The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson, an Administrative Assistant at the Packard Campus.
Thursday, May 14 (7:30 p.m.)
Heart to Heart (First National, 1928)
Mary Astor stars as Princess Delatorre, the young and beautiful widow of an Italian prince, who decides to pay a visit to the small American town she grew up in as Ellen Guthrie. Arriving by train a few days earlier than she planned, Ellen is mistaken for Mrs. Arden, a seamstress of doubtful repute from a neighboring town. She plays along with the deception for fun until her old flame (Lloyd Hughes) recognizes her. William Beaudine directed this romantic comedy, which features Louise Fazenda and Lucien Littlefield as Ellen’s aunt and uncle. Ben Model will provide live musical accompaniment.
Friday, May 15 (7:30 p.m.)
Battling Butler (MGM, 1926)
Buster Keaton stars as a pampered rich kid who pretends to be a champion prizefighter to win the love of a girl. The gag backfires when he is forced into the ring with a boxer known as the “Alabama Murderer.” Keaton also directed the comedy, which was based on a British stage musical of the same name. As always in his pictures, Keaton did all of the stunts and rugged action himself, which closed down production for a few days so he could recover from a bad fall on his head. Sally O’Neil stands out as the sprightly girl he tries to impress. Ben Model will provide live musical accompaniment.
Saturday, May 16 (2 p.m.)
The Absent-Minded Professor (Disney/Buena Vista, 1961)
Disney’s live-action films moved from historical adventures and fantasies to slapstick situation comedies following the surprising success of “The Shaggy Dog” in 1959. Two of the stars of that film, Fred MacMurray and Tommy Kirk, were recruited two years later for this like-minded romp, which proved to be an even bigger box-office bonanza for Disney. MacMurray plays Prof. Ned Brainard, who teaches science at small-town Medfield College. His experiments lead to a new discovery: a gooey substance that defies gravity, which he dubs “Flubber.” While Brainard attempts to interest the government by demonstrating its inventive uses, such as making his Model T car fly, a corrupt businessman tries to steal the invention to make a personal fortune. Robert Stevenson directed this Oscar-nominated film for best cinematography, best art direction and best special effects.
For more information on our programs, please visit the web site at www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.