THE MISSION OF HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE IS
TO PRESERVE, PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE
HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE AND ARTIFACTS
OF HOLLYWOOD
✨ THE SILENT SOCIETY ✨
Since 1986
A summer tradition: Experience silent cinema with live music under the night sky!
The Son of the Sheik (1926)
Sunday, July 26
8:00 PM Screening
King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, CA
Free admission. No RSVP required.
About the Film
The Son of the Sheik (1926), starring Rudolph Valentino
and Vilma Banky, launches the 40th year of Silent Under
the Stars, a signature presentation of Hollywood Heritage.
The film will feature original live music performed by
Michael D. Mortilla.
The screening marks the 100th anniversary of Valentino's
final film - released just weeks after his untimely passing
at age 31 on August 23, 1926. A sequel to one of his
earliest starring roles, Valentino appears in a dual
performance: both the Sheik and his son, who wrestles
with his devotion to a young dancer he believes has
betrayed him. Join us in celebrating one of cinema's most
magnetic and influential performers.
Directed by George Fitzmaurice.
Evening Schedule
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6:30 PM - Guided walking tours
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Visitor Center open until 7:30 PM
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8:00 PM - Introduction by Randy Haberkamp, founder of Silents Under the Stars
About the Venue
The King Gillette Ranch served as the home of director Clarence Brown from 1935 to 1962.
Directions
101 Freeway -> Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon
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South on Las Virgenes Road for 3 miles
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Left on Mulholland Highway
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Free parking entrance 500 ft on the right
King Gillette Ranch
26876 Mulholland Highway
Calabasas, CA 91302
--
coming soon!
Trail of '98 (1928)
Sunday, August 23
7:30 PM Screening
Free admission. No RSVP required.
ABOUT THE SILENT SOCIETY
Founded on April 1, 1986, at what was then the Hollywood Studio Museum (now the Hollywood Heritage Museum), the Silent Society, emerged at a time when silent cinema was rarely accessible outside major archives. Its inaugural program brought Cecil B. DeMille's The Cheat (1915) and Abel Gance's Mater Dolorosa (1917) to Hollywood - reuniting these early works with the very same barn where the motion picture industry was born.
Established by Randy Haberkamp, David Shepard, Kenn Honeychurch, Sean McCord, and Donna Fisk, together with Museum Director Richard Adkins and a dedicated team of collaborators, the Silent Society quickly became an integral part of Hollywood Heritage. In 1989, it was formally recognized as a committee of the organization, and since then has presented nearly 400 silent film programs.
The Silent Society is best known for its beloved Silent Under the Stars series at Paramount Ranch, as well as special events such as the 1989 Charlie Chaplin Centennial celebration held at Chaplin's former studio. Programs frequently feature live musical accompaniment by distinguished performers, along with appearances by filmmakers, historians, and family members connected to the silent era.
In addition to screenings at the Hollywood Heritage Museum, the Silent Society has presented programs throughout Southern California, across the United States, and internationally -including appearances at the renowned Pordenone Silent Film Festival in Italy.
Through fundraising efforts and key partnerships -most notably with the UCLA Film & Television Archive -the Silent Society has helped preserve more than 20 silent-era works, including rare and previously lost films.
For nearly four decades, the Silent Society has played a vital role in preserving, presenting, and celebrating silent cinema, ensuring that this foundational chapter of film history remains accessible and inspiring to audiences today.