Maltese Falcon + Citizen Kane – Capri’s 85th

As part of the Capri Theatre’s 85th Birthday Celebrations, step back to 1941 – the very year our beloved theatre first opened its doors – for a remarkable double feature showcasing two of the most influential films ever made: The Maltese Falcon and Citizen Kane.

Released just months apart in 1941, these cinematic landmarks helped redefine what movies could be. The Maltese Falcon marked the directorial debut of legendary filmmaker John Huston and is widely regarded as one of the earliest and greatest film noirs ever made. The film transformed Humphrey Bogart from a supporting player into a bona fide Hollywood star, introducing audiences to the hard-boiled private detective Sam Spade and delivering one of cinema’s most famous final lines: “The stuff that dreams are made of.”

Meanwhile, Citizen Kane was the astonishing first feature film by Orson Welles, who was just 25 years old when he co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in the film. Packed with groundbreaking visual techniques and storytelling innovations, it remains a regular fixture at the top of critics’ lists of the greatest films ever made. Many of its cast members came from Welles’ Mercury Theatre company, making the film as much a theatrical ensemble piece as a Hollywood production.

The connections between these two classics run deeper than their shared release year. Both were extraordinary directorial debuts from young filmmakers who would go on to become giants of American cinema. Both challenged Hollywood conventions, pushed storytelling into new territory, and helped shape the future of filmmaking for generations to come.

To make the evening even more special, the Capri’s mighty WurliTzer theatre organ will play the audience into the session, just as theatre organs did during cinema’s golden age. Following The Maltese Falcon, enjoy a 20-minute interval featuring another live WurliTzer performance before settling back for Orson Welles’ masterpiece, Citizen Kane.

Join us for a night of mystery, intrigue, innovation and nostalgia as we celebrate 85 years of the Capri with two films that were born in the same year as the theatre itself.