Casablanca launches 7th Street Theatre’s ‘Silver Screen Classics’ film series

‘Silver Screen Classics’ leads with Casablanca March 6-7

A triple Academy Award winner and all-time favorite on the big screen, Casablanca will launch a new “Silver Screen Classics” film series Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7, at Grays Harbor’s historic 7th Street Theatre in downtown Hoquiam at 313 7th Street.

Sponsored by Timberland Bank, the film series will run in the newly restored and reopened atmospheric theatre on Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m., and on Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m., with doors opening at 2:30 p.m.

The series represents the desire of the all-volunteer Board and Movie Committee of the 7th Street Theatre Association to expand the theatre’s movie offerings from 8-10 titles in recent years to 15 this year. They also wanted to offer Sunday matinee showings for some movies.

Association Vice-President Mickey Thurman said the subject was discussed at length in the Movie Committee’s meeting of November, 2009. She was seeking someone to handle the project, and one committee member, David Akers, was especially interested.

“David thought and thought about it and he kept asking me questions and he finally gave in to his true dream and said he’d do it,” Thurman explained. She is excited that he has stepped forward.

“David was trained on our new digital projector about a year ago and he is one of our two projectionists,” she said. “Before getting the ‘theatre spell’ cast upon him he and his wife came to almost all of our movies.  He is a classic movie buff and has extensive knowledge about films, including the older classics.”

Akers grew up in Raymond where, between his parents and a set of grandparents, he saw a lot of older movies and television.  “At an early age,” Akers said, “I was a big fan of George Burns and Gracie Allen, Abbott and Costello, Jack Benny, and Groucho Marx I watched most of the Ma and Pa Kettle movies, and tried to figure out how they got Francis the Mule to talk.”

Of the ideas discussed to expand the 7th Street Theatre’s movie line-up, the one that stood out to Akers was a series showing movies specifically from the ’30s through the ’50s.  “Ultimately, what I wanted to do with this series,” he explained, “was to offer others the opportunity I had to see these classic movies, to spend time with the family in a family-friendly environment, and what better location that the newly-renovated 7th Street Theatre?”

Timberland Bank was approached about being a single series sponsor and they agreed. “It has been our pleasure to support the renovation of the historic 7th Street Theatre for many years.  We congratulate those who have worked so diligently to restore the theatre to its former glory.  We are pleased to sponsor the Silver Screen Classics and hope hundreds of Harborites will have an opportunity to enjoy a step back in time while celebrating the revival of this grand theatre,” stated Michael Sand, Timberland Bank President.

In addition to Casablanca on March 6-7, the Silver Screen Classics chosen for 2010 are Road to Morocco, April 10-11, Shadow of a Doubt, May 8-9, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, August 14-15, My Little Chickadee, September 4-5 and The Bad Seed, October 16-17.

These titles are added to those scheduled for the theatre’s regular film series: Goldfinger, March 19-20, Airplane, April 16-17, X-Men, May 21-22, Thunder Road, June 19, Back to the Future Part 3, August 27-28, Mamma Mia, September 17-18, Vertigo, October 29-30 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, November 26-27.

Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman and won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Bogie plays the embittered Rick Blaine, who owns a swanky nightclub in Casablanca, Morocco, in the early years of World War II. Rick discovers his old flame Ilsa, a smoky, sultry Bergman, is back in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo. Laszlo is a Resistance leader, and with Germans on his tail, Ilsa knows Rick can help them get out of the country – but will he?

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 6 showing, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 7 for the 3:00 p.m. showing. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and children, and will be available at the door. For more information call 360-537-7400 or check the website, www.7thstreettheatre.com.