TOSDV Silent Film Festival 2025

The Theatre Organ Society of the Delaware Valley (TOSDV) presents its 2025 Silent Film Festival. The festival features two comedy classics from the Golden Age of Cinema with Don Kinnier providing the accompaniment. The day begins at 10:00 AM.

RUNNING ORDER FOR THE DAY

10:00 AM: The Cruise of the Jasper B (1926, 1hr 1 min) Director: James W. Horne

Jerry Cleggett (Rod La Rocque), the descendant of a seafaring buccaneer, is seeking a wife he must marry before noon on his 21st birthday or lose his inheritance.

11:10 AM: Intermission (10 Minutes) 

11:20 AM: Ella Cinders (1926, 1 hour and 15 minutes) Director: Alfred E. Green

A young woman (Colleen Moore) enters a contest in spite of her wicked stepsisters and wins a trip to Hollywood.

THE ORGANIST

Don Kinnier has been accompanying silent films since 1963. He has become well known to concert, comedy and silent film audiences throughout the Delaware Valley and beyond. Don’s programs are light-hearted, easygoing fun, and contain a large dose of good-natured humor, both verbal and musical.

Though classically trained in Philadelphia in the 1950’s Don ultimately decided not to “go for baroque” and turned to the theater organ as an outlet for his musical expression. (Don’s mother always insisted it was the fact that the G.I Jive was playing in the delivery room at his birth that influenced his musical direction.)

Don has accompanied classic silent films at the Philadelphia Film Festival and continues providing original scores for a broad selection of unique silent films at The Secret Cinema’s showings at venues around Philadelphia. On the serious side, Wait…What serious side?

“Don loves old films of all kinds and has a special fondness for the obscure and “forgotten” gems which he says are a great challenge to interpret and accompany. His style of film accompaniment is as authentic as one is likely to experience without the help of a time machine. He draws upon extensive knowledge of music both classical and popular for the themes, motifs, and moods he skillfully blends into a seamless score. It was often the case in the silent days that certain accompanists were so popular that people went to hear them play no matter what film was showing. Don has managed to add that bit of authenticity to his list of accomplishments as well.” – Joseph P. Eckhardt, film historian

This program benefits the Theatre Organ Society of the Delaware Valley (TOSDV) Theatre Organ Restoration Fund. For additional information visit TOSDV.org; email info@tosdv.com.

TICKETS*

Festival General Admission: $12.00
Festival Children’s Ticket (Under 16): $7.00

*Please note that all ticket prices include a $2.00 processing fee.