When one walks through the doors of Ellenville’s Shadowland Stages, they’re greeted with an experience not unlike time travel. While the theater, originally an art deco-style movie/vaudeville theatre back in the 1920s, has seen some renovation in recent decades, it’s retained much of its old school charm. Seeing a show at Shadowland takes the viewer back to a bygone era, which is why it is the perfect setting for classic cinema screenings.

Enter: Shadowland Cinema (Formerly Matinees at Shadowland, but now occupying an evening time slot), a long-running annual program that the theater welcomes back each spring. Throughout this four-week program, a series of classic films and shorts curated by theatre board member and local luminary Ray Faiola will be presented for the modest price of just $10. From slapstick comedy to technicolor fantasy, there’s certain to be something on offer to pique anyone’s interest.

On Friday, March 6, the theatre will present 1950s Champagne for Caesar, a hilarious comedy starring Ronald Colman, Celeste Holm, Barbara Britton, Vincent Price, and Art Linkletter that tells the story of Beauregard Bottomley (Colman), an incredibly intelligent man that captures the attention of the nation (and the ire of one soap magnate) when he begins an impressive run on a popular game show. Along with the film, the audience will be treated to a showing of a classic Goofy cartoon and an educational short on how to protect oneself from an atomic bomb.

The following weekend, on Friday, March 13, The Thief of Bagdad will hit the screen. This 1940 film stars Conrad Veidt, Sabu (Sabu Dastagir), June Duprez, John Justin, and Rex Ingram. In this technicolor tale, a naïve young sultan named Ahmad (John Justin) falls in love with a princess (June Duprez) who he must then rescue from a devious Grand Vizier name Jaffar. The story will especially appeal to those familiar with the Disney classic Aladdin, which greatly borrowed from this beloved film. Also featured that night will be an MGM Harman-Ising cartoon The Little Mole, plus a short from none other than the Three Stooges!

Another cinema giant will be featured on Friday, March 20, when Shadowland presents Phantom of the Opera (1925), starring Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, and Norman Kerry. Here, Lon Chaney plays the titular Phantom, sporting some seriously spooky and impressive makeup as he plays the character who is said to haunt the Paris Opera House with the ultimate goal of elevating the career of the actress he loves from afar, Christine Daaé (Philbin). The screening will be bookended with a silent short from Laurel & Hardy and a silent cartoon by the great Walter Lantz, the creator of Woody Woodpecker.

To round out the series on Friday, March 27, the theater will hold a screening of the 1947 comedy Life With Father, featuring William Powell, Irene Dunne, Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund Gwenn, ZaSu Pitts, and more. Another technicolor film, this one follows the true story of Clarence Day (Powell), a stockbroker and father of four who finds that despite his best efforts, he cannot get his family to regard him as the head of the household. The film consists of a series of anecdotes that show each member of the family’s daily struggles and quirks, painting a vivid picture of an urban family that rings so true because, well, it is. The film is based on the 1935 book of the same name written by Clarence Day, Jr., which tells stories of the man’s sometimes short-tempered father. Accompanying the showing will be Strife With Father, a Merrie Melodies cartoon, plus a comedic short by Joe McDoakes.

With these blasts from the past, Shadowland Stages is attempting to shine a spotlight on the entertainment of old so that people across multiple generations might see the genesis of the entertainment industry from its humble beginnings to what it is today. When paired with the beautiful and historical interior of the theater, one would be hard-pressed to a find a more fitting venue for this program.

All four showings will take place at 7 p.m. on their respective dates. For tickets or more information, visit ShadowlandStages.org or call the box office one hour prior to showtime at 845-647-5511.