By Hayden FRANKLIN

October 16 of this year would have marked the 100th anniversary of the Montrose Theater. Though barely remembered, the theater was at one point the centerpiece of the downtown Montrose area. Fashioned in the Spanish Revival style the theater hosted vaudeville shows and silent films in its early days; then as cinema progressed the theater would progress as well, showing talkies and eventually films in color. The theater unfortunately burned down in 1987 due to suspected electrical issues. Today all that remains of the theater is the parking lot in the 2200 block of Honolulu Avenue between Pho 22 and Andersen’s Pet Shop.

However, the spirit of the early days of the Montrose Theater reflecting the era of the silent movies with stars like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd and their goofy antics has been brought back to life by The Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley and the LA County Parks Dept. in the form of Silent Movie Night at Two Strike Park.

Attendees to the July 27 event at Two Strike Park will be able to experience what it would have been like to go to the Montrose Theater 100 years ago or attend one of the many public film screenings that were popular during that time. On Saturday night, the films will be screened by Joe Rinaudo of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley (HSCV) and his vintage 1909 Power’s hand crank motion picture machine with a Magic Lantern sliding
attachment that will project the vintage 35mm film onto a screen provided by the historical society. Along with Rinaudo the show will feature Gary Gibson from the HSCV, piano music by pianist Cliff Retallick, and sound engineering by Mike Dooley.

The event has a very special and exciting lineup of films for guests to enjoy. Silent comedy films from Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy and Harold Lloyd, and very rare comedy pieces from comedian and director Larry Semon, will will be screened. Rinaudo has recently introduced the rare films into the Library of Congress.

Attendance to the event is free and will be held on Saturday, July 27 with the first screening at 8 p.m. There will be treats and refreshments available for purchase. Those who attend are encouraged to bring blankets and or lawn chairs for comfort. Prepare to experience the films from yesteryear; for more information visit CVHistory.org.

Two Strike Park is located at 5107 Rosemont Ave. in La Crescenta.