JAMES STEWART ON THE BIG SCREEN: A FILM LECTURE SERIES

Hello Friends:

Why not escape from the summer heat to enjoy five movies starring one of filmdom's most beloved movie stars, Jimmy Stewart--or James Stewart, as he was always officially billed.

Stewart. It almost makes one think of the word STALWART. The website yourdictionary.com defines this word as follows: "A description for someone who is loyal and strong or for something that is reliable and sturdy." Perhaps the website should feature a photo of James Stewart next to its definition. Few other actors conjure so vividly an image of reliability, strength, and loyalty--traits that spring to mind when we use the term "All American."

Certainly these traits, when coupled with honesty, idealism, and integrity, are on exhibit in Stewart's portrayal of Jefferson Smith in the film that opens the series, director Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. But while Smith was a career-defining role for Stewart, there was a tendency, perhaps, to assume that, because the actor played characters who possessed these traits, they were uncomplicated and one-dimensional.

Following Stewart's stint of duty as a bomber pilot during World War II, he returned to acting a changed man. The war had aged him, and he brought a less light, more complex sensibility to most of his screen portrayals from that point on.

For example, the five westerns that Stewart made with director Anthony Mann brought a darker, psychological dimension to the genre. Winchester '73 is one such film that will be featured in this series.

He also appeared in four films for director Alfred Hitchcock, including Vertigo, in which he plays a man who becomes obsessed with a woman to the point that he wants her look-alike to be in his thrall. In Rear Window, which will be shown during this series, Stewart plays another obsessed character, this time a convalescing photographer who takes to watching his neighbors. Is it possible that he is projecting many of his unresolved feelings about interpersonal relations onto the lives of the people in whose windows he is peering?

The series is rounded out by two romantic comedies: The Shop Around the Corner, an Ernst Lubitsch-directed confection that derives its sweetness from its Old World setting and characters; and Bell, Book & Candle, a late fifties piece of whimsy with Stewart's book publisher falling under the spell of beautiful witch Kim Novak.

Here's the series schedule -- all films are on Mondays at 1:00 P.M.

July  9th -- Mr. Smith Goes To Washington - Idealistic scout master Jefferson Smith is appointed to the senate and tries to fight corruption. With Jean Arthur, Claude Rains. 1939 -- Black & white -- 129 minutes.

July 16th -- The Shop Around the Corner - Two employees in a Budapest shop clash, but are unaware that they are sending anonymous love letters to one another. With Margaret Sullavan. 1940 -- Black & white -- 99 minutes.

July 23rd -- Winchester '73 - A man tries to find his father's murderer and the one-of-a-kind rifle that was stolen from him. With Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea. 1950 -- Black & white -- 92 minutes.

July 30th -- Rear Window - A photographer with a broken leg fears that a neighbor was murdered. Co-starring Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter. 1954 -- Color -- 112 minutes.

Aug.  6th -- Bell, Book & Candle - A beautiful witch (Kim Novak) casts a spell to make a man fall in love with her. With Elsa Lanchester, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs. 1958 -- Color -- 106 minutes.


I look forward to seeing you all in our air-conditioned movie theater here at the Barrington Library.

Doug Swiszcz
Librarian and Film Enthusiast

PRESENTING CARY GRANT

Wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 at 2:00 P.M.

Library Auditorium

Who hasn't enjoyed a Cary Grant film? The actor with the cleft chin and the "matinee idol" good looks left an indelible impression on the movie world. But Grant proved that he was more than just another handsome face. He had intelligence. He had a wonderful, often self-deprecating sense of humor. And, perhaps owing to his humble beginnings as Archibald Leach, he appealed to the common man. He may have been impeccably dressed and groomed, elegance personified, but he was never afraid to look foolish or vulnerable on the screen. Anyone who has seen him in movies like The Awful Truth and The Philadelphia Story knows that, good looks or not, if a scene called for him to take a pratfall, he did. Not that Grant excelled only in comedy. When paired with the right material and director, he could impress in dramatic roles. Look at the masterful way that he conveys a cold, brittle exterior, as a way to conceal feelings of jealousy and hurt, in Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious. Yes, it's true that, particularly as his career moved towards its fourth decade, Grant's characterizations sometimes relied on his debonair charm, as in the perennial romantic weepie, An Affair To Remember. But he rarely bored us with his film work. Even a casual fan of classic films would be able to name close to a dozen of Grant's memorable movies. I've chosen just five of his films for my May 2012 series. I hope that you will join me to experience anew the thrill of watching Cary Grant up on the big screen. I am sure that you will agree with me that Grant really was that good.

Here's the lineup:

May 2nd -- The Awful Truth -- Screwball comedy about a separated husband and wife (Grant, Irene Dunne) who each tries to sabotage the other's new love affair while waiting for their divorce to become final. 1937 -- Black & white -- 91 min.

May 9th -- The Philadelphia Story -- A socialite (Katharine Hepburn) plans to remarry, but not if her ex-husband (Grant) can help it. With James Stewart and Ruth Hussey. 1940 -- Black & white -- 112 min.

May 16th -- Notorious -- Alfred Hitchcock's classic film about a woman (Ingrid Bergman) who is asked by a U.S. government agent (Grant) to spy on a group of her father's Nazi friends down in Rio de Janeiro. 1946 -- Black & white -- 101 min.

May 23rd -- An Affair to Remember -- A man and woman, (Grant, Deborah Kerr) who are romantically involved with other people, have a shipboard romance. When they return to land, they agree to meet atop the Empire State Building in six months if they still feel love for one another. 1957 -- Color -- 119 min.

May 30th -- North by Northwest -- An advertising executive (Cary Grant) is pursued by enemy spies who have mistaken him for a U.S. CIA agent. Eva Marie Saint is the beautiful blonde whom he encounters along the way. Co-starring James Mason. 1959 -- Color -- 136 min.

As always, I look forward to seeing you all there.

Doug Swiszcz

Librarian & Film Enthusiast

ERIN GO BRAGH: MOVIES SET IN IRELAND

Hello again. It seems as though just yesterday I was presenting my BRITISH CROWN film series. But that was last fall.  I had intended to begin this blog entry with the forward-looking sentiment that spring is just around the corner.  However, we haven't had a typical New England winter this year. Paltry amounts of snow, and temperatures often topping out on the Fahrenheit scale in the mid- to upper-forties. So, instead, I'll say that March is just around the corner....

March -- the month in which, whether we are of Irish heritage or simply love the company of those who are, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. This year, I thought that it might be fun to gather together in our Library Auditorium to watch some movies that take place in Ireland, and that show its people in all of their wonderful diversity.

Whether it's the blarney that's doled out in a scheme to claim prize money, the resolve needed to endure the trials of life, the adherence to custom that complicates the romance of a man and woman, or the belief needed to embrace the folklore of the Irish, these films will, I hope, reinforce for all of us the delightful and often unique character of the Irish people.

The series runs on Friday afternoons, March 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2012 at 2:00 P.M.

Here's the lineup:

March  9 – The Secret of Roan Inish (1994) – A magical tale of a girl whose search for her younger brother brings an Irish legend to life. 102 minutes – Rated PG, for some moments that may be disquieting to children.

March 16 – The Quiet Man (1952) – An American prizefighter (John Wayne) returns to Ireland to forget his past, and falls in love with the fiery sister (Maureen O’Hara) of a brutish neighbor. Directed by John Ford. 129 minutes – Unrated.

March 23 – Waking Ned Devine (1998) – When the lottery winner in a small Irish village dies, two of his friends conspire to hide his death in order to claim the prize money. 91 minutes – Rated PG, for nudity, language and thematic elements.

March 30 -- Dancing at Lughnasa (1998) - Five unmarried sisters make the most of their simple existence in rural Ireland in the 1930s. Starring Meryl Streep. 95 minutes -- Rated PG, for mild language and thematic elements.

I look forward to seeing you all there. Feel free to take part in the wearing of the green; I will be.

Doug Swiszcz

THE BRITISH CROWN FILM SERIES

Fridays, September 23-October 28, 2011, at 1:00 PM

 

The recent royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton helped to revive for me an idea for a film series that had been germinating for some time. Even though we Americans revolted against Great Britain to form our own nation, we nevertheless did spring from the British Empire. I think this partly explains why we continue to have a fascination with British royalty. Of course, these days I think that this celebrity-conscious nation of ours gets caught up with the pomp and pageantry of the royal family. But we mustn't forget that, as Shakespeare once wrote, "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." Through the years, the British monarchs have had to endure the strain of running a nation (at least back in the day before the monarchy became more of a symbol). They've had to wrestle with matters of policy (with both foes and allies). They often have been mired in all kinds of machinations with family members like spouses and children. Some monarchs are crowned while still young, and must quickly grow into the position. They often must contend with the public's unfavorable perception of them. Occasionally, they must work to overcome a disability, like a speech impediment. Over six weeks, we'll look at movie portrayals of five of Great Britain's monarchs.  Watching the turmoil and intrigue that these men and women experienced, it may make us appreciate, by comparison, our simple lives as commoners.

Here's the complete lineup:

September 23rd

Becket (1964) - A young King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) must contend with his friend, Thomas Becket (Richard Burton), when the latter is assigned to the post of Archbishop of Canterbury.

September 30th

The Lion in Winter (1968) - An older Henry II (Peter O'Toole) spends the Christmas holiday sparring with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), and his sons over which of his offspring will succeed him as king.

October 7th

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) - King Henry VIII (Richard Burton) wants to divorce his barren first wife, Katherine of Aragon, so that he can take the enchanting young Anne Boleyn (Genevieve Bujold) as his next bride.

October 14th

Elizabeth (1998) - Cate Blanchett stars as Queen Elizabeth I, whose ascension to the throne thrusts her into a world of political conflict and intrigue.

October 21st

The King's Speech (2010) - Colin Firth plays King George VI, who struggles to overcome a pronounced stammer with the help of an unorthodox speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush).

October 28th

The Queen (2006) - Helen Mirren is current-day Queen Elizabeth II , who is cast--along with the rest of the royal family--into a very public spotlight when Princess Diana is killed in an auto accident.

I look forward to seeing you all there. (Crowns and scepters are optional.)

Doug Swiszcz

Librarian and Cinema Enthusiast

Barrington Public Library