05/20/2026
Speech from 4/21/26 screening at the Orpheum Theatre - Phoenix-Comments for GOING ATTRACTIONS: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace, and wrap-up of the 2026 Arizona Architectural Film Showcase"-Photo by Andi Still
Good evening, and thank you for attending Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace.
My name is Steve Weiss and I’m the Executive Director of No Festival Required Independent Cinema, which, since June 2002, has screened truly independent films from local, regional, national and international filmmakers to audiences across the Valley. For all these years, architecture films has been an ongoing part of its programming, and today’s film is no exception.
This is the third and final film of the 2026 Arizona Architectural Film Showcase, a curated program of remarkable independent films, shown in significant architectural settings.
This is the 4th year we’ve held this showcase, gathering in local arts and culture spaces like the Park Central Arts Pavilion, The Abbey Phoenix, the 3rd St Theater at Phoenix Center for the Arts and Walter Studios. All great spaces, all creative historic spaces or adaptive reuses. The Greenest Building Is The One Left Standing.
For this year’s showcase, last Thursday we celebrated the African and Creoles of Color influence on Louisiana Architecture at the 3rd Street Theater, on Saturday produced a participatory work-in-progress screening on Herb Greene and Organic Architecture at The Pavilion at Taliesin West, and tonight go back in time to marvel at Movie Palace architecture, in Phoenix’s last surviving Movie Palace.
A series like this requires sponsors, especially if you want to have affordable tickets, as well as supporting sponsors as we have tonight with the Friends of the Orpheum Theater. I would like to acknowledge those who believe in the power of independent documentary film and put their money and support behind it so that the public can enjoy these films and learn more about architecture in all its forms.
Sponsors
Arizona Architecture Foundation
AIA Phoenix Metro
Armstrong-Prior, Inc
Arizona Preservation Foundation
Butler Housing Company
Coldwell Banker Historic Homes Group
DAVIS
Floor Associates
Jones Studio
NOMA Arizona
Papago Hotel
Preserve PHX
John Woodcock Photography
and
Supporting Sponsors
Friends of the Orpheum Theatre
Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
Third Street Theater, Phoenix Center for the Arts
THANK YOU!
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I was born the year of a particularly popular Chevy. My earliest movie memories aren’t much about the historic movie palaces, though I do recall seeing Wallace and Ladmo at the Fox Theater, and being astonished at the color of theater projected cartoons, at a time when kid’s shows were broadcast in black and white.
When I was two, we moved from the downtown suburbs into the edge of Arcadia and a new ranch style home. From there, our theaters were the Kachina Theater on Scottsdale Road, the Palms on Central, drive-ins like Cinema Park and The Round-Up when the parents couldn’t get a babysitter, and, much later, the Sombrero and Valley Art Theaters.
The Ciné Capri at 24th St, the last constructed Valley mid-century movie palace, was built, operated and demolished in my lifetime. The sterile, economical multiplexes have continued the moviegoing tradition, with all kinds of television, VHS tape, cable and now streaming working against it to keep people home. The current multiplex model is bespoke, with bars, reclining chairs and seat reservations, but to truly experience movie magic, these old movie palaces are still the stars of the show, especially this one, tonight, our Phoenix crown jewel.
Enjoy the film, directed by April Wright, the film runs 1 hour 26 minutes. Thank you for your attendance and please sign up for the No Festival Required mailing list at nofestivalrequired.com. for future screening events for information on the 2027 edition of the Arizona Architectural Film Showcase. Thank you."
