Universal Studios was the undisputed master of horror and the macabre during the 1930s and 40s. The Alex Film Society celebrates the Halloween season with a pair of films featuring two of the studio’s most popular stars.
The Raven (1935) teams Boris Karloff with his frequent on-screen nemesis, Bela Lugosi. The picture highlights Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem and features Lugosi as a Poe-obsessed mad surgeon who just happens to have a torture chamber in his basement. Karloff is a fugitive murderer on the lam who falls victim to Lugosi’s mad schemes. Both actors were at the height of their fame, making this fast-paced thriller one of Universal’s best offerings. Universal is providing an excellent 35mm print for the occasion.
The Old Dark House (1932) was assumed to be a lost classic until a film negative was discovered in the Universal vaults in 1968. It has since assumed cult-like status among fans of director James Whale, who helmed Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Whale packed his offbeat take on horror with star talent including, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart and, of course, Karloff. AFS will be screening a glorious new 4K digital restoration.
Live on Stage: Illeana Douglas, Sara Karloff and Bela Lugosi, Jr.
Actress, director, author, screenwriter, and producer Illeana Douglas will be our host for the evening. She has written and produced numerous segments for Turner Classic Movies (TCM), and has participated in the annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. She brings a unique perspective to the AFS Halloween screening of The Old Dark House: she is the granddaughter of Melvyn Douglas, one of the stars of that film and a Hollywood legend, whose fifty-year career included staring roles in Ninotchka (1939), Hud (1963) and Being There (1979).
Ms. Douglas also hosts The Film Scene podcast, which will be streaming live from the Alex for this event, and will be signing copies of her best-selling book, I Blame Dennis Hopper: And Other Stories from a Life Lived In and Out of the Movies. She’ll be joined onstage by Bela Lugosi, Jr. and Sara Kar-loff for a discussion regarding “life with father.”
PERFORMANCE ADVISORY
Late Seating: Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the event’s Presenter
SEATING & PRICING
General Admission seating [ADA area: Reserved seating]
$17 [$12.50 Ticket + $4.50 Fees]
[See below for ADA Accessibility and for explanation of Per Ticket Fees ]
DISCOUNTED PRICING
AFS MEMBER – $12 [$7.50 Ticket + $4.50 Fees] – Purchase in person at Box Office Window/Americana At Brand Concierge Desk/Glendale Community College Auditorium Box Office only; must show valid current AFS member card at time of purchase.
CHILD (12 & under) – $13 [$8.50 Ticket + $4.50 Fees] – Purchase via Box Office Window/Americana At Brand Concierge Desk/Glendale Community College Auditorium Box Office/Phone/Internet. Children age 2 & under who sit on a lap do not need a ticket; all persons 3 & older must have a ticket.
GLENDALE ARTS MEMBER [GAM]
Contact Nina Crowe at Glendale Arts Admin Office – 818.243.2611 x11f – for information on how to purchase via Box Office Window/Americana At Brand Concierge Desk/Glendale Community College Auditorium Box Office/Phone/Internet
GROUP (15+) – $13 [$8.50 Ticket + $4.50 Fees] – Purchase via Box Office Window/Americana At Brand Concierge Desk/Glendale Community College Auditorium Box Office/Internet & via Phone through Alex Theatre Group Sales at 818.243.7700 x216.
SENIOR (age 65+) – $13 [$8.50 Ticket + $4.50 Fees] – Purchase via Box Office Window/Americana At Brand Concierge Desk/Glendale Community College Auditorium Box Office/Internet/Phone.
STUDENT – $13 [$8.50 Ticket + $4.50 Fees] – Purchase via Box Office Window/Americana At Brand Concierge Desk/Glendale Community College Auditorium Box Office/Internet/Phone.
TICKET FEES & METHODS OF PAYMENT
A Restoration & Programming [RP] Fee and a Service [SRV] Fee are assessed in addition to Face Value [FV] price of every ticket.
FV Ticket Price of $0 – $20.00:
Total Per Ticket Fee = $4.50
• Walk-Up/Phone/Internet Purchase – $4.50:
[$2.50 RP Fee + $2.00 SRV Fee]
ADA ACCESSIBLE SEATING INFORMATION
All seating areas other than the ADA Accessible seating area [Orchestra Row X] require a minimum of 8 stairs to access, and there is NO ELEVATOR. If you require ADA accessible seating: Walk-Up – Tell Ticket Agent at beginning of transaction. Online – Once in the sales portal, click CHOOSE SEATS and select seat(s) from the ADA Accessible section [Orchestra Row X] on the Seat Map. All ADA Accessible seating is Reserved Seating with specific Row and Seat Number designations on the tickets. You may purchase, subject to availability at the time of your ticket purchase, up to three companion seats per Wheelchair seat. By selecting and purchasing this seat you affirm that you have accessibility needs or that you are accompanying a patron who has accessibility needs. If you have questions about accessibility or do not see what you need, please contact the Alex Theatre Box Office at 818.243.7700 x217.