Exploring Classic Cinema: The UCLA Festival of Preservation at the Hammer Museum
The UCLA Festival of Preservation is a biennial event held at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Westwood, showcasing world-class restorations by UCLA's Film & Television Archive. The festival features a diverse range of motion pictures, including Hollywood and foreign-language films, newsreels, shorts, animation, documentaries, and television programming. Admission is free, and no reservations are required, allowing attendees to explore a variety of films. The festival kicks off with two films focusing on the Black experience, "Black Girl" and "...& Beautiful," on Friday night.
Throughout the weekend, the festival offers a lineup of films in various genres and time slots. Saturday evening features the screening of Budd Boetticher's "The Magnificent Matador," a visually stunning film set in Mexico starring Anthony Quinn and Maureen O'Hara. Noir fans can enjoy the restoration of 1952's "If I Should Die Before I Wake" on Saturday night, based on a story by Cornell Woolrich. Sunday night showcases films by director Andre de Toth, including "Pitfall" and "The Other Love," offering a mix of sunlight noir and high-toned weepie genres.
In addition to evening screenings, the festival includes morning matinee showings of classic films. Saturday morning features "Adventures of Casanova," a costume extravaganza set in 18th century Sicily, and Sunday morning offers silent films like "Dr. Cupid" and "Trailin'," starring Tom Mix. Silent film enthusiasts can also enjoy the restoration of the epic 1922 film "Lorna Doone," based on the popular novel.
One of the highlights of the festival is the screening of the screwball comedy "Merrily We Live" on Saturday afternoon, a humorous farce with nods to "My Man Godfrey." The film features a wacky family mistaking a novelist for a tramp, leading to comedic chaos. With a diverse program that includes newsreels, shorts, and special screenings, the UCLA Festival of Preservation offers a unique opportunity to experience rarely screened films on the big screen.
For more information on the festival program and schedule, visit cinema.ucla.edu/events. Don't miss the chance to immerse yourself in the world of classic cinema and enjoy these restored films in their full glory on the big screen.