WALTZING WITH BRANDO – Review

Sure, the sun is still making temperatures rise, but it’s the big late-in-the-year awards season for the studios (with just a few days before the official start of Fall). So what’s a favorite subject for the somber, serious flicks vying for the gold? Of course, they turn to the “biopics’, with actors portraying real people (OPPENHEIMER being a most recent example). This weekend’s new “limited” release “straddles” two “sub-sets” of that genre. First, it’s a story of a well-known show-biz personality, some might say the greatest, most influental actor of his generation. But, it doesn’t cover his entire life, “cradle to the grave”. Rather, this film is set during a five or six year segment of his storied career. Oh, and it’s told from a “non-celeb” (often called a “civilian”). Most recently this was done with ME AND ORSON WELLES and MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. Now, don’t be fooled by the title, WALTZING WITH BRANDO is not a ” toe-tapping” musical (though Marlon plays a “mean” bongo).

After a brief bit of archival footage “wizardry” of the “real” Dick Cavett chatting with Marlon Brando (Billy Zane), we’re whisked into the world of a hard-working young family man, Bernard Judge (Jon Heder), toiling as an “up and coming” architect for a Los Angeles design firm in 1969. His boss introduces him to hotel magnate Jack Bellin (Rob Cordry), who plans to build a state-of-the-art resort in Tahiti. They want Bernard to travel there and scope out the proposed locale. Oh, and he’ll need to make an offer to the owner of this spot, a twelve-island atoll called Tetiaroa. After a long plane ride, Bernard arrives and charters a boat to said spot. The captain won’t go ashore due to the jagged coral reef surrounding it. No problem, Bernard will swim in since he’s a great water athlete. Naturally, he’s battered by the rocks and is washed ashore. Luckily, a local family brings him in and tends to his wounds. At their compound/home, Bernard meets the “big papa” and owner of the islands, none other than the Oscar-winning Mr. Brando. Though he’s reluctant at first, the superstar warms to Bernard and tells him of his plans to turn one of the islands into his permanent home, far away from Hollywood, a village (including that resort) that will not harm the local environment. Over the next few years, Bernard devotes all his energy (and time away from his own family in LA) to making Marlon’s dream happen, while he keeps the “river of cash” needed for the project by taking several high-profile and high-paying roles in several iconic 1970s films, including that (his words) “gangster movie”.


Even though his name isn’t in the title, the film’s focus is indeed the hapless “audience surrogate” everyman Bernard played with an uptight, bewildered demeanor by Heder (forever NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE, though being a comic icon is “sweet”). Much like the comedy heroes of the silent era (Harold Lloyd comes to mind), he enthusiastically plunges headfirst into the unknown, AKA island life. Mainly, Heder plays a sincere “straight man” to the many exotic eccentrics, so he comes off rather bland and not especially compelling. On the other hand, the “leader of the loonies” is played with considerable energy and offbeat charm by Zane, who really seems to be channeling (even becoming an eerie doppleganger) for the world-famous thespian. It’s very entertaining to see him recreate those flicks (yes, even Don Vito), but his greatest role may be “the merry prankster” who delights in shocking and confusing all in his path. Zane has charisma to spare, though his take makes the star an affable, enigmatic mystery. An actual Oscar-winner joins in this action, none other than Richard Dreyfuss pops in for a couple of scenes late in the story, as Marlon’s long-suffering “money manager” Seymour Kraft, who serves primarily as a roadblock to Bernard’s island obsession. Ditto for Tia Carrera’s loopy, leering Madame Leroy in a goofy seduction sequence. She’s a temptation for Bernard, much like the breezy German bombshell Michelle, a stewardess with lots of free time played by Camille Razat. And the always reliable Cordry puts his comic timing to good use as the bombastic lodging tycoon, an unlikely partner for Marlon in his “planned paradise”.


Director Bill Fishman helms his own screenplay adaptation of Bernard’s memoir, and makes a gorgeous “travelogue” of the exotic Tahiti (quite “vacation fodder”). It’s an interesting chapter in the actor’s life (perhaps a “second act’ after his breakthrough in the previous decade), but the plot just seems to lurch and stumble from one big “event” to another, bouncing around through those five or so years with an off-kilter momentum (long after the opening Cavett sequence we reverse to see Brando with Johnny Carson, to illustrate his stance on the civil rights movement). And way too much time is spent on wacky hijinks involving the locals and their slapstick building efforts (submerged tractors and possible angry ghosts). Zane’s superb impersonation is the main selling point in the marketing, even though the forced melodrama involving Bernard and his family simply doesn’t pay off. Neither does the odd decision for Heder to break the fourth wall in order to provide the “back story” for Brando and the future of the islands. Plus, there’s a rather dull final act that’s not livened up by another bit of whimsy from the title subject before the inevitable pre-credit update captions. And that’s a stumble that doesn’t make WALTZING WITH BRAND) a graceful gaze at old Hollywood.

2 Out of 4

WALTZING WITH BRANDO is now playing in select theatres

Marlon Brando in THE GODFATHER 50th Anniversary Re-Release Opens in the St. Louis Area Today at Three AMC Theaters

“Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he’s the traitor. Don’t forget that.”

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In celebration of The Godfather’s 50th anniversary, Paramount will re-release the Francis Ford Coppola classic in limited AMC Theatres locations in Dolby Vision starting today March 18 at 3 AMC theaters In the St. Louis area: AMC Creve Coeur 12, AMC Edwardsville 12, and AMC CLASSIC Eastgate 6 in Alton

In advance of the 50th anniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, Paramount and Coppola’s production company, American Zoetrope, restored all three Godfather films over the course of three years. The entire trilogy will be made available in 4K Ultra HD for the first time on March 22, 2022.

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During the restoration process, which was overseen by Coppola, over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for each frame of all three movies. More than 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears and other anomalies in the negatives, while over 1,000 hours were spent on color correction to restore the films to Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis’ original vision. In addition to the 5.1 audio that was approved by the film’s sound designer, Walter Murch, during a 2007 restoration project, the original mono tracks of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have also been restored.

“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Coppola in a statement, adding that Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone – the director’s new edit of the third film – is included in the restoration. He continued of Coda, “It captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy.”

“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives. “We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts. It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”

Marlon Brando in THE GODFATHER 50th Anniversary Re-Release Opens in the St. Louis Area February 25th Exclusively at the AMC Edwardsville

“Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he’s the traitor. Don’t forget that.”

In celebration of The Godfather’s 50th anniversary, Paramount will re-release the Francis Ford Coppola classic in limited AMC Theatres locations in Dolby Vision starting on February 25, 2022. In the St. Louis area, it will only be playing at the AMC Edwardsville 12 (6633 Center Grove Rd, Edwardsville, IL 62025)

In advance of the 50th anniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, Paramount and Coppola’s production company, American Zoetrope, restored all three Godfather films over the course of three years. The entire trilogy will be made available in 4K Ultra HD for the first time on March 22, 2022.

During the restoration process, which was overseen by Coppola, over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for each frame of all three movies. More than 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears and other anomalies in the negatives, while over 1,000 hours were spent on color correction to restore the films to Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis’ original vision. In addition to the 5.1 audio that was approved by the film’s sound designer, Walter Murch, during a 2007 restoration project, the original mono tracks of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have also been restored.

“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Coppola in a statement, adding that Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone – the director’s new edit of the third film – is included in the restoration. He continued of Coda, “It captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy.”

“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives. “We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts. It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”

An Offer No Movie Lover Can Refuse – Marlon Brando in THE GODFATHER 50th Anniversary Re-Release Arrives in Theatres on February 25th

“Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he’s the traitor. Don’t forget that.”

In celebration of The Godfather’s 50th anniversary, Paramount will re-release the Francis Ford Coppola classic in limited AMC Theatres locations in Dolby Vision starting on February 25, 2022. Here’s a trailer for the 50th Anniversary:

In advance of the 50th anniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, Paramount and Coppola’s production company, American Zoetrope, restored all three Godfather films over the course of three years. The entire trilogy will be made available in 4K Ultra HD for the first time on March 22, 2022.

During the restoration process, which was overseen by Coppola, over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for each frame of all three movies. More than 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears and other anomalies in the negatives, while over 1,000 hours were spent on color correction to restore the films to Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis’ original vision. In addition to the 5.1 audio that was approved by the film’s sound designer, Walter Murch, during a 2007 restoration project, the original mono tracks of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have also been restored.

“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Coppola in a statement, adding that Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone – the director’s new edit of the third film – is included in the restoration. He continued of Coda, “It captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy.”

“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives. “We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts. It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”

Vivien Leigh‎ and ‎Marlon Brando in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at The Wildey Theater in Edwardsville Tuesday February 8th

“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”

Nothing’s more fun than The Wildey’s Tuesday Night Film Series. The 1951 film A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE ‎starring Vivien Leigh‎ and ‎Marlon Brando will be on the big screen when it plays at The Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, IL (252 N Main St, Edwardsville, IL 62025) at 7:00pm Tuesday February 8th. Tickets are only $3  Tickets available starting at 3pm day of movie at Wildey Theatre ticket office.  Cash or check only. (cash, credit cards accepted for concessions)  Lobby opens at 6pm.

Ahead of its time in how it showed raw and naked sexual and emotional passions on the screen, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE made 27 year-old Marlon Brando, who also played the role of Stanley Kowalski on Broadway, an overnight sensation and one of the all-time greats of the silver screen. Blanche Dubois (Viven Leigh) is a Southern belle, one who had every man in the palm of her man. Blanche moves in with her sister Stella (Kim Hunter) and her husband, Stanley (Brando) in a small, grotty New Orleans apartment. Blanche’s family owned an estate but lost it and now Blanche has gone to live with her sister, much to the animal-like Stanley’s dismay. Stanley hates her, hates her with a passion. Once she arrives, hell breaks loose between Stanley and Stella, who is pregnant. Stanley gets his contacts and finds out some unsavory stuff about Stella. The ending is a real punch in the gut, even when you see it coming. Now you can see A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE again when it plays at The Wildey

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, 1951

RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT – Review

“Hey you guys!!!” And at the risk of either being non-inclusive or sexist, “you gals, too”! There’s a new feature-length documentary arriving in theatres this weekend that certainly breaks the preconceived notions of what many consider “film homework”. Yes, there are a considerable amount of “talking heads”, but the movie is far from “dull and dry”. Now, that’s due in large part to the doc’s subject matter (hence all those “talkers” on camera). This is a prime example of this film genre’s popular “subset”, the “show biz” documentary. Last year saw two great entertainment profiles on the Go-Go’s, the Bee Gees, and Natalie Wood. Now, this look at the life and career of one of the latter’s co-stars will no doubt earn similar accolades this year (along with another out today). Speaking of accolades, this lady’s amassed so many, even joining the elite group known as EGOTs (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winners). And after nearly eighty years in the “biz called show,” she’s still wowing audiences. But somehow, she still holds on to a good deal of modesty. That may account for the profile’s full title, RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT. Hang on, because she’s not slowin’ down, you guys!!

In the film’s opening scenes we encounter the magical Ms. Moreno as she prepares for Her own big birthday party, making decorations alongside her only daughter Fernanda (and laughingly saying that a truly big star would have hired someone for these tasks). Cut to the big “old school” “wing-ding” as Ms. M joins the hired entertainment, cutting a rug with the much-younger dancers. After some praise from another media legend, Norman Lear, the filmmakers delve into Moreno’s colorful history, told by the lady herself. Truly a rags-to-riches fable, Rita tells us of her idyllic early years in her birthplace of Humacao, Puerto Rico. At barely five years of age, Rita accompanies her now single seamstress mother Rosa Maria to a new life in the states, taking a crowded boat to NYC (Rita says she never saw her left-behind-with papa younger brother again). Rosa knew her daughter was gifted and “hitched a ride’ on her own rising star. While most youngsters her age were centered on school, she was singing and dancing in swanky supper clubs and night spots. It’s then that the film abruptly returns to the “now” as we follow Rita on a “working day” (still before the cameras when most retired), up at dawn, driving herself to Sony Studios for a long “tape day” on the Lear-produced sitcom revival for Netflix of “One Dat at a Time”. It’s then back to her history, as Rita and her mama somehow score a meeting with MGM head Louis Mayer during his Big Apple visit. He’s impressed (“She’s a Spanish Liz Taylor”), and Rita is under contract (her fifth film is SINGING IN THE RAIN). But after that career high point, she’s regulated to supporting parts, slathered in brown makeup and long jet black hair, as the exotic native girls, brushed aside for the blonde Anglo leading ladies. And outside the sound stages, Rita must deal with lecherous older men (that Harry Cohn) and abusive directors. The next decade in film finally gives her a chance to shine as she is awarded a Supporting Actress Oscar for WEST SIDE STORY. But the good roles didn’t immediately fly her way as she deals with a tempestuous love affair with Marlon Brando that nearly destroys her. But Rita finds a loyal hubby in Dr. Leonard Cohan and begins a family as she conquers TV ( the cult PBS TV fave “The Electric Company” in the early 70s) and Broadway, getting a Tony as the campy Googie Gomez in 1975’s “The Ritz” (a movie version followed in 1976). The Awards keep coming as Rita continues her political work in DC (we see lots of 60s archival footage of her alongside MLK), and she assumes the role of Latin-American icon. What a life this lady has lived!

This cinema love letter is deftly crafted by director Mariem Perz Riera utilizing an incredible amount of movie clips that will delight cinephiles and TV fans (look, Rita’s dancing for Zorro). One unique device used to illustrate the transitions in Rita’s life story is animations of her as a classic toy of yore, the paper doll. The pixelation of paper cut-outs show her at different ages donning all manner of costume and clothing to reflect the eras and her many roles. And then there are those “talking heads”, an amazing gathering of stars from Hollywood’s “Golden Age” like Mitzi Gaynor, who had to go on “studio dates” with other “contract player” (we see many awkwardly staged stills of the couples having a “fun night on the town”). Luckily we also hear from several of her co-stars like her “Bernardo” and Oscar night co-winner George Chakiris and direct from “The Electric Company, “Easy Reader’ himself, Morgan Freeman (the clips from that kids’ classic show Rita’s superb comic talents, with the “glamour gal” transforming into a broad, mugging, but still charming, clown). Plus there are also those inspired by the icon like Lin-Manuel Miranda (who “name-checks” her in the new film of his IN THE HEIGHTS) to Eva Longoria who tells of her own struggles with producers wanting her to “spice up” her roles. Oh, and there’s even another EGOT, as Whoopi Goldberg joins the admirers (was hoping for my favorite EGOT, Mel Brooks, to drop in, alas…). But more entertaining and compelling than all of them is the lady herself. Her reflections to the camera are often a brilliant acting lesson, shifting quickly from one character to another (her grumbling mother becomes a snooty hotel clerk). Her tales are often hilarious (Yul Brynner tells her that her role in THE KING AND I is boring…and Rita agrees) to harrowing (she’s nearly ravaged at a daytime party for a whiskey distiller). Most interesting may be her romantic encounters, like a fling with the King, Elvis Presley. But the most complex is Brando, which consumed her to the point of attempting suicide (after a botched abortion he arranged). She now mocks him in her one-woman show, yet still keeps a photo of her with him (dressed as Napoleon) amongst her family portraits and snapshots. She seems to have a more stable relationship with her husband Gordon, but Rita tells of the stumbles and reveals that his death left her feeling more liberated than devastated. Her passion for current affairs is also shown (she’s watching the Brett Kavanaugh hearings while having breakfast in her TV dressing room). The biggest surprise may be her saying that she’s completely exhausted after the big “tape day” at Sony. It’s a flip on the talk show cliche of actors saying they never wish to retire as she appears to somewhat regret taking on such a big project in this point in her life (or maybe it was an unusually trying day). Oh, but there’s no “throwing in the towel” for the film’s finale since it’s far from her career’s fade-out. She’s got a small role, written in just for her, in Steven Spielberg’s big-screen remake of WEST SIDE STORY, which will be out in December, just in time for her 90th birthday. Now that’s something to celebrate, much like the wonderful RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT. Oh, how lucky are we that she “loves it here in ‘Am-air-i-kaaa!!”.

3.5 Out of 4 Stars

RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT opens in select theatres and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at the Hi-Pointe Theatre and Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas on Friday, June 18, 2021

Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor in REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE Available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive

Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor in REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE is available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive. Ordering info can be found HERE

“An Army post in peacetime is a dull place.” So begins Carson McCullers’ famous novel of secret passion, Reflections in a Golden Eye. But beneath the smooth surface of military routine, a deadly tension mounts. Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando star in this startling screen version that, like the book, crackles with mysterious, exotic energy. They play the Pendertons: He’s a hidebound career officer wrestling with inner demons; she’s a caged lioness needful of love, whatever the source. Their off-kilter relationship plays out under the voyeuristic gaze of a soldier (Robert Forster) soon to become the focal point of tragedy. Provocatively directed by John Huston, and costarring Brian Keith and Julie Harris in moving supporting performances, this spellbinder is powerful and complex — just like that emotion called love. This 2-disc set presents Reflections in a Golden Eye in both of its forms: the original “gold”-hued version of the film, as legendary director Huston intended, and the full-color general theatrical release version. Both have been newly remastered especially for this release.

Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando star in John Huston’s adaptation of Carson McCullers’ novel of passion and perversion seething beneath the peaceful surface of a quiet military base. At a Georgia army base, Major Welden Penderton (Marlon Brando) shows no interest in his wife, Leonora (Elizabeth Taylor), so she takes a lover- her husband’s superior officer (Brian Keith), whose neurotic wife (Julie Harris) rarely leaves her sickbed. Meanwhile, the repressed Penderton lusts after handsome Private Williams (Robert Forster), a mysterious young man whose secret obsession with Leonora reaches a terrifyingly dangerous climax. This 2-disc set presents Reflections in a Golden Eye in both of its forms: the original “gold”-hued version of the film, as legendary director Huston intended, and the full-color general theatrical release version. Both have been newly remastered especially for this release. Special Features: Contains Both “Gold”-hued Version and Full-color General Release Version; Vintage Behind-The-Scenes Footage. 16×9 Widescreen

An Offer No Movie Lover Can Refuse: THE GODFATHER on the Big Screen June 4th and 7th


“Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he’s the traitor. Don’t forget that.”


On Sunday, June 4, and Wednesday, June 7, THE GODFATHER makes a rare return to more than 700 theaters nationwide, giving both longtime fans and a new generation a chance to see one of the most influential films ever made back on the big screen. Tickets are available now at https://www.fathomevents.com/events/the-godfather.

WHAT:

It’s an epic saga that redefined American cinema and remains one of the greatest films ever made. On June 4 and June 7, Fathom Events and the TCM Big Screen Classics series commemorate the 45th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather by bringing the milestone film back to movie theaters nationwide for two days only.

 

The iconic story of a New York mafia family’s rise to power, The Godfather won the Academy Award® for Best Picture, was the highest grossing film of 1972 and is widely considered to be one of the most influential films in cinematic history.

 

Ranked second on the list of greatest American films by the American Film Institute, behind only Citizen Kane, The Godfather will be presented with specially produced commentary by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) host Ben Mankiewicz before and after the feature.

WHO:

Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Paramount Pictures

WHEN:

Sunday, June 4, 2017; 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time)

Wednesday, June 7, 2017; 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time)

WHERE:

Tickets for The Godfather can be purchased online by visiting FathomEvents.com or at

participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 700 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

 

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Screens in St. Louis for the Tennessee Williams Birthday Bash March 26th

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“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”

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The 1951 film A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE ‎starring Vivien Leigh‎ and ‎Marlon Brando will screen Sunday March 26th  at Brown Hall Auditorium on the campus of Washington University. This is to celebrate playwright Tennessee Williams 106th Birthday. The screening is at 7pm and is followed by a reception that will be attended by Tennessee Williams’ niece Francesca Williams. This event is FREE and open to the public.

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Ahead of its time in how it showed raw and naked sexual and emotional passions on the screen, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE made 27 year-old Marlon Brando, who also played the role of Stanley Kowalski on Broadway, an overnight sensation and one of the all-time greats of the silver screen. Blanche Dubois (Viven Leigh) is a Southern belle, one who had every man in the palm of her man. Blanche moves in with her sister Stella (Kim Hunter) and her husband, Stanley (Brando) in a small, grotty New Orleans apartment. Blanche’s family owned an estate but lost it and now Blanche has gone to live with her sister, much to the animal-like Stanley’s dismay. Stanley hates her, hates her with a passion. Once she arrives, hell breaks loose between Stanley and Stella, who is pregnant. Stanley gets his contacts and finds out some unsavory stuff about Stella. The ending is a real punch in the gut, even when you see it coming. Now you can see A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE again when it plays Sunday March 24th at Brown Hall Auditorium on the campus of Washington University.  It’s FREE!  Brown Hall is located in the southeast corner of Washington University’s Danforth Campus

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ON THE WATERFRONT This Weekend at Webster University

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“Hey, you wanna hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you!”

ON THE WATERFRONT, Rod Steiger, Marlon Brando, 1954

ON THE WATERFRONT (1954) screen this Friday through Sunday (June 24th-26th) at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 E. Lockwood, Webster Groves, MO 63119). The film begins each evening at 8:00. 

More than 60 years after its original release, ON THE WATERFRONT, Academy Award®-winning director Elia Kazan’s classic tale of crime and corruption among unionized dock workers in New York and New Jersey, returns to the big screen when it plays at Webster University’s this weekend. Movie buffs can experience the second collaboration of Marlon Brando and Kazan, following A Streetcar Named Desire, along with the acclaimed performances of Eva Marie Saint and Karl Malden, and a still-searing, Academy Award®-winning screenplay by Budd Schulberg.

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Filmed in just 36 days on-site in Hoboken, New Jersey, ON THE WATERFRONT tells the story of struggling dockworkers forced to play dumb to the crime and murder taking place under their mob-tied union boss, Johnny Friendly.  Brando, who plays an ex-boxer turned mobster, faces the decision to testify against Friendly after witnessing a murder. A true contender during the 55th Academy Awards®, ON THE WATERFRONT won eight of its 12 nominations, including Best Picture, Actor, Director, Writing, Story, B&W Cinematography,  and Screenplay.’

$6 for the general public
$5 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$4 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.

Advance tickets are available from the cashier before each screening or contact the Film Series office (314-246-7525) for more options. The Film Series can only accept cash or check.

The Webster University Film Series site can be found HERE

http://www.webster.edu/film-series/