Hitchcock at the Empress: Fall in Hitch Love

Empress offers Master of Suspense, Rocky Horror

By Rich Freedman

Posted: 09/25/2011 01:00:25 AM PDT

Three films by one of Hollywood's most acclaimed directors and a cult Halloween classic should bring some focus back to the Empress Theatre in downtown Vallejo, believe the couple pivotal in keeping the doors open for the art deco venue.
Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder," "The Birds," and "Psycho" are screened at the 470-seat theater the last three Fridays in October, respectively, and the audience-interactive "Rocky Horror Picture Show" returns for two encore viewings Oct. 30.

From encouraging period attire to offering martinis to featuring ghost-finders and "scare-e-oke," a version of karaoke, "we're trying to do something different," said Susan MacDonald, who, along with her husband, Tim, have supported the facility financially while assisting in programming via their positions on the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation.

Though a Bogart festival and other star vehicles were brought up, the MacDonalds and a small committee decided Hitchcock's work would be best leading to
Halloween.

"Classics that have a scary essence about them for a tie in with October and Halloween," Tim MacDonald said. "Hitchcock was a classic director always on the cutting edge."

The movies chosen "are a few of Hitchcock's greatest films," he added.

There's just something about a movie by King Alfred, said Tim MacDonald.

"Classic horror films that are still scary today," he said. "I know I always end up on the edge of my seat. We wanted to show something different. We

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have had 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' and 'Young Frankenstein' in the past."
"Dial 'M' for Murder" was released in 1954 and stars Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. An ex-tennis pro carries out a plot to murder his wife. When things go wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B.

"The Birds" features Tippi Hendren, Rod Taylor and Suzanne Pleshette. The 1963 movie was filmed in Bodega Bay.

"Psycho," starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh, was released in 1960.

Tickets for the Hitchcock series are $7 for seniors and $10 general per show or $30 general admission. A three-film series pass is offered at a discount.

The MacDonalds said the Empress will undoubtedly boast other "theme months" in 2012.

"Absolutely," Tim MacDonald said. "We really want to know what the public wants to see. But some that come to mind are Star Trek, James Bond, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, Film Noir, Murder Mystery, Marilyn Monroe, and other cult films."

For November and December, "everyone's asking for holiday-type movies," Susan MacDonald said, hoping to do a film noir series in January before the 100th anniversary week-long extravaganza begins mid-February.

The MacDonalds said a significant expense will be reduced when they agreed to a rent-to-own of a digital projector. It will cost about $1,000 a month for six months "and then we own all the equipment," MacDonald said.

Renting the projector runs $750 per day "plus the cost to ship the movies of $250 to $350. It's very, very expensive," Susan MacDonald said.

If you go




What/when: Hitchcock film series, "Dial M for Murder," Oct. 14; "The Birds," Oct. 21, "Psycho," Oct. 28
Where: The Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St., Vallejo; all films, 8 p.m.

Admission: $10 per movie general, series pass $25; $7 seniors, series pass $18
Info: empresstheatre.org,
(707) 552-2400