Classic films playing in local theaters this month include “The Wizard of Oz,” “All About Eve” and “Mrs. Miniver,” among many others.
But fans of traditional Westerns will want to mark their calendars for one of the last of the breed, the Cinerama spectacle “How the West Was Won,” which was released as Hollywood’s Golden Age was winding down.
“The Wizard of Oz” (1939). One of the most popular films of all time, a comic musical fantasy based on the first in a series of Oz books by L. Frank Baum and starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, a young girl who is transported via tornado from black-and-white Kansas (sepia tone, actually) to the brilliant Technicolor land of Oz. And seeing it on the big screen is a real treat. (Sunday, Jan. 11, 2 and 7 p.m., and Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2 and 7 p.m., Cinemark Theatres, cinemark.com/cinemark-classic-series)
“The Americanization of Emily” (1964, b/w). Amusing World War II satire about a naval commander (James Garner) in London being railroaded into becoming the first Omaha Beach casualty on D-Day, thanks to an unstable admiral (Melvyn Douglas) and his best friend (James Coburn). Garner also falls for a war-widow motor-pool driver (Julie Andrews). (Tuesday, Jan. 13, 10 a.m., SCERA Center, Orem, scera.org/events/view/322)
“Comedy Night On Film” (1913-27, b/w). Silent 16 mm comedy shorts starring Laurel & Hardy, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, as well as “Barney Oldfield’s Race for a Life,” Mack Sennett’s early tie-the-heroine-to-the-railroad-tracks effort; D.W. Griffith’s “Those Awful Hats,” asking patrons to remove their headwear; and the “lost” film “Love, Speed & Thrills,” which survives only as photographed frames and stars Salt Lake native (Moroni) Mack Swain. (Thursday-Friday, Jan. 15-16, The Organ Loft, 7:30 p.m., with live organ accompaniment, edisonstreetevents.com/silent-movies)
“To Have and Have Not” (1944, b/w). Based loosely on Ernest Hemingway’s novel, this classic film — directed by Howard Hawks and co-scripted by William Faulkner — stars Humphrey Bogart as a boat captain reluctantly involved with the French Resistance during World War II. But the film is justly famous for bringing Bogart together with Lauren Bacall, who, in her film debut, steals the show as she teaches Bogie how to whistle. (Friday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m., free, BYU, Provo, lib.byu.edu/sites/artcomm/)
“All About Eve” (1950, b/w). This best-picture Oscar-winner holds up as one of the great backstage comedy-dramas, with some of the sharpest quips ever put on film. Bette Davis stars in the iconic role of Margo Channing, an aging Broadway star who allows an ambitious fan, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), to enter an exclusive theatrical circle — and then watches as she begins to take over. Great support from George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter and, in an early role, Marilyn Monroe. (Sunday, Jan. 18, 2 p.m., and Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2 and 7 p.m., Cinemark Theatres, cinemark.com/cinemark-classic-series).
“El Dorado” (1967). Howard Hawks reworked his classic “Rio Bravo” for this enjoyable comedy-Western with Robert Mitchum as a drunken sheriff whose old friend (John Wayne) helps him clean up his act to take on a ruthless land baron, assisted by a young gambler and knife expert (James Caan). (Tuesday, Jan. 20, 10 a.m., SCERA Center, Orem, scera.org/events/view/322)
“How the West Was Won” (1962). This Cinerama classic about the settling of the West in the 19th century through several decades of overlapping stories really needs to be experienced on the big screen to achieve its full effect, especially in its riveting action sequences. Many familiar stars show up, but most prominent are George Peppard, Debbie Reynolds, Carroll Baker, James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Robert Preston and Richard Widmark. (Sunday, Jan. 25, 2 p.m., and Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2 and 7 p.m., Cinemark Theatres, cinemark.com/cinemark-classic-series)
“Mrs. Miniver” (1942, b/w). Classic World War II melodrama about a London family (headed by Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon) trying to survive World War II. Superbly written with a great cast that includes Teresa Wright, Dame May Whitty and Henry Travers. (Tuesday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m., SCERA Center, Orem, scera.org/events/view/322)
“Three Ages” (1923, b/w). Buster Keaton’s second full-length feature and the first he wrote and directed is this three-part romantic romp in which he plays a caveman, an ancient Roman and a “modern” man, each going up against Wallace Beery for the hand of Margaret Leahy. (Thursday-Friday, Jan. 29-30, The Organ Loft, 7:30 p.m., with live organ accompaniment, edisonstreetevents.com/silent-movies)
“This Day and Age” (1933, b/w). Edgy and unusual, this early Cecil B. DeMille film focuses on teens in a small town who are shocked when a local tailor they admire is killed by a gangster (Charles Bickford) who then beats the rap. So they take matters into their own hands, vigilante-style. This is a rare opportunity to see a little-known, modern-day (circa 1930s) effort by DeMille. (Friday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m., free, BYU, Provo, lib.byu.edu/sites/artcomm/)
“Funny Girl” (1968, G). Barbra Streisand is utterly enchanting and earned an Oscar for her first film as she re-created her Broadway triumph playing Fanny Brice — a Broadway star in the 1920s who had a rocky marriage with gambler Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif). But the comedy and songs are what keep fans coming back, a mix of original tunes (“People,” “Don’t Rain On My Parade”) and Brice standards (“I’d Rather Be Blue,” “My Man”). (Sunday, Feb. 1, 2 p.m., and Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2 and 7 p.m., Cinemark Theatres, cinemark.com/cinemark-classic-series)
Chris Hicks is the author of "Has Hollywood Lost Its Mind? A Parent’s Guide to Movie Ratings." He also writes at www.hicksflicks.com and can be contacted at hicks@deseretnews.com.