WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Images Cinema at 50 Spring St. is dressed up for the celebration of its 100th anniversary.
Crimson and blue bunting is draped on the marquee and bunting across the facade of the Walden building, Images' home, is embellished with a golden yellow "1916."
Doug Jones, Images' executive director, and board members Ann McCallum and Diana Walczak were present May 27 when the Images' appearance was transformed from everyday to celebratory.
"Ann Kennedy, a costume designer, sewed the bunting," said well-known filmmaker Walczak.
McCallum was not just an observer; she was hoisted up in a bucket, provided by Charles Swabey, to help hang the bunting across the Walden building.
Images' new look evoked praise from passersby and onlookers, who thought "it gives Spring Street a cheery atmosphere."
But Images Cinema is more than festively adorned to commemorate its century as a continuously operating independent movie theater in the Berkshires.
Earlier this year, the cinema launched "100 Years of Images" to bring the community and visitors the delights of a film series featuring an impressive array of films, guests and special events.
The film series is a countdown through the decades, revisiting favorite films from the Golden Age of Hollywood, the New Hollywood of the '70s, and the independent movement through the '80s and '90s up to today.
"We have been getting great support and great crowds for everything we have been doing," said Jones.
Successful filmmakers from or with ties to Williamstown are participating in "100 Years of Images."
In April, creative partners John Sayles and Maggie Renzii (both Williams alumni) were on stage at the Images for a conversation about their work, accompanied by a screening of a digitally remastered "City of Hope," their award-winning film about the personal cost of politics in a fictional American city.
On Monday night, June 6, the New Hollywood era is represented with a screening of "Dog Day Afternoon," followed by a discussion about the film and cinemas of 1970s led by David Fear, senior editor of culture at Rolling Stone.
Each feature film is preceded by a brief centennial promo as a bit of nostalgia.
"We cast people of our community to portray moviegoers from 1916 and 2016 side by side," said Walczak, director of the centennial promotions.
"For a special outdoor screening of a thriller we are partnering with Sand Springs Recreational Center," said Jones. "You will be able to watch the movie while you're in the water."
The film, of course, is the 1975 summer blockbuster "Jaws." The tale of the great white shark will be shown poolside at Sand Springs on Saturday, June 25.
The series will culminate with a special cinematic celebration at the theater on Nov. 30.
The history of Images Cinema can be traced back to Nov. 30, 1916 when the Walden Theater, as it was known then, screened a movie for the first time.
Dedicated to presenting "high-class fare" the movie theater brought Williamstown to the cultural forefront of the Berkshires. Decades would pass before Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williams College Museum of Art and Williamstown Theatre Festival were founded.
The theater changed hands and names a few times, including being called College Cinema and the Nickelodeon before it became Images Cinema in 1977.
The theater was incorporated as a nonprofit legally known as Community Images Inc. in 1998. From that time on, it has been funded by donations, grants and admission fees.
Over the years, the theater has been renovated and improved, including a $200,000 revamp that included new seating, lights, sound system and expanded lobby to go with the original elements.
When the original entrance (more recently used as a restaurant) on Spring Street was restored in 2008, moviegoers no longer needed to enter the theater through an alleyway. Also, with digital projection, images and sound are clearer, making watching a movie more enjoyable. There's also a homey touch with throws available to wrap up in the comfortable seats.
Various spaces on Spring Street are displaying posters with the Images' centennial graphic. Created through a collaboration between McCallum and Walczak, the graphic design is on postcards and coasters also produced for the special occasion.
"We have 2,500 centennial coasters and are distributing some to restaurants to spread the word," said the Images' executive director. Coasters can also be bought at Images, and make a nice memento of the celebration of cinema's centennial.
"It's thanks to the dedication of Images' community of supporters and film lovers that we can reflect on the past 100 years while also anticipating the next 100," Jones said.
Williamstown.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
MEMBER SIGN IN
