Doors – 7:00 PM  

Film – 8:00 PM  

Tickets – $12 

Total runtime – 1hr 26min  

7 short films with live organ accompaniment by Scott Smith 

Silents at the Senate continues its 2025 season with a selection of short films from the French magician, theater director and pioneer of cinematic art, George Méliès, with live organ accompaniment from Scott Smith on our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ! 

Filmed around the turn of the last century, these early moving pictures retain their ability to delight and surprise. They tell fantastic stories from folklore and history, travelling far into outer space and deep into the spectral realm. The work remains timeless, and their uncanny illusions—the awesome technological sorcery of modernity—will be made extraordinary with a live score and a crowd of fellow movie lovers to share in the wonder. 

Join us as we reach into the past and revive it right before your eyes and ears! 

And, as always, following the silent film presentation patrons will have a chance to take a tour of the organ pipe chambers. Additionally, the organist for the evening will be available to field any questions you may have about theater organ and the art of silent film accompaniment! 

Film Schedule: 

Part 1 - 40 min 

Joan of Arc (1900) - 10 mins  

The Kingdom of Fairies (1903) - 16 mins  

A Trip to the Moon (1902) - 14 mins 

Part 2 – 46 minutes 

Cinderella (1899) - 6 mins  

Gulliver’s Travels Among the Lilliputians and the Giants (1902) - 4 mins 

The Witch (1906) - 12 mins  

The Impossible Voyage (1904) - 24 mins  

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