Classics on the Big Screen in Los Angeles: August

There are a number of interesting classic films being shown at Los Angeles theaters this month. Here are a few highlights for film fans in Southern California:

...The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood celebrates Lucille Ball's August 6th centennial with a double bill on Thursday evening, August 4th.

The Egyptian will show THE LONG, LONG TRAILER (1954), costarring Desi Arnaz and directed by Vincente Minnelli, followed by the excellent film noir THE DARK CORNER (1946), also starring Mark Stevens and Clifton Webb. THE DARK CORNER was directed by Henry Hathaway.

If I didn't already have theater tickets that evening, that's a double bill which would really tempt me to make the drive up to the Egyptian. THE DARK CORNER is a terrific film.

More details on the screenings and additional celebrations of the Ball centennial are available from Susan King in the Los Angeles Times.

...The Egyptian is teaming with its sister theater, the Aero in Santa Monica, to celebrate the centennial of director Nicholas Ray, who was born August 7, 1911.

This brief series is titled Lonely Places: A Nicholas Ray Centennial.

The Egyptian will be showing REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955) on Wednesday evening, August 3rd.

This Friday the Aero will host a double bill of JOHNNY GUITAR (1954) and IN A LONELY PLACE (1950), and the following evening, August 6th, the same theater will show BIGGER THAN LIFE (1956) and KNOCK ON ANY DOOR (1949).

...There's a terrific series this month at UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater: Harlow Before the Code will run from August 5th through 27th.

The series launches with HELL'S ANGELS on Friday night, August 5th.

On August 6th there will be a double bill, HOLD YOUR MAN (1933), costarring Clark Gable, and RED-HEADED WOMAN (1933).

Mark Vieira and Darrell Rooney will sign copies of their book HARLOW IN HOLLYWOOD that evening.

Monday, August 8th, Harlow costars with Loretta Young in Frank Capra's PLATINUM BLONDE (1931).

The series continues with the double bill IRON MAN (1931) and RED DUST (1932) on August 14th, GOLDIE (1931) and BOMBSHELL (1933) on August 26th, and concludes with a restored print of THREE WISE GIRLS (1932) on August 27th.

Kenneth Turan has more on the Harlow pre-Code series at the Los Angeles Times.

...The monthly series What is a Western? continues at the Autry with John Sturges' GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL (1957) on August 13th, starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.

There's also a double bill of Autry films, HEART OF THE RIO GRANDE (1942) and SONS OF NEW MEXICO (1950), playing on August 6th.

As a side note, classic film fans in New England should be sure to check out listings of classic movies playing in Boston this month at Out of the Past. There are some great films playing on the other side of the country; I'd love to see some of the Mankiewicz movies playing at the Harvard Film Archive!