Special Event • Film
La Mirada Theatre
and
The Institute of the American Musical
present
Ray Knight’s Broadway
Theater Films
Sunday, July 12, 2026 • 3PM
Never-Before-Seen films of Golden Age Broadway Shows!
Theatregoer Ray Knight’s legendary films of Broadway shows and stars from the 1930s, ‘40s, and ’50s will have their World Premiere public screening at La Mirada Theatre on Sunday, July 12 at 3 PM.
Time travel to the past and see thrilling early footage of Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante, George M. Cohan, Mary Martin and Carol Channing on stage. Plus, experience the original productions of Oklahoma!, On the Town, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, Gypsy, and others — secretly captured from the audience with a 16mm movie camera by Ray Knight for over 40 years.
These remarkable films are owned and preserved by The Institute of the American Musical, a Los Angeles-based non-profit library, which is presenting this one-of-a-kind look back at vintage Broadway. Featuring invaluable insights by Institute founder Miles Kreuger, as well as musical selections performed by a talented cast of singers, the program is curated and moderated by Eric Davis, produced for La Mirada Theatre by Conwell Worthington II, and originally conceived by BT McNicholl.
Be the first to see the real Broadway — in color and black and white — from The Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 through Gypsy (1959). One surprise after another!
About The Ray Knight Broadway Film Collection
The Ray Knight Broadway Theatre Films is a unique collection of 16mm silent film shot by theatergoer Ray Knight of Jacksonville, Florida, on visits to New York City during a period of over 40 years. From The Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 to A Little Night Music (1973), Knight captured on film excerpts of actual performances of approximately 140 Broadway musicals, creatively edited into narrative sequences along with local scenes of New York City and homemade shots of theatre memorabilia. What was originally intended as a personal souvenir has now become a masterpiece of primitive film art, an unparalleled historical resource, and a national treasure–the single largest collection of moving images of the Broadway musical during its golden years.
The Institute of the American Musical is making these unique documents available to the public incrementally as they are completed because we recognize their great interest and unparalleled educational value for musical theatre producers, performers, scholars, students, and aficionados alike.
Ticket & Performance Information
To Purchase: Online, in person at the Box Office or by calling 562.944.9801
Performance: Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 3PM.
Running Time: approx. 2 hours, plus an intermission and a 15 minute post-show talkback.