By Phil Dzikiy<br><a href="mailto:dzikiyp@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Phil</a>
June 27, 2008 10:00 am
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For the summer of 2008, the Riviera Theatre is going back to 1939.
The historic North Tonawanda theater is featuring films from 1939 during its third annual summer film series. The decision came about after theater staff realized just how many classic films were made in 1939, said David Bondrow, artistic director at the Riviera Theatre.
“It’s not the 70th anniversary of the films,” Bondrow said. “But (we thought), let’s get the jump on it.”
Those classics include “The Wizard of Oz,” “Gone with the Wind” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” All of the films featured in the series will be shown on original 35 mm film.
Bondrow took in a big screen showing of “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” years ago, an experience he still recalls as special.
“The impact of having the entire crowd watching as Jimmy Stewart stands up for the common man... it’s patriotic,” Bondrow said. “You step back in time and experience the films the way they were intended (to be viewed).”
One of the titles selected for the film series, “Son of Frankenstein,” wasn’t available due to the recent fire at Universal Studios in California. The original prints were lost in the blaze, Bondrow said.
But the void has been filled and there are plenty of interesting films on the schedule, including Bondrow’s pick, “The Man They Could Not Hang,” a horror film starring Boris Karloff as a hard-to-kill mad scientist.
“From a scientific standpoint, it was way ahead of its time,” Bondrow said.
The theater’s first two summer film series featured movies filmed in Western New York and women in Hollywood. The theater is hosting the series in conjunction with the Buffalo Film Society.
The showings will be held every Thursday through Aug. 21, with the exception of July 10. “Gone with the Wind” will be shown Aug. 29 as the series finale.
THE SERIES
All shows start at 7:30 p.m.
* JUNE 26: “The Wizard of Oz”
* JULY 3: “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”
* JULY 17: “The Man They Could Not Hang”
* JULY 24: “The Little Princess”
* JULY 31: “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”
* AUG. 7: “Babes in Arms”
* AUG. 14: “Destry Rides Again”
* AUG. 21: “Dark Victory”
* AUG. 29: “Gone with the Wind”
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