AFI Silver Theatre
8633 Colesville Road,
Silver Spring,
MD
20910
8633 Colesville Road,
Silver Spring,
MD
20910
15 people
favorited this theater
Operated by the American Film Institute, the AFI Silver Theatre is a film house and education and cultural center. Arthouse films, classics, and film festivals are presented in the historic theatre that opened in 1938 and in the two auditoriums that opened in 2003. The AFI Silver is near the Silver Spring stop of Metro’s Red line. Silver Spring is a suburb of Washington, D.C.
The Silver Theatre opened September 15, 1938, with 1,100 seats and “Four Daughters” starring John Garfield and Claude Rains. The Silver was built by a local movie theatre operator W.S. Wilcox, but quickly turned over to Warner Bros. The theatre was designed by fame theatre architect John Eberson, one of his later classics. The historic building has a nautical theme including its mast like vertical sign and imitation portholes. When seen from above, the building mimics the lines of a ship. Eberson designed it to give moviegoers the feeling they are entering a cruise ship. The movie screen was designed to appear as if it were floating in front of the auditorium.
In 1984, objecting to the preservation of the theatre, its owners demolished some of the facade including the vertical neon town and tile mosaics. As demolition crews punched holes in the brick facade in August 1984, frantic Silver Spring residents rushed to the theatre to plead that demolition be halted. A ‘stop work’ order from Montgomery County saved the theatre from demolition at that time. The infamous, deliberate vandalism of the theatre by its owners became a rallying call to those who cherished it. K-B Theatres closed the Silver Theatre in 1985. Boarded up, its fate was uncertain. The Silver Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Richard Striner, a founder and former president of the Art Deco Society of Washington led a 19 year campaign to save the theatre. In 1998, Montgomery County began negotiations with the American Film Institute to reopen the theatre. The AFI were previously based at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center since 1975. Renovations by Gensler Architects at the Silver began in 2001. The five year construction project cost twenty million dollars and was totally funded by Montgomery County. County executive Douglas M. Duncan led the charge to fund the theatre’s rehabilitation. The AFI Silver is the flagship (pun intended) of a one million public & private rejuvenation of the downtown Silver Spring.
The historic Silver Theatre was ‘rehabilitated’ rather than replicated, because it isn’t an exact replica as it was. The original blueprints were discovered, and reviewed, along with vintage photographs. When built, the theatre had 60 colors in the interior. The reincarnation has 40 colors including the blues, yellows, reds and deep browns typical of 1930’s Art Moderne. Peacocks and shells can be seen on the wall decor. A new larger screen was placed in front of the original smaller screen. The original carpet was replicated.
The rehabilitation project features 32,000 square feet of new construction housing two new stadium theatres, a film-based retail kiosk, office and meeting space, as well as reception and exhibit areas.
The AFI Silver reopened April 4, 2003 with a gala including a screening of the restored classic “The Oxbow Incident” and actor/director Clint Eastwood receiving the AFI Silver Legacy Award. With photographs of its facade and auditoriums, the AFI Silver Theatre is depicted in the 2004 book ‘Cinema Treasures, A New Look at Classic Movie Theaters’.
As of 2007, historic Auditorium 1 has 400 seats in its raked auditorium, an electric organ to accompany silent films, projection equipment that includes 70mm projectors, and a very large movie screen that is 41 feet wide and 18 feet tall. Auditorium 2 has 200 seats, stadium seated, and a very large movie screen that is 37' x 19'. Auditorium 3 has 75 seats, stadium seating, and a 27' x 14' screen. All auditoriums have digital surround sound, are THX certified, and have curtains to open and close before the movie.
Concessions that can be enjoyed in the cafe or auditoriums include beer and wine, in addition to food and other drinks.
Contributed by
Ray Barry, Howard B. Haas
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 168 comments)
Giles, what was the print and surround quality like for this print? Did it seem aged or fresh, or mint? Do you recall any memorable surround sound events? Were the sound levels played up high or more subdued? What about audience attendance?
I wanted to see this movie badly but had work conflicts. I never saw it in 70mm during its initial run only for the fact that the DC market never got a 70mm print.
“Lifeforce” should be fun in 70mm. I saw it when the Circle Ontario was remodeled. You can see my post on that theater’s site. I still remember the experience as if it were yesterday, even the smell of freshly painted seats! The movie is horror themed but campy in a way. I still remember Matilda May, one of the space vampires, walking around the movie naked for the entire movie. John Dykstra’s visual effects were really funtastic for its time.
I wish I could see it again on the big screen, but unfortunately, I have to work that weekend, too.
According to in70mm, there’s a 70mm print of Star Trek II being shown this weekend, I’m surprised the AFI couldn’t secure that print for showing here for their 80’s retrospective series.
I thought the surround sound was tad better than the film quality – but not by that much. The image was bright, with dark blacks and had vibrant colors. The surrounds never sounded subdued – when ‘Master Control’ was derezzing at the finale, the soundlevel was escalating to a spectacular noisey explosion. For a 11:45pm movie on a Friday night though, the audience was very low – which was unfortunate.
Heads up, the AFI/Silver is looking to do a 70mm film festival later this year. The AFI/Silver is becoming the DC-Metro area’s last 70mm venue.
I’ll admit, was not too impressed with the prints of WSS or Tron. I can assure you, the flaws observed were not due to the AFI/Silver…their system can only deliver what is on the print.
-Steve
I want some decent sci-fi. No more 2001, please. They’ve shown it enough. Come to think of it..no more Lawrence of Arabia, either. Not to offend fans of either movie, its just that whenever the AFI Silver has 70mm anything, its usually always those two that play.
Show all Star Treks' from TMP-VI, please. :D It would be Trektacular! They had a 70mm retrospective two years ago at the Laehmle (spelling) with a ‘special guest star’ from either the cast or production crew to take Q&A. I know ..I know…we aren’t in SoCA/LA so the stars can just drive over. If the AFI can’t get at least ONE star and/or production crew person (director, producer, production designer, etc)to do Q&A, at least Louise Fletcher does live in nearby Leesburg VA… :)
70mm of TMP (the first Star Trek movie) would be great as it was the only one (and probably one of the last movies) with an overture. It would be perfect to play in the Historic Auditorium. Closed curtain..or partially opened..i forget now, dimmed lights..Ilia’s theme. Curtains opening..house lights turned off. Paramount’s bright logo and Jerry Goldsmith’s stirring, Academy Award nominated score!
The 70mm of WSS was okay, just not what I had expected, as blogged above, but my expectations were probably set too high given the number of glowing experiences during the earlier years.
Brainstorm is out there and would be great in 70mm. I have vivid and fond memories of it playing at the MacArthur. There is a circulating print and would be true 70mm as part of it (the point of view or ‘dream’ parts and sfx) were filmed in 65mm. To be honest, I think it would play even better at the Uptown given the fact that the 70mm scenes, would play better on the curved screen, then on flat.
Whatever they choose to play in 70mm, I hope whomever is in the projection booth remembers to play it up loud. If the sound isn’t cranked up, it lessens the experience. Some of the sound fx in the channels don’t play up right if the sound is too low and the experience just becomes like ‘any other’ movie.
even though I just received the blu-ray of ‘Cleopatra’ which is glorious looking – AFI should have shown the 70mm print of that during the most recent Elizabeth Taylor retrospective. I’d love to see ‘Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines’ ‘Vertigo’ ‘South Pacific’ ‘Lord Jim’ ‘Oklahoma!’ ‘Ryan’s Daughter’
oh I forgot, in regards to the 70mm print of ‘Lifeforce’ the print looked a bit dodgy, but the sound.. oh the sound, my jaw was on the floor, by the time the film reached it wild over the top conclusion my ears felt like they had rocketing off my head – wow!, WOW!!
I’m sure any 70mm showings would be with existing prints…which would really limit the Star Treks (all were 35mm blow ups too). Any 70mm print struck before 1983 would also be very pink.
As for 2001 and Lawrence…they play so much due to availability…Warner Bros and Columbia keep those prints in stock as they do get a return on investment. Lawrence was also restored so its INs are readily available and one need not go through another check-print phase…driving the cost up.
But let them know what you want.
How expensive is it to make a new print of the older movies? A few thousand? I imagine 70mm would be a little more, of course.
With the director’s edition of TMP, they must have a digital version of it, from which to strike a new print, or go to the original source negatives. Of course, the investment would need recouping. One would think with the popularity of the reboot, revisiting the classic cast would be a no-brainer.
One sound effect I love about 70mm 6 track presentations is when the movies use that sssHHHHHHHHHH transitional sound effect. It gives me goose bumps. Lifeforce has it in the title sequence, Cocoon has it as the film transitioned from space, to earth and sea. Star Trek 3 has it in the opening after the Paramount logo and Brainstorm has it at the end, during the ascension light show sequence at the end.
Hello Dolly is playing here on 3/24, in 70mm. One measly day. I hope to make it that day. Maybe AFI will reconsider and have more showings. I hope that print isn’t pinked out.
Hello Dolly would be from a relatively recent print (it has played the AFI/Silver before).
I plan on seeing Dolly again, the prior screening was gorgeous, when she comes down the restaurant stairs I thought she was going to walk right off the screen.