OGDEN’S ORIGINAL MOVIE THEATER RETURNS 1924-STYLE
Peery's Egyptian Theater celebrates 100 years with Black and White Film Series.
Photo courtesy of Peery’s Egyptian Theater
NEWS
A Black & White Film Series begins Friday at Peery's Egyptian Theater to mark the 100th anniversary of the historic movie theater in Ogden. The 1921 Charlie Chaplin silent comedy The Kid is the first in a series of seven classic films to be shown throughout the year — with the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ played live at each screening to invite the magic of the past.
”THE SHOWPLACE OF THE WEST”
Peery’s Egyptian Theater opened in 1924 as a movie palace at the height of the silent film era. Soon after came the “talkies,” and the Golden Years at Ogden’s grand movie theater continued until the early 1960s. The theater was referred to as the “Showplace of the West” in its heyday.
While not the original that “rendered music and sound effects for the silent movies and stage events there for some 35 years,” the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ at the Egyptian theater today was painstakingly re-installed through efforts by the Egyptian Theatre Foundation; their website states that 1,400 pipes and other key components are original Wurlitzer parts manufactured in the 1920s.
BLACK & WHITE FILM SERIES
Beginning with The Kid on Friday, February 2, the film series will continue through December with It Happened One Night, Maltese Falcon, Psycho, Shop Around the Corner, and It’s a Wonderful Life. The film in April, originally scheduled as Swing Time, will be announced.
All films begin at 7 p.m. with a prelude from the Mighty Wurlitzer organ. Season tickets are $50 for all seven film screenings. Individual show tickets are $10.
The Kid, February 2
The Kid is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin's first full-length feature is a silent masterpiece about a little tramp who discovers a little orphan and brings him up but is left desolate when the orphanage reclaims him. Film info is provided by Peery's Egyptian Theater at ogdenpet.com/events.
Photos provided by Peery’s Egyptian Theater.
It happened one night, March 5
It Happened One Night was released in 1934 and is a romantic comedy, spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) impetuously marries the scheming King Westley, leading her tycoon father (Walter Connolly) to spirit her away on his yacht. After jumping ship, Ellie falls in with cynical newspaper reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable), who offers to help her reunite with her new husband in exchange for an exclusive story. But during their travels, the reporter finds himself falling for the feisty young heiress. Film info is provided by Peery's Egyptian Theater at ogdenpet.com/events.
the maltese falcon, August 23
The Maltese Falcon was released in 1941 is noir classic. Detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man (Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon. Film info is provided by Peery's Egyptian Theater at ogdenpet.com/events.
fULL SCHEDULE
Feb. 2: The Kid
Mar. 5: It Happened One Night
Apr. 3: TBA
Aug. 23: Maltese Falcon
Oct. 2: Psycho
Nov. 6: Shop Around the Corner
Dec. 10: It's a Wonderful Life
Last weekend’s Gala featuring Marie Osmond kicked off a series of events to celebrate 100 years of Peery’s Egyptian Theater (1924-2024); in addition to the Black & White Film Series, there will be a concert with Chamber Orchestra Ogden on March 23. Visit ogdenpet.com/events for details.
Disclosure: Deann Armes is a board member of the Egyptian Theatre Foundation. The article, however, was written with readers’ interests in mind and not as a solicited promotion for the Foundation or theater.
