carey@sunscreen.UUCP (Mike Carey) (01/18/90)
This message is for fans of Warner Bros. musicals of the 1930's who live in the San Francisco Bay area. The Stanford Theatre (221 University Ave., Palo Alto Ca., 415-324-3700) is presenting a festival entitled "The Warner Bros. Musical (1933-1939)". The festival begins on Friday Jan. 26 and ends on Thurs. Feb. 15; it is presented in association with the Institute of the American Musical. Twenty-six films will be shown; most of these feature the work of the legendary director/choreographer Busby Berkeley. Featured performers include Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell, Ginger Rogers, Una Merkel, Dolores Del Rio, Al Jolson, James Cagney, Glenda Farrell, Pat O'Brien and Jane Wyman. Titles include: 42nd Street/ Gold Diggers of 1933 Jan. 26-27 Wonder Bar/ Go Into Your Dance Jan. 31- Feb.1 Footlight Parade/ Gold Diggers of 1935 Feb. 2-3 Stage Struck/ The Singing Marine Feb. 6 Bright Lights/ The King and the Chorus Girl Feb. 8 Dames/ Gold Diggers of 1937 Feb. 9-10 Varsity Show/ Hollywood Hotel Feb. 14-15 The Stanford Theatre shows high-quality 35mm prints. A booklet on the Warners musical by Miles Kreuger will be available. The David and Lucille Packard Foundation purchased this 1200-seat theatre in 1987; extensive work has restored the theatre to its 1925 opening-night glory. Among the restorations is the mighty Wurlitzer organ, which is played between films and also to accompany silent pictures. The policy of the Stanford Theatre is to show classic American films (from roughly the period 1920-1960) under optimum conditions. This will be a rare opportunity to see some classic pictures of a type that "they don't make anymore".