For many filmgoers, the draw of movies is the romance of it all … and the classic movie theater is a temple to that romance.
With high ceilings and velvet curtains, the aroma of fresh popcorn, beautiful faces blown up 20-feet tall — movie enthusiasts have been used to this kind of pageantry for more than a century.
For movie buff Patty Ruzich, there hardly is a better place in Wichita to watch a film than the historic Orpheum Theatre.
“I love movies at the Orpheum because everybody gets involved, and they cheer and clap … and there's just a lot of interaction between all the people here, and it's more fun than watching it by yourself,” Ruzich said.
So why is watching a movie in the theater more fun than watching it at home? According to audience member Cheryl Crist, where you see a movie, how you see it and who you see it with just adds to the experience.
“It's always better to see it on a big screen, and the sound is pretty good,”Crist said during the opening night of the Orpheum’s film series. “It's fun to watch the other people having a good time. And I enjoy getting together with my friend once a month to just do this, and we get to socialize a little bit. He loves movies. I love movies.”
And the Orpheum Theatre is a place audiences can go to bond with a community over that love. The relationship between film and the historic theater is long and storied.
“Movies have been a part of the Orpheum Theatre history since we opened in 1922,” said marketing director Mallory Rine. “Movies were part of the original programming here at the theater. We'd show movies in between vaudeville performances.”
While it’s no longer a first-run movie house, the theater keeps its film heritage alive by screening traditional and modern classic movies as part of its Anniversary Film Series. Formerly known as the Classic Film Series, the monthly program began in 2006 and has continued for almost two decades.
The Orpheum even offers a season pass for people who want to attend every film. Each movie is accompanied by a game audiences can participate in, as well as signature cocktails.
Stacee Olden, the theater’s executive director, said the series draws a wide range of people — from cinephiles looking to catch a favorite on the big screen to couples looking for a nice night out.
“I feel like that's the neat thing about our ticket holders, is that some people buy these passes as a date night, so it's kind of their once a month reason to go on a date,” she said.
The Orpheum will go dark in June to begin a $9.5 million dollar renovation. But season pass holders don’t need to worry: The film series will continue with a temporary move to Century II’s Mary Jane Teall Theater.
According to Olden, it’s a way for audiences and volunteers to stay connected to the theater while it’s under construction.
“It was important for us, and with this being such a traditional monthly event for us, hosting it at another venue … was certainly something we were going to make happen,” she said.
And while it’s not part of the restoration, the Orpheum has also been working on upgrading its projectors to play movies from the past — including on 35mm film – and to play movies released in the future, all in an effort to keep up with the fast-changing pace of Hollywood.
Upgrading its sound system is also something on the theater’s wishlist.
The film series will turn 20 next year, and it’s possible moviegoers can gather in the newly renovated theater, where construction is expected to be finished by the middle of 2026.
But planning for next year’s film series won’t start until this summer. The process begins by looking at which classic films have a big anniversary approaching, and then evaluating each film on the merit of genre, variety and audience draw.
While the connection between film and the Orpheum continues to deepen as the theater moves through its second century, Rine explains the simple reason why many Wichitans show up each month.
“It's something that we love being able to do because it's an inexpensive ticket,” she said, “and it's just a way for people to come together and share … an experience inside the Orpheum.”
