Last Remaining Seats in 2006
April 26th, 2006 by Andre Soares
In late spring/early summer, the Los Angeles Conservancy will present the 20th edition of the film series Last Remaining Seats. As usual, all screenings will be held at old film palaces located in downtown Los Angeles:
Wed., May 31 - The Mark of Zorro (1940), directed by Rouben Mamoulian, and starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Basil Rathbone. This is by far the best Zorro I’ve seen, and Power is surprisingly effective both as the dashing, masked swordsman and as his dandified, unmasked self. A must.
Wed., June 7 - A Star Is Born (1954), directed by George Cukor, and starring Judy Garland and James Mason. Some find it one of the best Hollywood movies ever made. I find it overlong (175 minutes) and inferior to the 1937 version with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March (which will be shown at UCLA on April 28). Garland, however, is excellent, and a couple of the production numbers are quite good.
Wed., June 14 - Never Weaken (1921) and Hot Water (1924). Both are Harold Lloyd vehicles. The former is a 19-minute short, the latter is a feature in which Lloyd must cope with the institution of marriage and its consequences: in-laws. I haven’t seen either film, so I’ll keep my opinionated mouth shut for a change.
Wed., June 21 - Chinatown (1974), directed by Roman Polanski, and starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston. Robert Towne’s taut screenplay, Polanski’s merciless direction, and Nicholson’s unusually restrained performance elevate this neo-film noir (shot in somewhat muted color) to the level of a masterpiece.
Wed., June 28 - Dos tipos de cuidado / Two Careful Fellows (1953), directed by Ismael Rodríguez, and starring Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, and Carmelita González. Since this film series is being held in heavily Mexican downtown Los Angeles, it is only fair to add an example of Mexican filmmaking to the mix. In this melodramatic-comedy (as per the press release), Infante and Negrete - in their only film together - play two friends at odds with each other because of their mutual affection for González.
Wed., July 7 - Rebel Without a Cause (1955), directed by Nicholas Ray, starring James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo. Generally considered a classic of its kind, I find Ray’s youth-in-angst melodrama overblown and poorly acted. Dean, in particular, overdoes his brooding teen bit - perhaps as a means to compensate for the fact that he looks much too old for the part.
Now, a chance to watch those films - however good or not so good - at an old movie palace is not to be missed. I’ve seen three of the six features on the big screen (at the old Vista Theater or at the Nuart), and they looked great.
(In case you’re wondering. . . I’ve seen Zorro only on television.)
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