February 12, 2018 (REVISED February 23, 2018) March at Packard Campus Offers an Award Tour Spanning Eight Decades

Highlights from the 1930s to the 2000s, Animation and Television

Press Contact: Bryonna Head, (202) 707-3073
Public Contact: Rob Stone (202) 707-0851
Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov

In March, the Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater will screen a wide variety of motion-picture genres spanning eight decades, from “Captains Courageous” (1937), featuring an Oscar-winning performance by Spencer Tracy, to the epic best picture Oscar winner for 2000, “Gladiator,” starring Russell Crowe.

 Other titles in the lineup include Dreamworks’ animated musical adaptation of the story of Moses, “The Prince of Egypt,” and four titles from the National Film Registry: “The Life of Emile Zola,” starring Paul Muni, the 1973 con artist caper “The Sting,” starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford; the Technicolor fantasy “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad;” and the Cold War suspense-thriller “The Manchurian Candidate.”

Showcasing the Library’s holdings of television broadcasts, is a curated program of appearances by great American jazz performers on “The Dick Cavett Show” in the early 1970s, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. The legendary TV personality Dick Cavett, recognized as one of the most cultured and savvy talk-show hosts in the history of television, recently donated 2,500 programs of his decades-long talk-show series to the Library of Congress. The collection of videotapes is being stored and digitized at the Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation.

The Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division of the Library of Congress oversees one of the largest collections of motion pictures in the world. Acquired primarily through copyright deposit, exchange, gift and purchase, the collection spans the entire history of the cinema.

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. 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 loc.gov/avconservation/theater/. In case of inclement weather, call the theater information line no more than three hours before showtime to confirm cancellations.

The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation is a state-of-the-art facility funded as a gift to the nation by the Packard Humanities Institute. The Packard Campus is where the nation’s library acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of motion pictures, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings (loc.gov/avconservation/). The Packard Campus is home to more than 7 million collection items. It provides staff support for the Library of Congress National Film Preservation Board (loc.gov/film/), the National Recording Preservation Board (loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/) and the national registries for film and recorded sound.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States—and extensive materials from around the world—both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater Schedule

Thursday, March 1 (7:30 p.m.)
“The Life of Emile Zola”
 (Warner Bros., 1937)
In this best picture Oscar winner directed by William Dieterle, Paul Muni portrays French novelist Zola, who defends the falsely accused Captain Dreyfus, played by Joseph Schildkraut in an Oscar-winning performance. The Dreyfus case formed an exciting climax to Zola’s career as a champion of truth and liberty and is consequently the dramatic highlight of this film biography nominated for nine Academy Awards. The film was added to the National Film Registry in 2000.

Friday, March 2 (7:30 p.m.)
“The Sting” (Universal, 1973)
Robert Redford plays a great Depression-era con man seeking revenge on the racketeer, played by Robert Shaw, responsible for the murder of his mentor. He enlists the aid of confidence artist extraordinaire Paul Newman to gather an impressive array of con men eager to settle the score with Shaw. One of the biggest hits of the early '70s, “The Sting” picked up seven Oscars including best picture, director, screenplay and best adapted score for Marvin Hamlisch’s unforgettable setting of Scott Joplin’s ragtime music. The film was added to the National Film Registry in 2005.

Saturday, March 3 (2 p.m.)
“The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” (Columbia, 1958)
Special-effects master Ray Harryhausen provides the hero, voiced by Kerwin Mathews, with a villainous magician and fantastic antagonists including a genie, giant cyclops, fire-breathing dragons and a sword-wielding animated skeleton, all in glorious Technicolor. Harryhausen's Dynamation process, which blended stop-motion animation and live-action sequences, and a thrilling score by Bernard Herrmann make this one of the finest fantasy films of all time. “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” was added to the National Film Registry in 2008.

Saturday, March 3 (7:30 p.m.)
“Empire of the Sun” (Warner Bros., 1987)
Based on J.G. Ballard’s autobiographical novel and directed by Steven Spielberg, this historical drama stars Christian Bale as a spoiled 13-year-old British boy living with his wealthy family in pre-World War II Shanghai. During the Japanese invasion, Bale is separated from his parents, and with the help of an American expatriate and hustler, played by John Malkovich, he learns to survive in a Japanese prison camp.

Thursday, March 8 (7:30 p.m.)
“Captains Courageous” (MGM, 1937)
Victor Fleming directed this adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's story in which a spoiled rich boy, played by Freddie Bartholomew, falls off a cruise ship and is rescued by a Portuguese fisherman, played by Spencer Tracy. The fisherman takes him aboard a commercial fishing schooner led by the salty Captain Disko Troop, played by Lionel Barrymore. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including best picture, and won best actor for Tracy.

Friday, March 9 (7:30 p.m.)
“The Thief” (United Artists, 1952)
This unique crime film stars Ray Milland as a nuclear physicist at the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington, D.C. who is also a spy working for an unnamed foreign power. The third in a series of six classic film noir productions scripted by Russell Rouse, who also directed, and his writing partner Clarence Greene, the stylized production was filmed entirely without dialogue.

Saturday, March 10 (7:30 p.m.)
“Gladiator” (DreamWorks, 2000 – R-rated*)
Ridley Scott directed this epic historical adventure that won best picture of the year and four other Oscars, including best actor for Russell Crowe. Set in the Roman Empire during the latter half of the 2nd century A.D., Crowe stars as a Roman general who seeks revenge after being betrayed by the new emperor and forced into slavery.  *No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.

Thursday, March 15 (7:30 p.m.)
Jazz Greats on “The Dick Cavett Show” (ABC, 1971-72)
Drawing from the nearly 2,000 hours of Dick Cavett’s decades-long talk-show series that hedonated to the Library of Congress last year, this program will highlight some of the great jazz artists who appeared on the show. Included are two appearances by Louis Armstrong, one of which aired just months before Satchmo’s death in 1971. Interviews and performances by Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, The Modern Jazz Quartet and Earl “Fatha” Hines will round out the program. Also included is a segment from the 50th anniversary salute to Louis Armstrong that aired on “The Hollywood Palace,” May 1, 1965, with guests Jimmy Durante and Edward G. Robinson.

Friday, March 16 (7:30 p.m.)
“My Left Foot” (Miramax, 1989 – R-Rated*)
Daniel Day-Lewis earned his first Oscar for portraying Irish writer and painter Christy Brown in this biographical drama. Born with cerebral palsy into a poor, working-class family, Brown became an author and artist by learning to write and paint with his only controllable limb - his left foot. Brenda Fricker won the best supporting actress Oscar for her role as Christy’s mother.  *No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.

Saturday, March 17 (7:30 p.m.)
“The Manchurian Candidate” (United Artists, 1962)
During the Korean conflict, prisoners of war, portrayed by Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey, are brainwashed by the communists to lay the foundation for high-level political maneuvering once they return home. Haunted by nightmares, Sinatra is determined to solve the mystery behind his terror and eventually discovers the heart of the scheme. Directed by John Frankenheimer, this Cold War suspense thriller features Oscar-nominated Angela Lansbury and Janet Leigh in the cast. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1994.

Thursday, March 22 (7:30 p.m.)
“Good Will Hunting” (Miramax, 1997 – R-rated*)
Oscars went to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for best original screenplay and to Robin Williams for best supporting actor in this drama directed by Gus Van Sant. Damon also stars as the title character, an undisciplined janitor at M.I.T. with an uncanny gift for advanced mathematics. Will reluctantly agrees to study math and participate in therapy sessions to avoid a jail sentence for brawling. *No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.

Friday, March 23 (7:30 p.m.)
MGM Double Feature - Directed by John Sturges
“Kind Lady” (MGM, 1951)
This chilling drama directed by John Sturges stars Ethel Barrymore as Mary Herries, a kindly older British art collector who is tricked by an artist and his wife, played by Maurice Evans and Betsy Blair, into allowing them to move in to her house. Mary is soon held prisoner by the couple and their accomplices, played by Keenan Wynn and Angela Lansbury, posing as a butler and maid, as they start to sell off everything of value she owns.

“Mystery Street” (MGM, 1950)
Shot on location in Boston and the Harvard campus, this crime drama stars Ricardo Montalban as Peter Morales, a blue-collar detective investigating the identity of a skeleton found half-buried on a beach. Directed by John Sturges, with Bruce Bennett as a Harvard University doctor, this early movie depiction of forensic science is an engrossing, realistic mystery.

Saturday, March 24 (2 p.m.)
“The Prince of Egypt” (Dreamworks, 1998)
This animated adaptation of the book of Exodus follows Moses’ life from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. The musical drama features the voice talent of Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes and Michelle Pfeiffer. Stephen Schwartz and Hans Zimmer were nominated for an Academy Award for best original score, and Schwartz’s song “When You Believe” won the Academy Award for best song.

Saturday, March 24 (7:30 p.m.)
Western Double Feature
“The Last Horseman” (Columbia, 1944)
Lucky Rawlins, played by Russell Hayden, foreman of the Bar W ranch, finds himself cheated out of a check for $12,000 - the proceeds from a cattle drive. The culprit is the local banker, Cash Watson, played by John Maxwell, who has learned that the railroad is interested in buying up the local ranches. It’s up to Lucky to expose his dastardly deed. Western Swing group Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys appear as musicians and cowboys and perform several songs in the film including Wills’ “Dreamy-Eyes Waltz.”

“Texas Panhandle” (Columbia, 1945)
Steve Buckner, played by Charles Starrett, is suspended from the Secret Service pending investigation of his rumored activities as The Durango Kid. He heads west to the Texas Panhandle, where he learns renegades have attacked settler wagon trains and have stolen government gold. As The Durango Kid, Steve uncovers the facts and brings the bad guys to justice. Western Swing group Spade Cooley and His Band along with Carolina Cotton, the Yodeling Blonde Bombshell, perform several tunes in the film.

###

PR 18-013
2018-02-13
ISSN 0731-3527