Wanamaker Building Screens Silent Horror Films With Live Organ Music

The historic Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia is hosting a special "Pipe Up!" pop-up film series leading up to Halloween, showcasing silent horror films with live organ music.

The curated lineup includes classic silent horror films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922), and Faust (1926), as well as lesser-known Swedish titles such as The Phantom Carriage (1921) and Häxan (1922).

This series began on Monday, Oct. 27, with Faust and concludes on Friday, Oct. 31, with Häxan. All screenings start at 7 p.m. at the Wanamaker Building, 1300 Market St. Free admission is available through advance registration.

Film historian Carrie Rickey noted that these horror films are creepy and inventive, influencing modern horror and embodying folk and fairy tale qualities.

“What was scary a century ago when the great German filmmakers invented these templates of the modern horror movie isn't exactly spine-tingling today,” said Rickey. “But they are creepy, in the manner of folk and fairy tales — and artists like Hieronymus Bosch. They get under the skin.” 

All screenings take place in the Greek Hall of the Wanamaker Building. The hall features a restored 1929 Wurlitzer theater organ operated by organists who focus on improvisation and thematic scoring to enhance the film-viewing experience. 

Among the organists performing for the series is Peter Richard Conte, the Wanamaker Grand Court organist. According The Philadelphia Inquirer, Conte will use a unique scoring style that involves watching each film multiple times to create seamless, immersive soundtracks. Conte said he avoids familiar tunes to keep the focus on the film.

“What you want to do is disappear. If the audience forgets that you're there,” Conte told The Philadelphia Inquirer, “that's the biggest compliment I can get.”

In addition to these screenings, Conte will perform a live-to-screen presentation of The Phantom of the Opera (1925) on Nov. 10.