May 12, 2025
CAPA ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR THE 2025 SUMMER MOVIE SERIES AT THE OHIO THEATRE JUNE 13-AUGUST 24
The CAPA Summer Movie Series, the longest-running classic film series in America, today announced the schedule for its 56th series of classic films and cult favorites. The 2025 series will run June 13-August 24 at the historic Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.) and feature 28 films over seven weeks. Highlights include 10 series premieres, six films marking significant anniversaries of their original releases, a silent film with live musical accompaniment, Fright Nite Friday with Fritz, and two Saturday mornings of classic cartoons.
Show Tunes
Now celebrating his 34th year as featured organist for the CAPA Summer Movie Series, Clark Wilson will again provide pre-show entertainment at the keyboards and controls of the Ohio Theatre’s treasured “Mighty Morton” theatre organ presented by Ice Miller 30 minutes prior to each screening. A touring performer, recording artist, and renowned expert on the scoring of silent films, Wilson was called a “master of silent film and showman of the first order” by film critic/historian Leonard Maltin.
Also performing at the organ is associate organist David Fleisher. The central Ohio native began studying piano at age 7 and recalls falling in love with the Ohio Theatre’s organ as a young audience member. Fleisher has served as associate organist at the Ohio Theatre since 2006.
Fright Nite Friday with Fritz
While Fritz the Nite Owl will not be on-site for the screening, audiences can still return to the days of Nite Owl Theatre with a special Fright Nite Friday presentation of Alien (1979) on Friday, August 8. Fans will enjoy a full episode of Nite Owl Theatre complete with Fritz’s signature breaks loaded with trivia-tastic tomfoolery and campy special effects.
Special Services
Select films will be audio-described for visually impaired persons at no extra charge. Audio description allows patrons to hear a scene-by-scene narration of the on-screen action while they listen to the movie dialogue. Visit capa.com for a list of audio-described movie screenings for the 2025 series.
In addition, ListenWIFI, an assistive listening app that patrons can download to their personal cell phones, is available at all screenings. When coupled with the patron’s headphones or ear buds, the app provides high-quality audio streamed directly to the patron and can be adjusted for volume preference.
Tours
As part of the 2025 CAPA Summer Movie Series, CAPA will offer a revealing look at the historic Ohio Theatre with free, one-hour-long, guided tours, complete with a light show and organ demonstration by Clark Wilson on the “Mighty Morton” theatre organ presented by Ice Miller. Reservations are required, and space is limited. Tour dates are Saturdays August 2, August 9, and August 23, at 4 pm each day. To make a reservation, send an email to sms@capa.com with the number of people in your party and preferred tour date. A first-floor only tour is available upon request for individuals with mobility concerns. Tours do not go on stage or backstage.
CAPA Summer Movie Series 10-packs, good for any film in any combination, cost $40 and can be purchased beginning Monday, May 12. Tickets can be purchased in-person at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), online at capa.com, or by phone at (614) 469-0939. Ticket 10-packs will be available through Sunday, August 3.
Single tickets to individual films are $6 ($5 for seniors) and go on sale Monday, June 2. Single tickets can be purchased in advance at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), online at capa.com, or by phone at (614) 469-0939.
Single tickets and ticket 10-packs may also be purchased day-of-show with cash or card beginning one hour prior to show time at the CAPA Ticket Center.
The 2025 CAPA Summer Movie Series is made possible through the generous support of PVS.
2025 CAPA SUMMER MOVIE SERIES
SERIES PREMIERE!
In and Out (1997)
RATED PG-13
Friday, June 13, 7:30 pm
Kevin Kline, Debbie Reynolds, Tom Selleck
Kevin Kline stars in this rom-com that celebrates being your true self. As a high school English teacher whose life gets upended when a former student not only thanks him in his Oscar speech but outs him as a gay man, Kline must try to convince his fiancée, family, community, reporters, and himself that he is in fact straight, despite his love of Barbra Streisand. But the more he argues, the less everyone is convinced. Is he in…or out?
60TH ANNIVERSARY!
Saturday, June 14, 7:30 pm; Sunday, June 15, 2 pm
Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker
The beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, inspired by the true story of the Von Trapp Family Singers, is best enjoyed on the big screen. Andrews shines as the mischievous young nun who is sent to care for a widowed military captain’s children in pre-war Austria. As Maria transforms their orderly household to a home filled with music and love, their happily ever after is interrupted by the rise of the Nazi regime, leaving the family to make the choice between their beloved homeland and freedom.
RATED R
Wednesday & Thursday, June 18 & 19, 7:30 pm
Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider
Based on an actual case, this Oscar winner follows Popeye Doyle and Buddy Russo, two NYPD cops who uncover a massive trans-Atlantic drug operation. When they tail two suspects from a bar to their candy store, they find it’s a front for a heroin pipeline for French gangster Charnier. Despite obstacles from the higher ups, federal agents, and the network of criminals, they keep following the trail of money, drugs, and bodies, a chase that includes one of film’s greatest car chase scenes.
SERIES PREMIERE!
45TH ANNIVERSARY!
The Blues Brothers (1980)
RATED R
Friday, June 20, 7:30 pm
John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher
Jake and Elwood Blues are on a mission from God to save the orphanage where they were raised by reuniting their band and raising enough money to cover the tax bill. They get their band, amid a litany of great performances from Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, and Aretha Franklin, but not without leaving a path of chaos. But when you’ve got 106 miles to go, with a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, and sunglasses at night, you just have to hit it!
Cartoon Capers
Saturday, June 21, 10 am
Enjoy a collection of classic characters from animation’s heyday featuring many Warner Bros. superstars including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and a few surprises!
80TH ANNIVERSARY!
Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945)
Saturday, June 21, 7:30 pm; Sunday, June 22, 2 pm
Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov
Bergman is Constance Petersen, a brilliant psychiatrist trying to unravel the mystery of her asylum’s new head, Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Peck). As the two are falling in love, Edwards begins to behave erratically, and as it becomes clear that he is not actually the man he claims to be, Petersen is determined to learn his real identity and what trauma caused him to lose his memory, even if it means uncovering a murder.
SERIES PREMIERE!
45th ANNIVERSARY!
Ordinary People (1980)
RATED R
Wednesday, June 25, 7:30 pm
Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, Timothy Hutton
Robert Redford’s directorial debut earned him Best Director and Best Picture Oscars. It follows the Jarrett family as they come to terms with the accidental death of their oldest son. Moore was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of a mother so wrapped up in projecting the right image that she doesn’t see her remaining son’s struggles with guilt. Hutton turns in an Oscar-winning performance in his big screen debut, and Sutherland is the father trying to hold them all together.
Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
Thursday, June 26, 7:30 pm
Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Ann Richards
Bedridden and neurotic Leona Stevenson tries to prevent a murder after her phone line gets crossed and she overhears the plans to kill a woman that very evening. Alone in her house, she unravels a plot that threatens to destroy her own life as she races the clock with only a phone to help her. Stanwyck was nominated for her role as a spoiled and overbearing hypochondriac, and Lancaster played against type as her harassed husband backed into a corner of his own making.
SERIES PREMIERE!
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Friday, June 27, 7:30 pm
Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin
After receiving a two-year prison sentence for a minor crime, Luke refuses to bend to anyone, whether it’s the de facto prisoner leader Dragline or the warden. His multiple escapes and unquenchable spirit make him a legend among the prisoners, even as the guards increase their efforts to break him down. The “failure to communicate” builds to a breaking point, but who will win this epic battle of wills – one man, or the very system he is defying? 35 mm
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
RATED PG
Saturday, June 28, 7:30 pm
Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katherine Ross
Loosely based on turn of the century outlaws, this film thrills with exploits of the leaders of the infamous Hole-in-the-Wall gang, forced into a life on the run after one too many train jobs goes sideways. The pair find themselves in Bolivia, along with Sundance’s love Etta Place. Despite an attempt to live on the straight and narrow, Butch and Sundance are soon back to their outlaw ways, but it’s only a matter of time before their past catches up with them.
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Friday & Saturday, July 25 & 26, 7:30 pm; Sunday, July 27, 2 pm
Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard
Set against the backdrop of the South before, during, and after the Civil War, Gone With the Wind is the epic story of Scarlett O’Hara, a spoiled socialite who is forced to go from scandalous flirtations to a woman who will do anything to save her beloved home Tara. As she lives through tragedy after tragedy, she learns the difference between infatuation and love and finds the inner strength to be the cornerstone of her family as they rebuild after the war. 35 mm
Hitchcock’s Marnie (1964)
Wednesday & Thursday, July 30 & 31, 7:30 pm
Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery, Diane Baker
Hedren stars as the titular career thief who is blackmailed into marriage by a wealthy businessman played by Connery. He is aware of her history of assuming a false identity, getting hired, then robbing a company and disappearing, but is intrigued by her, allowing her to get hired at his company. After she robs the safe, he confronts her but also vows to find out what trauma has led her down this path. Initially dismissed, the film is now reappraised as one of Hitchcock’s most complex thrillers. 35 mm
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
RATED R
Friday, August 1, 7:30 pm
Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton
Based on a Stephen King novella, Shawshank chronicles the prison life of Andy Dufresne, a man convicted of killing his wife, despite his claims of innocence. He eventually works his way into the warden’s favor, all the while plotting his escape in a long game of cat and mouse. He and his confidante Red have a plan to meet in Mexico when they are both free. After Red’s parole is granted, he makes his way to the Pacific in hopes of seeing his good friend once more. 35 mm
The Princess Bride (1987)
RATED PG
Saturday, August 2, 7:30 pm; Sunday, August 3, 2 pm
Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin
When a young boy is sick, his grandfather arrives with a book to distract him, and the boy reluctantly agrees, as long as it’s not a “kissing book.” Instead, he is transported to the fairy tale country of Florian, where a farmer’s daughter is being forced to marry Prince Humperdinck after her true love is lost at sea. But the Dread Pirate Roberts has other plans, and she will learn that sword fights, fire swamps, outlaws, diabolical plots, and even death cannot stop true love.
90th ANNIVERSARY!
Top Hat (1935)
Wednesday, August 6, 7:30 pm
Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton
Fred and Ginger dance their way through London and Italy in this romp of mistaken identities, mixed signals, fake marriages, and of course, love, all backed by some of Irving Berlin’s most memorable songs. When showman Jerry Travers wakes up Dale Tremont tap-dancing in a hotel room above hers, he falls for her, despite her annoyance and indifference. A few classic rom-com misunderstandings later, the couple may or may not dance happily into the sunset.
The Spiral Staircase (1946)
Thursday, August 7, 7:30 pm
Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, Ethel Barrymore
This classic “dark and stormy night” thriller pits Helen, a mute nurse for an ailing Mrs. Warren, against a serial killer who targets young women with some sort of physical condition. After one of these murders happens at the inn where Helen is watching a movie, she flees back to the Warren mansion where Mrs. Warren, another nurse, and Warren’s two sons are preparing to wait out a brewing thunderstorm. What Helen doesn’t realize is the killer is also there, waiting for the opportunity to strike once more.
FRIGHT NITE FRIDAY WITH FRITZ!
SERIES PREMIERE!
Alien (1979)
RATED R
Friday, August 8, 7:30 pm
Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton
Once again, the Summer Movie Series is teaming up with local legend Fritz the Nite Owl for a Friday night feature. When a crew returning to Earth after a successful mining trip is awakened from sleep to investigate a distress signal, they have no idea what lies in wait. Too late they learn it was actually a warning, only after a murderous alien has already breached their ship. In a desperate race against time, the crew attempts to kill the alien while also repairing the ship. In the end, they learn that in space, no one can hear you scream.
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Saturday, August 9, 7:30 pm; Sunday, August 10, 2 pm
Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey
In this beloved screwball comedy, Mortimer Brewster is a writer who wants to introduce his new bride to his elderly aunts. Instead, he is surprised to find a body in their window seat, and he learns they consider it an act of charity to poison lonely old men and bury them in the basement. While trying to keep this secret from his wife, the victims multiply, as does Mortimer’s fear that is it only a matter of time before he follows the family way of becoming a serial killer. 35 mm
SERIES PREMIERE!
Dune (1984)
RATED PG-13
Wednesday, August 13, 7:30 pm
Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Francesca Annis
In the distant future, the universe’s most valuable substance is only found on the dangerous desert planet, Arrakis. The noble Atreides family has been given control over the planet, for reasons only known to the universe’s emperor. After an assassination attempt, the Duke’s son flees into the desert and finds sanctuary with the inhabitants, who believe he is there to fulfill their prophecy. Together, they mount a revolution against the corrupt ruling class in David Lynch’s version of the sci-fi classic.
SILENT FILM!
Safety Last! (1923)
plus a classic Laurel & Hardy short
Thursday & Friday, August 14 & 15, 7:30 pm
Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis
Lloyd stars as a country boy who has come to the city to make enough money to marry his sweetheart. But life doesn’t go quite as planned, and when his sweetheart surprises him by also coming to the city, he concocts a wild and not entirely safe plan to win $1,000 from the department store where he works as a clerk. Audiences will also enjoy a Laurel and Hardy short as part of this CAPA tradition! Clark Wilson provides the soundtrack on the Ohio Theatre’s “Mighty Morton” theatre organ presented by Ice Miller.
Cartoon Capers
Saturday, August 16, 10 am
Enjoy a collection of classic characters from animation’s heyday featuring many Warner Bros. superstars including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and a few surprises!
SERIES PREMIERE!
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
RATED PG
Saturday, August 16, 7:30 pm; Sunday, August 17, 2 pm
Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson
A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the origin story of the feared Sith Lord Darth Vader begins on the desert planet of Tatooine in the first installment of the Star Wars saga. Anakin Skywalker is a young slave boy with above average mechanical ability and powers he hasn’t quite discovered. When he helps stranded Jedi masters Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, they endeavor to train him in the ways of the Force, believing he will restore balance in the universe.
After the Thin Man (1936)
Wednesday, August 20, 7:30 pm
William Powell, Myrna Loy, James Stewart
Nick and Nora Charles, along with their faithful dog Asta, are once again on the trail of a killer, this time in Nora’s own family. In After the Thin Man, Nick and Nora are spending New Year’s with Nora’s aristocratic family, who are trying to avoid a scandal because her cousin Selma’s husband is missing. When he turns up dead, along with some other bodies, it’s up to Nick to clear Nora’s cousin and find the real killer.
SERIES PREMIERE!
Moonstruck (1987)
RATED PG
Thursday, August 21, 7:30 pm
Cher, Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis
Cher stars as a widow who inconveniently falls in love with her fiancé’s younger brother. Loretta agrees to marry Johnny, even though she doesn’t actually love him, and when he goes to Italy to visit his mother, he asks Loretta to invite his estranged brother Ronny to the wedding. She goes to his bakery, but instead of delivering the invitation, they find themselves hopelessly attracted to each other, and Loretta is forced to choose between stability and love. Cher and Dukakis earned Oscars for their performances.
COMEDY DOUBLE FEATURE!
SERIES PREMIERE!
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)
W.C. Fields, Gloria Jean, Leon Errol
Horse Feathers (1932)
The Marx Brothers, Thelma Todd
Friday, August 22, 7:30 pm
It’s a full night of iconic comedy at the Ohio Theatre. Never Give a Sucker an Even Break features W.C. Fields in his last starring role as a filmmaker attempting to sell his script. On his way to the meeting, the surreal script comes to life, leading him on a wild “Mexican adventure.” The Marx Brothers are on a quest to win the rivalry game for their college in Horsefeathers, but when they recruit screw ups instead of stars, they come up with a new plan.
70th ANNIVERSARY!
Guys and Dolls (1955)
Saturday, August 23, 7:30 pm; Sunday, August 24, 2 pm
Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra
A stellar cast brings one of Broadway’s greatest musicals to the screen. Sinatra is Nathan Detroit, a gambler trying to raise $1,000 for the “oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York.” He bets his old buddy Sky Masterson (Brando) that he can’t take local Save-a-Soul leader Sarah Brown (Simmons) to dinner in Cuba, but somewhere along the way, they actually fall in love. Several catchy tunes and wacky misunderstandings later, Sky and Sarah, along with Nathan and long-suffering sweetheart Miss Adelaide, find their happy ending.
Digital Presentations
CAPA screens 35mm prints when available. All Saturday morning cartoons are digital.
*Movies are subject to change without notice.