The Packard Campus gives you a month of “road” films this May. They might be trails or dirt or paved with yellow bricks but they are all worth traveling on.
Friday May 3, 2024 7:30pm
“Ramona” (UA, 1928)
Delores Del Rio stars as Ramona a woman who runs away from an arranged marriage only to find her happiness meet tragedy. She marries but her husband and child die, causing her to return home and willingly accepting the marriage originally intended. Silent, black & white, 80 minutes (digital). Plus select short subject. Live musical accompaniment by Ben Model.
Saturday, May 4, 2024 2pm
“The Wizard of Oz” (MGM, 1939)
We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz! Meet Dorothy (Judy Garland), a Kansas farm girl, as she’s transported somewhere over the rainbow to the fantastical land of Oz. There she befriends a talking scarecrow, a tin man, and a cowardly lion who help her make the journey to the Emerald City where she hopes the Wizard will grant her only wish – to go home. But first, Dorothy will have to defeat the Wicked Witch and her army of flying monkeys. B/W and Color, 101 minutes. Digital.
This film was among the very first inductees added to the Library’s National Film Registry. To learn more about the film, see the essay here.
Saturday May 4, 2024 7:30pm
“The Grapes of Wrath” (20th Century-Fox, 1940)
John Ford’s towering adaptation of Steinbeck’s classic depression-era novel. Tom Joad, (Henry Fonda in a timeless performance) returns to his family after being released from prison. After losing the family farm to the Dust Bowl and the bank, the Joads flee Oklahoma, the only home they’ve ever known for the promise of California. As hope gives way to crushing reality, Tom learns the true meaning of strength. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning two. Black and White, 129 minutes 35mm.
This film is on the National Film Registry.
For more information on LC screenings, see this link.