The Orpheum Theatre
The Summer Movie Series is back! Visit the exquisite Orpheum Theatre for your favorite classic movie. Purchase movie passes for a fraction of what it would cost you to go to any other theatre in town; and you can see some of the classics that will never be in theatres again.
Here is a list of the movies that will be playing this summer, Take Your Pick:
Easy Rider—July 17 at 7:15pm
After scoring cocaine in Mexico, then re-selling it in California, two bikers set off on a cross-country trek to New Orleans.
They Way We Were—July 23 at 7:15pm
In 1937 spit-fire Katie Morosky briefly meets the preppy Hubbell Gardiner. Almost eight years later, the two are reunited in New York, when leftist radio worker Katie spies military officer Hubbell in a nightclub. The two opposites fall in love and head to Hollywood so that Hubbell can write a screenplay for producer pal J.J. But the House Committee on Un-American Activities' Communist witch hunt in 1947 tears the pair apart, as a pregnant Katie refuses to keep silent about the jailing of the Hollywood Ten, while a faithless Hubbell decides to save his career. When the two meet again in the 1960s, TV writer Hubbell and nuclear protestor Katie feel that old pull again, but they have to decide if they have what it takes for the long run.
Casablanca—July 24 at 7:15pm
Rick Blaine (Bogart), who owns a nightclub in Casablanca, discovers his old flame Ilsa (Bergman) is in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Henreid). Laszlo is a famed rebel, and with Germans on his tail, Ilsa knows Rick can help them.
Funny Girl—August 6 at 7:15pm
The story of Fanny Brice, a young girl who grew from poverty in New York's Lower East Side to become one of the stars of the Ziegfeld in the 20s. She is helped on her journey by a flashy gambler.
Mamma Mia—August 7 at 7:15pm
Donna (Meryl Streep), an independent hotelier in the Greek islands, is preparing for her daughter's wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile Sophie, Donna's spirited daughter, has a plan of her own. She secretly invites to the wedding three men from her mother's past in hopes of meeting her real father and having him escort her down the aisle on her big day.
Blue Hawaii—August 9 at 6:00pm
Elvis plays the son of a Hawaiian pineapple mogul who wants to forego the family business and work in the travel and leisure world instead.
Wizard of Oz—August 14 at 7:15pm
Follow the yellow brick road again! Young Dorothy lives on a farm in Kansas where a large tornado picks her house, and her dog up and deposits them in the land of Oz. Things in Oz are strange and beautiful, but Dorothy just wants to get back home. She's helped by the Good Fairy of the North, but she's also in trouble with the Wicked Witch of the West, who seeks revenge for the death of the Wicked Witch of the East, for which she blames Dorothy. While searching her way home she meets a Scarecrow who needs a brain, a Tin Man who needs a heart, and a cowardly lion who needs courage.
Fried Green Tomatoes—August 20 at 7:15pm
Parallel stories of women establishing themselves in the contemporary American South and in the period between the World Wars. A middle-aged woman draws strength and independence from the stories told to her by a resident in an old people's home.
Butch Cassidy—August 21 at 7:15pm (Part 1 of Double Feature)
Two 19th-century train robbers keep one step ahead of the law until finally tracked down in Bolivia.
Cool Hand Luke—August 21 at 7:15pm (Part 2 of Double Feature)
A brooding loner is sentenced to a prison chain-gang, stands up to the Nazi-like guards, and eventually becomes the leader of his fellow prisoners.
Gone with the Wind—August 28 at 7:15pm
A fiery Southern belle struggles to return her family's estate to its original magnificence after the Civil War.
Rocky Horror—September 4 at 8:00pm
A loving couple, a few lost monsters and a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania sing and dance through a campy, sloppy salute to horror movies and sexual liberation. Bring your sense of humor. And some toast.
The Orpheum Theatre is truly one of Memphis' most remarkable success stories; a theatre able to overcome a variety of adversities that ranged from several untimely bankruptcies, a devastating fire, the decay of downtown Memphis, and the threat of demolition for the construction of an office complex. Yet the "South's Finest Theatre" rose above all this and is the Mid-South's premiere performing arts center.
In 2008, the Orpheum Theatre will celebrate its 80th anniversary. In honor of the occasion, the Orpheum's history book will be revised and updated and several other activities and events are being planned.
The Orpheum Theatre is a non-profit organization and continues to flourish because of the generous support of the community. For information about how you can support the Orpheum, call (901) 525-7800.
