Stepping Back in Time at the Paramount
The Paramount theater celebrated its 90-year anniversary with a showing of Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 film Modern Times on Saturday Nov. 27. For this celebratory event, ticket prices were taken back to older times at only $0.25 a person. The show started at 4 p.m. and went for about an hour and a half.
The Paramount has displayed many films ever since its opening on Thanksgiving Eve 90 years ago. It is a bright staple in the middle of the Downtown Mall. Its glowing signs light up the night traffic along the walking mall as people pass by.
“Enjoy the movie,” the ID checker called out as people walked into the Paramount theater on Nov. 27. COVID-19 protocols at the Paramount theater ask everyone to wear masks unless actively eating or drinking in the theater, and before entering everyone must show their vaccination card and a form of ID.
Once people step inside the festive hallway and show their tickets, they can explore the theater and its raised balconies. The theater glowed with Christmas trees and warm lights. People could buy popcorn and warm tea at the concession stand among other goodies to warm themselves from the chill.
Chaplin was a famous comedian, actor, and producer from the early twentieth century. He mainly worked on silent films like The Great Dictator, The Kid, Modern Times, and The Gold Rush. Modern Times is a comedic film about finding work and trying to fit into modern life in the 1900’s. All spoken lines that are vital to the film are portrayed on cards flashed across the screen; everything else is acted out in comedic fashion.
The Paramount theater will be showing several events in December. They will present the classic Christmas tale of A Christmas Story on Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. Tickets for that show can be found online at the much more modern price of $8 for adults and $5 for children under 12 years old. The Paramount will also present a live broadcast of The Magic Flute for opera lovers on Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. and many other fascinating events.
“That was fun,” an audience member remarked about Chaplin’s Modern Times film. Many people seemed to agree because laughter sparked and jumped throughout the theater as Chaplin and the rest of the cast performed on the large screen.
The Paramount theater has brought laughter and excitement for 90 years, and they plan to continue throughout the holiday season and onward. The Paramount theater shows old films and new films alike. Films like Modern Times still bring smiles and laughter to people and transport them into a different time and place.
