Pee-wee’s Big Adventure Eternal man-child Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) travels across the country, including to the Alamo in San Antonio, to search for his stolen bicycle. The comedy was director Tim Burton’s first feature film of his career. According to Kathy Rhoads, former director of the San Antonio Film Commission in the 1980s, she helped facilitate the trip downtown for Burton, Reubens, producer Bob Shapiro and director of photography Victor Kemper. The scenes actually featuring San Antonio add up to 20 seconds of the final film. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Credit: Warner Bros.

This 1985 comedy might only contain 20 seconds of footage actually shot in San Antonio (the rest was filmed in California), but with so much of the movie set in the Alamo City, it has become a staple in local cinematic history and a film San Antonians like to call their own.

As part of their Get Reel film series and in celebration of San Antonio’s 300th anniversary, the McNay will screen the Tim Burton-directed movie al fresco for fans of all ages. Whether you’re someone who can repeat Large Marge’s scary, big-rig story word-for-word or are someone who doesn’t know the name Francis Buxton (“Pee-wee, listen to reason!”), there’s never not a good time to watch Big Adventure.

So, why was Pee-wee such a catch back in 1985? “He’s his own man,” actress Elizabeth Daily, who played Pee-wee’s love un-interest Dottie, told the Current back in 2015. “He was very independent and determined and sweet. He was an animal lover. He had his own style, which is sexy. I liked his bowtie and his shoes and the little wave on the front of his hair. I liked the whole package.”

Free, Thu May 31, 8pm, McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368, mcnayart.org.

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This article appears in May 30 – Jun 5, 2018.