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Wednesday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m.Smouldering Fires (1925)
The great Clarence Brown brilliantly directs this timeless tale about finding love in middle age. Pauline Frederick is an efficient factory owner whose motto is "Let no man be necessary to you." When one of her employees (Malcolm McGregor) has the temerity to make a suggestion, she first dismisses him, then promotes him and then falls in love with him. Although he is much younger, he also falls in love with her and they marry. But when Pauline's younger sister (the lovely Laura LaPlante) comes home from college, she begins to feel their age difference. An honest tale about realistic people with genuine emotions but never stooping to cliche or false sentimentality. Our print for this show is a combination of the American release and the European version. Click for pictures: "Goodnight Scotty": Pauline Frederick and Tully Marshall as Scotty with Malcolm McGregor looking on. Pauline Frederick, Laura LaPlante and Malcolm McGregor. Laura LaPlante as Pauline Frederick's little sister, introduces her friends. On the set: Pauline Frederick and director Clarence Brown with the motto. A poster.
DIRECTED BY CLARENCE BROWN. 1925. 70 MINUTES. CAST: PAULINE FREDERICK. MALCOLM McGREGOR. LAURA LaPLANTE. SILENT WITH RECORDED MUSIC ACCOMPANIMENT.
Preceded by a short film The Cure (1917) with Charlie Chaplin.
Wednesday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m.Mississippi Gambler (1953) in TECHNICOLOR!
The dashing Tyrone Power is suave and noble in this sparkling adventure set in the antebellum South. Power, an all-around adventurer, plays poker with John Baer who--losing--pays him with a necklace belonging to his sister, Piper Laurie, a spitfire southern belle. Although Power gallantly tries to return the necklace, the haughty Laurie refuses. With a partner, Power plans to open a lavish but honest gambling casino in New Orleans. But the ill-tempered Baer isn't out of the picture--he has his romantic sights set on Julie Adams but she loves Power. Blaming Power for his romantic troubles, he challenges him to a duel, but is socially disgraced when caught cheating. With crooked gamblers and other colorful characters, embezzlers, a bank run, romantic complications, and double-crosses. A handsomely mounted film with superior production values, sumptuous sets and costumes. The excellent fencing scenes were done by Fred and Albert Cavens. Look for Anita Ekberg in her first film. A top-ten hit in its day, the film received one Oscar nomination. TECHNICOLOR. Click for pictures: Tyrone Power as Mark Fallon and John McIntire as John Polley become partners in gambling on the Mississippi. Tyrone Power joins the table in his first poker game. John Baer as Laurent Dureau is seated at right. Tyrone Power gets a rough introduction to poker on the Mississippi. Tyrone Power and John McIntire escape from the riverboat. Tyrone Power looks at the body of the brother of Julie Adams as Ann Conant. Tyrone Power informes Julie Adams of the death of her brother (Dennis Weaver). Tyrone Power settles the affairs of Ann's brother. John Baer is introduced to Julie Adams. Piper Laurie as Angelique Dureau and Tyrone Power. Tyrone Power and Julie Adams. Piper Laurie and Tyrone Power. Julie Adams, Tyrone Power and Piper Laurie. Tyrone Power and Piper Laurie. Paul Cavanaugh as Edmond Dureau and Piper Laurie. Piper Laurie marries banker Ron Randell as George Elwood. Anita Ekberg is to the left of Piper Laurie. Gwen Verdon provides colorful nightlife in New Orleans. Tyrone Power prepares for the duel by covering his white collar. On the set: Tyrone Power and director Rudolph Mate. A poster. A lobby card: "He'll play any game ... for your money ... your women ... or your life! A Mexican lobby card. Another Mexican lobby card. A costume shot: Tyrone Power. A costume shot: Tyrone Power. A costume shot: Tyrone Power. A costume shot: Tyrone Power.
DIRECTED BY RUDOLPH MATE. 1953. 99 MINUTES. CAST: TYRONE POWER. PIPER LAURIE. JOHN BAER.
Preceded by a politically incorrect cartoon Confederate Honey (1940), a spoof on Gone With the Wind.
Wednesday, May 28 at 7:00 p.m.A Lew Landers-Bruce Bennett-World War II Double Feature!
Atlantic Convoy (1942)
Bruce Bennett, who died last year at the age of 100, was a champion at shotput and represented the U.S. in the Olympics. After making a number of Tarzan films using his real name Herman Brix, he retired for a while, took acting lessons and resurfaced as Bruce Bennett. Atlantic Convoy is an action-packed WWII drama set at a U.S. Marine flying patrol station off the coast of Iceland. Allied supply ships are being sunk by enemy torpedoes and fighter pilot captain Bruce Bennett suspects that information about the ships is being leaked. Civilian weatherman John Beal is suspected, due to his uncanny ability to predict when the next Allied ship will be sunk by a German U-Boat. With Virginia Field. A "B" movie with strong believable performances by the main characters. Click for two lobby cards: A lobby card. Another lobby card.
DIRECTED BY LEW LANDERS. 1942. 65 MINUTES. CAST: BRUCE BENNETT. JOHN BEAL. VIRGINIA FIELD.
U-Boat Prisoner (1944)Based loosely on the true story of former merchant seaman Archie Gibbs, who wrote a book about his adventures. A group of foreign scientists is imprisoned on a German U-boat en route to Germany. On an American tanker is a German spy who escapes when the U-boat torpedoes the ship. But Bruce Bennett follows, assumes the spy's identity and is picked up by the U-boat. Convinced Bennett is the spy, the Nazis quarter him with the scientists so that he can pick up new information, telling them that he is an American prisoner. Soon the Germans are arguing about whether to attack a nearby American convoy or to deliver the prisoners directly to Germany and the prisoners plan their escape. Lew Landers is the credited director, but Budd Boetticher worked on this film early in his career. In his autobiography, Boetticher claimed that Landers wasn't happy about having a young kid hanging around the set and taking over the last days of his picture. "Imagine giving a new director a piece of a submarine picture. Where in the devil do you put your camera?" When studio boss Cohn left town, Boetticher was reassigned to the first two days of shooting. In a panic, he tracked Cohn down by phone at 2:00am for advice. "He said: 'You can do one of two things. You can ad-lib,' which is the greatest thing a director could ever learn to do, with confidence, 'or you can stay up all night and study and you'll be so damned tired tomorrow morning you won't be worth a damn anyway. Go to bed and ad-lib'." When Cohn returned eight days later, Landers complained about Boetticher's attitude. Cohn fired Landers and Boetticher directed the last two days. So he says in his autobiography. But in a 1979 interview, he said that Cohn liked his footage so much that he directed the entire production with Landers standing by. Whatever the actual story, Boetticher learned to stay on a schedule, handle the front office and how to hold his authority with a crew much older and experienced than himself.
DIRECTED BY LEW LANDERS. 1944. 65 MINUTES. CAST: BRUCE BENNETT.
All films are 16mm. Tickets are $5 unless otherwise noted. All films begin at 7:00 p.m. The doors to the building open half an hour before the show begins and the theater doors open 15 minutes before showtime. Programs are subject to change.
Films on the Hill is located at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003. Telephone: (202) 547-6839.
Last updated on April 23, 2008.