Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Classic silent movie “Speedy” accompanied on organ by Douglas Rust Step back in time—and step up to the plate—for a truly historic celebration of America’s 250th birthday! Join us for a live‑organ‑accompanied screening of Speedy (1928), Harold Lloyd’s final silent masterpiece, starring Harold “Speedy” Swift, Ann Christy as Jane, and a guest appearance by Babe Ruth himself! Speedy, a die‑hard Yankee fan, works odd jobs—from soda jerk to cab driver—and famously delivers Babe Ruth to Yankee Stadium in a wild, slapstick-filled ride through ’20s New York. Along the way, he helps save his girlfriend’s grandfather’s last horse‑drawn trolley line from a railroad crackdown—with scenes filmed on location at Coney Island and Yankee Stadium. This isn’t just a movie: it’s a salute to America’s love of baseball, community, and ingenuity. We invite audiences of all generations to dress in red, white, and blue—hat tip to the fans in the stands! Hear every joy and gasp via rich organ music, feel the era come alive, and relish the legacy of silent cinema as it meets America’s favorite pastime. Perfect for families, film buffs, and baseball lovers—this afternoon promises laughter, thrills, and a grand slam connection to our nation’s cultural roots. Presented by Forrest County with support from the City of Hattiesburg, Southern Miss College of Arts and Sciences, Southern Miss School of Music, Payne Companies, and VERB Architecture About Douglas Rust Douglas Rust has accompanied silent films at the Hattiesburg Saenger Theatre for Festival South every summer since 2023 and most every Halloween at USM Marsh Auditorium since 2014. He also performed as a guest theater organist at the Plaza Classic Film Festival 2019-2024 in El Paso, TX. A church organist from his youth, Rust first encountered silent film accompaniment during his graduate studies in music at Yale University in the 1990s, where he heard organist Paul Fleckenstein accompany Phantom of the Opera (1925) before a…