The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson, an Administrative Assistant at the Packard Campus.
We’ll be dark for the Fourth of July weekend, but not before a Rambo double feature. Programming resumes on July 9, with a special live performance by The Paul Reisler Trio with Lea Morris and Marshall Keys on Friday, July 10.
Thursday, July 2 (7:30 p.m.)
Rambo Double Feature
First Blood (Orion, 1982 *R-rated)
Sylvester Stallone portrays troubled Vietnam vet John Rambo, who–after being harassed and arrested by police in a small town–escapes into the woods and launches a war against the offending sheriff and his men. Rambo’s former commanding officer, Col. Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna) is brought in to help defuse the situation. Ted Kotcheff directed this psychological action thriller, which was a great commercial success despite mixed reviews. Now regarded by many as an underrated and influential cult film in the action genre, First Blood spawned three sequels, all co-written by and starring Stallone.
* No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.
Rambo: First Blood Part II (Tri-Star Pictures, 1985 *R-rated)
Picking up where First Blood left off, John Rambo is released from prison by the government for a top-secret mission to document the possible existence of POWs in Vietnam. Although he is told to only photograph where the POWS are being held, Rambo–with the aid of female Vietnamese freedom fighter Co Bao–embarks on a mission to rescue the prisoners. Richard Crenna returns as Col. Samuel Trautman in this blockbuster action film, directed by George Cosmatos.
* No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.
Thursday, July 9 (7:30 p.m.)
Battle of Britain (United Artists, 1969)
The Battle of Britain, which began 75 years ago in July, was the first major campaign of World War II to be fought entirely by air forces. Waged by the German Air Force Luftwaffe against the United Kingdom, the battle lasted for nearly four months and included the worst of the London Blitz. For this British-made film, producer Harry Saltzman and director Guy Hamilton assembled over 100 vintage planes and hired three of the greatest veteran flying aces of the battle–two British and one German–as technical advisers. The story alternates personal vignettes of commanders, flyers and civilians with vivid dogfight sequences. The all-star British cast includes Laurence Olivier, Trevor Howard, Ralph Richardson, Michael Caine, Robert Shaw and Susannah York.
Friday, July 10 (7:30 p.m.)
Live: The Paul Reisler Trio with Lea Morris and Marshall Keys
Prolific songwriter and performer Paul Reisler will perform onstage at the Packard Campus Theater along with Marshall Keys on sax and vocalist Lea Morris for an evening of jazz-folk-soul fusion. Based in Rappahannock County, Virginia, Paul has written more than 3,500 songs, recorded 50 albums and taught songwriting to thousands of students through his Kid Pan Alley program. Keys is a fixture on the Washington jazz scene and has recorded eight albums of his music. Morris is a singer and songwriter whose “soul-folk” blends gospel, jazz, country and rhythm and blues with authentic, thought-provoking songcraft.
Saturday, July 11 (2 p.m.)
You’ll Never Get Rich (Columbia, 1941)
The first of two musicals that paired Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth, You’ll Never Get Rich (followed by You Were Never Lovelier in 1942) was a successful career move for both. Astaire proved he could carry a picture without his popular partner, Ginger Rogers, while Hayworth, after languishing in B movies at Columbia, was finally given a starring role in a big- budget film. Directed by Sidney Lanfield, this musical comedy with a story made up of a series of misunderstandings leading to romance features a Cole Porter score, bravura dancing by the two stars and Robert Benchley, who provides witty banter. Combining elements of a behind-the-scenes musical and a life-in-uniform military comedy, the film was a success praised by Variety for being “a happy combination of music, dancing and comedy.”
For more information on our programs, please visit the web site at www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.