Area’s Halloween treats include ‘Phantom of the Opera’

“The Phantom of the Opera” is coming to El Segundo’s Old Town Music Hall for Halloween.

No, it’s not the lavish stage musical that is getting so much attention, but the 1925 silent film classic in which Lon Chaney created grotesque makeup that still tingles spines after more than 60 years. He portrays a horribly scarred man who lives in a grotto beneath the Paris Opera and kidnaps the beautiful young opera singer with whom he has fallen in love.

“We’ve been showing this on the Halloween weekend for almost 16 years,” said Bill Field, an organist and co-owner of Old Town.

He will accompany the film on the theater’s vintage Wurlitzer organ that was used in a Long Beach movie palace in the 1920s.

The music will underscore the action and moods of the film, and Field said there will be plenty of variety: the excitement of a wild chase and the crash of a huge chandelier on top of the o1885696609singer slowly moves toward the phantom and rips off the mask concealing his ugliness, and excerpts from the romantic opera “Faust,” which is performed in the film.

Field said the hour-and-a-half “Phantom” that Old Town shows is the most complete print of the picture he has seen and contains red, orange and blue tints that were early examples of film color.

The evening comes complete with an organ concert and an audience sing-along--traditions at the theater on Richmond Street that has specialized in old movies and musical nostalgia for 20 years.

What: “The Phantom of the Opera”.

Where: Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo.

When: Tonight, 8:15 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Admission: $5, reserved seating.

Information: 322-2592.

But the Phantom showing is just one of dozens of Halloween activities in the South Bay, including:

Carson

Halloween carnivals and haunted houses, games, costume contests, rides, food booths and separate tiny tot and teen areas; Scott Park, 23410 Catskill Ave.; Del Amo Park, 703 E. Del Amo Blvd.; 5-9 p.m. Monday; information: 830-8310, 329-6309 (carnival admission free, haunted house admission 50 cents).

Gardena

Halloween carnivals at each of city’s six parks; costume contest, food and game booths, free cartoon shows, pie eating, balloon breaking, cracker whistle, bubble gum blowing, haystacks, haunted houses and entertainment for all ages; Bell Park, 14708 S. Halldale Ave., 217-9557; Freeman Park, 2100 W. 154th Place, 217-9558; Recreation Park, 15800 S. Brighton Ave., 217-9561; Rowley Park, 13220 S. Van Ness Ave., 217-9562; Thornburg Park, 2320 W. 149th St., 217-9560; South Gardena Park, 1200 W. 170th St., 217-9563; 6-9 p.m. Monday (free).

Hawthorne

Fall Festival; booths, cakewalk, breakfast, children’s Halloween costume contest, snack bar; Hawthorne Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 2075, 4563 W. 131st St.; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday; children’s contest 2 p.m. Sunday (admission free).

Annual Halloween carnival staged by Hawthorne Parks and Recreation Department; children 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult; special room for children 5 and under; Witch’s Cave for children 8 and under; candy, favors, game booths, prizes for costume contest; Hawthorne Memorial Center, 3901 El Segundo Blvd., Hawthorne; 5:30-8 p.m. Friday; information: 970-7230 (free).

Hermosa Beach

Vegetarian Singles group of South Bay Vegetarians will hold Halloween potluck dinner; diners should bring a favorite vegetarian dish for six; 515 Monterey Blvd., Hermosa Beach; 5 p.m. Sunday; information: 374-5152.

Inglewood

Annual Halloween Carnival; games, costume contest, refreshments, free trick-or-treat bags for all, open to ages 1 to 14; Inglewood YMCA, 319 E. Kelso St.; 6-8 p.m. Monday; information: 671-7615.

Lawndale

“The House,” created by high school and college-age youth of Lawndale; sponsored by Lawndale Christian Church; thrills, surprises and “no gore” are promised; children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult; Lawndale Christian Church, 4234 W. 147th St.; 7:30-11 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday; information: 644-2236 ($4).

Halloween party sponsored by Lawndale Rotary Club for elementary school children of all ages; free game booths and free hot dogs; costume contest and a drawing will be held with a bicycle as a grand prize; Alondra Park, 3850 Manhattan Beach Blvd.; 6-9 p.m. (winner of bicycle will be notified at home by telephone Halloween day at 9:30 p.m.).

Manhattan Beach

Haunted house, costume parade, games, food, prizes, for children 6 to 12; younger children must be accompanied by an adult; Manhattan Heights Park, 1600 Manhattan Beach Blvd.; 3-7 p.m. Saturday; information: 545-5621, Ext. 321 (free).

Beach Cities Art-at-Your-Fingertips face painting, costume contest and parade, Charles the Clown, Manhattan Village Mall trick or treat, candy X-ray provided by Manhattan Orthopaedic, Mann Theatres Children’s Halloween feature (7 p.m., limited tickets available only on Halloween night, proceeds to benefit participating Manhattan Beach PTAs); Manhattan Village, 3200 Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach; 4-9 p.m. Monday; information: 546-5556.

Peninsula

Haunted house created by Palos Verdes High School drama department; thrills include Phantom of the Opera, ghouls, ghosts; rooms featuring The Fly, The Blob, Frankenstein, Pumpkin Patch and others; Shops of Palos Verdes (formerly The Courtyard Mall), 550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates; 4-9 p.m. Friday and Monday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; information: 541-6725, 541-1405 (children $1, adults $2).

Halloween events begin at 11 a.m. Saturday with a costume parade, led by a clown and a magician; free hot dogs after the parade to all children dressed in costume; each child will receive a Halloween goodie bag filled with an assortment of toy dinosaurs, superballs, mini-yo-yos, hand puppets, Disney stickers and candy; first 500 children receive a mini-pumpkin; winners of Halloween coloring contest announced at noon (for children in first through sixth grades, entry forms available from merchants and Peninsula Center management office in Peacock Alley); grand finale is door-to-door trick or treating to each store in the center from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday; trick or treat only on Monday, 4-8 p.m.; corner of Hawthorne Boulevard and Silver Spur Road, Palos Verdes Peninsula; information: 580-8299, 541-2242 (free).

Redondo Beach

Free Halloween wiener roast, costume contest and pumpkin-carving contest (carve your pumpkin at home and bring it to the park; special categories: most original, scariest, funniest); all judging is by age groups: 5 and under (must be accompanied by an adult), 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12; all costumes must be flame retardant; co-sponsored by Redondo Beach Recreation and Parks Department and Redondo Lions Club; Perry Park Community Hall, 2301 Grant Ave.; 5-10 p.m. Monday.

Halloween Carnival, costume parade, game booths, sponsored by Jefferson School PTA; Jefferson School, 600 Harkness Lane; noon-4 p.m. Sunday (free admission, games 25 and 50 cents).

Trick or Treat Halloween, for children up to 8 years; bags supplied for masked youngsters to carry their loot; pumpkin painting contest and costume contest; Redondo Beach police will be there to assure children’s safety; Redondo Pier, Torrance Boulevard at the ocean; 4:30-6:30 p.m. Monday.

Safe goodies from Galleria shops, snapshots with McGruff the Crime Dog; auditions for a scholarship in Professional Artists Group Young Actors’ Film and TV Workshop; 10 children will be chosen to appear in Holiday Fashion Show scheduled for November; The Galleria at South Bay, Hawthorne Boulevard at Artesia Boulevard, Redondo Beach; auditions in Picnic Place 1-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 5-9 p.m. Monday; trick or treating 5-8 p.m. Monday; information: 371-7546.

Torrance

Halloween party for older adults; roast beef dinner followed by entertainment by the Harmonica Magic Band, raffle, door prizes; co-sponsored by Los Angeles County Area Agency on Aging and Torrance-South Bay Area Family YMCA; YMCA, 2900 W. Sepulveda Blvd., Torrance; 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday; tickets limited, must be purchased in advance: 325-5885 ($1.90).

Halloween dance, held by Kate’s 8’s Square Dance Club; caller Dave Rensberger; cuer George Cashman; prizes for all costumed participants; special drawing for two tickets for Buck Owens performance; St. Catherine’s Church Hall, 3846 Redondo Beach Blvd., Torrance; 7:30 p.m. Friday ($3).

Halloween Carnival--costume parade, contests in pudding feed, bubble-gum blowing, monster mash limbo; dart throw, goodie walk, ring toss, sucker toss and other old-fashioned Halloween games; food booths; Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance; 4-8 p.m. Monday; information: 618-2930 (free admission, 10 carnival tickets for game booths $2.50).

Free X-ray Testing of Halloween Treats at:

Little Company of Mary Hospital, ground floor, radiology department, 4101 Torrance Blvd., Torrance; 3-11 p.m. Monday (543-5823).

Blaikie Chiropractic Office, 3122 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance; until 10 p.m. Monday; from 8:30 p.m.-noon and 2-6:30 p.m. Tuesday (325-2467).

Memorial Hospital of Gardena, 1145 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena; 8 p.m. Monday until 8 p.m. Tuesday (532-4200, Ext. 280).

Centinela Hospital Medical Center Clinics: Medical Center of Manhattan Beach, 2809 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach, 546-4606; Fox Hills Medical Clinic, 6201 Bristol Parkway, Culver City, 337-1900; El Segundo Medical Center, 455 Main St., El Segundo, 322-1611; 6-9 p.m. Monday; additional information: 337-1900, Ext. 228.