We also celebrate Jimmy Stewart's centennial with a dozen titles, including five directed by Anthony Mann, who helped reveal a more psychologically complex side to the actor who talked to rabbits. Of course we also include Harvey (1950).
The rest of our calendar consists of films that have remained popular with our audiences for many years, including silent films every other Wednesday.
Tickets for the double feature are $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors (65 and over) and young people (18 and under). Gift Certificates worth four general admissions can be purchased for $24. You can always enjoy the Mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ before and after the 7:30 show. Our Gallery offers exhibits of original posters and other items. Please note that cell phones and food (other than candy, popcorn, and drinks) are not allowed in the theatre.
The Stanford Theatre is dedicated to bringing back the movie-going experience of Hollywood's Golden Age. Great classic films were not made to be watched on a video screen in your living room. They depend on a larger-than-life image, and the shared reactions of a real audience.
The Stanford Theatre first opened in June of 1925. For decades nearly every important Hollywood picture played there on its first release. The people of Palo Alto saw them all for the very first time in this theatre.
In 1987 the Packard Foundation bought the theatre and restored it to its original condition. It quickly became America's most popular classic movie house. More people saw Casablanca there on its 50th anniverary in 1992 than at any other theatre in America.
The non-profit Stanford Theatre Foundation is dedicated to the preservation and public exhibition of films from the golden age of Hollywood.
Note: This is an unofficial posting of the Stanford Theatre schedules, from published information. This site is in no way connected with the Stanford Theatre nor the Stanford Theatre Foundation. Please check out the official site at http://www.stanfordtheatre.org in case this schedule isn't quite up-to-date! Programs are subject to change. For information, call (650) 324-3700.
(Showtimes in parentheses are for the Saturday and Sunday screenings.)
Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Gale Sondergaard, Sen Yung, Frieda Inescort, Bruce Lester, Elizabeth Earl, Cecil Kellaway, Doris Lloyd, Willia Fung, Tetsu Komai.
The wife of a rubber plantation owner kills a man and becomes involved in blackmail. This superior melodrama (from a story by Somerset Maugham) gave Bette Davis one of her very best roles.
To match the Malayan setting, Steiner added an Oriental flavor to his lush symphonic style. According to the Hollywood Reporter, "The musical background of Max Steiner is truly his masterpiece, and a great contributing factor to the success of the show."
last played Aug 2004
Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Gladys Cooper, John Loder, Bonita Granville, Ilka Chase, Franklin Pangborn.
The awkward daughter of a dominating Boston society matron eventually finds happiness.
One of Hollywood's most shamelessly romantic pictures won the Academy Award for best musical score. According to Bette Davis, "Max understood more about drama than any of us."
last played Sep 2007
Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Noah Young.
Dennis James at the mighty Wurlitzer.
In his most famous role, Harold scales a skyscraper (and winds up dangling from a clock) to win $1,000.
Safety Last has proven to be by far the most popular silent film at the Stanford Theatre. Thousands have seen it!
last played Aug 2006
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, & Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont, Oscar Shaw, Mary Eaton, Kay Francis, Basil Ruysdael, Cyril Ring.
Groucho plays Hammer, a wily entrepeneur and real estate speculator on the side, whose giant Hotel de Cocoanut is filled with guests but has only one paying customer. While he schemes to pull himself out of his financial woes, Harpo and Chico pickpocket and pilfer to pay their bill.
The Marx Brothers' first feature, adapted from their Broadway musical comedy about the Florida land boom. It was filmed at Astoria Studios.
last played Feb 2005
James Stewart, Walter Brennan, Ruth Roman, Corinne Calvet, John McIntire.
A cowboy brings his herd to sell in Alaska. After demonstrating his skill at looking after his own interests in a hostile world, he finally decides to take a stand for civilization.
The Canadian Rockies provide a striking background, overshadowing the human struggles.
last played May 2004
James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Rock Hudson, Julia Adams, Lori Nelson, Jay C. Flippen, Henry Morgan, Royal Dano, Stepin Fetchit.
A reformed outlaw (Stewart) leads a wagon train of settlers to Oregon and proves himself worthy of their trust. Along the way he rescues a man from lynching. The man (Kennedy) helps save the party from an Indian raid, but his commitment to civilization is more ambiguous.
The photography of the Snake River and Mt. Hood would justify this film purely as a travelogue, but the psychological complexity of the characters and the basic human truths underlying the story make this one of the supreme achievements of the western genre.
last played Mar 2004
Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Ned Glass, Jacques Marin, Paul Bonifas, Dominique Minot.
A woman (Audrey Hepburn) returns from a trip to discover her home has been ransacked, her husband has been murdered, and the killers are now after her. Cary Grant is the mystery man who shows up to assist her, but can she trust him?
Audrey Hepburn's only movie with Cary Grant was this Hitchcock-inspired blend of suspense, comedy, and romance, made in Paris.
last played Aug 2005
Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Charles Boyer, Hugh Griffith, Eli Wallach, Fernand Gravet, Marcel Dalio.
The daughter of a master art forger must retrieve one of her father's works from the museum,and she enlists the aid of a supposed burglar.
first played at the Stanford Theatre Aug. 24, 1966; last played Sep 2000
Jennifer Jones, William Holden, Torin Thatcher, Isobel Elsom, Murray Matheson, Virginia Gregg, Richard Loo.
A war correspondent (William Holden) covering the Korean War falls in love with a Eurasian doctor (Jennifer Jones). This intensely romantic film was beautifully filmed on location in Hong Kong. The title song was a popular hit.
last played Dec 2006
Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida. Robert Morley, Peter Lorre, Edward Underdown, Ivor Barnard, Bernard Lee, Marco Tulli, Mario Perroni, Alex Pochet, Aldo Silvani, Giulio Donnini, Saro Urzi, Juan de Landa, Manuel Serano, Mimo Poli.
A cast of unconventional characters seeks an elusive plot of land in Africa, which supposedly contains uranium. This "screwball noir" (shot on location in Italy) was neglected on its first release but now is regarded as a cult classic.
"It succeeded in some original (and perhaps dangerously marginal) way by finding a style of its own." Pauline Kael
last played Aug 2005
Bette Davis, George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan, Henry Travers, Cora Witherspoon, Dorothy Peterson.
In this three-handkerchief Bette Davis classic, a Long Island society belle meets an early death "beautifully and finely."
Bogart plays her amorous Irish horse trainer in a role redolent of Lady Chatterly's Lover. Reagan's role as an oft-drunk playboy gained him positive critical notice.
last played Aug 2004
Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright, Richard Carlson, Charles Dingle, Dan Duryea, Patricia Collinge, Charles Dingle, Carl Benton Reid, Jessie Grayson, John Marriott, Russell Hicks, Lucien Littlefield, Virginia Brissac
A shrewd, ruthless woman will stop at nothing to get what she wants. In one of her greatest roles, Bette Davis offers a fascinating and compelling portrayal of the malignant Regina Giddens.
last played Dec 2003
Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Banky, George Fawcett, Montague Love, Karl Dane, Agnes Ayres.
Dennis James at the mighty Wurlitzer.
Adventure-romance (with an equal measure of humor) about the son of a sheik and hispursuit of a danving girl. Valentino ("the Great Lover") has dual roles as the original Sheik and his dashing, headstrong son.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Anthony Quinn, Dona Drake.
In what many consider to be the best of the Road pictures, Bing Crosby sells Bob Hope into slavery to beautiful princess Dorothy Lamour. Crosby's guilt (and a nightmare visit from Aunt Lucy) send him to his pal's rescue -- only to find Hope living in luxury as the princess' intended husband. Wisecracking camels, desert mirage mix-ups and wonderful songs are among the many highlights of this delightfully zany film.
Songs: Road to Morocco, Moonlight Becomes You, Constantly, and Ain't Got a Dime to My Name.
last played May 2003
James Stewart, June Allyson, Harry Morgan, Charles Drake, Frances Langford, Louis Armstrong, Gene Krupa.
This musical biography of the great bandleader was one of Stewart's biggest box office hits. The story is told effectively, and the extensive musical numbers make this a very pleasing film.
We will be showing an original Technicolor print with original magnetic stereophonic sound.
last played Mar 2004
George Montgomery, Ann Rutherford, Glenn Miller and his Band, Lynn Bari, Carole Landis, Cesar Romero, Virginia Gilmore, Mary Beth Hughes, Nicholas Brothers, Tamara Geva, Frank Orth, Tex Beneke.
A naive young woman marries a trumpet player and tries to adjust to life on the road as an orchestra wife. This was Glenn Miller's second and final film.
Songs include Moonlight Serenade, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, and I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo.
last played Jul 2006
Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power, Harcourt Williams.
A young princess on a European goodwill tour escapes her guardians for 24 hours of freedom in Rome with an American reporter (Gregory Peck).
The whole world fell in love with Audrey Hepburn in her first Hollywood role. The film received a total of ten Oscar nominations and Audrey was voted Best Actress.
first played at the Stanford Theatre Sep 20, 1953; last played Jul 2006
Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, John McGiver, Mickey Rooney.
Charmingly degenerate and enormously popular fairy tale about madcap Holly Golightly, who lives on the money men give her but finds a soulmate in the "kept" writer living in the apartment above. Her rendition of "Moon River" (Hepburn's own voice) helped it win the Academy Award as Best Song.
For those who may disapprove of Mickey Rooney's racial caricature of Mr. Yunioshi, we offer this quotation from his autobiography: "I was downright ashamed of my role."
first played at the Stanford Theatre Oct 31, 1961; last played Sep 2006
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont, Edgar Kennedy, Louis Calhern, Raquel Torres.
Arguably the Marx Brothers' best film, yet poorly received when released and criticized for being unconventional. The story is a somewhat surreal farce about war and international diplomacy.
last played Feb 2005
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, & Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont, Lillian Roth, Louis Sorin, Robert Greig, Hal Thompson.
Fearless African explorer Capt. Jeffrey Spaulding (Groucho) and his secretary Horatio (Zeppo) join a society party in progress. On their heels are Signor Emanuel Revelli (Chico) and the Professor (Harpo).
The songs, including Hooray for Captain Spaulding, the African Explorer, are by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby (played by Fred Astaire and Red Skelton in Three Little Words).
last played Feb 2005
Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller, Keenan Wynn, Bobby Van, Tommy Rall, James Whitmore, Bob Fosse, Kurt Kasnar.
In Cole Porter's backstage musical version of The Taming of the Shrew, life imitates art as the tempestuous stars battle each other onstage and off. Brush up your Shakespeare!
last played Feb 2004
Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Millard Mitchell, Jean Hagen, Rita Moreno, Cyd Charisse, Douglas Fowley.
Perhaps the most popular film musical of all time is set in Hollywood at the dawn of talking pictures. Silent stars Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lena Lamont (Jean Hagen) are making their first sound picture. When Lena's voice doesn't quite match her glamorous image, up-and-comer Debbie Reynolds steps in.
last played Jan 2007
Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee, Harry Myers.
The little tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind girl. This funny, heartbreaking film is considered by many to be Chaplin's greatest masterpiece.
This is a silent film, but it has a sound track with music composed by Chaplin.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins, George Barbier, Charles Ruggles, Hugh O'Connell.
During a parade, Lieutenant Niki (Chevalier) winks at his sweetheart Franzi (Colbert) across the street; but Princess Anna (Hopkins) thinks the wink was meant for her. The scandal leads to a royal marriage for Niki. Lubitsch's third musical film is a unique blend of the developing tradition of American musical comedy with the conventions of Viennese operetta.
last played Feb 2001
James Stewart, June Allyson, Frank Lovejoy, Barry Sullivan, Alex Nicol.
As the Cold War heats up, a big-league baseball player is recalled to active duty in the Air Force.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
James Stewart, Merlene Dietrich, Glynis Johns, Jack Hawkins, Janette Scott, Elizabeth Allan, Kenneth More.
An eccentric aeronautics scientist is convinced that the plane he is on is destined to crash.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Vivien Leigh, Robert Taylor, Lucile Watson, Virginia Field, Maria Ouspenskaya, C. Aubrey Smith, Steffi Duna.
A ballerina (Leigh) and a soldier (Taylor) fall in love during an air raid on London. This was Vivien Leigh's first film after Gone With the Wind.
Old Hollywood had a unique skill at making sentimental, romantic movies that capture the emotions of people who probably should know better. This bittersweet love story often has a powerful impact on viewers with a romantic disposition.
last played Sep 2005
Alice Faye, Betty Grable, John Payne, Jack Oakie, Allen Jenkins, Esther Ralston, The Nicholas Brothers, John Loder, Elisha Cook, Jr.
Songs: "You Say the Sweetest Things, Baby"; "America, I Love You"; "Goodbye, Broadway, Hello, France"; "K-K-K-Katy"; "Moonlight Bay"; "Honeysuckle Rose"; "The Sheik of Araby"
This snappy Fox musical about a couple of down-and-out songwriters features Alice Faye and Betty Grable as two sisters who introduce some of their songs. Alice Faye sings two of her all-time best numbers, You Say the Sweetest Things, Baby and America, I Love You, and the Nicholas Brothers do a sensational tap dance number to The Sheik of Araby.
first played at the Stanford Theatre Dec 15, 1940; last played May 2001
Bette Davis, Charles Boyer, Jeffrey Lynn, Barbara O'Neil, Virginia Weidler.
The romance between a governess and a Duke has tragic consequences. Wonderful romantic historical soap opera in the best classic Hollywood tradition.
Davis' understated performance and Boyer's intensity work well together; Barbara O'Neil (Scarlet O'Hara's mother in Gone With the Wind) is exceptional as the Duke's venomous, unbalanced wife.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Bette Davis, Paul Lukas, Gerladine Fitzgerald, Lucile Watson, Beulah Bondi.
An American woman and her German husband (who has been working with the German resistance) return to the United States, where they are pursued by Nazi agents.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Jack Buchanan, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray, James Mitchell.
Ex song-and-dance man Tony Hunter (Astaire) makes a comeback. From the opening note of the overture to the final "Made in Hollywood, USA", The Band Wagon offers two of the most entertaining hours ever manufactured in Culver City (the actual location of MGM).
The Band Wagon was a 1931 Broadway show, starring Fred Astaire and his sister Adele. The 1953 movie keeps three songs, but does not follow the original story.
Songs include: By Myself, Shine on Your Shoes, That's Entertainment, Dancing in the Dark, I Love Louisa, I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans, Triplets, New Sun in the Sky, Louisiana Hayride.
last played Jul 2007
Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes, Eric Blore, Helen Broderick.
In their most popular film together (set in London and Venice), Ginger mistakes Fred for the husband of her best friend. In addition to the unforgettable dances, sensational score, and brilliant comedy script, Top Hat is notable for its gorgeous Art Deco sets.
World wide, Top Hat was the second most popular film in 1935. All five Irving Berlin songs became top hits and remain standards to this day: "Cheek to Cheek", "Isn't This a Lovely Day (to be Caught in the Rain)", "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails", "No Strings", and "The Piccolino".
first played at the Stanford Theatre Oct 2, 1935; last played Jul 2007
Phyllis Haver, Victor Varconi, Eugene Pallette, Virginia Bradford, May Robson.
Jim Riggs at the mighty Wurlitzer.
The story of the scandalous Roxie Hart, who basks in the publicity that ensues after she murders her lover.
This film was remade in 1942 as Roxie Hart (on our double bill). It also served as the inspiration for the Bob Fosse musical.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Ginger Rogers, George Montgomery, Adolphe Menjou, Lynne Overman, Nigel Bruce, Spring Byington, Sara Allgood.
For the sake of publicity a tap-dancing flapper takes the rap for a murder committed by her husband. At her trial the defense lawyer is more than a match for his notorious modern colleagues.
last played Sep. 1995
John Gielgud, James Mason, Marlon Brando, Greer Garson, Deborah Kerr, Louis Calhern, Edmond O'Brien, George Macready, Michael Pate, John Hoyt, Alan Napier.
The film industry was shocked at the choice of Brando for the part of Marc Antony. Brando was shocked himself, turning to John Gielgud for help in what turned out to be one of his most highly praised performances. One British critic wrote: "It is maddening to be forced to admit it, but it has been left to Hollywood to make the finest film version of Shakespeare yet to be seen on our screens."
Variety called Julius Caesar "... a tense, melodramatic story, clearly presented, and excellently acted by one of the finest casts assembled for a film. ... Any fears about Marlon Brando appearing in Shakespeare are dispelled by his compelling portrayal as the revengeful Mark Antony." But Brando modestly wrote in his autobiography: "... for me to walk on a movie set and play Mark Antony without more experience was asinine."
This great Shakespearian film was originally planned for release in stereophonic sound. Rozsa designed the score to make dramatic use of the new technology, but the film was never released to theaters in stereo, though the original magnetic masters of the stereophonic sound track still exist.
last played Dec 2004
Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Crisp, Alan Hale, Vincent Price, Henry Stephenson, Henry Daniell.
The aging Queen Elizabeth is infatuated with the handsome young Lord Essex. He uses her feelings to his advantage, but he loses his head over her in the end.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor, Don Taylor, Billie Burke, Moroni Olsen, Leo G. Carroll, Taylor Holmes, Melville Cooper.
Stanley T. Banks (Tracy) comes to terms with the marriage of his daughter Kay (Taylor). You may have seen the remake, but there is just no substitute for the genuine article. The tremendous success of this film, which Minnelli completed in one month, demonstrated beyond any doubt that his genius was not limited to musicals.
"The American domestic comedy par excellence." Halliwell
first played at the Stanford Theatre Jul 13, 1950; last played May 2006
Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, Sandra Dee, Peter Myers, Angela Lansbury, John Saxon, Diane Clare.
During the debutante season, the teen-aged American daughter (Sandra Dee) of an upper-class British father (Rex Harrison) comes to London to visit her now remarried father. Her new stepmother (Kay Kendall) insists on presenting her to society.
Vincente Minelli directed many Hollywood classics, including Meet Me in St Louis, An American in Paris, and Gigi. While virtually unknown to the public, The Reluctant Debutante has always been treasured by Minelli fans for its extraordinary humanity, style, and humor.
This great comic gem is practically unknown-- except here at the Stanford Theatre! Regular patrons will recognize that we have already programmed this film as a second feature on eleven occasions, in an effort to introduce it to the public, which may be unaware of its existence. In fact, you might say that it is a cult favorite at the Stanford.
last played Jun 2006
Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Helen Morgan, Paul Robeson, Charles Winninger, Hattie McDaniel, Donald Cook, Sammy White.
By far the best film version of America's most celebrated musical play, and one of the greatest musical fims ever made, with the sublime Paul Robeson as Joe (singing Ol' Man River) and Helen Morgan as Julie (singing Bill).
"Perhaps more than any other musical film, Showboat offers a completely accurate depiction of a bygone period. [Director James] Whale manages to blend perfectly his finely crafted sketch of social mores, architectural and interior decor, costume design, and geographic atmosphere with the inherent conventions of the musical." Miles Kreuger
Helen Morgan and Charles Winninger both appeared in the original Broadway show. The role of Joe had been written especially for Paul Robeson, but schedule conflicts kept him out of the initial Broadway production. He took London by storm when he first played the role in 1928. Irene Dunne played Magnolia in Boston in 1929, and Hattie McDaniel played Queenie in San Francisco in 1933.
last played Sep 2003
Jeanette MacDonald, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Jack Holt, Jessie Ralph, Ted Healy, Shirley Ross, Margaret Irving, Harold Huber, Edgar Kennedy, Al Shean.
The Barbary Coast in 1906, with Clark Gable as a saloon keeper, Spencer Tracy as a priest, and Jeanette MacDonald as the singing belle of San Francisco. Although Gable was initially reluctant to star with singer MacDonald, their chemistry is undeniable. The fabulous earthquake and fire sequence lasts 20 minutes, and is a fitting finale to one of the most popular movies of the decade.
last played Mar 2001
w/d Joseph L. Mankiewicz. ph Milton Krasner. m Alfred Newman. 20th Century-Fox. 138 min.
Bette Davis, George Sanders, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe, Gregory Ratoff, Marilyn Monroe, Barbara Bates, Walter Hampden.
Hollywood's devastating revenge against the "legitimate" stage, in which Broadway star Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is pursued by the cunningly obsequious Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) under the eye of caustic drama critic Addison De Witt (George Sanders).
Six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, hardly do justice to one of the most popular films of all time.
last played Sep 2007
Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Gloria Grahame, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry Sullivan, Gilbert Roland, Leo G. Carroll, Vanessa Brown, Paul Stewart.
In perhaps the greatest movie ever made about Hollywood (it won five Oscars), a brilliant but egomaniacal producer (Douglas) asks three of his protegés to work again with him, but they cannot forgive him for the price they had to pay for their success. David Raksin's musical score is one of the best ever composed for a Hollywood film.
last played May 2006
Creighton Hale, Laura La Plante, Forrest Stanley, Tully Marshall, Flora Finch, Gertrude Astor, Arthur Carewe.
Jim Riggs at the mighty Wurlitzer.
A group of relatives gather in a spooky old house for the reading of a will.
last played Sep 2000
Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Gale Sondergaard, Douglas Montgomery, John Beal, George Zucco, Nydia Westman, Elizabeth Patterson, John Wray.
When the heirs to a spooky Bayou mansion gather at midnight to read the will, it's up to Bob to protect heiress Paulette Goddard from the sinister goings-on. The Cat and the Canary was such a hit that Hope and Goddard were teamed the following year in The Ghostbreakers, another scary comedy.
last played Jun 2003
James Stewart, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Millard Mitchell.
Stewart relentlessly pursues a fugitive for the reward money.
Beautifully photographed in the Colorado Rockies, the film is noteworthy for the subtlety of the interaction between the characters, and especially the emotional drama of Stewart's inner struggle. Leonard Maltin calls this "one of the best westerns ever made."
last played May 2004
James Stewart, Jeff Chandler, Debra Paget, Basil Ruysdael, Will Geer, Arthur Hunnicutt, Jay Silverheels.
A former Civil War officer (Stewart) makes a sincere effort to understand the Indian point of view. He befriends an Apache chief and marries an Apache woman. When personal tragedy strikes, he learns from the wisdom and humanity of the chief.
The nearest thing to a "politically correct" western, which manages to succeed also in traditional terms.
last played Apr 2004
James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Victoria Horne, Peggy Dow, Cecil Kellaway, Charles Drake, Jesse White, Nana Bryant, Wallace Ford.
A kind and generous man (who does enjoy a drink) has a special friend- a large invisible rabbit. His family tries to have him committed to an asylum, but we soon begin to wonder who is really sane and who is insane.
This whimsical film is one of James Stewart's most famous roles.
"This is a happy movie anf leaves a long, lingering warm glow." Baseline Movie Guide
last played Nov 2002
James Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, Fabian, John Saxon, Marie Wilson, Reginald Gardiner, John McGiver.
Mr. Hobbs' seaside family vacation is beset with problems in this minor but heartwarming comedy.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Warner Oland, Boris Karloff, Keye Luke, Charlotte Henry, Thomas Beck, Margaret Irving, Gregory Gaye, Nedda Harrington, Frank Conroy, Guy Usher, William Demarest.
Charlie investigates two murders at the opera in the very best of the entire Charlie Chan series. Boris Karloff gives an especially effective performance
last played Apr 2004
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, & Zeppo Marx, Thelma Todd, Robert Greig, David Landau.
Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff (Groucho) is made president of Huxley College. His son Frank (Zeppo) convinces him that Huxley needs a football team, and that he knows where to hire a couple of star athletes. Unfortunately the stars are hired by rival Darwin College while Frank mistakenly hires Chico (Baravelli, the ice man) and Harpo (Pinky, a dog catcher).
last played Feb 2005
Ruth Chatterton, George Brent, Lois Wilson, Johnny Mack Brown, Ruth Donnelly, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Philip Reed, Gavin Gordon. Kenneth Thompson, Huey White, Douglass Dumbrille.
Successful CEO Ruth Chatterton (president of a large auto company) amuses herself with a series of cynical casual affairs. A famous engineer (Brent) resists her at first, but eventually succumbs. The only problem is that he is old-fashioned and wants to get married!
last played Feb 2003
William Powell, Carole Lombard, Alice Brady, Gail Patrick, Jean Dixon, Eugene Pallette, Alan Mowbray, Mischa Auer, Robert Light, Pat Flaherty, Franklin Pangborn, Grady Sutton.
A leading candidate for Hollywood's greatest screwball comedy, with spoiled Park Avenue brat Carole Lombard hiring "forgotten man" Godfrey (William Powell) as butler and then falling for him.
"Likable and well-paced even at its silliest... this film has a sleek and silvery Art Deco look." Pauline Kael
first played at the Stanford Theatre Oct 11, 1936; last played Dec 2004
Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Donald Crisp, Arthur Howard.
Dennis James at the mighty Wurlitzer.
In London a young girl (Lillian Gish) is terrorized by her violent father (Donald Crisp). When she runs away from home, she is taken in by a sensitive Chinese man, played by Richard Barthelmess.
An exquisite, poetic silent film.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Richard Barthelmess, Rita Hayworth, Thomas Mitchell, Sig Rumann, Victor Kilian, John Carroll, Allyn Joslyn.
In this aviation classic, the arrival of a stranded showgirl disrupts the lives of a group of American flyers in South America. Rita Hayworth had her first major success in this film, and Cary Grant demonstrates once again why he is a candidate for the greatest actor in the brief history of the movies.
Here is a chance to see (and hear) Richard Barthelmess twenty years after his performance in Broken Blossoms.
last played Sep 2006
James Stewart, Murray Hamilton, Marc Connelly.
The centerpiece of this biography of Charles Lindbergh is an authentic recreation of his epic flight, with aerial photography of the actual route. This was an appealing project for Stewart because of his own career as a military pilot.
last played Dec. 1993
James Cagney, Bette Davis, Stuart Erwin, Eugene Pallette, Jack Carson.
This screwball comedy about an heiress and a pilot was the second pairing of Warners' two greatest stars, Cagney and Davis.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
James Stewart, Ben Gazzara, Lee Remick, Eve Arden, Arthur O'Connell, George C. Scott, Kathryn Grant, Orson Bean, Murray Hamilton.
A soldier accused of murder claims that his victim had assaulted his wife. Attorney Stewart reluctantly takes up the defense, in a suspenseful contest with prosecuting attorney George C. Scott.
Stewart's father publicly scolded his son for making a "dirty picture" and placed an ad in his hometown newspaper advising people not to see it.
last played Feb 2004
James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester, Janice Rule.
This pleasant comedy about witches and magic was made shortly after Vertigo and with the same two stars.
last played Apr 2004
Bette Davis, Miriam Hopkins, Gig Young, John Loder, Dolores Moran, Philip Reed, Roscoe Karns, Ann Revere.
Two women (one noble, one decidedly not) maintain a friendship and rivalry over the years.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Bette Davis, Miriam Hopkins, George Brent, Jane Bryan, Donald Crisp, Louise Fazenda, James Stephenson.
In the 1860's, a woman bears a child out of wedlock. Her socially prominent cousin adopts the child and invites them both to live with her.
first showing by the Stanford Theatre Foundation
Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Edward G. Robinson, Anne Baxter, Nina Foch, Yvonne de Carlo, John Derek, H.B. Warner, Henry Wilcoxon, Judith Anderson, John Carradine, Douglas Dumbrille, Cedric Hardwicke, Martha Scott, Vincent Price, Debra Paget.
Gorgeous Technicolor photography, Elmer Bernstein's magnificent score and enthusiastic performances make this De Mille spectacular one of the all-time great Hollywood epics. An epic that should only be seen in a theatre of epic splendor!
last played Feb. 1998