Oscar winners, horror movies, and silent shorts are all part of the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation's fall film series in Culpeper, Va., starting Oct. 8.
Among the Oscar winners is best actress Bette Davis in Jezebel (1938), William Wyler's classic romantic melodrama that was Warner Bros.' answer to Gone with the Wind. (The film was based on a flop play that starred Miriam Hopkins, Bette Davis' future archrival.) Davis was one of the top contenders for the role of Scarlett O'Hara, but had to content herself with playing Jezebel's wilful Southern belle — who dares to wear a red dress (in black and white) at a ball much to the shock and awe of the present guests. (Sometimes I wonder if this was inspired by the time when Norma Shearer dared to wear a red dress [in color] at a mid-30s, all-white Hollywood party much to the anger and consternation of the other female guests.) Fellow Oscar winner Fay Bainter, Henry Fonda, George Brent, and Margaret Lindsay are also in Jezebel.
There are three horror movies lined up: Alien (1979, above), Ridley Scott's scary-as-hell classic about a ravenous spaceship stowaway; Mario Bava's Black Sunday, starring horror cult icon Barbara Steele as a burned-alive Bavarian princess who returns from the dead to extract revenge on her family; and Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man (1973), an atmospheric drama involving a law-and-order police sergeant, lots of hippies, and a missing girl that no one seems to have heard of. I saw this one a while back, and despite its reputation I must admit I wasn't able to get into it. I need to check it out again. Edward Woodward stars as the sergeant. Britt Ekland and Christopher Lee co-star.
And of special interest is an all-shorts program celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Thanhouser Company, one of the early silent-film studios. Andrew Simpson will provide live musical accompaniment and Ned Thanhouser, the grandson of the founders of the company, will make a personal appearance. Among the Thanhouser stars of the 1910s were James Cruze (best known for directing the 1923 Western classic The Covered Wagon), Marguerite Snow, Florence LaBadie, William Russell, Frederick Warde, and Broadway legend Jeanne Eagels. (Poster: Thanhouser.org.)
From the LoC press release:
Short subjects will be presented before select programs. Titles are subject to change without notice. All Packard Campus programs are free and open to the public. For reservation information, call (540) 827-1079 extension 79994 or (202) 707-9994 during business hours, beginning one week before any given screening. For further information on the theater and film series, visit www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.
The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation is a state-of-the-art facility where the nation’s library acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings.
Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. It seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a new, personalized website at myLOC.gov.