Friday, October 18, 2024 - 6:00 pm
October 18 - High Noon (1952), 85 minutes, directed by Fred Zinnemann, starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, and Katy Jurado.
High Noon is usually labeled as a classic Western, and it is. But it’s so much more. Gary Cooper plays Will Kane, a marshal facing a gang of outlaws coming for him in bloody vengeance. One by one the townspeople abandon him as the film unfolds in real time. Made during the House Un-American Activities Committee trials, the story is allegorical to blacklisting, which caused a number of actors across the political spectrum to pass, including John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Marlon Brando, and Charlton Heston. Cooper fit Will Kane so well he earned an Academy Award.
October 2024 CinemaLit - Suspense!
October at CinemaLit explores the delicious, nerve wracking, spine tingling, singular experience of film suspense. Any story carries with it some level of suspense - what’s going to happen next? - but few play with suspense in the extreme. These four films are exceptional in taking our curiosity, dread, and hope to the highest levels. Come sit on the edge of your seat for Double Indemnity (1944), Strangers on a Train (1951), High Noon (1952), and Wait Until Dark (1967).
Matthew Kennedy, CinemaLit’s curator, has written biographies of Marie Dressler, Joan Blondell, and Edmund Goulding. His book Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s, was the basis of a film series on Turner Classic Movies. His most recent book, On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide, examines the screen legend's entire career.
“I don't have a favorite film,” Matthew says. "I find that my relationships to films, actors, genres, and directors change as I change over the years. Some don't hold up. Some look more profound, as though I've caught up with their artistry. I feel that way about Garbo, Cary Grant, director John Cassavetes, and others."
“Classic films have historical context, something only time can provide,” Matt observes. “They become these great cultural artifacts, so revealing of tastes, attitudes, and assumptions.”
Mechanics' Institute Members Free
Non-Members $10
Cafe opens at 5:30 pm with wine, beer, sparkling water, juice, and fresh-popped popcorn for sale.
Register with Eventbrite below.
Please note: Photos and/or video may be taken during this event.
CinemaLit Films
