1920s comes to life in Parish Hall

By Andy Morgan

Dallas-area movie lovers can catch two rarely screened silent films and early day cartoons at the upcoming St. John’s Episcopal Church silent film festival. Starting Jan. 18, the features will be accompanied by live, original organ music.

Each January since 2018, the East Dallas church has hosted a classic silent movie night. Due to the event’s popularity with the community, this year, St. John’s is featuring three nights of classic movies and cartoons.

St. John’s Organist Benjamin Kolodziej accompanies each showing with his traveling Wurlitzer organ, evoking the great silent picture palaces of the 1920s. All events are free and open to the public. The events take place in the church’s parish hall, where refreshments and popcorn will be served.

Last year, a packed house attended a showing of Buster Keaton’s 1928 film, “The Cameraman,” with Kolodziej providing the organ soundtrack. Kolodziej has donned a cape and derby hat at past events.

“Silent film screenings with live music are few and far between these days, and our past events have been very popular,” Kolodziej said. “So this year, we decided to grow the event by adding two more nights.”

The festival kicks off Sunday, Jan. 18, with a 6 p.m. showing of the 1924 Buster Keaton film, “Sherlock, Jr.” On Sunday, Jan. 25, the festival will feature “The Parson’s Widow” from 1920. Finally, on Friday, Jan. 30, Kolodziej will accompany several cartoons.

“We’re still deciding on the cartoons we plan to show, but I expect there will be a Mickey Mouse cartoon and one with Felix the Cat, which children today might not be familiar with,” Kolodziej said.

‘Sherlock, Jr.,’ Jan. 18, 6 p.m.

“Sherlock, Jr.” features Keaton as a movie projectionist and his adventures as an amateur detective. During the filming, Keaton was seriously hurt while walking on a moving train and trying to grab a water spout.

The movie was also Keaton’s most complicated film for special optical effects and in-camera tricks. The film’s most famous trick shot involves Keaton jumping into a small suitcase and disappearing.

The film is also known for its dream sequence, where Keaton’s character leaves the projection room, walks into the theater and then steps into the film being shown.

‘The Parson’s Widow,’ 

Jan. 25, 6 p.m.

“The Parson’s Widow” is both a drama and comedy. It’s the work of Scandinavian director Carl Dreyer. The movie follows a young minister as he moves to a quaint Norwegian village where he is unfamiliar with the customs, finding himself in an awkward predicament.

The young minister, Sofren, wants to marry Mari, but her father requires them to wait until he finds a position as a parson. Sofren earns the pastor’s job at a neighboring village, but learns he must marry Dame Margarete, the elderly widow of the recently deceased parson. Growing impatient for Dame Margarete to die, Sofren engages in comical attempts to hasten her death. Kolodziej said the film includes some scenes that may be scary for younger children.

Cartoon Shorts, 

Jan. 30, 6 p.m.

Geared for children, this screening will feature cartoon shorts from the 1920s as well as information about the theater organ.