I had the chance to see festival screenings of ROPE (1948) and PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948) at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The latter was a perfectly timed Valentine's Day screening.
The American Cinematheque has just announced its Nitrate Film Festival 2026, to take place next month at the Egyptian.
This year I'll have the joy of attending a nitrate screening of MY MAN GODFREY (1936) on Valentine's Day! I bought tickets the minute I heard about it.
The other films in this year's series are THE GOOD FAIRY (1935), NOTHING SACRED (1937), BLITHE SPIRIT (1945), DEAD RECKONING (1947), SAMSON AND DELILAH (1949), and the Japanese film WIFE! BE LIKE A ROSE! (1935).
When I saw CASABLANCA (1942) on nitrate several years ago, I wrote "That gleaming, glistening print was alive in a way that the most beautiful digital prints simply will never be."
Nitrate prints are rarely shown; the Egyptian is one of only five theaters in the United States licensed to show these rather "dangerous," highly flammable prints. Nitrate prints have been described as the closest material to what was shot on the movies' actual sets.
This year's nitrate festival is currently scheduled to run between February 13th and February 22nd. Last year tickets sold so briskly that some additional screenings were added, so that's a possibility, but I recommend that anyone interested in attending buy tickets immediately to avoid disappointment.
Complete details, including ticket information, may be found at the American Cinematheque website.
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