January 19 - The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), 102 minutes, directed by Norman Jewison, starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway.
Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) is a millionaire thrill-seeking bank robber. After nabbing a load of $2.6 million, an insurance investigator (Faye Dunaway) is on the case. With its beautiful stars, trendy split screens, score by Michel Legrande (including the Oscar-winning theme song "Windmills of Your Mind"), and crackling direction from Norman Jewison, The Thomas Crown Affair may be the ultimate '60s stylish caper movie. But what does any of this have to do with chess? In one famous scene, The Thomas Crown Affair proves that chess is, among other things, very sexy.
Image used with permission from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.
January 2024 CinemaLit – Chess in the Movies
The renowned Mechanics' Institute Chess Program shares the fourth floor with CinemaLit, it seems only natural we run with the theme of "Chess in the Movies." Chess has appeared in films for a very long time, bringing suspense, intrigue, and humor to a game so seemingly quiet and contemplative. Master directors have explored its dramatic power. Hitchcock used it effectively in The Lodger (1927), one of his early silent films. Ingmar Bergman turned chess into a game of life and death in The Seventh Seal (1957).
We're featuring three films that treat chess as metaphor, or as a means of personal and social transformation. And a fourth entry in our series is just plain fun, a classic caper film with a memorable (though unfinished) chess game. Join us for Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), Queen of Katwe (2016), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), and Queen to Play: Joueuse (2009). Your move!
Matthew Kennedy, CinemaLit’s curator, has written biographies of Marie Dressler, Joan Blondell, and Edmund Goulding. His book Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s, was the basis of a film series on Turner Classic Movies.
“I don't have a favorite film,” Matthew says. "I find that my relationships to films, actors, genres, and directors change as I change over the years. Some don't hold up. Some look more profound, as though I've caught up with their artistry. I feel that way about Garbo, Cary Grant, director John Cassavetes, and others."
“Classic films have historical context, something only time can provide,” Matt observes. “They become these great cultural artifacts, so revealing of tastes, attitudes, and assumptions.”
Mechanics' Institute Members Free
Non-Members $10
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Please note: Photos and/or video may be taken during this event.
CinemaLit Films
