March 31, 2010 (REVISED April 6, 2010) Library’s Packard Campus Showcases Movie Classics in April Film Series

Cinema tough guys Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Steve McQueen and Robert DeNiro are in the spotlight during April’s film festival at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Va. Starting April 1, this month’s film series will also include luminaries such as Fred Astaire, Loretta Young, Kirk Douglas, Bette Davis and Tyrone Power.

Titles from the Library of Congress National Film Registry are also in the lineup. Films named to the registry have been selected for preservation because they are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. For more information on the National Film Registry, visit www.loc.gov/film/filmnfr.html.

Programs are preceded by an informative slide presentation about the film, with music selected by the Library’s Recorded Sound Section. Some screenings will also include short subjects before the main feature. Titles are subject to change without notice.

All Packard Campus programs are free and open to the public. For reservation information, call (540) 827-1079 extension 79994 or (202) 707-9994 during business hours, beginning one week before any given screening. In case of inclement weather, call the theater reservation line about three hours before showtime to confirm cancellations. For further information on the theater and film series, visit "www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.

The Packard Campus is a state-of-the-art facility where the nation’s library acquires, preserves and provides access to the worlds largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. It seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.

• Series Schedule
• Thursday, April 1, 7:30 p.m.
• “The Count of Monte Cristo” (United Artists, 1934)
• Alexandre Dumas’ classic tale of betrayal and revenge set in Napoleonic France. Directed by Wilfred Lucas, the film stars Robert Donat, Elissa Landi and Louis Calhern.
• Friday, April 2, 7:30 p.m.
• “Broadway Melody of 1940” (MGM, 1940)
• Two dance hall hoofers make the big time on Broadway. Directed by Norman Taurog, the film stars Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and George Murphy.
• Saturday, April 3, 7:30 p.m. (Double Feature)
• “Taxi” (Warner Bros., 1932)
• An independent cab driver fights the crooked taxi syndicate and wins a dance contest. Starring James Cagney, George Kibbee and Loretta Young, “Taxi” was directed by Roy Del Ruth.
• “Two Seconds” (Warner Bros, 1932)
• A man, who is about to die on the electric chair, spends his last seconds looking back over his life. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, “Two Seconds” stars Edward G. Robinson, J. Carroll Naish and Vivianne Osborne.
• Thursday, April 8, 7:30 p.m.
• “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?” (20th Century-Fox, 1957)
• Through a series of mix-ups, a movie star and an advertising executive become engaged to be married. Directed by Frank Tashlin, the film was named to the National Film Registry in 2000. It stars Jayne Mansfield, Tony Randall and Mickey Hargitay.
• Friday, April 9, 7:30 p.m.
• “The Getaway” (National General, 1972)
• A convict, who is out on parole, and his wife pull a bank job to appease a crooked politican. Starring Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw and Ben Johnson, “The Getaway” was directed by Sam Peckinpah.
• Saturday, April 10, 2:00 p.m.
• “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (Walt Disney, 1954)
• In Jules Verne’s classic story, an adventurous seaman runs into the evil Captain Nemo and his mysterious submarine while searching for lost ships. The film was directed by Richard Fleischer and stars Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre.
• Thursday, April 15, 7:30 p.m.
• “’Round Midnight” (Warner Bros, 1986, R-rated*)
• A once-famous jazz musician travels to France where he is better appreciated than he is at home in the U.S., and is befriended by a fan who improves his life. Starring Dexter Gordon and Francois Cluzet, the film was directed by Bertran Tavernier.
• * No one under 17 will be admitted without a parent or an adult guardian.
• Friday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.
• “Three on a Match” (Warner Bros, 1932)
• In this pre-Code social drama and crime romance, three women who were childhood schoolmates take different paths in life. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, the film stars Ann Dvorak, Joan Blondell, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart.
• Saturday, April 17, 7:30 p.m.
• “The Mark of Zorro” (20th Century-Fox, 1940)
• An aristocrat’s son masquerades as a modern-day Robin Hood and battles a corrupt government in early California. Named to the National Film Registry in 2009, the film was directed by Rouben Mamoulian. It stars Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and Basil Rathbone.
• Thursday, April 22, 7:30 p.m.
• “American Madness” (Columbia, 1932)
• A bank president’s liberal loan policies are scrutinized when a robbery at the bank raises questions about the money supply. Starring Walter Houston and Pat O’Brien, the film was directed by Frank Capra.
• Friday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.
• “Raging Bull” (United Artists, 1980, R-rated*)
• This is the story of prize fighter Jake La Motta’s successes in the ring and failures in life. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film was named to the National Film Registry in 1990. It stars Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty.
• *No one under 17 will be admitted without a parent or an adult guardian.
• Saturday, April 24, 2:00 p.m. (Double Feature)
• “The Jungle Book” (Walt Disney, 1967)
• The last animated film that Walt Disney personally supervised is Rudyard Kipling’s tale of a small boy who is befriended by a collection of jungle animals. Featuring the voices of George Sanders, Sterling Halloway, J. Pat O’Malley and Phil Harris, the film was directed by Wolfgang Reitcherman.
• “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree” (Walt Disney, 1966)
• Christopher Robin’s bear gets himself in trouble while pursuing his favorite food. Featuring the voices of Sterling Halloway and Sebastian Cabot, the film was directed by Wolfgang Reitcherman.
• Thursday, April 29, 7:30 p.m.
• “Badlands” (Warner Bros, 1973)
• After a parental attempt to break them up, a young couple goes on the road and on a crime spree. Directed by Terrence Malick, “Badlands” was named to the National Film Registry in 1993. It stars Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek and Warren Oates.
• Friday, April 30, 7:30 p.m.
• “Coup de Torchon” (Biograph International, 1981, R-rated*)
• The police chief of a small town takes revenge on those who wronged him. Produced in French with English subtitles, the film was directed by Bertrand Tavernier. It stars Philippe Noiret, Stéphane Audran and Eddy Mitchell.
• * No one under 17 will be admitted without a parent or an adult guardian.