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Stanford Theatre

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Coordinates:37°26′43″N122°09′46″W/ 37.445208°N 122.162666°W/37.445208; -122.162666
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Stanford Theatre
Stanford Theatre's marquee at night
Map
Address221 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94022
Coordinates37°26′43″N122°09′46″W/ 37.445208°N 122.162666°W/37.445208; -122.162666
OwnerDavid and Lucile Packard Foundation
TypeIndoortheatre
Construction
OpenedJune 9, 1925(1925-06-09)
Renovated1987-1989
ArchitectWeeks and Day
Website
stanfordtheatre.orgEdit this at Wikidata

TheStanford Theatreis a classicalindependent movie theaterinPalo Alto, California.It was designed and built in the 1920s as amovie palacestyled in neoclassicalPersianandMoorisharchitecture. Today it specializes in films produced between 1910 and 1970 and seasonal programs typically include film festivals for various genres, directors, and actors, such asAlfred Hitchcock,Bette Davis,andCary Grant.The Stanford Theatre frequently accounts for as much as twenty-five percent of all classic film attendance in the United States.[1]

The Theatre has a "The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ"theatre organmade byRudolph Wurlitzer Company.The organ is played live during intermissions, as well as to accompany silent films.[2]

History

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Designed by architectsWeeks and Day,the theater was built at a cost ofUS$300,000(equivalent to about $5,330,000 in 2023) with construction starting in 1924.[3][4]It had a Leatherbury-Smith orchestral organ installed with pipes ranging in size from a toothpick to a 32-foot pipe providing sounds for stringed instruments, trumpes, flutes, saxophone, clarinet, and various percussion instruments.[5]The Theatre opened on June 9, 1925 with a showing ofI'll Show You the Townafter a dedication speech and had a capacity of approximately 1500.[6]By the 1960s the Theatre was on hard times, the organ had been removed and the interior was not cleaned to a degree that, "many moviegoers flatly refused to enter the place, no matter what was showing."[7]In 1987 after the death ofFred Astaire,David Woodley Packardhad a film festival of Astaire's works at the theatre. The two week festival was so successful that his father,Hewlett-Packardco-founderDavid Packard,agreed with Woodley Packard's idea to purchase the aging theatre through thePackard Foundation.[8][9][4]

It was purchased in 1987 for $7.7 million and restored by theDavid and Lucile Packard Foundationat an additional cost of $6 million for a 1989 grand opening ofThe Wizard of Oz.[10]The restoration process included examining over 5,000 sketches to match the original color pallet.[11]Part of the restoration included installing an organ to replace the original which had been sold as parts. The process took 2 years to obtain and restore parts which included the 1926 console fromGrauman's Chinese Theatreand the organ's 1928 pipes fromLoew's Theatre.[12]The Theatre was renovated in late 2017 with repainting, new carpets, and the seats being restored with new padding andmohaircoverings. It reopened that December with a showing ofThe Wizard of Oz[13]

The Stanford Theatre is currently managed by Cyndi Mortensen and operated by the Stanford Theatre Foundation, led by David Woodley Packard.[7][14]

[edit]
  • Interior view with curtain down
    Interior view with curtain down
  • Projection room
    Projection room
  • Organ elevated
    Organ elevated
  • Interior lobby view
    Interior lobby view
  • Exterior with marquee
    Exterior with marquee

See also

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References

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  1. ^Bowling, Matt."The Stanford Theatre: As Time Goes By".paloaltohistory.org.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  2. ^Israel, Robyn (July 26, 2000)."The Wizard of the Wurlitzer".Palo Alto Weekly.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  3. ^"New Theatre To Be Built".The Daily Palo Alto.Vol. 66, no. 12. October 17, 1924. p. 1.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  4. ^abIsrael, Robyn (July 26, 2000)."An oldie but a goodie".Palo Alto Weekly.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  5. ^"New Theatre Will Have Elaborately Constructed Organ".The Daily Palo Alto.Vol. 67, no. 68. June 3, 1925. p. 3.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  6. ^"New Stanford Will Open With Reginald Denny Presentation".The Daily Palo Alto.Vol. 67, no. 71. June 8, 1925. p. 1.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  7. ^abValladares, Carlos (November 5, 2016)."The Stanford Theatre: Blast from the Past, and Key to the Future".The Stanford Daily.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  8. ^Hoddie, Allegra (2023-12-21)."The Stanford Theatre: Reliving Hollywood's Golden Era".M-A Chronicle.Retrieved2024-01-02.
  9. ^LaSalle, Mick (13 August 2000)."A Rich History Worth Saving (With Millions) / Philanthropist David Packard is on a personal crusade to restore film classics".SFGate.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  10. ^Gauvin, Peter (July 8, 1994)."Big crowd delays Varsity decision".Palo Alto Weekly.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  11. ^Hoddie, Allegra (2023-12-21)."The Stanford Theatre: Reliving Hollywood's Golden Era".M-A Chronicle.Retrieved2024-01-02.
  12. ^Knight, Heather (April 16, 1999)."A Note Of Nostalgia / Stanford Theatre organists add classy touch to classic films".SFGate.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  13. ^Pizarro, Sal (December 14, 2017)."Stanford Theatre reopening with holiday favorites".The Mercury News.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  14. ^Pool, Bob (June 8, 1999)."Buyer Donates Silent Movies to UCLA Archive".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
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