40th Anniversary
screening
of
The
Time Machine
2000

     My wife and I arrived at the Orpheum theater shortly before 7:00 and the line was already at the corner of the block. At 7:00 the theater starting letting us in. The L.A. Conservancy had a table set up in the lobby enticing people to joinand also had a table set up for Arnold Liebovit who was offering for sale signed copies of his video The Fantasy Worlds of George Pal . We picked up a copy of the flyer pictured below and received a program at the door into the main theater. While settling in, the theater was playing tracks from The Time Machine soundtrack and various vintage radio advertisement for the film as well. On the far right side of the stage stood a very imposing Gort.

     At a few minutes to eight Gort began opening and closing his visor and powering up his 'death ray'. At 8:00 the stage presentation began.

     Maxwell DeMille was introduced by a member of the L.A. Conservancy and he began by apologizing for Jeri Ryan being late, a Miss Watchett approached him with a note which read "If I'm not here by 8:00, start without me." At which time the curtains opened and Miss Ryan 'arrived' via Fred Barton's replica Time Machine. The stage was turned over to Miss Ryan and she in turn introduced Forest J. Ackerman, Arnold Leibovit and Alan Young. Miss Ryan conducted a question and answer session with the guests. After the Q&A the stage was returned to Mr. DeMille who then introduced Clyde Lucas (producer & director of Time Machine: The Journey Back) and Brian Jameison (VP of Warner Home Video), they announced that The Time Machine was scheduled to be released on DVD on Oct. 3, 2000, included would also be Time Machine: The Journey Back. Also announced was that there would be a special limited edition boxed set of the DVD, contents still being discussed.

     An intermission was called before starting the film. During the intermission Ed Sussman performed various science fiction movie and TV themes on a theremin. Among the pieces played were themes from Outer Limits, Star Trek, and The Day the Earth Stood Still (Gort's personal favorite).

     After the intermission, the film was started with much applause from the audience. The print was extremely good and a pleasure to watch. I highly recommend seeing the film on a theater screen if you ever have the chance to do so. This was the second time I was able to see the film in a theater within a three week period. Not long ago I discovered that the film was playing for a short time in a theater in Beverly Hills. The theater was filled with about 40 people and were obviously people who wanted to enjoy the film as not a sound was heard from them during the entire film. Somehow from that day to the 40th anniversary screening the film apparently became a comedy. The audience was laughing at nearly everything on the screen. If George Pal was there in spirit I'm sure he was confused by the reaction if not appalled by it. The next morning I played my Laser disk copy of the film so I could watch it without the 'laugh track'.

—Don Coleman—