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Silents at the Senate Presents: The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
May
9
8:00 PM20:00
Movie

Silents at the Senate Presents: The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)

PROUDLY PART OF THE 2025 ARAB FILM FESTIVAL!

TICKETS COMING SOON!

Doors – 7:00 PM  

Film – 8:00 PM  

Tickets - $15

1hr 6min | NR | Family/Adventure | Germany 

Live Organ Accompaniment by John Lauter 

Presented with the Arab American National Museum and the Arab Film Festival 

Complimentary ma'amoul (Arabic cookie) included with admission!

 

 

Silents at the Senate, along with our partners at the Arab American National Museum and the Arab Film Festival, is proud to present The Adventures of Prince Achmed with live organ accompaniment by John Lauter!  

This magical tale, the world’s oldest surviving animated feature film, is a landmark of cinematic history—a work of artistry and innovation. Combining several stories from One Thousand and One Nights, the film's depictions of Arab and Muslim cultures demonstrate how folktales from Southwest Asia circulated around the globe for centuries,. It will surely delight audiences of all ages with its whimsical story of adventure, sorcery and transformation. 

 

Director Lotte Reiniger and her small team of animators spent three years in the attic of a garage making this timeless fantasia, developing and utilizing a then cutting-edge multiplane camera to change cardboard, paint, metal, light, (and even soap) into a reverie of character and setting. Nearly a century later, their ornately designed animated puppet show remains as vital as ever. 

 

And with the immediacy of live musical accompaniment from a Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ, enhancing the action and emotions on screen in real time, this picture from long ago will never feel more alive! 

 

 

 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

 

 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue 

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Silents at the Senate Presents: The Thief of Bagdad
Jun
8
8:00 PM20:00
Movie

Silents at the Senate Presents: The Thief of Bagdad

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

2hr 34min | NR | Adventure/Fantasy | United States 

Live Organ Accompaniment by Andrew Rogers 

Presented with the Arab American National Museum and the Center for Arab Narratives 

 

 

Flying carpets! Monsters of land and sea! Crystal balls! Derring do! Immortal love! 

A GRAND ADVENTURE MADE ALL THE MORE MAGNIFICENT BY A LIVE ORGAN SCORE! 

Silents at the Senate, along with our partners at the Arab American National Museum and the Center for Arab Narratives, is proud to present the silent film classic, The Thief of Bagdad!

Organist Andrew Rogers will provide the magnificent musical accompaniment, playing our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ along with the film. enhancing the action and emotions on screen in real time. 

Few films are as extravagant, as romantic, as fantastic, or epic. With enormous sets, innovative special effects, and a cast of thousands, this loose adaptation of several stories from One Thousand and One Nights tells the tale of a thief named Ahmed—scoundrel turned hero, transformed by the power of love. In order to win the hand of his beloved princess, he must embark on a dangerous quest across vast distances, beset by gigantic beasts, mythical creatures, and sinister rivals. 

AN ENDURING, SWASHBUCKLING MASTERPIECE! 

Released at the height of Douglas Fairbanks’ career, the film cemented the star as a matinee idol of lavishly staged adventure films, a dazzling screen presence known for acrobatic stunts, physical prowess, and boyish charm. It was an enormous hit. Today, The Thief of Bagdad stands as a premier example of the art of silent filmmaking and has deeply influenced subsequent works inspired by or adapted from the folktales of One Thousand and One Nights.  

 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts 

 

Parking is available in a gated parking lot on Gilbert St., behind the theater.

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