Old Town Music Haunt to be resurrected this October
Above: The cat creeps in 1934’s The Black Cat, with David Manners and Julie Bishop.
Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the vast variety of Halloween horror screenings in Los Angeles was severely diminished last year, with many film organizations cancelling their events or switching to drive-ins. Halloween 2021 promises a return to normalcy, with indoor theatres once again in operation, but so only a few have announced their October schedules. Among these is Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, which resumes its annual Old Town Music Haunt series, featuring black-and-white horror classics produced at Universal Studios in the 1930s, and 1940s.
This year’s lineup includes The Black Cat, The Mummy The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and Dracula (both the English- and Spanish-language versions). Before the main feature, each screening will include a comedy short, an audience sing-along, and music performed on the theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ (which earns the nickname “orchestra in a box” with its bells, whistles, and other musical effects). The Wurlitzer will also be played live to accompany the 1925 silent version of The Phantom of the Opera.
The Old Town Music Haunt series runs on Fridays and Saturdays in October, with each film screening one day only at 2:30pm and 7pm except The Wolf Man (7pm only). Advanced ticketing is available online; prices are $10-12 for reserved seats.
Old Town Music Hall is located at 140 Richmond Street in El Segundo. Get ticket info here.
As for other Halloween Horror Screenings, Disney Concert Hall will presents its annual Halloween Film with Organ on October 31, featuring the 1920 silent version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with live musical accompaniment. The Screamfest and Shriekfest horror film festivals have yet to announce their schedules. Several indoor cinemas that closed during the 2020 pandemic have reopened, but we are awaiting word on their plans for October; you can check back for updates about these events on our page devoted to Halloween Cinema. Meanwhile, you can read about outdoor screenings here.
