The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson and John Snelson, both of the Packard Campus.
Thursday, July 7 (7:30 p.m.)
The Great Garrick (Warner Bros., 1937)
In honor of Olivia de Havilland’s 100th birthday….James Whale directed this entertaining fictional comedy based on a real person, the great 18th-century British actor David Garrick. Before Garrick (Brian Aherne) goes to Paris to star at the Comedie-Francaise, the most important theatre in France, he is mistakenly quoted as saying that he is “going to France to teach the French how to act.” The actors and director of the Comedie-Francaise take this as a serious insult and thus plot to embarrass The Great Garrick with a great prank. Olivia de Havilland co-stars as the love interest with a supporting cast featuring Edward Everett Horton, Melville Cooper, Lionel Atwill and Lana Turner. A new 35mm print of the film, recently produced by the Library of Congress Film Preservation Lab, will be screened. 89 minutes
Friday, July 8 (7:30 p.m.)
The Killing Fields (Warner Bros., 1984 – R-rated*)
The true story of New York Times reporter Sidney Schanberg and his Cambodian friend, Dith Pran, during the U.S. pullout from Vietnam in 1975 and the horrors that followed. Director Roland Joffe and cinematographer Chris Menges create an intense film experience that is only truly captured by seeing it on the big screen in a theater. The cast includes Sam Waterston, John Malkovich, Spalding Gray and Dr. Haing S. Ngor. The Killing Fields won 29 major film awards, including Oscars for both Haing S. Ngor (Best Supporting Actor) and Chris Menges (Best Cinematography). 141 minutes. *No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.
Saturday, July 9 (2 p.m.)
Jaws (Universal, 1975)
The original summer blockbuster, Jaws set the standard for edge-of-your-seat suspense, quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon and forever changing the movie industry. When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider), a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss), and a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy it. Featuring an unforgettable score by John Williams that evokes pure terror, Jaws remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion-picture history. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film was added to the National Film Registry in 2001. 124 minutes.
Saturday, July 9 (7:30 p.m.)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Zeitgeist Films, 1964)
Actress Catherine Deneuve was launched to stardom by this dazzling musical heart-tugger from director Jacques Demy. Deneuve plays an umbrella-shop owner’s delicate daughter, glowing with first love for a handsome garage mechanic, played by Nino Castelnuovo. When the boy is shipped off to fight in Algeria, the two lovers must grow up quickly. Exquisitely designed in a kaleidoscope of colors and told entirely through the lilting songs of the great composer Michel Legrand, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is one of the most revered and unorthodox cinematic musical dramas of all time. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival, the film is in French with English subtitles. 91 minutes.
For more information on our programs, please visit the website at: www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.