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TORONTO FILM SOCIETY A
FEAST FOR YOUR EYES cross Bloor Street and walk one block down to Sussex Avenue. The theatre is on the northwest corner of St. George and Sussex.)
OCT 21, 2007
PRESTON STURGES' NEW
YORK In the Gay Nineties (that’s 1890s!) eccentric millionaire Jim Brady loves everything—money, diamonds, food and the beautiful Lillian Russell. Superb screenplay by Preston Sturges.
NEW YORK TOWN (1941) 76
mins. Bright eyed and bushy tailed Martin goes manhunting in Manhattan ably assisted by MacMurray in this equally bright comedy partially scripted by Sturges.
NOV 11
DAY OF
REMEMBRANCE In a haunting depiction of the moral after-effects of war, this atypical Lubitsch film deserves the same elevation of the more famous All Quite on the Western Front. A young French soldier is overcome by guilt when he kills a single German in battle near the end of the war. In his search for forgiveness he falls in love with the dead man’s fiancée. Barrymore is at the top of his form as the dead man’s father. Well shot and understated.
NURSE EDITH CAVEL (1939) 108 mins. Finely made British drama of the famous WW1 nurse and her work with the Brussels underground aiding escaping Allied POWs. Nominated for Oscar.
DEC 9
SCHOOL FOR
LAUGHTER A college comedy that is A-plus to watch! A hayseed becomes a gridiron hero because of his melon throwing abilities, Alan Ladd sings with the Yacht Club Boys(!), Garland’s feature debut, Elisha Cook Jr. as an anarchy spouting radical—was it ever like this at U of T? Nominated for Oscar—Best Supporting Actor.
BEST FOOT FORWARD (1948) 94 mins. Movie star Lucy plays herself visiting a small town school for a lark. Brilliant comedic debut by Nancy Walker gives Lucy a comedy run for her money. Harry James and his band supply the tunes. Closet scene is a classic. Nancy and June Allyson recreate their Broadway roles.
JAN 20, 2008
NOIR Joe Keller (Robinson) is a successful, well-liked businessman harboring a dirty secret in his soul about a government contract he had during the war. Arthur Miller’s compelling drama of moral conflict and its ultimate resolution is the first film to deal with the corruption of war profiteers. Lancaster is perfect as the angry son grieving over a lost brother. A fine example of how well two actors from different Hollywood eras can play off each other. Nominated for two WGA (Writer’s Guild).
THE BROTHERS RICO (1957) 92
mins. Eddie Rico is now an honest merchant with a family—gone straight after doing the books for the Mafia. His younger brother (Darren) is in hiding from the police (or is it the mob?) and Eddie is being used as bait to flush him out. A compelling early example of how corporate style modernized organized crime. Based on the George Simenon novel.
FEB 24
HOLLYWOOD
AND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Rural Mississippi circa 1940, a local black man with a reputation of not kowtowing to whites is found holding a pistol standing over a dead white man. Based on the William Faulkner novel, it is one of the major films of the era when the industry was struggling with the race issue. Nominated BAFTA, two Golden Globe, WGA (Writer’s Guild) and won UN award.
THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING (1952)
91 mins. The director’s favourite film is American cinema at its most elevated, saying more, in its oblique way, about the pain of being black in the US than many more direct films. Perfect performances, superb cinematography, music and script both warm and break the heart. A must see. Winner Golden Globe and nominated for Oscar. All three principals recreate their Broadway roles.
MAR 30
ESPIONAGE Government agent (Sanders) is ordered to join the Nazis as a spy. He takes the identity of one of them but must betray his lover to the Gestapo to save the mission. Based on a true story about Nazi saboteurs that were put ashore off the coast of New York in 1942.
DECISION BEFORE DAWN (1952)
119
mins. The director’s favourite film is American cinema at its most elevated, A tough, gritty, dangerous look at Germany in its final stages of the war. Filmed in a destroyed post war Germany, Werner portrays a German POW medic who naively becomes a traitor to his country by spying for the Allies. The film, without stereotypes, captures the human drama and grim realism of war and still holds as a thrilling espionage tale. For all those who think Hollywood could only make fluff in those days, think again. Nominated for Oscars for Best Picture, Best Editing, Golden Globe, DGA (Directors Guild).
APR 13
THE BEST OF
BRIT COMEDY When a British Sanitary Engineer (that’s plumber to you) goes on holiday, he mistakenly takes plans for a new secret weapon that everybody, including the Russians, is looking for. Hilarious cold war farce.
PRIVATE'S PROGRESS (1956) 99 mins. British through and through in this cleverly scripted, rattling paced precursor to the popular TFS programmed I’m Alright Jack. No class is left unscathed with spot-on digs at the educated, working and officer classes. Actors are in top form. How a film should be made. To register for this series
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