On Feb. 10, 2012, the roaring twenties came back to life as the historic State Theatre in Modesto hosted a gala to premiere the Oscar nominated film, “The Artist.”
Walking into the box office was like preparing to enter a time machine. The staff in the box office dressed in black feathers and gave out the tickets to go back in time. All the attendees had to do was give the ticket to the door man wearing the white tux.
All the employees were in on the act. Even Sue Richardson, General Manager of the State Theatre, was carrying champagne to her dapper guests. Most dressed the part while a few sported something more casual.
“It was cool how many dressed up,” said David Rocha, former California State University, Stanislaus student and current State Theatre concessions staff member. “Free champagne was a nice touch.”
When one door opened to the red carpet it was only met by a wall of sound and forgotten fragrances. Blaring trumpets and boisterous laughter filled the room with an immense energy of nostalgia. Stepping into the room was like striding in the footsteps of those oh so long ago.
Richardson seems to believe that The State Theatre is the only place to have a real gala premiere. This is due to it being the only theatre around that’s in the same time period as the movie.
“We are 78 years old, opened in 1934 on Christmas day, and it was kind of a gift to Modesto,” Richardson said. “There were seven or eight other movie theatres there at that time and this is it. This is the only one remaining.”
While there were no rules on what to wear, many patrons sported the suggested tux and dress look of the 1920s. Classy fedoras and brimmed felt hats were donned by men and women. Men tilted their fedoras before fixing their suspenders, while the women adjusted their fur and flapper dresses. 
Not everyone participated in the 20s attire. A few arrived in a formal suit and others flaunted athletic clothing. No matter what guests wore, they were all welcome in the main theatre room to enjoy the film.
With the organ playing in the screen room and people shuffling to their seats harnessing their style, the lights began to dim. It all seemed to sew right into fabric, which was the story line of the silent black and white film “The Artist.” It was then time to experience the 20s.
“[We chose to have a gala] Partly from the film because the film kind of writes the script for you,” Sue said. “It’s because it’s the 20s and it has a very distinct look and period feel to it, but beyond that I am always looking for things that we can do that nobody else will do.”