Monday, June 25, 2012

South Pacific (1958) Coming to the Egyptian Theatre

There's another wonderful event coming to the Egyptian Theatre, a screening of a restored 70mm print of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC (1958).

The screening will take place Sunday evening, July 15th. Cast members including John Kerr (Lt. Cable) and France Nuyen (Liat) will be present for the event, which will make it an especially "enchanted evening."

Of the five most significant Rodgers & Hammerstein Broadway musicals, SOUTH PACIFIC had perhaps the weakest translation to screen. The movie was filmed by one of the all-time great Technicolor cinematographers, Leon Shamroy, but the use of colored lenses has always struck me as an unfortunate decision.

That said, there is much to admire about this film, including the performances of Mitzi Gaynor and Ray Walston, the location filming on Kauai, and the superb orchestrations.

I've always had a special affinity for this movie, despite its flaws, since I played the role of Nellie in a school production of the show. The American Cinematheque provides members with free movie passes in their birthday month, and I'm hoping to use mine for this screening!

Related post: A South Pacific Reunion.

4 Comments:

Blogger barrylane said...

Do you know why Mitzi Gaynor will not be present?

7:27 AM  
Blogger DKoren said...

Oh, now I may definitely have to go to this one! It's my favorite musical, and the first film I saw on the big screen (when I was 2, LOL!) I've been wanting to see it in the theater forever!

8:09 AM  
Blogger Laura said...

Don't have any info on that, Barrylane.

Hope you can be there, Deb!! :) I will most likely also be at UCLA Friday the 13th for a pair of Scott/Boetticher films.

Best wishes,
Laura

8:18 AM  
Blogger SimpleGifts said...

Thank you, Laura, for this wonderful tribute. So much of the humor today is distasteful but Nora Ephron had something different, a genuine intelligent wit. She will be missed. Jane

7:44 PM  

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