The Secret Cinema will bring Erich von Stroheim’s 1924 silent epic Greed back to the big screen at Glen Foerd on Friday, January 24, from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
The screening, part of the nonprofit’s special event series, will feature live music on the restored 1902 Haskell pipe organ, played by organist Don Kinnier.
Adapted from Frank Norris’s McTeague: A Story of San Francisco, Greed is a landmark in early cinema, praised for its raw storytelling and realism—though it’s equally infamous for the studio’s drastic cuts, which left much of its original footage lost.
Von Stroheim, known for his insistence on authenticity, shot nearly 85 hours of film over seven months, taking his cast and crew to real locations, including the sweltering heat of Death Valley, where one crew member tragically died of heatstroke.
Von Stroheim’s determination to stay true to Norris’s work led him to film every scene in actual locations described in the novel, including surviving buildings from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Despite the original vision of a 42-reel film, which many insiders called the greatest film ever made, studio demands led to drastic reductions.
The film was ultimately cut down to just ten reels, with subplots and characters removed. Von Stroheim famously described the final edit as the work of “a hack with nothing in his mind but a hat.”
Though severely shortened, the film that survives today remains a monumental achievement in the silent film era, hailed for its portrayal of obsession and madness.
The screening will take place in the second-floor art gallery at Glen Foerd, accessible only by stairs.
Concessions will be available at a pop-up bar before and after the event, with soft pretzels, drinks, beer, and wine for purchase.
General admission tickets are $25, while students and seniors can attend for $20.
This rare opportunity to see Greed in such a historic setting gives you a glimpse into the grandeur of early cinema, accompanied by a live organ performance that will only enhance the experience.
So, don’t miss this chance to see a true silent film masterpiece.
