After you take your seat, a few minutes later the lights go down and the projector light flickers on a silver screen and now you’re ready to be transported back in time. Nothing compares to watching movies in a theater. You can not get the same effect watching at home. Going out and getting to watch classic films is a fantastic experience. The bigger cities in California — San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento — all have classic movie screenings on a regular basis.
Stockton, however, has few options for classic movie screenings. The Bob Hope Theater and the Regal City Center are the only two main theaters in Stockton that have classic movie screening in Stockton. Regal Cinemas, a corporate movie theater, screens classic movies through Fathom Events, or Regal will get the distribution themselves to screen films Fathom does not present. Some of the most popular screenings are anniversary screenings like Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind and The Matrix.
This year Fathom Events will screen the Studio Ghibli Festival at Regal showing some of the most popular films by Hayao Miyazaki.
Some notable Miyazaki films include Spirited Away, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky and My Neighbor Totoro.
Stefanie Poteet is a Director with Friends of the Fox at the Bob Hope Theater.
“September of 2004 was the first Classic Movie Series we did,” said Poteet. “What the Friends of the Fox does is show a classic film here once a month,”
The Bob Hope Theater presents a different experience from a more modern theater like Regal, with its main lobby, concession stand and multiple auditoriums.
“With your ticket you get our complimentary snack bar with free wine. We have entertainment in our lobby from 1 to 1:30,” said Poteet.
The Bob Hope Theater is home to a renovated 1930s pipe organ. It’s great because it creates a beautiful atmosphere. “At 1:30, Dave takes the stage and plays the organ. So when we show a film like Rear Window was released in 1954 Dave won’t play anything newer than 1954 when he takes the stage. It’s truly exquisite what he does. Then we announce the film at two o’clock and show the movie.” said Poteet
The Bob Hope Theater has been showing classic films for awhile. Just like other theaters it was affected by COVID. “When the theater was closed for COVID we have shown a classic film once a month since September of 2004. This September is our twentieth anniversary. We’re making a big deal about it. We love to see a lot of people out and enjoy this very beautiful classic theater.” said Poteet.
Poteet also spoke a little about the process behind what movies are picked to play at the theater.
“So we have a movie selection committee. They try to meet one every six months to provide us with suggestions. We have recently shifted to newer classics. If you weren’t around in 1954 you haven’t seen these films before they might not necessarily draw you to the theater. So we’ve bounced back and forth, so today it’s ‘Rear Window’ from 1954 and next month we have ‘Mary Poppins’ which is 1964. June we flash all the way forward to 1997 with Robin Williams in ‘Flubber’ and then July we’re taking it back with Dr. No for the original James Bond film. So it’s trying to provide a mix of films over a fifty year period to draw various audiences and different people from Stockton and the surrounding communities and it’s tough there’s a lot of good films.” said Poteet.
Poteet encourages Delta students to visit the Bob Hope Theater and soak in the experience.
“So I know that most of the things we show on our big screen you can stream at home with various streaming services. Maybe you can rent them, but the experience is completely different; it’s not even remotely close to the same thing. What we’re really selling is the experience not so much the film, again we try to pick good films but it’s the experience. It’s the neon lights outside, you’re in a building that’s more than 90 years old, freshly renovated and even the carpet’s fantastic,” said Poteet.
The experience at the Bob Hope is also set apart by their house organist.
“We are also only a handful of theaters that provide the classic movie experience in the nation. So even older theaters that show vintage films, they don’t necessarily have an organ or an organist. The last I heard San Diego was the only last municipality to actually employ an organist and they play at Spreckels during the summer. We pay Dave, we employ our organist, and last I hear we are one of five where you can get a monthly classic movie experience. So it’s really a whole thing you’re also supporting a non profit organization the tickets are twelve bucks we have free wine the wine at my house isn’t free I certainly pay for it. I would love to see a lot more people here. It’s truly spectacular and very different than a home theater experience,” said Poteet.
Primo Bonilla, a Delta student, said he would like to watch classic films in the theater, but hasn’t yet been able to.
“Western movies back in the 50s and 60s, John Wayne, cowboy-and-Indian-type movies. I love those,” said Bonilla.