Movie lovers are in for a 4-day treat of Vienna And The Movies at the historic Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto. The silent film series is curated by film historian David Thomson. One of the joys of watching silent films at the Stanford Theater is the opportunity to listen to the Wurlitzer organ. Dennis James will play the Wurlitzer organ for this film festival.

Vienna and The Movies features films by 3 well-known filmmakers, who made their mark in the silent film era. The directors are: Ernst Lubitsch, who discovered Greta Garbo, GW Pabst, a contemporary of Fritz Lang and Erich von Stroheim, a director and actor, who worked for 4 years with GW Griffith. As an actor von Stroheim captured our attention in Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard as Max. Parts of Queen Kelly are featured in Sunset Boulevard.

 

 

 

 

Here is the schedule for the film festival at Stanford Theatre.

Sept 22 – The Marriage Circle directed by Ernst Lubitsch  (1924) stars Adolphe Menjoy, Florence Vidor, Monte Blue and Marie Prevost. Screens at 7.30 pm with Dennis James playing the Wurlitzer organ.

Sept 23 –Pandora Box  directed by GW Pabst (1929)  stars Louise Brooks, Fritz Kortner and Francis Lederer. Screens at 7.30 pm with Dennis James playing the Wurlitzer organ.

Sept 24 – Queen Kelly directed by Erich von Stroheim (1929)  stars Gloria Swanson, Walter Byron, Seena Owen and Tully Marshall. Parts of Queen Kelly are featured in Sunset Boulevard, which is a story about a fading Hollywood star played by Swanson. Screens at 7.30 pm with Dennis James playing the Wurlitzer organ.

Sept 25 – The Merry Widow  directed by Erich von Stroheim (1925)  stars Mae Murray, John Gilbert and Roy D’Arcy. Screens at 7.30 pm with Dennis James playing the Wurlitzer organ.