Sat. Jan. 20 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 32min | Not Rated |Noir/Thriller | USA 

Love and hate. Darkness and light. A terrifying evil that only righteousness can overcome.  

The stuff of fables, of scripture, of the deep and eternal struggle in our souls. An old story, but rarely has this tale been told with such indelible and nightmarish beauty as in the noir/thriller classic, The Night of the Hunter! 

Robert Mitchum stars as Robert Powell, a murderous “preacher” in Great Depression era West Virginia. After being released from the state penitentiary he quickly closes in on the stash of stolen money he knows to be hidden somewhere in the home of his now executed cellmate. With charisma and sex appeal he insinuates himself into the life of the widow Willa Harper, (Shelley Winters) presenting himself as a man of God as he preys upon her unfulfilled desire and the innocence of her children. 

The first and last film directed by acclaimed British actor Charles Laughton, The Night of the Hunter was initially ignored by audiences and harshly reviewed by critics. This, despite its daring visual style, a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner James Agee, and a movie star lead. Over the decades, however, the film developed a cult following thanks to television and revival art house theaters. Audiences were drawn to its strange synthesis of film noir mood, horror aesthetics, elemental themes, and abstract set design. As a result, its cult burgeoned while simultaneously undergoing a critical reassessment that now places it among the best of all time. 

Don’t miss this masterpiece on our big screen! 

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

Rope (1948) 75th Anniversary Screening 

Sat. Mar. 18 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 20min | PG | Crime/Thriller | USA 

It just takes a plan. A brilliant, meticulous plan, hatched within a brilliant, meticulous mind. With that, one could get away with just about anything . . . even murder.  

That, or you might just be able to pull off the impressive feat of film technique and dramatic flair that is Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope.  

In this classic bit of Hitchcock suspense, the action proceeds in real time, in long, fluid shots, entirely within the luxurious Manhattan apartment of Brandon Shaw and Philip Morgan, two wealthy and sophisticated young men. Brandon and Philip are throwing a small dinner party but with one guest conspicuously absent — their “friend” David, who they strangled in the opening shot and stashed inside the large wooden chest around which all the other guests wonder, “where can he be?” And they did it for the simple reason of proving that they could get away with it, on account of their, “superiority.” 

Loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb murder of 1924, Rope is a cinematic experiment about an intellectual exercise taken to the ultimate, violent extreme. It stars Hitchcock regular and Hollywood legend, James Stewart alongside a chilling John Dall and an unravelling Farley Granger as the murderous hosts.  

Don’t let yourself be the one who everyone is missing, and make sure you make it to see Rope at the Senate! 

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. 

Silents at the Senate – The Lodger (1927) with live accompaniment by Dennis Scott  

Sat. Mar. 11 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

1hr 30min | NR | Thriller/Mystery | United Kingdom 
 

A man, accused. A blonde in distress. A cameo appearance. This might be a Hitchcock film! 

Considered by the master of suspense himself as the first “true” Hitchcock picture, the silent mystery/thriller The Lodger stands as the director’s first fully formed statement of artistic intent. Only his third feature film, it includes nearly all of the visual obsessions and techniques that would become his trademark. Inspired by the German Expressionist films of the 1920s, Hitchcock endeavored to further develop the visual language of cinema using striking and unusual camera angles, high contrast lighting, and placing actors intentionally within the frame to evoke an emotion or guide the viewer towards a conclusion. An influential film, it was an essential steppingstone in the development of the modern thriller genre. 

The action centers on the golden-haired fashion model, Daisy Bunting, her parents, and Jonathan Drew, their mysterious new lodger. An alluring and moody young man, Jonathan soon draws the attention of Daisy. A burgeoning romance begins. But to the dismay of her parents, (and would-be suitor, the local policeman) this captivating new arrival happens to match the description of a murderer on the loose — a serial killer with a taste for blondes! 

And, as if this suspenseful scenario isn’t enticing enough, we’re serving up these vintage Hitchcockian thrills with the period appropriate sounds of our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. At the console this time around will be the internationally known silent film accompanist out of Chicago, Dennis Scott. A master of his art, Mr. Scott is sure to show off our instrument’s kaleidoscopic tonal color without ever showing up the images on the screen. Be sure to stick around after the show for a chance to ask the organist a question and take a tour of the organ pipe chambers. This is a rare opportunity to get an up-close look at the inner workings of this marvelous musical machine!  

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.