The Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater in Culpeper celebrates the season with Summer Matinees every Saturday in July. Although geared toward families, the G and PG rated films (Space Jam, Lilo & Stitch, Oliver and Company and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) can be enjoyed by everyone. In addition to 2 pm screenings, 7:30 show times are scheduled the first two Saturdays of the month with the WW2 drama Darby’s Rangers on the 7th and Paris When it Sizzles on the 14th.
Also on the schedule is a program titled “50 Years of Folk Music” featuring performances of famous folk musicians including Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan drawn from the Library’s vast archive of television programs. Other films being shown in July include the WWII adventure Darby’s Rangers; a rarely seen silent comedy, Florida Enchantment with live musical accompaniment by Andrew Simpson; the Western Destry Rides Again starring James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich, the epic historical drama Nicholas and Alexandra” a Pre-Code double feature of Downstairs starring John Gilbert and the rarely seen Secret Sinners and Edge of Darkness starring Errol Flynn.
Programs are free and open to the public, but children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Seating at the screenings is on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted. In case of inclement weather, call the theater information line no more than three hours before showtime to see if the screening has been cancelled. For general Packard Campus Theater information, call (540) 827-1079 ext. 79994 or (202) 707-9994. For further information on the theater and film series, visit http://www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/schedule.html
Request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or [email protected].
Friday, July 6 (7:30 p.m.)
Fifty Years of Folk Music, 1965-2015
Utilizing the Library of Congress Video archives, this program features Folk musicians from the television programs Rainbow Quest (1965-1966), independently produced and hosted by Pete Seeger; The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (CBS, 1967-1969); The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS 1948 – 1971); Soul! (WNET 1967-1973); Austin City Limits (PBS 1976-present), Soundstage (WTTW 1974-1985 and 2003 – present) and The Dick Cavett Show (ABC 1969-1975). Performers include Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Doc Watson, Pete Seeger, Buffy Sainte Marie, Donovan, The Stanley Brothers, Judy Collins, Mississippi John Hurt, Simon and Garfunkel, Bobbie Gentry, Richie Havens, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bill Withers, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Townes Van Zandt, Eric Anderson, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, Richard Thompson, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Steve Earle, Jason Isbell and Wilco. 105 min.
Saturday, July 7 (2 p.m.)
Space Jam (Warner Bros., 1996)
An all-star ensemble comedy featuring Looney Tunes characters including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck enlist Michael Jordan to help them win a basketball match against a group of aliens who want to enslave them for their amusement park. Produced by Ivan Reitman and directed by Joe Pytka, this family adventure film combines live action with animation. Playing themselves are Bill Murray as Jordan’s friend and a number of pro basketball players such as Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Shawn Bradley, Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues. Rated PG, 88 min. 35mm archival print.
Saturday, July 7 (7:30 p.m.)
Darby’s Rangers (Warner Bros., 1958)
James Garner stars as Col. William Orlando Darby, who organized and led the first elite strike force of the United States Army Rangers during World War II. Based on the actual events described in the 1945 book Darby’s Rangers: An Illustrated Portrayal of the Original Rangers by Major James J. Altieri, himself a veteran of Darby’s force, the action-packed drama was directed by William Wellman whose other WWII classics include Story of G.I. Joe (1945) and Battleground (1949). Also in the cast are Etchika Choureau, Jack Warden, Edward Byrnes, Stuart Whitman and Murray Hamilton. The film is being shown in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Sicily in which the Allies took the island from the Axis powers of Italy and Nazi Germany. It was shot by Warner Bros. in black and white to match wartime stock footage woven into the film. 121 min. 35mm archival print.
Friday, July 13 (7:30 p.m.)
A Florida Enchantment (Vitagraph, 1914)
At a Florida seaside resort Miss Lillian Travers, a young bride-to-be (Edith Storey) swallows a magic African seed which allows her to change gender in every way except outward appearance, much to the dismay of her fiancé, who soon finds both himself and his future wife flirting with the same women! More confusion ensues when Lillian slips a magic seed to both her future groom and her maid. Filmed in St. Augustine and St. Petersburg Florida, the silent comedy was directed by Sidney Drew who also stars as the perplexed fiancé. Mrs. Sidney Drew, his frequent co-star appears in a supporting role. 63 min., digital presentation. Two one reel comedy shorts are also on the program: Behind the Footlights (Vim, 1916) starring Bobby Burns and Walter Stull and A Bath Tub Elopement (Eagle, 1916) starring Marcel Perez. Live musical accompaniment will be provided by Andrew Simpson.
Saturday, July 14 (2 p.m.)
Lilo & Stitch (Disney, 2002)
Lilo, a lonely orphaned Hawaiian girl being raised by her older sister, adopts an odd-looking dog she names “Stitch” who turns out to be super-smart, super-strong and prone to induce pandemonium. It turns out that the “dog” is actually a notorious extra-terrestrial fugitive. Written and directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders (who also voices Stitch), this science fiction comedy-drama was Oscar nominated for Best Animated Feature film. The combined critical and commercial success of the original film led to three direct-to-video and television sequel films, three animated television series, several video games, some theme park attractions, and various merchandise. Rated PG, 85 min. 35mm archival print.
Saturday, July 14 (7:30 p.m.)
Paris When it Sizzles (Paramount, 1964)
William Holden plays Rick, a screenwriter more focused on drunken carousing than writing. When faced with a looming deadline, he hires Gaby (Audrey Hepburn) as his assistant and together they blur the lines between reality and fantasy as they imagine themselves as various characters from the script, ultimately falling in love. Noel Coward appears in a small role with cameo appearances by Marlene Dietrich, Tony Curtis and Hepburn’s then-husband Mel Ferrer. Directed by Richard Quine, this romantic comedy was not well received by critics when released but over the years has earned a reputation as a guilty pleasure for those who enjoy in-joke movie spoofs and an absurdist storyline played out against the glorious backdrop of the City of Light. 110 min. 35mm archival print.
Thursday, July 19
Destry Rides Again (Universal, 1939)
Directed by George Marshall and starring James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich, Destry Rides Again is set in Bottleneck, a lawless town run by corrupt saloon owner, Kent (Brian Donlevy), who finds himself at odds with the new pacifist deputy sheriff, Tom Destry, Jr. (James Stewart). Inspired by Max Brand’s novel of the same name, Destry Rides Again was Stewart’s first Western. Laced with comedy and musical numbers, it helped revive the career of Marlene Dietrich who sings three Frank Loesser- Friedrich Hollaender numbers including the much-imitated See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have. First brought to the screen in 1932 with Tom Mix and ZaSu Pitts, George Marshall again remade the story in 1954 as Destry starring Audie Murphy and Mari Blanchard. Added to the National Film Registry in 1996. 95 min. 35mm archival print.
Friday, July 20 (7:30 p.m.)
Nicholas and Alexandra (Columbia, 1971)
Set against the backdrop of the 1917 Russian Revolution, this epic drama tells the story of the controversial monarch Nicholas Romanov (Michael Jayston). Insensitive to the needs of his people, he is overthrown and exiled to Siberia with his wife, Alexandra (Janet Suzman) and family. The story examines the private lives of the imperial couple and their daughters (including the much-talked-about Anastasia), the painful secret that bound them all to the mystical monk Rasputin (Tom Baker) and their ill-fated end. Also appearing in the film are Sir Laurence Olivier and Sir Michael Redgrave in his final screen performance. Produced by Sam Spiegel with directing credit going to Franklin J. Schaffner, Nicholas and Alexandra received mixed reviews from critics, but received six Oscar nominations including Best Picture, winning for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. Rated PG, 183 min. 35mm archival print.
Saturday, July 21 (2 p.m.)
Oliver & Company (Disney, 1988)
In this Disney animated family feature inspired by the classic Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, Oliver is a homeless kitten who joins a gang of dogs to survive in the streets. Among other changes, the setting of the film was relocated from 19th century London to modern-day New York City, Fagin’s gang is made up of dogs (one of which is Dodger), and Sykes is a loan shark. The voice actors include Joey Lawrence as Oliver, Billy Joel as Dodger and Dom DeLuise as Fagin, plus Cheech Marin, Bette Midler, Robert Loggia and Richard Mulligan. The soundtrack album, featuring performances by Joel and Midler along with Huey Lewis and Ruth Pointer, was Grammy nominated for Best Recording for Children. Rated G. 74 min. 35mm archival print.
Thursday, July 26 (7:30 p.m.)
Pre-Code Double Feature
Downstairs (MGM, 1932)
John Gilbert stars as an unscrupulous chauffer who, soon after getting hired by a Baron and his wife (Reginald Owen and Olga Baclanova), proceeds to exploit both the mistresses of the house upstairs and the servants downstairs. Directed by Monta Bell, this adult drama also features Paul Lukas and Virginia Bruce as the newlywed butler and maid of the household. Film critic Leonard Maltin wrote: “Gilbert delivers an audacious performance that more than any other redeems his maligned reputation as a ‘talkie’’ actor; he also gets story credit for the film.” During the production Gilbert and Virginia Bruce fell in love and were married a week after the film’s premiere. 77 min. 35mm archival print.
Secret Sinners (Mayfair Pictures, 1933)
Margie Dodd (Cecilia Parker) lands a spot in the chorus of a night club variety show her friends (Sue Carol and Nick Stuart) are in. Margie and her pals soon befriend Jeff Gilbert (Jack Mulhall), a friendly incognito millionaire who wants to mingle with the show folks. Gilbert helps Jimmy to get a music publishing business going but fails to mention to the besotted Margie that he’s still married – with a vengeful wife to boot. This back-stage drama features several entertaining and eccentric novelty acts along the way. 70 min. 35mm print produced by the Library of Congress Film Preservation lab in 2000.
Friday, July 27 (7:30 p.m.)
Edge of Darkness (Warner Bros., 1943)
Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan star in this powerful drama about a small Norwegian fishing village whose residents rise up and revolt against the occupying Nazis. Robert Rossen adapted the script from the 1942 novel “The Edge of Darkness” by William Woods which was published on April 9, the second anniversary of the German invasion of Norway. Also in the cast are Walter Huston, Judith Anderson and Ruth Gordon. Directed by Lewis Milestone, this film was a change in tone from his earlier anti-war masterpiece All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). Milestone was quoted as saying, “That film (AQWF) embodied the retrospective disillusionment toward another war. In Edge of Darkness we are making a picture that has done away with disillusionment. We know the enemy we are fighting and we are facing the stern realities of the present war. The moral is that ‘united we stand, divided we fall.’ That is the keystone for victory in all the democracies.” 120 min. 35mm archival print.
Saturday, July 28 (2 p.m.)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Paramount, 1971)
Author Roald Dahl adapted his own novel, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley wrote a memorable musical score, and producer David Wolper wisely cast Gene Wilder as Wonka in this film musical about a contest put on by an often-sadistic candy maker. Harkening back to the classic Hollywood musicals, Willy Wonka is surreal, yet playful at the same time, and suffused with Harper Goff’s jaw-dropping color sets, which richly live up to the fanciful world found in one of the film’s signature songs, “Pure Imagination.” Wilder’s brilliant portrayal of the enigmatic Wonka caused theatergoers to like and fear Wonka at the same time, while the hallucinogenic tunnel sequence has traumatized children (and adults) for decades. Added to the National Film Registry in 2014. Rated G, 100 min. Digital presentation.