STRINGS That Go Bump in the Night!

GHOULA presents...
STRINGS That Go Bump in the Night!
An evening of movies, marionettes, and the macabre.

THE DATE: August 17th, 2013 (Saturday)
THE PLACE: The Bob Baker Marionette Theater
1345 W 1st St Los Angeles, CA 90026 (Downtown) (map)
THE TIME: 7:30pm - 9:30
ADMISSION: ALL SEATS ARE $13 (for ticket info...)
All proceeds go to the preservation of the Bob Baker Marionettes.

This is your chance to see a killer double bill of macabre marionette movies on a big screen in an actual haunted marionette theater (before it possibly closes its doors forever)...

THE NARRATIVE OF VICTOR KARLOCH (2012, 15 mins.) is a Victorian ghost story puppet short film that utilizes 30 inch tall rod puppets, traditional shadow puppetry, rotoscope and rear projection to present the adventure of Victor Karloch, an alchemist, scholar, and ghost hunter, as he battles the supernatural forces of the Unknown.

BLUEBEARD (1944, 70 mins.) with its tagline "The most sinister love story ever told!" this cult classic (starring John Carradine) tells the tale of a 19th-century Parisian puppeteer/serial killer, who murders every woman he employs. This film was not only John Carradine's favorite movie, but it also a favorite of the legendary Bob Baker, who did the puppets and the puppetry seen in the film.

Plus... a LIVE horror-themed marionette performance by master puppeteer Eli Presser,
and...a few surprises and special guests...

Please come out to this enchanted oasis (while it lasts) that has been entertaining the children (and adults) of our city for over fifty years, for this rare spooky night-time event that tempts the spirits... if you dare.

THE BOB BAKER MARIONETTE THEATER'S GHOST(S):

Although people generally associate ghosts with violent/sudden deaths, there are many other theories as to why a ghost will haunt a certain location. Some believe that spirits will return to places that (in life) gave them great pleasure, or perhaps sites where (in life) much time was spent. There is also a theory that confused ghosts sometimes seek out humanoid objects to possess like wax figures, mannequins, or dolls, and thus gravitate to spots where these objects can be found (old wax museums, children's bedroom's, etc.)

So, naturally (or super-naturally) the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, the oldest continuously-operating puppet theater in the United States, is said to have a phantom of a former puppeteer lingering around (seen by staff), watching the staff from his favorite seat on the east side of the theater (last row against the wall, three seats from the aisle). Perhaps he just doesn't want to leave this happy place, or maybe he just likes being around puppets. Additionally, he is seen in the backstage area. On the wings (on the West side of the building), there are mirrors so that performers can check their puppets, or practice moves. While doing this, they will see the ghostly puppeteer (in the mirror's reflection) watching them.  When they turn around, no one is there. Plus, whenever something goes wrong during a performance such as a string breaking or a set falling, it's always blamed on the resident spook, presumably unhappy about something in the show.

In ancient times, the "illusion of life" created by marionettes was thought to be work of other-worldly forces. Who knows, maybe this resident "ex-puppeteer" still lends a hand during performances, animating the inanimate objects, and making them move in realistic ways. Is it possible that old habits die hard,... even if the ghost didn't?

(for ticket info...)