Silent But Deadly
It seems fitting that a city like Los Angeles would have a place like the Silent Movie Theater, one of two such theaters in the world that still show silent films. But like everything else in this town, it's drenched in blood. Or at least splattered. The Silent Movie Theater was opened in 1942 by John and Dorothy Hampton. The talkies had taken over by then, and the theater was dedicated to preserving these classics.The couple continued to eek out a living there, living in an upstairs apartment until 1979. John Hampton kept on in his apartment until his death in 199o. The property was left to Laurence Austin, a family friend. Austin reopened the theater in 1991, contracting James Van Sickle to help with renovations. Van Sickle became Austin's lover and the theater's projectionist.
One night in January 1997, a screening of Sunrise was about to begin when a teenager walked in and shot Austin dead. in the ensuing investigation, it came to light that Van Sickle had hired the young man to kill his partner, as he stood to inherit the theater. As the two repsonible went to serve their life sentences, the theater closed again.
It was purchased by Charlie Lustman in 1999, who raised the million dollars necessary to restore it properly. Now the space is used for movies and for special events -- wrap parties, weddings and even birthdays. They also show a selection of classic films, oftening devoting entire weekends to themes -- horror, 3D, and weekends devoted to single actors and directors. The theater remains not completely without controversy though, as Lustman occasionally shows inappropriate films. Such instances include showing Birth of a Nation during the Democratic National Convention (which was subsequently boycotted by the NAACP) and showing Sunrise on the anniversary of the death of Laurence Austin in 2000.
The Silent Movie Theater is really a must-do for people interested in Los Angeles or film history, and really should be for everyone. It's so seldom where you can walk into a place and have it feel like you're walking into a different century without feeling at all condescding or artificial -- no Disney Castles or teenagers lisping away at "olde Englysh" here. The Silent Movie Theater is a real treasure.
Silent Movie Theater, 611 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
posted by kuaptic. @ 11:16 AM
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