Thursday Afternoon Film Series February 7, 2008

Williamsburg Regional Librarys Thursday Afternoon Film Series presents feature films preceded by episodes in the award-winning thirteen-part series, Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film. The documentary traces the development of the Hollywood film industry in the early days of the 20th century and contains rare clips from silent films and interviews with many famous stars and directors of the period. The 50-minute episodes begin at 1 p.m. and will be followed at 2 p.m. by that weeks feature film. In February the theme is Broadway Babies, showing biographical movies about some ladies who made it big on the Great White Way.

The movies are show in the Williamsburg Library Theatre, 515 Scotland Street. Admission is free and tickets are not required. Call the Adult Services Department at (757) 259-4050 or visit www.wrl.org/programs for more information.

Thursday, February 7
1 p.m. - Hazard of the Game
A vivid portrait of the thrilling and dangerous world of stunt work in early Hollywood, before the advent of trick photography and special effects.

2 p.m. - Lillian Russell (1940, unrated)
Alice Faye stars in this pleasant, if sedate, biopic of fabled Gay 90s singer Lillian Russell. Miss Russell was one of the biggest stars of her day and although the film whitewashes her rather colorful life it does include several delightful period songs and production numbers. Henry Fonda and Don Ameche costar.

Thursday, February 14
1 p.m. - Out West
In the early 1900s, as the Old West was fading away, many real cowboys like Tom Mix and Yakima Canutt were able to parlay their skills and experience into work in the film industry.

2 p.m. - Dolly Sisters (1945, unrated)
The fabulous Dolly sisters, famous in the early 1900s for their dancing, and infamous for their fast-living lifestyle, get the Hollywood treatment in this lavish musical. Betty Grable and June Haver play Jenny and Rosie Dolly, Hungarian immigrants whose beauty and talent brought them fame and fortune on Broadway and in Europe.

Thursday, February 21
1 p.m. The Autocrats
The divergent careers of two talented but mercurial directors - Cecil B. DeMille and Erich Von Stroheim - are detailed.

2 p.m. - Ill Cry Tomorrow (1955, unrated)
A harsh melodrama about singer Lillian Roths grim battle with alcoholism features an Oscar nominated performance by Susan Hayward.

Thursday, February 28
1 p.m. - Comedy - A Serious Business
The development of this genre, from Mack Sennets slapstick romps to the pathos of Chaplins The Kid, is profiled, as are Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Harry Langdon.

2 p.m. - Funny Girl (1968, unrated)
Barbra Steisand won an Oscar and became a major film star in this fine musical based on the life of Ziegfeld Follies comedienne Fanny Brice. The film was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and directed by William Wyler.


Event submitted by Eventful.com on behalf of programs.