Remembering Burt Reynolds (1936-2018) – Thursday, March 7th, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. Every month, films from the Library’s collection are shown at the Mary Pickford Theater in the James Madison building, ranging from titles newly preserved by the National Audio Visual Conservation Center film lab, classics from the National Film Registry, and lesser known titles …
A few months ago, we launched the National Screening Room—a new digital collection featuring films that showcase the wealth and diversity of the Library’s moving image collections. The films range from early silent shorts from the Library’s Paper Print Collection to newsreels and actualities, from home movies to educational and sponsored films, from television to …
The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson of the Packard Campus. Thursday, February 28 (7:30 p.m.) Shane (Paramount, 1953) George Stevens directed this adaptation of Jack Schaefer’s novel in which Shane, a former gunfighter fighter (Alan Ladd), comes to the defense of homesteaders who are being terrorized by a cattle baron who wants …
Happy Presidents’ Day from the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division! Moving image and recorded sound materials offer exciting possibilities for engaging with the lives and political careers of past presidents. To launch your exploration, we’ve pulled together some online resources from the Division that illuminate the lives of past presidential figures. Moving …
The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson of the Packard Campus. Thursday, February 21 (7:30 p.m.) Music and Lyrics (Warner Bros., 2007) Hugh Grant stars in this romantic comedy as Alex Fletcher, a washed-up eighties pop star who was part of the fictional band PoP! (inspired by Wham! and Duran Duran). He gets …
Packard Campus Theater Schedule for March, 2019 On March 15, the Packard Campus Theater will welcome special guest George Stevens, Jr., creator and producer of the Kennedy Center Honors, who will introduce a specially curated program of highlights from the prestigious awards show. Among the other features on the March schedule are five titles from …
In celebration of African American History Month, we’re highlighting a newsreel featured in the National Screening Room that was produced during the 1940s and 1950s specifically for black audiences. Begun in 1942, these newsreels were originally intended to encourage participation in and support for the war effort, and to reflect an African American perspective on …
The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson of the Packard Campus. Thursday, February 14 (7:30 p.m.) Shakespeare in Love (Miramax, 1998 – rated R*) This historical romantic comedy speculates about where the young William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes), who is short on cash and ideas, finds inspiration for one of his best-known works, “Romeo …
Reference librarians in the Recorded Sound and Moving Image Research Centers get hundreds of questions each year about materials in the public domain. For films, which follow the current 95-year restrictions along with many other types of publications, the answer is fairly straightforward: if it was published before January 1, 1924 (as of January 1, …