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Archive: 2015 (73 Posts)

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Santa Claus Speaks!

Posted by: Karen Fishman

This blog post was co-written with Bryan Cornell, Reference Librarian, Recorded Sound Section, Library of Congress.   Tis the season for Christmas carols and familiar holiday favorites, but did you know Santa Claus recorded for Victor Records? Well, not really. Gilbert Girard was a talented performer who frequently recorded children’s records with popular recording artist Len Spencer.  He also …

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Now Playing at the Packard Campus Theater (December 17-19, 2015)

Posted by: Cary O’Dell

The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson, an Administrative Assistant at the Packard Campus. Thursday, December 17 (7:30 p.m.) We’re No Angels (Paramount, 1955) Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov play three escaped inmates from Devil’s Island who concoct a plan to steal from a shopkeeper on Christmas. Their plans change when …

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Honoring Frank Sinatra on His Birthday

Posted by: Donna Ross

This post was co-written with Bryan Cornell and Karen Fishman. On the 100th birthday of Francis Albert Sinatra, the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center recognizes Ol’ Blue Eyes’ contributions to both sight and sound. Sinatra, who appeared in more than 50 movies, starred in the 1945 RKO  short film The House I Live In, which …

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Now Playing at the Packard Campus Theater (December 10-12, 2015)

Posted by: Cary O’Dell

The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson, an Administrative Assistant at the Packard Campus. Thursday, December 10 (7:30 p.m.) The Lemon Drop Kid (Paramount, 1951) Bob Hope stars as The Lemon Drop Kid, a small-time New York City swindler who is illegally touting horses at a racetrack. When he accidentally cheats a notorious …

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Duke Ellington on the National Film Registry: Jam Session (1942)

Posted by: Mike Mashon

The Library always announces new additions to the National Film Registry in December, and this year will be no different. The National Film Preservation Board had its annual meeting in October to, among other things, advise Acting Librarian David S. Mao on Registry selections. Once they’re announced, the final 25 selections will bring the total …

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Now Playing at the Packard Campus Theater (December 3-5, 2015)

Posted by: Cary O’Dell

The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson , an Administrative Assistant at the Packard Campus. Thursday, December 3 (7:30 p.m.) Love Actually (Universal, 2003 – R-rated *) The intertwining stories of more than twenty characters in London, England, are followed during the busy month leading up to Christmas in this romantic comedy written …

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Gay Cinema/Lost Cinema: “Children of Loneliness” (1935)

Posted by: Cary O’Dell

Last year the Library published The Survival of American Silent Feature Films: 1912-1929, a sobering reminder of the astonishingly poor survival rate of this one sliver of motion picture history. And it’s not just silent features either. Although no comprehensive study has been done of shorts, features, and documentaries across all of film history, the …

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Now Playing at the Packard Campus Theater (November 19-21, 2015)

Posted by: Cary O’Dell

The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson, an Administrative Assistant at the Packard Campus. Thursday, November 19 (7:30 p.m.) Gimme Shelter (Cinema 5 Distributing, 1970 – R-rated *) This astounding documentary follows the Rolling Stones on the last ten days of their 1969 North American tour which ended with a disastrous day-long free …