A taste of the old classics available in modern times

By Kristina Chiapella

Blockbuster hits and overpriced concessions are not to be found at the Stanford Theatre in downtown Palo Alto, which is devoted to bringing back the Hollywood movie experience of the 1930s and 1940s. From its initial opening in 1925, the Stanford Theatre served as Palo Alto's leading movie house, and in 1987 the David and Lucile Packard Foundation restored the theater to its original glory for modern-day viewers.

"Our whole purpose here is the preservation and exhibition of classic film," said the theater's Assistant Manager Chanda Stewart. "We bring out a lot of lesser-known gems, stuff that doesn't get showcased other places and that you can't get on DVD."

As movie-goers walk across the flowered carpeting into the theater itself or climb the stairs to the upper balcony and settle into the red velvet seats, they will hear the music of the Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ that is played during the intermissions before and after the 7:30 show.

The theater will likely be filled with nostalgic older couples enjoying the recreated movie experience of their youth, but Stewart said that the theater is a great date opportunity for the younger generation, as well. "It can be very romantic; we have some awfully romantic films here," Stewart said as she sang the praises of her favorite romantic film, "Roman Holiday."

An annex to the theater lobby is a small gallery, with walls covered by bright movie posters and display cases filled with other mementos, usually open before and after the 7:30 show.

The theater shows its movies in the form of "festivals" which run for about three months at a time. The current festival features Film Noir and the work of screenwriter and producer Val Lewton. Two films from 1937 will be shown over the weekend of April 14-15, including "Topper," screening at 3:40 and 7:30 p.m., and "Shall We Dance" at 5:30 and 9:20 p.m.

"All of our programming is in festival form," Steward said. "We usually try and focus it around a theme of directors, actors, producers or genres." Summer is the theater's biggest season, when they have special features of silent films like "Phantom of the Opera," and the theater's organist plays throughout the show.

On a weekend, the theater caters to anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 people, but profit is not what this theater has in mind. Owned and operated by the non-profit Stanford Theatre Foundation, it is actively involved with preserving films from the golden age of the cinema and works with several film archives.

"We're not here to make money," Stewart said. "Profits go back into film preservation, such as the UCLA film archives. Lots are in poor condition. The theater offers a place to screen them."

The theater's low prices demonstrate this fact, for with a $7 ticket viewers can stay for two films in a row, while a group of four friends can gain admission for just $24. And compared to a normal movie theater where snacks seem to cost as much as the movie ticket itself, personal food and drinks are permitted and popcorn and snacks can be purchased at a reasonable price.

Located on University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto about a 20-minute drive from campus, the surrounding area offers a large variety of restaurants to choose from before or after a show. There are two public parking structures within two blocks of the theater, one on Bryant Street in the first block north of University Avenue, and the other on High Street in the first block south of University Avenue.

With films the world has long forgotten along with movies starring big-name actors of the past like Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, the Stanford Theatre offers a fresh contrast to the giant and impersonal multiplexes common today. The old-fashioned theater is a step back in time and a unique opportunity for classic-film buffs or anyone who just wants to experience the classics.

Contact Kristina Chiapella at (408) 551-1918 or kchiapella@scu.edu.