MAY 11,2017
HIGH NOON

In this classic Western, Will Kane, the longtime marshal of Hadleyville in New Mexico territory, has just retired following his marriage with pacifist Quaker Amy Fowler. However, word arrives that Frank Miller, a criminal that Kane once sent away to be hanged, has been pardoned and will arrive into town, at high noon, with one thing on his mind: Revenge on the marshal who once ruined his life. With the threat of vengeful outlaws looming, Kane will have to decide whether he honors his sense of duty or his love for his pacifist bride. 
- Written by Kyle Perez

Oscars: Best Actor in a Leading Role
Gary Cooper ; Gary Cooper was not present at the awards ceremony. John Wayne accepted on his behalf. 
Best Film Editing; Elmo Williams 
Best Music, Original Song; Dimitri Tiomkin (music) Ned Washington (lyrics) 
For the song "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')" 
Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture; Dimitri Tiomkin 

High Noon was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" in 1989, the NFR's first year of existence.

High Noon was filmed in the late summer/early fall of 1951 in several locations in California. The opening scenes, under the credits, were shot at Iverson Movie Ranch near Los Angeles. A few town scenes were shot in Columbia State Historic Park, a preserved Gold Rush mining town near Sonora, but most of the street scenes were filmed on the Columbia lot in Burbank. St. Joseph's Church in Tuolumne City was used for exterior shots of the Hadleyville church. The railroad was the old Sierra Railroad in Jamestown, a few miles south of Columbia, now known as Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, and often nicknamed "the movie railroad" due to its frequent use in films and television shows. The railroad station was built for the film alongside a water tower at Warnerville, about 15 miles to the southwest.
Cooper was reluctant to film the fight scene with Bridges due to ongoing problems with his back, but did, without the use of a stunt double. He wore no makeup, to emphasize his character's anguish and fear, which was probably intensified by pain from recent surgery to remove a bleeding ulcer.
The running time of the story almost precisely parallels the running time of the film itself—an effect heightened by frequent shots of clocks, to remind the characters (and the audience) that the villain will be arriving on the noon train.
The movie's theme song, "Do Not Forsake Me, My Darling", became a major hit on the Country-Western charts for Tex Ritter, and later, a pop hit for Frankie Laine as well. Its popularity set a precedent for theme songs that were featured in many subsequent Western films.
​

April 13th
​The Royal Tenenbaums

The Royal Tenenbaums is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson. The film stars Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Owen Wilson.

Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children--Chas, Richie, and Margot--they were a family of geniuses and then they separated.
*Chas started buying real estate in his early teens and seemed to have had a preternatural understanding of international finance.
*Margot was a playwright and received a Braverman grant of fifty thousand dollars in the ninth grade.
*Richie was a junior champion tennis player and won the U.S. Nationals three years in a row.

Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father's fault. The tale follows the family's sudden and unexpected reunion one recent winter.

An ironic and absurdist sense of humor pervades the film.
The Royal Tenenbaums received positive reviews from critics. Hackman won a Golden Globe for his performance, and the screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award. In a 2016 poll of international critics conducted by BBC, The Royal Tenenbaums was voted one of the 100 greatest motion pictures since 2000.

The Full Monty

​​Our next feature film will be on March 9th and it will be: The Full Monty!
 
The Full Monty: a British slang phrase generally used to mean "everything which is necessary, appropriate or possible; ‘the works’".
 
“Rowdy, funny, surprisingly sweet.”  Film.com
 
The film is set in Sheffield, England and tells the story of six unemployed former steel workers, who decide to form a male striptease act, after seeing their wives’ enthusiasm for a touring company of Chippendales, in order to gather enough money to get somewhere else. Gaz decides there's nothing a bunch of pantywaists from America can do that he and his pals can't do better, and decides to form his own crew of male strippers. However, the local talent pool leaves a bit to be desired.  As they prepare for the big night, working through their fears, self-consciousness and anxieties, they overcome their inner demons and find strength in their camaraderie.
 
Combining broad comedy with believable and well-drawn characters, The Full Monty was a major box-office hit both in England and the United States and was nominated for Academy Awards as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. This film is rated R.
 
Join us, March 9th, in the Opera Hall, 250 S Washington St, bring a comfortable chair or use one of ours. There will be beer & wine and a “Full Monty” as well as popcorn, of course! The doors open at 6:00 and the movie begins at 7:00 pm. Cost is $10 and the proceeds will be used for more events downtown. LADIES NIGHT DISCOUNT...4 or more ladies together pay half price!