As the first month of the new year comes to a close, we play two more very different but very significant films in the history of American cinema and culture. And both are, not surprisingly, part of the Library’s National Film Registry.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 @ 7:30 p.m.
Out of the Past (RKO Radio, 1947)
Added to the National Film Registry in 1991
This classic example of 1940s film noir features some of the genre’s best dialog. Daniel Manwaring, under the pseudonym Geoffrey Homes, smartly adapted his novel “Build My Gallows High,” and the stars Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer breathe life and larceny into his characters. Directed with supreme skill by Jacques Tourneur and brilliantly photographed by Nicholas Musuraca, this film introduced the famous Mitchum screen persona of sleepy-eyed cynic ready to toss out a line like “Baby, I don’t care” with nonchalant sex appeal. Jane Greer is equally effective, a combination of erotic fire and cool detachment. Black & White, 97 minutes. Plus selected short subject.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26 @ 7:30 p.m.
Sky High (Fox, 1922)
Added to the National Film Registry in 1998
Western star Tom Mix, dubbed King of the Cowboys, portrays a government agent in pursuit of a ring of smugglers who Newbury has discovered are trafficking in Chinese immigrants. The pursuit eventually leads to a showdown in the Grand Canyon where many scenes in the film were shot. A romance with a character portrayed by Eva Novak dominates one of the subplots of the story written and directed by former newspaper reporter Lynn Reynolds. Mix, the antithesis of reigning Western hero William S. Hart, was easygoing, wore flashy gear and did his own stunts, a style that set a standard for cowboy stars that lasted decades. Black & White, 50 minutes . Plus a selected short subject–Buster Keaton in “Cops.” Live musical accompaniment by BEN MODEL.
NOTE: The version of “Sky High” being shown is a brand new digital restoration of the film by Undercrank Productions which utilized the Library of Congress’ original 35mm print. The restored version reinstates the film’s original tinting and toning which has been unseen since the film’s 1922 original release.
For more information on LC screenings, see this link.