SATURDAY MORNING CLASSICS, Cinema 21
SATURDAY MORNING CLASSICS
Programmed Exclusively for Cinema 21 by Elliot Lavine
Another extraordinary batch of classics from one of the most cinematically adventurous periods in American film. EVERY SATURDAY MORNING at 11:00 a.m. July 6 – August 3
July 27 - BEING THERE (1979)
Simple-minded Chance, a gardener who has resided in the Washington, D.C., townhouse of his wealthy employer for his entire life and been educated only by television, is forced to vacate his home after his boss dies. While wandering the streets, he encounters business mogul Ben Rand, who assumes Chance to be a fellow upper-class gentleman. Soon Chance is ushered into high society, and his unaffected gardening wisdom makes him the talk of the town. A brilliantly devised satire, from the novel by Jerzy Kosinski, it’s another film that could only have been made in the 70s. Directed by Hal Ashby. Starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden. A Best Supporting Oscar was awarded to Melvin Douglas. In Color. 121 mins.
August 3 - ALL THAT JAZZ (1979)
Famed real-life choreographer / director Bob Fosse created nothing less than his own autobiographical film about fictitious Joe Gideon, notorious womanizing, drug abusing theatrical giant based on Fosse himself. When he’s not planning for his upcoming stage musical or working on an upcoming Hollywood film, Gideon is popping pills and sleeping with a seemingly endless array of beautiful women. The physical and mental stress begins to take a toll on him and soon he must decide whether or not his non-stop work schedule and hedonistic lifestyle are worth risking his life. Co-written and directed by Bob Fosse. Starring Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking, Cliff Gorman, Ben Vereen. In Color. 123 mins.
A quartet of great Hollywood Westerns on our BIGGEST screen! EVERY SATURDAY MORNING at 11:00 a.m. AUGUST 10 – 31
August 10 - RIO BRAVO (1959)
When gunslinger Joe Burdette kills a man in a saloon, Sheriff John T. Chance arrests him with the aid of the town drunk, a rascally feller known as Dude. Before long, Burdette's brother, Nathan, comes around, prepared to bust his brother out of jail if necessary. Chance decides to make a stand until reinforcements arrive, enlisting Dude, an old cripple named Stumpy, and baby-faced cowboy Colorado Ryan to help. One of Hollywood’s greatest classic Westerns, delivered by one of the genre’s most esteemed practitioners, Howard Hawks. Starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond, Claude Akins. In Color. 141 mins.
August 17 - THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962)
Questions arise when Senator Stoddard attends the funeral of a local man named Tom Doniphon in a small Western town. Flashing back, we learn Doniphon once saved Stoddard, then a lawyer, when he was beaten down and humiliated by a crew of outlaws terrorizing the town, led by the vicious Liberty Valance. The truth behind the legend becomes the central focus of this remarkable film. Critically panned when first released, the film is now recognized as one of the defining classics of the entire Western genre. Directed by John Ford. Starring James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Vera Miles, Edmond O’Brien, Andy Devine. In Black & White. 123 mins.
August 24 - THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
In this gritty and unabashedly violent Western classic, aging outlaw Pike Bishop prepares to retire after one final robbery. Joined by his original gang, which includes Dutch Engstrom and brothers Lyle and Tector Gorch, Bishop discovers the heist is a setup orchestrated in part by his old partner, Deke Thornton, now only interested in his own personal freedom. As the remaining gang takes refuge in Mexican territory, Thornton trails them, intent on their capture. A film designed to test the limits of screen censorship with respect to physical violence, proving conclusively that a new era had finally begun. We will be presenting the Director’s Cut of the film. Directed by Sam Peckinpah. Starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, Warren Oates, Jaime Sanchez, Ben Johnson. In Color. 145 mins.
August 31 - TRUE GRIT (2010)
After outlaw Tom Chaney murders her father, feisty 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross hires grisly Rooster Cogburn, a boozy, trigger-happy lawman, to help her find Chaney and avenge her father. The bickering duo are not alone in their quest, for a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf is also tracking Chaney for reasons of his own. Together the unlikely trio ventures into hostile territory to dispense some Old West justice. A remake of the inferior 1969 film which starred John Wayne, this revisionist version stays much closer to Charles Portis’ great novel and winds up being the first great Western of the 21 st Century. Written and Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Starring Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin. In Color. 110 mins.