The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson of the Packard Campus.
Thursday, March 1 (7:30 p.m.)
The Life of Emile Zola (Warner Bros., 1937)
In this Best Picture Oscar winner William Dieterle directed Paul Muni as French novelist Zola who defends the falsely accused Captain Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut in an Oscar-winning performance). The Dreyfus case, which was a cause célèbre of antisemitism during the latter years of the nineteenth century, formed an exciting climax to Zola’s career as a champion of truth and liberty, and is, consequently, the dramatic highlight of this film biography nominated for nine Academy Awards. The film was added to the National Film Registry in 2000. 107 min.
Friday, March 2 (7:30 p.m.)
The Sting (Universal, 1973)
Robert Redford plays a Great Depression-era conman seeking revenge on the racketeer (Robert Shaw) responsible for the murder of his mentor. He enlists the aid of confidence artist extraordinaire Paul Newman to gather together an impressive array of conmen eager to settle the score with Shaw. One of the biggest hits of the early ’70s, The Sting picked up seven Oscars including Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Best Adapted Score for Marvin Hamlisch’s unforgettable treatment of Scott Joplin’s ragtime music. The film was added to the National Film Registry in 2005. Rated PG. 129 min.
Saturday, March 3 (2 p.m.)
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Columbia, 1958)
Special-effects master Ray Harryhausen provides the hero (Kerwin Mathews) with a villainous magician and fantastic antagonists, including a genie, giant cyclops, fire-breathing dragons, and a sword-wielding animated skeleton, all in glorious Technicolor. Harryhausen’s Dynamation process, which blended stop-motion animation and live-actions sequences, and a thrilling score by Bernard Herrmann makes this one of the finest fantasy films of all time. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad was added to the National Film Registry in 2008. 88 min.
Saturday, March 3 (7:30 p.m.)
Empire of the Sun (Warner Bros., 1987)
Based on J.G. Ballard’s autobiographical novel and directed by Steven Spielberg, this historic drama stars Christian Bale as a spoiled 13-year old British boy living with his wealthy family in pre-World War II Shanghai. During the Japanese invasion, Bale is separated from his parents, and with the help of an American expatriate and hustler (John Malkovich), he learns to survive in a Japanese prison camp. Rated PG. 153 min.
For more information on our programs, please visit the website at: www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.