Javier Fuentes
New Film Series Brings Classics To The Big Screen, Highlights Dallas’ Film Distribution Past.
The Dallas film scene has improved so much in the last few years. Looking back, it’s pretty crazy to think that, once upon a time, all we had was the Angelika and the big corporate chains like Cinemark that showed first-run movies.
Thanks to places like the Texas Theatre and the Alamo Drafthouse, though, we cinephiles now not only have more option when it comes to the new stuff, but we also now have copious places to see older movies on the big screen as they were mean to be seen. Granted, most of the repertory screenings we get tend to lean more toward ’80s nostalgia or genre fare, with classic moves getting the short shift for the most — but no more!
Conceived as a way to highlight Dallas’ little-known film history, a new series called “Warner Brothers Does Dallas” finds The 508 Amphitheater, Warner Bros., Texas Theatre and Majestic Theatre to host three classic film screenings, along with some assorted cartoon shorts, starting Sunday, September 18.
On that opening Sunday at 5 p.m., the Majestic Theater will screen Bogie’s upbeat 1941 noir film, The Maltese Falcon with 1947 cartoon short Slick Hare (purchase tickets here). Then, at 5 p.m. on September 25, the Texas Theatre will show the classic Looney Tunes short Duck Amuck with the 1956 John Wayne classic, The Searchers (purchase tickets here). The series will conclude at 8 p.m. over at The 508 Amphitheater, where another Looney Tunes joint, Buccaneer Bunny, will precede the Errol Flynn-starring Captain Blood (purchase tickets here).
For a little history: 508 Park Amphitheater was originally built by Warner Bros. in the 1930s to serve as a distribution hub for the region, and all of the films screened in this series hail from the time period when 508 Park was in operation in this capacity.
Hosting the final screening in this series there is both a cool nod to Dallas’ film distribution past and a way to bring some attention to the revitalization efforts that are happening in that part of Downtown Dallas — not to mention a great chance for film fans to cross off some movies off their shame list.
Tickets to each screening will run $10 a pop at the above links. But if you want to hit all three, you can save yourself $5 by purchasing a three-pack right here.