theatre organ in Canada still performing in its original home.
This season’s Silent Movie Mondays begins with a special edition celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Phantom of the Opera on October 27th. The rest of the season features a swashbuckling adventures, a discovery of the original It Girl, and a suspenseful thriller.
This season’s Silent Movie Monday at The Orpheum include:
October 27, 2025: VCT Presents Silent Movie Mondays – Phantom of the Opera: 100th Anniversary Celebration in partnership with Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs
Vancouver Civic Theatres and Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs present a spectacular celebration of the iconic silent film Phantom of the Opera (1925) in its centennial year. This Special Edition Silent Movie Mondays features Canadian composer Andrew Downing’s score played live by a 6-piece orchestra, 80-person choir, and Vancouver Civic Organist Michael Dirk on the Wurlitzer organ! Perfect for spooky season, Phantom of the Opera is a classic horror film that follows a mysterious Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House and causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star.
December 8, 2025: VCT Presents Silent Movie Mondays – The Black Pirate
Escape to the roaring 1920s with a screening of The Black Pirate (1926) while a soundtrack is played live on the theatre’s rare Wurlitzer organ. Declared “glorious” by the New York Times upon its release, The Black Pirate is a silent action adventure film shot entirely in two-colour Technicolor, which marked a landmark achievement in the advancement of cinema as an art form. In the film, Douglas Fairbanks portrays a nobleman posing as the “Black Pirate” to seek justice for his father’s death and rescue a kidnapped princess. Silent Movie Mondays also includes a live Jazz Band performance one hour before the show, popcorn & drink specials, and a fun post-show talk from Vancouver Film School’s Keith Blackmore.
March 2, 2026: VCT Presents Silent Movie Mondays – “It”
Discover a pop culture moment while enjoy a screening of It (1927) starring Clara Bow – the real-life subject of Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department song by the same name. Bow is magnetic in the role of a plucky shop girl named Betty, who is enamored with the wealthy owner of the department store where she works and determined to catch his attention. The film was a box office smash and launched Clara Bow into global stardom, making her the first-ever “It Girl”. Silent Movie Mondays also includes a live Jazz Band performance one hour before the show, popcorn & drink specials, and post-show talk from Vancouver Film School’s Keith Blackmore.
May 25, 2026: VCT Presents Silent Movie Mondays – The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
Spring brings a screening of The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) directed by Alfred Hitchcock while a soundtrack is played live on the theatre’s rare Wurlitzer organ. Alfred Hitchcock considered The Lodger (his third feature film) to be his true directorial debut, and it also became his first critical and commercial success. This haunting silent thriller tells the tale of a mysterious young man who takes up residence at a London boarding house just as a killer known as the Avenger descends upon the city. Again, an evening at Silent Movie Mondays also includes a live Jazz Band performance one hour before the show, popcorn & drink specials, and a post-show talk from Vancouver Film School’s Keith Blackmore.