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jkings41

Joined 2 years ago

An L.A. Gem. Get there early for a couch seat! Double features! Cult Classics! Guest speakers! Bands! Fashion shows! This place is a gem!

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BearHeart

Joined 3 years ago

Interesting. This was an interesting experience. I had never been to one of these before and i enjoyed myself. Nice and comfortable seats with snacks makes for a good time.

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Mar Yvette

Joined 6 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. Built in 1942 by John and Dorothy Hampton, the Silent Movie Theatre ran for decades as the only fully functioning silent movie theatre in the country. After some years of disrepair, it was fully restored to its original 1940s art deco design and given a brand new screen and sound system. Run by Cinefamily, an organization of movie lovers "devoted to finding and presenting interesting and unusual programs of exceptional, distinctive, weird and wonderful films," this is one Los Angeles treasure that's in good hands.

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tonystarksgirl

Joined 5 years ago

Easy Parking, Great Film Programming. Friendly theatre staff. Good concessions. They have added Crumbs cupcakes there. Innovative programming because it is run by the Cinefamily. Easy parking on the street.

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caligari

Joined 5 years ago

Film Geeks. Great atmosphere, comfy couches, amazing programming and popcorn. An obscure film buff's paradise. Audience participation is encouraged as watching a film should be a shared experience. Most nights are like events with authors, directors or participants of the films available for discussion, forums, Q&A after the show.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Hollywood's famed silent movie theater has a past as gruesome as any Fritz Lang film.. Rumors of blood on the lobby carpet and ghosts in the projection room have titillated Angelenos for years. Silent-film fans John and Dorothy Hampton opened this movie house with Cecile B. DeMille's "The King of Kings" in 1941 just as Nora Desmond's close-up was fading to black. But it was the headline-grabbing murder of their slick-talking protege, Laurence Austin, by a hired gun who sprayed the theater with gunfire in 1997, that cemented the house's place in Hollywood lore.

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julycarla

Joined 8 years ago

What a treat. Going to the silent movie theatre was one of the funnest things I've done in the few years I've lived here. Why rent a silent film on video when you can watch it on the big screen with live music accompanying the film? Awesome experience, having a pianist/organist playing along with the films was amazing, the old trailers and cartoons that were shown prior to the film were great, as was the live song performed prior to the show, there's even an intermission with hot chocolate and cookies served on a beautiful patio. I felt I was stepping back in time, and even the seat cushions were retro. I'm SO glad I decided to do this, who knew silent films could be so entertaining? It's sad this is the only silent movie theatre left in the U.S., going there made me feel like there should be one on every block.

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drluv99

Joined 9 years ago

An Awesome Experience. I went some time ago to see Chaplin's The Kid and had a blast! The whole evening is a real experience. We saw a Vaudeville-esque musician, an old Felix cartoon short, a Keaton short and then the Kid. The atmosphere is really neat; the walls are covered with large portraits of old silent stars. The only drawback is the rather uncomfortable folding chairs you have to sit in. They are cushioned with pillows, but even then, I found myself squirming and fidgiting.

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billkelly2790

Joined 11 years ago

Louder Than Words. Nestled just below trendy Melrose Avenue is one of Hollywoods most unique movie-going experiences. The Silent Movie Theatre, founded in 1942, is the only operational silent cinema in the U.S. In an intimate theater, flanked by photos of the stars of the Silent Era, you can watch a classic Keaton comedy or a Fairbanks swashbuckler or a lesser known film.

Each screening consists of a cartoon, several short films and the main feature. A pianist accompanies the films, providing a lively interaction you wont get from a video or DVD. Host and current owner, Charlie Lustman, keeps things light with games, jokes and his Take Me To The Silent Picture Show theme song. The venue includes a cappuccino lounge, photo gallery and courtyard, open during intermission.

Its an opportunity to step back in time for a few hours and experience early cinema.

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taradelis_citysearch

Joined 11 years ago

Preserving a Bygone Era. This place is really something special. It's the only full time Silent Moviehouse in the country and, last I heard, only one of two in the world (the other is in Australia).

In an era of Star Wars prequels and mega-huge blockbusters, it's kind of nice to watch old black and white films with the celluloid heroes of yore. Special theme nights are fun, and the owner goes out of his way to excite audiences about the films he shows.

Upstairs, there's a capuccino bar and various snacks, while popcorn is available on the ground floor.