THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
Directed by Frank Capra | Barbara Stanwyck, David Manners
Stanwyck plays Florence Fallon, a young woman embittered by the unfair treatment of her minister father and inveigled by a con artist into becoming a phony faith healer. The deception falters when she falls in love with a blind war veteran who comes to her in hope of a miracle.
This movie was plainly inspired by the popularity of sexy female evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, and while it did not do well after release, it’s now considered one of the best films of its time, and an excellent portrayal of the greed and sanctimony of fake evangelism.
Matthew Kennedy, CinemaLit’s new 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."
The films Matthew will introduce this winter include Scarface: The Shame of the Nation for January’s film theme Speakeasy: Prohibition at 100. Queen Christina opens February, with special guest Donna Rifkind, author of The Sun and her Stars: Salka Viertel and Hitler’s Exiles in the Golden Age of Hollywood. March will be dedicated to pre-code Barbara Stanwyck films.
“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.”
Please join us in welcoming Matthew as he engages members and the public through our ongoing series of Friday night film screenings.