Michael Curtiz Retrospective Opens Friday at UCLA

The UCLA Film & Television Archive kicks off the year with the new series Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film. It opens at the Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood this Friday, January 5th, 2018.

The Curtiz series was curated by its host, Alan K. Rode, whose massive biography MICHAEL CURTIZ: A LIFE IN FILM was recently published by the University Press of Kentucky. Alan will be available to sign the book most nights of the series; the website notes he won't be available February 3rd.

I had the pleasure of hearing Alan give a talk on Curtiz at Larry Edmunds Bookshop in November (photo below). He had many fascinating anecdotes to share; based on that and what I've had time to read of the book so far, his movie introductions should be very interesting. My husband is currently reading the book and loves it.

The series opens Friday with a double bill of CASABLANCA (1942) and KID GALAHAD (1937). The latter film stars Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, and Wayne Morris.

Although I won't be there opening night, I'll be there the very next evening, January 6th, for a very "pre-Code" double bill starting with one of my favorite films of the early '30s, Ruth Chatterton and George Brent in FEMALE (1933). That's paired with Ann Dvorak and Lee Tracy in THE STRANGE LOVE OF MOLLY LOUVAIN (1933), which I look forward to seeing for the first time.

Some of the other nights I'd love to attend are:

*A double bill pairing MILDRED PIERCE (1945) with FLAMINGO ROAD (1949)

*A great night with THE UNSUSPECTED (1947) and ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS (1948)

*An evening with two favorites, THE PROUD REBEL (1958) and FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938) (seen at left)

*And all-time favorite THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938), shown with THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE (1935)

The series concludes on March 17th with YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942) and THE SEA WOLF (1941).

Please visit UCLA's website for the complete schedule. I hope to see some of my readers at UCLA over the next few weeks!

Another interesting series will be coming to UCLA next month: Working Girls: America's Career Women on Screen. I'll have more on that posted here in February.

Update: Here's Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times on the Curtiz series.

Update: Here is my post on seeing FEMALE and THE STRANGE LOVE OF MOLLY LOUVAIN at UCLA.

Update: Here is another post, this time on a great evening seeing THE UNSUSPECTED and ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS.