It was wonderful to be back in the Southampton movie theater, renamed the Southampton Playhouse, over Presidents Day weekend [“Movies Return as Southampton Playhouse Opens Doors in the Village,” 27east.com, February 18].
I went with my father as a small boy to see my first movie ever in that theater. It was the 1971 racing movie “Le Mans,” starring Steve McQueen. It left quite an impression — especially getting to go with just my dad.
Over the years, I have seen too many movies to count in that theater. One afternoon that stands out is when the theater showed the 1939 movie “Gone With the Wind” as a matinee, complete with intermission.
Today, the theater from the street still looks the way it did when I arrived with my father over 50 years ago. But once you walk under the restored, iconic marquee, you enter a clean, modern space with a much higher ceiling. The concession stand is now on the right, while to the left is a library-like, welcoming space with books and tables where people can gather. I saw one gentleman working on his laptop there before the movie.
The IMAX screen, the only one on the East End, is a transformative addition. With the stadium seating and the superb sound system, seeing a current movie there is to be immersed in the show. 3-D movies shown there will be completely amazing!
As the previous movie house did, today’s playhouse is also currently showing movies from the 1930s. Specifically, 1932, the year the original theater opened. The showing of the comedy “Trouble in Paradise” was shown after a seven-minute short called “Betty Boop for President,” giving audiences the same format as in 1932. As there was no television and certainly no streaming back then, the movie theater was where people could watch newsreels, cartoons and feature films with larger-than-life stars.
Physically going to the movies is still the best way to take in a film. It is far superior to watching a movie on a laptop or phone. Sharing the cinematic experience with other residents and visitors is truly ideal.
I thank the playhouse team, who worked with the village, for giving new life to a treasured landmark. I encourage everybody to check out the Southampton Playhouse and see movies as they were meant to be seen. On the big screen.
Bill Manger
Mayor
Southampton Village
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