PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: In December 1937, in a nationwide poll, gossip columnist Ed Sullivan revealed that Clark Gable and Myrna Loy were crowned "King" and "Queen" of Hollywood. In a nation without nobility, it seems only fitting that fans elevated movie stars to royal status. Conversely, in England, where the monarch bestows titles, several film stars, including Laurence Olivier, received knighthoods, and one became a Lord. This series celebrates films featuring knights and dames together, honoring their contributions to cinema and theater, as well as their native kingdom. Their talents elevate them to true royalty, bridging the worlds of entertainment and tradition. The films will be shown in their entirety. No class Oct. 3.
LECTURES:
1. “The Entertainer” (1960): Baron Lawrence Olivier and his wife, Dame Joan Plowright, in a film about an old-time British music hall performer who, sinking into final defeat, schemes to stay in show business.
2. “Major Barbara” (1941): Sir Rex Harrison and Dame Wendy Hiller star in a comedy with social commentary adapted from a play by George Bernard Shaw.
3. “Death on the Nile” (1978): Sir Peter Ustinov, Dame Angela Landsbury and Dame Maggie Smith in the classic murder mystery by the bestselling novelist all-time, Dame Agatha Christie.
4. “In Which We Serve” (1941): Sir Noel Coward, Sir John Mills, Sir Bernard Miles and Dame Celia Johnson in a film written and directed by Sir Noel about survivors clinging to a raft at sea . . . all told in flashbacks.
5. “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2011): Dame Judy Dench and Dame Maggie Smith as British retirees who travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel, or is it?
6. “The Lady Vanishes” (1938): Sir Michael Redgrave and Dame Mae Witty in a classic Hitchcock spy thriller about an elderly woman who seems to have disappeared from a train.
"Stone is a masterful presenter with a wealth of knowledge. The films he shows are gems often not seen in many years." OLLI Patron
Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.
