Among the upcoming screenings in the November film series of the Library of Congress' Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Va., are vehicles for just about everyone, from Charles Chaplin to Dennis Hopper; from Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland to Robin Williams' voice.
I've never seen Disney's Aladdin, though I know it was a big hit when it came out. Robin Williams was particularly praised for his voice work as the Genie — some even went as far as to demand that the Academy come up with Oscars for best voice performance.
No one came up with that demand when Charles Chaplin's The Circus was released, perhaps because the film has no audible dialogue. I'm not a big fan of silent-film comedy, but those who are into that will probably enjoy this one. The members of the newly founded Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences surely did, since they decided to give Chaplin a special Oscar for his "versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing The Circus."
Addendum: The Circus will no longer be screened. It has been replaced by Harold Lloyd's The Kid Brother.
I've never gone see Elem Klimov's Come and See (bad pun intended), a tough Russian World War II drama that from what I've heard is not for the squeamish (or the non-squeamish who simply can't stand on-screen violence). I've never seen Love Finds Andy Hardy, either, because it's not for the faint of heart; I mean, them Hardys are the scariest movie family ever. Even so, once I muster enough courage I need to check out this Andy Hardy entry: I find it fascinating that those (immensely popular) Andy Hardy flicks could be taken as heartwarming representations of American Family Life. Gee, Pops! indeed.
In Easy Rider you can see what happened to the next generation of Gee, Pops'ing Hardys: They grew into aimless, drug-using bikers. Considering their family background, who the hell can blame them? Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda star in this seminal movie that in its own way is as idealized a depiction of the American counterculture of the '60s as the Andy Hardy flicks were idealized depictions of the country's pre-World War II middle-class suburbia. But idealized or no, Jack Nicholson earned an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for this one.
The Packard Campus' November series began on the 5th: the three films that have already been shown are The Miracle Worker, which earned Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke Oscars in, respectively, the best actress and best supporting actress categories; Anatole Litvak's anti-Nazi thriller Confessions of a Nazi Spy, starring Edward G. Robinson; and Ride the High Country, a well-made Western that happened to be Randolph Scott's cinematic swan song. (Co-star Joel McCrea would make a couple more film appearances in the '70s.)
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.
The Packard Campus Theater will be closed on Thanksgiving weekend.
Images: Courtesy of the Library of Congress