20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at the Paramount Theater, Oakland, California - September 22, 2004
It was an unusually warm evening in Oakland for the showing of the film, which I hadn’t seen on the large screen since the early ‘60s. The Paramount was the perfect place to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
The Paramount is a movie palace from the ‘30s that has been lovingly restored and is used for a variety of shows and screenings. In addition, there is a large pipe organ and a full working stage. Jim Riggs plays the organ before each screening, and his console rises dramatically out of the stage floor.
After the cartoon, it was Dec-O-Win time. Once again the organ rose out of the stage floor, along with the host and hostess for Dec-O-Win. Several prizes from local businesses were given away before the main feature. This was the first Disney movie shown on the Friday night movie series, and it was a print that had only been screened 3 times before!
The outside of the theater is just as entertaining as what’s inside. The lights cycle through several colors and patterns, making the whole building a spectacle all its own.
