Among the hundreds of stars who have graced the silver screen, only a few were truly first-rate actors. Conversely, few truly great actors ever became legendary movie stars. Paul Muni, Katharine Hepburn, William Powell, and James Cagney were among the very few who were both. They became "stars" from their very first films and maintained that status until their last films. In this film series, we will spend two weeks on each of these four cinematic legends, watching both their first and their last pictures. Paul Muni is the only actor to receive Academy Award nominations for both his first and last starring roles. Katharine Hepburn stole the spotlight from John Barrymore in her first film and dominated the screen in her last more than 60 years later. William Powell was just as dapper and distinguished as detective Philo Vance in 1929 as he was as "Doc" in 1955's Mr. Roberts. And James Cagney went from playing a bootlegger in his first film to the New York City Police Commissioner in his last. Dr. Stone will introduce each film, and then, following our viewing, we will engage in what should be a lively discussion on each of the six films starring our four flawless legends.
Lectures:
1. "The Valiant" (1929)
2. "The Last Angry Man" (1959
3. "A Bill of Divorcement" (1932)
4. "Love Affair" (1994)
5. "The Canary Murder Case" (1929)
6. "Mr. Roberts" (1955)
7. "Sinner’s Holliday" (1930)
8. "Ragtime" (1986)
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.
