January 26, 2013 Romance, Star Trek Headline February Film Series

Press Contact: Sheryl Cannady (202) 707-6456
Public Contact: Rob Stone (202) 707-0851
Contact: Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov.
Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov

“Reel Love,” a cluster of romantic films to help celebrate Valentine’s Day; “Star Trek: Where No Shatner Has Gone Before,” a look at the part of the Star Trek universe that doesn’t include William Shatner; and “Nothing to Fear, But Fear Itself,” a year-long showcase of 1933 films, highlight the February film screenings at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation.

“Roxanne,” a modern-day, lighter version of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” starring Steve Martin, is the first of three “Reel Love” titles in a special Tuesday night screening. Myrna Loy and William Powell star in the screwball comedy “I Love You Again” the following day, and the beloved romance “Somewhere in Time” is the special Valentine’s Day feature on Thursday, Feb. 14.

“Star Trek: Where No Shatner Has Gone Before” features the pilot episodes of both the original television series and the “Deep Space Nine” series, as well as the 1996 film “Star Trek: First Contact,” starring the cast of the “The Next Generation,” including Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Closing out the month is the 2009 “Star Trek,” a prequel to the original TV series, featuring the original characters with a new cast.

MGM’s biggest stars shine in two of the studios 1933 hits. “Dinner at Eight,” featuring an all-star cast, is the first screening of the month. Greta Garbo as “Queen Christina” follows on Feb. 23. Also on the calendar is a children’s matinee of “The Little Mermaid”; the silent version of the adventure classic “Beau Geste”; and Deanna Durbin in “It’s a Date,” a new 35mm print made by the Library of Congress film preservation lab.

The Academy Award-winning documentary “The Times of Harvey Milk,” selected to the National Film Registry in 2012, has been rescheduled to Feb. 2 after it was cancelled in January due to inclement weather. For more information on the National Film Registry, visit www.loc.gov/film/filmnfr.html.

Screenings are preceded by an informative slide presentation about the film, with music selected by the Library’s Recorded Sound Section. Short subjects will be presented before select programs. Titles are subject to change without notice.

All Packard Campus programs are free and open to the public, but children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. For reservation information, call (540) 827-1079 ext. 79994 or (202) 707-9994 during business hours, beginning one week before any given screening. Reservations will be held until 10 minutes before showtime. In case of inclement weather, call the theater reservation line no more than three hours before showtime to confirm cancellations. For further information on the theater and film series, visit www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.

The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation is a state-of-the-art facility funded as a gift to the nation by the Packard Humanities Institute. The Packard Campus is the site where the nation’s library acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of motion pictures, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings (www.loc.gov/avconservation/). The Packard Campus is home to more than 6 million collection items, including nearly 3 million sound recordings. It provides staff support for the Library of Congress National Film Preservation Board, the National Recording Preservation Board, and the national registries for film and recorded sound.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. It seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

Series Schedule

Friday, Feb. 1 (7:30 p.m.)
“Dinner at Eight
” (MGM, 1933)
“Dinner at Eight” was produced before the enforcement of production-code moral guidelines in Hollywood. In this pre-code comedy of manners, the wife of a New York shipping magnet puts together a high-society dinner party for visiting English aristocracy—with uneven results. George Cukor directed the all-star ensemble cast which includes Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Billie Burke and Lee Tracy.

Saturday, Feb. 2 (2 p.m.)
“The Little Mermaid
” (Disney, 1989)
A beautiful young mermaid dreams of becoming a real girl and marrying a prince in this animated classic loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale. Alan Menken won Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Song in this musical featuring the voices of the Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll and Samuel E. Wright.

Saturday, Feb. 2 (7:30 p.m.)
“The Times of Harvey Milk
” (TC Films International, 1984)
The life of San Francisco’s first openly gay elected city official is told with revealing news clips and archival footage interspersed with personal reminiscences. Directed by Rob Epstein, the documentary is narrated by Harvey Fierstein. The film was selected to the National Film Registry in 2012. The print is courtesy of UCLA Film & Television Archive.

Thursday, Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.)
“The Piano Teacher
” (Kino International, 2001)
Winner of the Grand Prix, Best Actress and Best Actor Awards at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, this film is a disturbing study of a middle-aged musician’s psyche and her personal and professional relationships. It was directed by Michael Haneke, one of this year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Director and Best Screenplay for “Amour.” Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot and Benoît Magimel star in the R-rated French and German language film with English subtitles. No one under 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.

Friday, Feb. 8 (7:30 p.m.)
“Star Trek: First Contact
” (Paramount, 1996)
In this first film featuring the primary cast from the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” television series, the U.S.S Enterprise travels back in time to fight an ominous alien race set to take over humanity. Jonathan Frakes directed and also stars as Commander William T. Riker in this science-fiction adventure, which also features Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton.

Saturday, Feb. 9 (7:30 p.m.)
“Beau Geste
” (Paramount, 1926)
Ronald Colman stars as the title character in this first, and by many considered the best, version of the novel by P. C. Wren. Michael “Beau” Geste leaves England in disgrace and joins the infamous French Foreign Legion where he is reunited with his two brothers in North Africa. They face greater danger from their own sadistic commander than from the rebellious Arabs. Directed by Herbert Brenon, the silent action-adventure film also stars Neil Hamilton, Ralph Forbes, Alice Joyce and Mary Brian. Andrew Simpson will provide live musical accompaniment.

Tuesday, Feb. 12 (7:30 p.m.)
“Roxanne
” (Columbia, 1987)
Steve Martin scripted and stars in this updated version of Cyrano de Bergerac, with the large-nosed protagonist as the fire chief in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. His love interest, the beautiful astronomer Roxanne, is played by Daryl Hannah. Rick Rossovich and Shelley Duvall are also featured in this romantic-comedy, directed by Fred Schepisi.

Wednesday, Feb. 13 (7:30 p.m.)
“I Love You Again
” (MGM, 1940)
A lackluster, but solid citizen recovers from amnesia and discovers that he has forgotten a past existence as a con artist who is in love with his soon-to-be-ex wife. W.S. Van Dyke directed frequent co-stars William Powell and Myrna Loy in this romantic screwball comedy. The print is courtesy of Warner Bros.

Thursday, Feb. 14 (7:30 p.m.)
“Somewhere in Time
” (Universal, 1980)
Christopher Reeve stars as a playwright who is obsessed with a picture of an early 1900s actress and uses self-hypnosis to travel 60 years back in time to find her. Jane Seymour costars in this romantic fantasy, directed by Jeannot Szwarc with a musical score composed by John Barry. The print is courtesy of Universal.

Thursday, Feb. 21 (7:30 p.m.)
“Star Trek and Deep Space Nine on Television”
“Star Trek: The Cage
” (Paramount TV, 1965)
The original pilot episode for Gene Roddenberry’s futuristic television series featured Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike, commander of the USS Enterprise. It was rejected by the network and not broadcast in its entirety until 1988. Leonard Nimoy appears as a different version of Spock than what the character became under Captain Kirk.

“Deep Space Nine: Emissary” (Paramount TV, 1993)
In the pilot for the third Star Trek-based series, Commander Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, takes command of a surrendered space station and learns that it borders a unique stable wormhole.

Friday, Feb. 22 (7:30 p.m.)
“It’s a Date
” (Universal, 1940)
An aspiring young actress, played by Deanna Durbin, hopes for the lead in a major new play. She discovers that her mother, a more seasoned performer, expects the same part. The situation is further complicated when they both become involved with the same man. William A. Seiter directed this romantic musical comedy that also stars Kay Francis and Walter Pidgeon.

Saturday, Feb. 23 (7:30 p.m.)
“Queen Christina
” (MGM, 1933)
Greta Garbo came out of retirement to play the title role in this historical romantic drama. Rouben Mamoulian directed the story, loosely based on the 17th-century Swedish queen who relinquished her throne for her lover, played by John Gilbert.

Thursday, Feb. 28 (7:30 p.m.)
“Star Trek
” (Paramount, 2009)
This 11th film based on the Star Trek franchise featured the main characters of the original Star Trek television series portrayed by a new cast. As directed by J. J. Abrams, new recruits Kirk and Spock on the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto star in this science-fiction adventure.

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PR 13-020
2013-01-26
ISSN 0731-3527