Historic Missouri Theater celebrates 100 years with silent film showing
ST. JOSEPH - The Historic Missouri Theater will celebrate a century of movies and performances on Sunday May 17 with performances and a showing of silent films.
"People don't have the opportunity to see a silent movie anymore and I think its important for people to educate themselves on things in the past," Theater Manager Frank Polleck, said. "We're so used to looking at our phone, watching a movie on our phone, doing everything on our phone. In 1927 that wasn't an opportunity. The opportunity for entertainment was going to the movies."
Doors will open at 2:30 p.m. and celebration begins at 3 p.m. The program will be presented in cooperation with the Centennial Celebration Series in advance of the 100th Anniversary of the Missouri Theater and Saint Joseph City Hall in 2027.
It will open with a dance and musical routine titled "The Ragtime Revelers" choregraphed by Liza Heeler and will feature dancers from The Dance Arts Center. A showing of the Charlie Chaplin short "The Adventurer" followed by "It" starring Clara Bow. A live soundtrack will be provided by organ accompanist, Marvin Faulwell and percussionist, Bob Keckeisen of Topeka, Kansas. Faulwell composed the music that will be playing for "It."
Following both silent films, a showing of the documentary "Clara Bow: Discovering the IT Girl" will take place. The documentary follows Bow's life and her rise to stardom in Hollywood.
The theater was built St. Joseph attorney and theatrical promoter Joseph Goldman. It was designed by brothers Carl and Robert Boller. The interior sculpture was led by famous sculptor Waylande Gregory from Baxter, Kansas.
"Gregory was quite a hugely famous artist," said Polleck about the significance of his work within the Historic Missouri Theater. "Its the only one we actually know of where he did the whole building. So we're fortunate to have that here in St. Joseph."
Tickets for the celebration will be $12.25 and may be purchased at the door on May 17 or online at JoMoTickets.com. The program was organized by the CCS Committee of the Friends of the Missouri Theater.
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