Classic Hollywood cinema returns to the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge Hall for a three-week run starting Sunday, October 1.
The films are recommended by Film Critic/Reviewer Derrick Bang and selected by the Classic Film Fest Committee. The genre for each series of films varies; the Odd Fellows have shown classic westerns, classic romantic comedies, classic film noir, and more. The genre for the upcoming Festival is “Famous Film Couples”.
Doors open at 6:29 p.m. and the films are shown around 7:01 p.m. According to Bazooka, one of Davis’ best-known bands, will play live music before the classic films are shown.
The Festival is free of charge, though voluntary donations are always welcome. Popcorn is provided for free, and the Odd Fellows no-host bar is open.
“And best of all, Derrick Bang will be available to speak about the actors, the directors, and the back-story of each film,” Chairman of the Film Festival Committee Dave Rosenberg said.
Here is the line-up with Derrick Bang’s comments on each film in his own words:
Sunday, October 1
William Powell & Myrna Loy
Libeled Lady (1936) — Wow, what a cast: Powell, Loy, Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow, in one of the genre’s best screwball comedies. When a wealthy socialite sues the New York Evening Star for libel, after being falsely accused of breaking up a marriage, the managing editor gets his friend and former reporter to “maneuver” the socialite into a compromising position that’ll make the story true. Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
Sunday, October 8
Humphrey Bogart & Lauren Bacall
Key Largo (1948) — A terrific suspense/adventure, based on a 1939 Maxwell Anderson play. The strong cast includes Edward G. Robinson, Lionel Barrymore and Claire Trevor. A nail-biting “stand-off in tight quarters, amid a raging hurricane” clash of good guys and bad guys, with our heroes badly outnumbered. One Oscar nomination, for Trevor as Supporting Actress … which she won.
Sunday, October 15
Spencer Tracy & Katherine Hepburn
Pat and Mike (1952) — Probably the best of this duo’s “battle of the sexes” entries. Hepburn plays Pat, a frustrated college athletics teacher who “goes pro” with the help of sketchy sports promoter Mike (Tracy). Hepburn gets to show off her genuine golf and tennis skills, but — alas! — Pat flops every time her fiancé shows up to watch. Terrific, Oscar-nominated script by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin — granting Tracy one of the best lines of his entire career — and solid direction by George Cukor. Lots of fun.
This is a continuation of the “Davis Classic Film Festival” that began in 2014. The films shown in this series will be the 43rd, 44th, and 45th since the Odd Fellows began the Film Fest.
The historic Odd Fellows Lodge is located at 415 Second Street, in Downtown Davis.
