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Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Help Fight Cancer
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Help Fight Cancer originally appeared on L.A. Mag.
Pee-wee Herman was born at L.A.'s Groundlings theater in the late 1970s. The zany alter ego of Paul Reubens started to emerge through small parts on game shows like The Newlywed Game and a late-night stage shows at the Roxy before becoming one of the biggest pop culture icons of the 1980s. The character inspired TV, movies, toys and even a Halloween costume. On June 14, the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his first feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, which was also the feature debut for director Tim Burton, with a screening, reunion and party featuring many members of the original cast and crew.
Comedian Dana Gould will interview E.G. Daily, who played Pee-wee's girlfriend Dottie. Mark Holton who played Pee-wee's nemesis Francis will also hit the stage along with Diane Salinger, remembered for her monologue in the mouth of a giant dinosaur, her dream of Paris, France and her 'big but.'
The event benefits Stand Up To Cancer, which is fighting the disease that claimed Reubens in 2023, and is produced by Nostalgic Nebula, who have also rounded up original crew members including producer Rich Abramson, co-writer Michael Varhol, production designer David Snyder and the Chiodo Brothers, who created the terrifying stop-motion Large Marge character for the film.
The HBO documentary Pee-wee as Himself, premiered last month and has revived interest in Paul Reubens' life and career. The two-part film allowed the comedy icon to tell his own story, clarify misconceptions around him, and come out as gay. 'My whole career,' he says in the film. 'Everything I did and wrote was based on love.'
This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
