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William Lewis, center left, and John Kostka, center right, chat during intermission at the Stanford Theatre’s 100th anniversary celebration on June 9, 2025, in Palo Alto. Both wore 1920s-themed outfits for the occasion. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
David Woodley Packard, left, interviews Kim Pucci, right, during the Stanford Theatre’s 100th anniversary celebration on June 9, 2025, in Palo Alto. Pucci is the granddaughter of 1920s movie star Reginald Denny, who made an appearance at the theatre’s opening night screening of “I’ll Show You the Town,” which Denny starred in. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
David Woodley Packard, left, interviews Kim Pucci, right, during the Stanford Theatre’s 100th anniversary celebration on June 9, 2025, in Palo Alto. Pucci is the granddaughter of of 1920s movie star Reginald Denny, who made an appearance at the theatre’s opening night screening of “I’ll Show You the Town,” which Denny starred in. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
A moviegoer looks at old movie posters in the lobby during the Stanford Theatre’s 100th anniversary celebration on June 9, 2025, in Palo Alto. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
James, left, and Tracy Lindsey of Lafayette make their way through the lobby wearing 1920s-themed outfits at Stanford Theatre’s 100th anniversary celebration on June 9, 2025, in Palo Alto. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Moviegoers watch a film during the Stanford Theatre’s 100th anniversary celebration on June 9, 2025, in Palo Alto. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.
Downtown Palo Alto’s Stanford Theatre marked a triple-digit milestone with a special event on June 9, held 100 years ago to the day that the theater opened its doors.
To take audiences back to the time when the theater was new, the Packard Foundation, which purchased and renovated the theater in the late ’80s, screened silent films throughout last week. The June 9 anniversary event featured a screening of the same film that was shown at the theater’s opening day in 1925, the silent movie “I’ll Show You the Town,” starring actor Reginald Denny, who was a big star with Universal Pictures.
David Woodley Packard, who led the effort to revive the Stanford Theatre, spoke at the event and interviewed Kim Pucci, Denny’s granddaughter, who wrote a book about her famous granddad and his second career in aviation. The evening also included another Denny film, “That’s My Daddy.”
Some audience members dressed up in 1920s fashions and, to further set the scene, vintage cars were parked in front of the theater.
Pucci returned to the Stanford on June 10 for an appearance alongside Suzanne Lloyd, the granddaughter of silent film actor Harold Lloyd, whose films were also shown at the theater last week.
During the June 9 event, Packard also received the 2025 FIAF award from the Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film (in English, the International Federation of Film Archives) for his work in helping to preserve and expand access to classic films. Previous award recipients include Martin Scorsese, Guillermo del Toro and Wim Wenders.
The lobby of the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto on June 9, 2025. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
A gallery with vintage posters, historical information and articles is located down the hallway from the Stanford Theatre’s lobby. June 9, 2025. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
A moviegoer heads back to their seat with popcorn and soda during the Stanford Theatre’s 100th anniversary celebration on June 9, 2025, in Palo Alto. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.
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