Saenger Classic Movies 2013

The Saenger Theater in Downtown Pensacola is screening classic movies again this summer, as they have apparently been doing for years. I only first found out about it last year, when they showed such films as Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz. It was a great experience seeing these movies I had seen so many times before in a different way; the big screen and the audience reactions enforced fresh views. I had never before realized Casablanca was so funny. Last year’s line-up unfortunately did include a few clunkers (the mediocre remake of Show Boat and the downright awful On the Town) and a lack of variety that caused very low attendance by the time they got to the seventh musical.

This year’s selections are more evenly divided and all ten pictures are unquestionable classics. Even the musicals, all four of them, will produce no complaints, for they are among the best ever filmed. The first screening is of Billy Wilder’s comedy masterpiece Some Like It Hot. Voted the funniest movie of all time by the American Film Institute, it is a delightfully ludicrous farce, what with its cross-dressing, gangsters and, of course, Marilyn Monroe. This is the greatest movie to utilize Monroe, possibly because it strips away so much of the phony glamour that usually accompanied her characters. She was known to be a clumsy actress, requiring numerous takes to get the simplest lines right, but this meant her performances were never as abrasive as her contemporaries. She bounces through the movie with a natural seduction that she isn’t even aware of, and only her naivety could so convince us that Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon could pass as women.

Some Like It Hot will be followed by Singin’ in the Rain, my personal favorite of this year’s selections and the greatest of all screen musicals. It is an incomparably joyous experience, full of color, wit and timeless talent. Compare the performances of these musical stars to the ones of today and they are obviously worlds apart. These individuals were so charming, so effortless in their craft that they made history when they only desired to entertain (Pay attention to Kelly and O’Connor in the “Moses Supposes” number. Are they even breathing?). Everybody remembers Gene Kelly splashing in puddles, but his co-stars are of equal caliber, with Donald O’Connor literally bouncing off walls and Jean Hagen so gleefully butchering the English language. Most astonishing of all is the young Debbie Reynolds, eternally perky and eager, actually keeping up with her more experienced partners.

Another musical masterpiece screening a few weeks later is West Side Story, based on the Broadway hit that elevated to a height of universal adoration unique in its medium. I have written before about my views on the treatment of stars Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer, whose scenes together and apart are so dull, they can’t help but be overshadowed by the greatness of the rest of the film. Co-stars Rita Moreno and Russ Tamblyn are particularly electric in infamously demanding dance sequences choreographed by Jerome Robbins. The “America” song, the dance at the gym and the prologue, which dared to ask why these people were dancing, are masterpieces of their own. The other two musicals being shown are Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and The Sound of Music, both of which are dazzling and imaginative spectacles that certainly played a large part in my childhood, as they did for so many others.

Two Alfred Hitchcock thrillers will be screened this year. First is North by Northwest, with Cary Grant starring as the “wrong man,” a typical Hitchcock component. Though it certainly isn’t as complex as the director’s other pictures, it is no less entertaining. Scenes like the one in which Grant is chased down by a crop duster remain so implanted in our collective memories because they are so creative and unexpected. What modern action movie would take the risk of staging a chase scene on Mount Rushmore? It’s implausible, yes, but fun. An even greater thriller is Rear Window, which holds a special place with me as it was the first Hitchcock movie I ever saw and remains one of my favorites. The placing of its hero (James Stewart) in a confined space and having the entire movie take place in one room is genius. All of the horrifying action is only seen (or not seen) from a distance, creating a delightfully claustrophobic atmosphere. It is a remarkable movie.

The other three movies Saenger has picked are somewhat surprising, though no less deserving. Obviously The Godfather has a cinematic status far beyond any praise I can give it, but it is the only one of these ten movies that is definitely not family-friendly. This makes it an odd choice in my view, especially since its highlight is a timeless performance from Marlon Brando, which also exists in another selection, A Streetcar Named Desire. However, I must confess Desire is also the only one of the ten of which I’m not particularly fond. While I used to hold it in the same high esteem everyone else seems to, a recent re-watch made it seem far campier and less meaningful than its reputation suggests. The long-lauded performances by Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden are still respectable, but weirdly unapproachable. However, it still has a few moments that hold up well enough to warrant a recommendation as a little slice of movie Americana. Finally, we come to John Huston’s beautiful independent production The African Queen, which features Humphrey Bogart’s only Oscar-winning role and a performance of incredible grace from Katharine Hepburn, considering the fact that she was sick throughout the on-location shoot. It also contains one of my favorite movie quotes, from Hepburn to Bogart: “Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we were put on this Earth to rise above.”

When the Saenger does this series, they are really providing a great public service. They are giving people a chance to take part in America’s great film legacy, allowing them to finally watch those movies they’ve always heard of but never seen. Even for those of us who have seen these movies, it can be very helpful to witness them on a different level than what can be experienced on a home TV. Last year, it was awesome to see entire families showing up in droves to take in the talents of people like Orson Welles, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Busby Berkeley, Clark Gable and Frank Sinatra. This year offers a whole new batch of legendary figures. It’s going to be an exciting summer.

The complete line-up of the movies being shown and when is listed below. Tickets are $5 each, or you can buy a ten-pack for $40. All shows begin at 7:00 PM.

July 13-Some Like It Hot

July 20-Singin’ in the Rain

July 27-A Streetcar Named Desire

August 3-North by Northwest

August 10-West Side Story

August 24-Rear Window

August 31-The African Queen

September 7-Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

September 21-The Godfather

September 28-The Sound of Music