Outdoor Silent Movies in the Courtyard begin August Friday, August 14.
The Capitol Theatre will present an outdoor silent movie show with live piano accompaniment in the courtyard behind the Cinema Capitol building at 230 W. Dominick Street on Friday, August 14, at 8:15 pm.
The show, which will run approx. 1 hour, 40 minutes including an intermission, will consist of four short silent films originally released between 1911 and 1922. They will feature live musical accompaniment by Aaron Browka on the piano. The program will be as follows:
The Lonedale Operator (Biograph, 1911; directed by D.W. Griffith) starring Blanche Sweet
The Bank (Essanay, 1915; directed by Charles Chaplin) starring Charlie Chaplin
Intermission
Get Out and Get Under (Rolin, 1920; directed by Hal Roach) starring Harold Lloyd
The Goat (MGM, 1921; directed by Mal St. Clair and Buster Keaton) starring Buster Keaton
The program is suitable for general audiences. Tickets will be sold on a “pay-what-you-like” basis and the box office will open at 6:15, two hours before show time. Concessions will be available for purchase and rest room facilities will be available in the Cinema Capitol building. Those attending are encouraged to bring their own seating, though some chairs will be provided by the Capitol for those who are not able to bring their own. All attendees will be required to wear a mask while procuring their tickets and entering the screening area (dubbed the “Capitol Courtyard Cinema”) but will be permitted to remove their mask while seated. Parties may sit together, but seating will be arranged so that parties will be at least six feet from each other. Because attendance will be limited, attendees are encouraged to arrive in advance. Those doing so will be permitted to “stake out” their seats and leave the premises if desired. Additional information is available from the Capitol Theatre at [email protected]. Executive Director Art Pierce notes that the program will “offer a very entertaining show featuring the three greatest comedians of the silent era. Outdoor movies were occasionally shown in those days, and circumstances have encouraged us to revive that sort of program and, at the same time, give our patrons the chance to experience what it was like to attend such a show a century ago!”
Capitolfest 2021•AUGUST 13, 14, 15
We’ve been hoping against hope that we could carry on with Capitolfest this year but, ultimately, we’ve discovered it just isn’t going to be possible. The deciding factor was the fact that theaters were pulled out of the fourth phase of our state’s reopening plan on June 26 and, to date, there has been no indication as to when we will be able to open. With the scheduled start date of Capitolfest now about a month away, we didn’t feel we could wait any longer before cancelling the show.
Those who have already sent in their registrations will be contacted about their options (including refunds or transfers of registrations to next year’s show). Meanwhile, we are busy planning for Capitolfest 2021 (August 13, 14, 15) which, as it turns out, will be Capitolfest 18 after all. Our tribute stars will be Constance & Joan Bennett, and we’ve already got several very impressive titles lined up. (We think they’re impressive, anyway.) Many of the films we announced for this year (The Capitolfest That Didn’t Happen) will be moved to next year but, because we have so many Bennett sisters films already planned, some of those that were slated for this year will have to be worked into the schedules for subsequent years and, alas, a few won’t make it in at all. (If any of the planned pictures end up being released on home video or shown on television before we get around to showing them, they’ll obviously be dropped from consideration.) We have kicked around the idea of doing a mini festival of some sort in the late winter (somewhere around where the legendary Cinefest used to take place), but that’s just talk at this point. (Quick survey question, would anybody be interested in such an event?)
And so, we thank all of our patrons who had faith in us. We hope you understand our position, and we certainly hope to see all of you next year!
We’ve been hoping against hope that we could carry on with Capitolfest this year but, ultimately, we’ve discovered it just isn’t going to be possible. The deciding factor was the fact that theaters were pulled out of the fourth phase of our state’s reopening plan on June 26 and, to date, there has been no indication as to when we will be able to open. With the scheduled start date of Capitolfest now about a month away, we didn’t feel we could wait any longer before cancelling the show.
Those who have already sent in their registrations will be contacted about their options (including refunds or transfers of registrations to next year’s show). Meanwhile, we are busy planning for Capitolfest 2021 (August 13, 14, 15) which, as it turns out, will be Capitolfest 18 after all. Our tribute stars will be Constance & Joan Bennett, and we’ve already got several very impressive titles lined up. (We think they’re impressive, anyway.) Many of the films we announced for this year (The Capitolfest That Didn’t Happen) will be moved to next year but, because we have so many Bennett sisters films already planned, some of those that were slated for this year will have to be worked into the schedules for subsequent years and, alas, a few won’t make it in at all. (If any of the planned pictures end up being released on home video or shown on television before we get around to showing them, they’ll obviously be dropped from consideration.) We have kicked around the idea of doing a mini festival of some sort in the late winter (somewhere around where the legendary Cinefest used to take place), but that’s just talk at this point. (Quick survey question, would anybody be interested in such an event?)
And so, we thank all of our patrons who had faith in us. We hope you understand our position, and we certainly hope to see all of you next year!