There are plenty of ways to spend Father’s Day in Mississippi.
You can grill in the backyard. You can watch baseball or World Cup on TV. You can take dad to lunch after church. But this year in Hattiesburg, there is a different kind of baseball afternoon waiting downtown. One that feels like it was pulled straight out of a scorebook from another century.
This Father’s Day, Hattiesburg sports fans will have a chance to step back into one of baseball’s most fascinating eras when the historic Hattiesburg Saenger Theater hosts a special screening of the silent film Speedy.
The 1928 comedy stars silent film icon Harold Lloyd and features a brief cameo from none other than baseball legend Babe Ruth. While Ruth only appears on screen for a short time, his presence connects the film directly to the golden age of America’s pastime.
Adding to the experience, Dr. Douglas Rust, associate professor of music at Southern Miss, will provide live accompaniment on the Saenger’s historic Robert Morgan Pipe Organ, performing baseball-themed music and recreating the way audiences experienced movies nearly a century ago.
A Movie from Baseball’s Golden Age
Released in 1928, Speedy follows Harold “Speedy” Swift, an energetic young Yankees fan navigating life in New York City.
The film captures a fascinating snapshot of America during the height of the Roaring Twenties, including scenes filmed around Yankee Stadium and a memorable appearance by Babe Ruth, who was arguably the most famous athlete on the planet at the time.
Long before television contracts, fantasy leagues, and social media highlights, Ruth transformed baseball into America’s game. His larger-than-life personality helped turn professional athletes into celebrities and made baseball a centerpiece of American culture.
Seeing that era preserved on film is a rare opportunity.
For baseball fans, Speedy serves as a time capsule back to the days when Ruth ruled the sports world and Yankee Stadium was still known as “The House That Ruth Built.”
Saenger Theater: The Perfect Venue
The setting may be just as important as the film itself.
The Hattiesburg Saenger opened its doors on Thanksgiving Day in 1929, just one year after Speedy first appeared in theaters. For residents of the growing Pine Belt city, it was unlike anything they had ever seen.
Children could attend for just six cents, but the experience felt priceless. The Saenger wasn’t simply a place to watch movies, it was a destination. Visitors stepped beneath an elaborate chandelier that became one of the theater’s defining features. According to local lore, some parents even warned their children not to sit directly underneath it for fear the massive fixture might come crashing down.
Perhaps the most remarkable attraction was the theater organ.
Long before surround sound and digital speakers, audiences were entertained by live organ music before films and between showings. The organ could imitate entire orchestras, recreate sound effects, and provide dramatic accompaniment for silent films. For many Hattiesburg residents, the sound of a theater organ became inseparable from the movie-going experience, creating memories that would last a lifetime.
The Saenger quickly established itself as Hattiesburg’s premier movie palace. While other theaters operated throughout the city, the Saenger was known for bringing the biggest first-run films to town. During its heyday, it often featured three different movies each week, giving moviegoers a reason to return again and again.
Nearly a century later, the theater remains one of Mississippi’s architectural treasures and one of downtown Hattiesburg’s most recognizable landmarks.
What makes this Father’s Day event especially unique is that audiences will experience the Saenger much like patrons did when the building was new. They’ll watch a film from the late 1920s, hear live organ music filling the auditorium, and spend an afternoon immersed in the same sights and sounds that entertained Hattiesburg families nearly 100 years ago.
For a few hours, the clock turns back to the era when Babe Ruth dominated baseball headlines, silent films captivated audiences, and the Saenger stood as the crown jewel of entertainment in South Mississippi.
The Soundtrack of a Bygone Era
One of the most remarkable features of the Saenger is its Robert Morgan Pipe Organ.
Unlike modern movie theaters where sound is built into the film, silent movies relied on live musicians to provide emotion, excitement, suspense, and energy.
Every chase scene, every laugh, and every dramatic moment was brought to life by an organist seated beneath the screen.
Sunday’s audience will experience that tradition firsthand as Dr. Douglas Rust performs live accompaniment throughout the film.
Rust has spent years preserving the art of silent-film performance, and his baseball-themed score promises to add an extra layer of nostalgia to an already unique afternoon.
The organ becomes the crowd noise. It becomes the marching band. It becomes the crack of the bat and the excitement of a pennant race. In many ways, the music is just as important as the movie.
Part of FestivalSouth’s Celebration of the Arts
The Father’s Day screening is presented as part of FestivalSouth, the annual multi-disciplinary arts festival that has become one of Hattiesburg’s signature cultural events.
Founded in 2010, FestivalSouth brings together musicians, visual artists, performers, authors, filmmakers, and educators for nearly two weeks of programming across the Hub City each summer. What began as a music-focused festival has grown into Mississippi’s largest multi-arts festival, drawing thousands of visitors to concerts, theatrical performances, art exhibits, educational programs, and community events.
One of FestivalSouth’s greatest strengths is its ability to blend local history, culture, and entertainment into experiences that appeal to a wide audience. While many visitors attend for the symphony performances, Broadway-style productions, and art exhibitions, events like Take Me Out to the Ball Game demonstrate the festival’s commitment to showcasing unique pieces of American history as well.
The screening of Speedy fits perfectly within FestivalSouth’s mission. It combines film, music, history, and community while celebrating one of America’s most enduring cultural traditions—baseball.
For one afternoon, FestivalSouth transforms the historic Saenger into something that feels part theater, part museum, and part ballpark, allowing audiences to experience the sights and sounds of the 1920s in a way few communities can offer.
A Father’s Day Worth Remembering
There are plenty of Father’s Day events across Mississippi each year. Few combine sports history, local history, music, architecture, and family tradition quite like this one. For baseball fans, it is a chance to see Babe Ruth’s era preserved on film.
For movie lovers, it is an opportunity to experience silent cinema as audiences did nearly 100 years ago. For Hattiesburg residents, it is another reminder of why the Saenger remains one of the city’s crown jewels. And for fathers and sons, it is a chance to spend an afternoon together celebrating one of America’s oldest traditions.
Baseball may be played on diamonds, but its history lives in many places. This Father’s Day, some of it will be living inside the Saenger Theater.
Nearly a century after Babe Ruth appeared on screen and the Saenger first opened its doors, both are still bringing people together for an afternoon at the ballgame.
Event Information
Event: Take Me Out to the Ball Game! Silent Film Screening of Speedy (1928)
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Doors Open: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Hattiesburg Saenger Theater
201 Forrest Street
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Admission: FREE
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