News Archives – Page 47 Of 80

ART IN THE ARTHOUSE presents: HILL & STUMP at the Royal

November 29, 2018 by Lamb Laemmle 2 Comments

ART IN THE ARTHOUSE happily welcomes back artists DAPHNE HILL and ANNA STUMP, this time to the Royal for a festival of color just in time for the holidays. Swing by our gallery for a look at their newest work. The exhibit runs through February, 2019.

About the exhibit

Successful collaboration in the world of painting is a rare phenomenon. The duo of HILL and STUMP, known for their breathtaking floral compositions, have nourished a unique and productive partnership. In a kind of creative symbiosis, they appear to “finish each other’s sentences,” layering each piece and editing each other to create something entirely new. Stump comments, “Our process is almost egoless because we can’t, as individual artists, get attached to anything we do. Hill confirms, “We never call a piece finished unless we’re both happy with it.”

Each application of paint is separated from the next by a layer of clear resin, lending depth and brilliance to the compositions. Their work includes nods to Rococo foliage, gilt decoration, Japanese motifs, and Impressionism. Artists such as JAKUCHU, FRAGONARD and SARGENT, as well as the light and spectacle of the Southern California landscape serve as inspiration.

In this exhibit, curated for Art in the Arthouse by Tish Laemmle, the magic of the flower is utilized as a vehicle for light and form to express itself. Nothing is overlooked. Whether realized or abstracted, each individual mum, magnolia, or cactus blossom is rendered until it glows. The artists work together in their studio in San Diego and also maintain a space in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles. Hill has recently become bicoastal, returning to her childhood home of Tennessee while Stump has become involved in the blooming High Desert community. Both teach art in college and at a men’s maximum security prison.
– Tish Laemmle, curator

GIGI 60th Anniversary Screening on December 8 at the Ahrya Fine Arts in Beverly Hills

November 29, 2018 by Lamb Laemmle Leave a Comment

Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series celebrate the 60th anniversary of one of the most beloved and acclaimed musicals of all time, GIGI.

The film won nine Academy Awards in 1958, including Best Picture, Best Director Vincente Minnelli, Best Adapted Screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner, and Best Scoring by Andre Previn of the original songs by Lerner and his frequent collaborator, Frederick Loewe. At the time, that was the most Oscars ever awarded to a single film, and GIGI also has the distinction of being one of only three films in cinema history to win every Oscar for which it was nominated.

GIGI was also perhaps the last great musical created for the screen. Produced by Arthur Freed for MGM, it follows in the tradition of other original musicals sponsored by the Freed unit, including ‘Meet Me in St. Louis,’ ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ ‘The Band Wagon,’ and an earlier best picture winner, ‘An American in Paris,’ which was also directed by Minnelli and written by Lerner. After GIGI, almost all the memorable Hollywood musicals were adapted from Broadway successes like ‘West Side Story,’ ‘My Fair Lady,’ ‘The Sound of Music,’ ‘Oliver!,’ and ‘Cabaret.’

GIGI came about partly as a result of the phenomenal stage success of Lerner and Loewe’s ‘My Fair Lady,’ which conquered Broadway in 1956. The pair was looking for a follow-up, and that is how they happened to strike up a partnership with Freed and Minnelli, masters of the MGM musical. It was Leslie Caron, the star of ‘An American in Paris’ along with Lili (which earned her an Oscar nomination), who suggested the idea of adapting ‘Gigi’ into a musical.

Freed had a few qualms, since the source material was not exactly wholesome family entertainment (the bedrock of most MGM musicals). The 1944 novella by French author Colette told the story of a young woman groomed by her grandmother and great-aunt to be a courtesan in turn-of-the-century Paris. Censorship was just beginning to loosen in Hollywood, and Freed and Lerner felt they could mask the sordid subject sufficiently to get by with it. Adults would understand the racy underpinnings while family audiences could remain happily oblivious and enjoy the scenery and the songs.

Still, the daring subject matter undoubtedly helped to win the movie critical acclaim as well as Academy recognition. The New York Times’ Bosley Crowther wrote, “it is not only a charming comprehension of the spicy confection of Colette, but it is also a lovely and lyrical enlargement upon that story’s favored mood and atmosphere.” Leonard Maltin concurred, calling the film “exquisitely filmed, perfectly cast, with memorable Lerner & Loewe score.” Variety hailed “a very fair lady indeed… Miss Caron is completely captivating and convincing in the title role.”

Co-starring with Caron were Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier (who earned an honorary Oscar that year), Hermione Gingold, Eva Gabor, and Isabel Jeans. The score includes the Oscar-winning title song, the lively “The Night They Invented Champagne,” and a memorable duet by Chevalier and Gingold, “I Remember It Well.” The film also won awards for cinematography, production design, and for the elegant costumes by the brilliant Cecil Beaton.

Our 60th Anniversary Screening of GIGI screens Saturday, December 8, at 7:30 PM at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills. Click here for tickets.

Format: Blu-ray

DRIVERX Q&A’s Featuring Cast and Crew Opening Weekend and Wednesday, 12/5 at the Monica Film Center.

November 27, 2018 by Lamb Laemmle Leave a Comment

DRIVERX Q&A details below.

https://youtu.be/q5I6SpWagHI

DriverX – Official Trailer I HD I IFC Films (https://youtu.be/q5I6SpWagHI)

Friday 11/30 7:10 pm – Q&A

Guest Moderator – Dan Bucatinsky (Emmy Award winning actor and producer)
Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) – Lead Actor
Henry Barrial – Writer/Director
Mark Stolaroff – Producer
Tanya Clarke (Banshee) – Lead Actress
Daniel Lynn – DP
Marvin Etzioni – Music contributions

Friday 11/30 10 pm – Intro

Guest Moderator – Dan Bucatinsky (Emmy Award winning actor and producer)
Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) – Lead Actor
Henry Barrial – Writer/Director
Mark Stolaroff – Producer
Tanya Clarke (Banshee) – Lead Actress
Daniel Lynn – DP

Saturday 12/1 7:10 pm – Q&A

Special guests from the cast & crew of Better Call Saul will join a talkback after the screening. BCS Trivia Contest and give away prizes.

Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) – Lead Actor
Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul) – Guest Speaker
Michael Mando (Better Call Saul) – Guest Speaker
Henry Barrial – Writer/Director
Mark Stolaroff – Producer

Sunday 12/2 4:30 pm – Q&A

Raffle Prizes.

Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) – Lead Actor
Henry Barrial – Writer/Director
Mark Stolaroff – Producer
Tanya Clarke (Banshee) – Lead Actress
Daniel Lynn – DP
Lili Haydn – Composer

Sunday 12/2 7:10pm – Q&A

Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) – Lead Actor
Henry Barrial – Writer/Director
Mark Stolaroff – Producer
Tanya Clarke (Banshee) – Lead Actress
Daniel Lynn – DP

Wednesday 12/5 7:10 pm – Q&A

Raffle prizes.

Guest Moderator – Peter Broderick
Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) – Lead Actor
Henry Barrial – Writer/Director
Mark Stolaroff – Producer

Our 11th Annual Christmas Eve FIDDLER SING-ALONG is Just Around the Corner! Get Tickets Now!

November 25, 2018 by Marc H 1 Comment

UPDATE! We’re pleased to announce our Fiddler Hosts for 2018! Click here for bios.
(skip to main article)

Music Hall
Michael Schlesinger – NEW! – writer, producer, and classic film expert, appearing on behalf of The Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival – BUY TIX

Ahrya Fine Arts
Robbo – NEW! – singer, songwriter, and song leader, appearing on behalf of Shalom Institute, home of Camp JCA Shalom – BUY TIX

Playhouse
Cantor Aviva Rosenbloom – NEW! – appearing on behalf of the Jewish Federation of the San Gabriel and Pamona Valleys – BUY TIX

Glendale
Elissa Glickman – NEW! – community leader, appearing on behalf of Glendale Arts – BUY TIX

Royal
Aaron Wolf – NEW! – director of Restoring Tomorrow, appearing on behalf of Camp Hes Kramer and Gindling Hilltop Camp – BUY TIX

NoHo 7
Gustavo Bulgach – musician, bandleader of Klezmer Juice – BUY TIX

Monica Film Center
Isaac Wade – NEW! – actor, and Monica Film Center GM – BUY TIX

Claremont 5
Dr. Arthur Benjamin – NEW! – “mathemagician” appearing on behalf of Temple Beth Israel – BUY TIX

Town Center 5
Stephen Sass (4:30pm) – of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern CA – BUY TIX
Kenny Ellis (7:30pm) – entertainer, comedian, singer of Hanukah Swings! – BUY TIX

Jump below to find out more about our hosts.

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Can you believe it’s the 11th year of our Christmas Eve FIDDLER SING-ALONG!? Join us in coming together as a community to celebrate the song, shtick, and shenanigans of Laemmle’s legendary Christmas Eve experience.

For 2018, this ever-popular event will be occurring at eight of our neighborhood venues including our brand new theater in Glendale and the magnificent single screen, art deco AHRYA FINE ARTS in Beverly Hills (see below for full listing and ticket links).

(Jump down to watch the Sing-A-Long trailer. For tickets, visit Laemmle.com/Fiddler).

In addition to movie and song, the evening will feature TRIVIA with PRIZES being awarded to Fiddler buffs with the quickest recall. Dressing in COSTUME is not required, but highly encouraged! Who knows, perhaps the best costume will garner a prize? Or perhaps this is the year you’ll be given an opportunity to do your best Tevye or Golde impression? That will be up to the emcee. Indeed, each location will feature its own host (to be announced).

As Greg Laemmle is fond of saying “Christmas Eve isn’t just Chinese food!” He elaborates, “This is your once-a-year chance to be the star of the shtetl. Join with friends and neighbors and sing your heart out alongside Fiddler’s screen legends. And it’s okay if you haven’t memorized all the songs. We provide the lyrics.”

Song highlights include the iconic “TRADITION”, “IF I WERE A RICH MAN”, “TO LIFE”, “SUNRISE SUNSET”, “DO YOU LOVE ME?” and “ANATEVKA”, among many, many more.

Don’t be late! Those who wish to attend the program are advised to purchase tickets in advance as the program has traditionally sold to capacity. We welcome all those in the community who are looking for an alternative Christmas Eve.

See you in the shtetl…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnuyNaOEBt4&feature=youtu.be

Fiddler Hosts – 2018

Michael Schlesinger at the Music Hall (Beverly Hills)
Writer, producer, and classic film expert MICHAEL SCHLESINGER will be our host at the MUSIC HALL in Beverly Hills. Known as the “the dean of classic film distributors,” Schlesinger worked for more than 25 years at MGM, Paramount and Sony, keeping hundreds of vintage movies in theatrical release. He was responsible for restoring many films, including the award-winning completion of ORSON WELLES’ 1942 documentary “It’s All True.” He has also recorded several DVD commentaries, is a “Trailers From Hell” guru and has appeared in numerous documentaries, notably the recent HBO smash “If You’re Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast.” Behind the camera, he wrote and produced the American version of “Godzilla 2000” and co-produced such LARRY BLAMIRE comedies as “The Lost Skeleton Returns Again.” According to Schlesinger, he has “never fiddled, and avoids going up onto the roof.” His appearance at the will support our community partner, the THE LOS ANGELES JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL. BUY TIX

ROBBO at the Ahrya Fine Arts (Beverly Hills)
Singer, songwriter, and legendary Jewish camp songleader ROB ZELONKY, aka “ROBBO” will be our host at the AHRYA FINE ARTS venue in Beverly Hills. A three-time White House performer and Parent’s Choice Gold Award winner, Robbo has long been a staple of the national children’s music scene. His abundant material on Spotify and iTunes includes the stand-out album “A Kid’s Life” which features the vocal talents of Oscar and Emmy nominated celebrities including TERI GARR. Born into a musical family, Robbo began singing Yiddish and American folk songs around Chicago with his parents and sister as a young boy. ROBBO’s appearance at FIDDLER will support the SHALOM INSTITUTE. The institute operates CAMP JCA SHALOM in Malibu, one of the several Jewish camps that recently fell victim to the recent Woolsey Fire. Robbo served as the camp’s beloved songleader for over 20 years. BUY TIX

Cantor AVIVA ROSENBLOOM at the Playhouse 7 (Pasadena)
Creator of the Feminist Shabbat at Temple Israel of Hollywood and female cantor pioneer AVIVA ROSENBLOOM headlines proceedings at Laemmle’s Pasadena Playhouse. An anti-war activist and veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, Rosenbloom’s life trajectory changed after a transformational trip to Israel. With the realization that Jewish music was her calling, her journey soon led her to become the first full-time woman Cantor in Los Angeles. She served as Cantor at Temple Israel of Hollywood for over 30 years from 1975 to 2008. She is also a songwriter, with several recordings of Jewish music to her credit, including the career retrospective “Viva Aviva: A Life in Song.” Rosenbloom’s appearance will support our community partner, the JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE SAN GABRIEL AND POMONA VALLEYS. BUY TIX

ELISSA GLICKMAN at the Laemmle Glendale
Community leader and CEO of Glendale Arts, ELISSA GLICKMAN will be our host at the brand new Laemmle Glendale. GLENDALE ARTS is the non-profit organization the operates the iconic ALEX THEATRE, a Glendale landmark since 1925 and situated just around the corner from Laemmle. Glickman presides over a dynamic array of film and live programming designed to benefit youth, patrons, artists, and the broader community. She brings more than twenty years of non-profit marketing and event planning experience to the table including stops at the NATIONAL ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS AND SCIENCES, AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES, and the CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES. Glickman has been awarded “Business Woman of the Year” from both the Glendale Chamber of Commerce and the CA State Assembly. Her appearance at FIDDLER will support the valuable work of Glendale Arts. BUY TIX

AARON WOLF at the Royal (West L.A.)
Award-winning actor and filmmaker AARON WOLF will be our host at the ROYAL THEATRE in West Los Angeles. A native Angeleno, Wolf’s latest film, RESTORING TOMORROW is a personal journey of rediscovery told through recounting the awe-inspiring restoration of our sacred spaces, including the synagogue of his upbringing, Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Currently, Wolf is in post-production on the thriller TAR about an ancient creature that lurks beneath the La Brea Tar Pits featuring Academy nominees Timothy Bottoms and Graham Greene. His upcoming comedy project LD UNIVERSITY, and its companion documentary “(We Are All) disAbled” tackles the important topic of learning disabilities and education. Wolf’s appearance will support the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps in Malibu – CAMP HESS KRAMER and GINDLING HILLTOP CAMP – both devastated in the Woolsey Fire. BUY TIX

GUSTAVO BULGACH at the NoHo 7 (N. Hollwyood)
Accomplished Klezmer musician and bandleader GUSTAVO BULGACH will be our host at the Royal in West L.A. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Bulgach was inspired at an early age by the religious and secular life of the Argentine community. Now based in L.A., Bulgach travels the globe uplifting audiences with a vibrant, soulful Klezmer he terms the “soundtrack of the Diaspora.” Bulgach has been a longtime member of the House of Blues Foundation house band backing artist such as LITTLE RICHARD, TAJ MAHAL, and THE WAILERS. His own outfit, KLEZMER JUICE, was featured in the Hollywood mega hit movie THE WEDDING CRASHERS featuring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. BUY TIX

ISAAC WADE at the Monica Film Center (Santa Monica)
Laemmle’s very own ISAAC WADE is the General Manager of our MONICA FILM CENTER location and has been working with the company for over 16 years. He is the former GM of the storied LAEMMLE SUNSET 5 in W. Hollywood as well as the company’s signature ROYAL venue in West L.A. Additionally, the talented Wade is an accomplished thespian, working overseas and with several local companies such as the L.A. THEATRE ENSEMBLE and cARTel: THE ARTS COLLABORATIVE. During his youth in Kansas, he performed the role of TEVYE in the Galena High School production of Fiddler. Laemmle audiences who love and appreciate Wade in his role as theater manager are in for a treat as he reveals yet another facet of his dynamic persona. BUY TIX

Dr. ARTHUR BENJAMIN at the Claremont 5 (Claremont)
New this year to the Claremont 5, Dr. ARTHUR BENJAMIN brings his mesmerizing math and magic combo to host and entertain our Claremont audiences in an entirely unique way! Appearing on TV and radio on shows such as The Today Show, CNN, The Colbert Report, and NPR, Dr. Benjamin demonstrates and explains his secrets for performing rapid mental calculations faster than a calculator. He has given 3 TED Talks, one of which has been viewed over five million times. Reader’s Digest calls him “America’s Best Math Whiz”. Dr. Benjamin’s appearance will support TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL in Claremont, our Fiddler partner for the past six years. BUY TIX

STEVE SASS at the Town Center 5 (Encino, 4:30pm Show)
Community leader STEPHEN SASS currently serves as President of the JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. As founding president of the BREED STREET SHUL PROJECT, he has been instrumental in the ongoing revitalization of one of L.A’s earliest synagogues built in 1915 in Boyle Heights. He co-wrote and executive-produced “Meet Me at Brooklyn & Soto” an award-winning documentary on East L.A.’s Jewish Heritage. What’s more, Sass is the chair of the L.A. COUNTY HISTORICAL LANDMARKS AND RECORDS COMMISSION, appointed by Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. In professional life, he is the Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs for HBO. Sass’ appearance will support our partner, Jewish Historical Society of Southern California. BUY TIX

KENNY ELLIS at theTown Center 5 (Encino, 7:30pm Show)
Known as “The Man Behind the Matzoh Ball,” cantor and comedian KENNY ELLIS will be our 7:30pm host in Encino. He appears in support of our partner, the JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. As a cantor and comedian, Ellis has entertained audiences all around the globe. Currently the cantor at Temple Beth Ami in Santa Clarita, you can also catch Ellis at the LAUGH FACTORY in Hollywood. His television credits include recent appearances on CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM as well as LAW & ORDER. Ellis achieved further success with HANUKKAH SWINGS! a recording that broke new ground as the first ever big band Hanukkah album. Large YouTube audiences have enjoyed “Swingin’ Dreidel” and other tracks from the hit record. BUY TIX

——————–

PROGRAM DETAILS

DATE: Monday, December 24th

TIME: 7:30pm

PRICING:
General – $18
Senior 62 & Over / Child 11 & Under – $15
Premiere Card General – $15
Premiere Card Senior 62 & Over / Child 11 & Under – $12

LOCATIONS:
Claremont – Get Tickets
Ahrya Fine Arts in Beverly Hills- Get Tickets
Glendale – Get Tickets
NoHo – Get Tickets
Playhouse in Pasadena – Get Tickets
Royal in West L.A. – Get Tickets
Monica Film Center in Santa Monica – Get Tickets
Town Center in Encino- Get Tickets

Charo In-person to Support Project Angel Food at the Royal in West LA

November 21, 2018 by Lamb Laemmle Leave a Comment

This is the last week Project Angel Food cookies will be available at our concession stands and Charo is coming to help drum up support!

The actress, comedian, and flamenco guitarist will be selling cookies from 7pm to 8pm on Saturday, November 24th at the Laemmle Royal in West Los Angeles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GdBWY5LmK8

Project Angel Food PSA with Charo for Laemmle Theatres (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GdBWY5LmK8)

For the month of November, all Laemmle Theatres concessions stands feature Project Angel Food cookies with all proceeds going to this amazing organization that prepares and delivers healthy meals to feed people impacted by serious illness. You can also add a little extra cash donation with any purchase.

Can’t make it to one of our theaters or want to do more? Do what we did and volunteer! Team Laemmle spent last Thursday preparing food at Project Angel Food and had a blast. Find out how you can help at www.angelfood.org!

LAEMMLE LIVE presents: Crossroads School Jazz “A” Band December 2 in Santa Monica

November 18, 2018 by Lamb Laemmle Leave a Comment

RSVP ON EVENTBRITE
This is a Free Event

LAEMMLE LIVE proudly presents the extraordinary Crossroads School Jazz “A” Band on Sunday, December 2, 2018 performing classic, contemporary and original jazz.

Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences is a K-12, coed college preparatory school in Santa Monica, California. Crossroads was founded upon five basic commitments: to academic excellence; to the arts; to the greater community; to the development of a student population of social, economic and racial diversity; and to the development of each student’s physical well-being and full human potential. One in four students receives financial assistance. The School is highly acclaimed for its programs and is a leader in public/private educational partnerships.

The program will be selected from the following: Inner Space, by Chick Corea, Drum Battle, by Kneedbody, Ridges, by Leo Major, My Foolish Heart, by Washington/Young, Have You Met Miss Jones, by Richard Rodgers, Red Clay, by Freddie Hubbard, Someday My Prince Will Come, by Churchill/Morey, In a Sentimental Mood, by Duke Ellington, 500 Miles High, by Chick Corea, Head in the Clouds, by Lucas Wurman, Isfahan, by Strayhorn/Ellington, Nardis, by Miles Davis, Capricornus, by Austin Peralta, Time After Time, by Cahn/Styne, Footprints, by Wayne Shorter.

Crossroads Jazz “A” Band
Leo Major, alto saxophone
Ethan Avery, trumpet
Will Kissinger, piano
Josh Lipp, guitar
Lucas Wurman, guitar/vocals
Will Royce, bass
Emilio Anamos, drums
Stefan Fayman, drums

This is a Free Event
RSVP ON EVENTBRITE

Sunday, December 2, 2018
11:00 AM
Monica Film Center

Dyan Cannon In Person for 45th Anniversary of THE LAST OF SHEILA on November 28 in West LA

November 14, 2018 by Lamb Laemmle Leave a Comment

Following our sold-out screening of Death on the Nile, Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present another treat for mystery lovers. THE LAST OF SHEILA is a modern-day whodunit, and according to Newsweek, “the story moves through intellectual gymnastics reminiscent of the best of Agatha Christie.” The scintillating screenplay represents the only script ever written by celebrated composer Stephen Sondheim, which he co-authored with actor Anthony Perkins.

Sondheim, Perkins, and director Herbert Ross were all fans of murder mystery games, and they channeled their enthusiasm into this intricate, suspenseful thriller, which also allowed them to poke fun at a whole gallery of Hollywood personalities. As Alan Howard wrote in The Hollywood Reporter, “The ingeniously constructed screenplay by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins is genuinely witty, gossipy and often downright malicious.”

The story begins with the death of Sheila, a gossip columnist who knew all the carefully guarded secrets of the stars and filmmakers in Tinseltown. She is run down in a hit-and-run accident, and the driver speeds away. A year later her husband, a wealthy and sadistic producer, invites their friends to a holiday on his yacht in the south of France. There he intends to have them join him in a series of mystery games, and he also plans to unmask one of them as the killer of his wife. But the games do not go exactly as planned, and soon a few more bodies begin to pile up.

Leonard Maltin called the elegantly photographed film a “super murder-puzzler about jet-set gamester who devises what turns into a deadly game of whodunit.” Ross assembled an all-star cast to play the conniving jet-setters: James Coburn as the producer, James Mason as a director fallen on hard times, Richard Benjamin as a struggling screenwriter, Joan Hackett as his supportive wife, Dyan Cannon as a bitchy Hollywood agent, Raquel Welch as a neurotic star, and Ian McShane as her manager husband.

Co-star Dyan Cannon received Oscar nominations for her performances in Paul Mazursky’s Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Warren Beatty’s Heaven Can Wait. She also earned a nomination for a short film she directed, Number One. Her other films include Such Good Friends, The Anderson Tapes, Revenge of the Pink Panther, Honeysuckle Rose, Deathtrap, Author! Author!, The End of Innocence (which she also wrote and directed), and Boynton Beach Club.

Writing of her performance in The Last of Sheila, The New York Times’ Vincent Canby declared, “Most colorful is Dyan Cannon, who plays the talent agent for all that the wisecracks are worth… she gives a very good, very comic performance. The others are also good, especially Richard Benjamin and Joan Hackett and James Mason… but the essential bitchery that makes the film work is provided by Miss Cannon and by all of the Sondheim-Perkins inside references.” The Hollywood Reporter agreed: “Dyan Cannon gives the performance of her career as a demonic Hollywood agent.”

THE LAST OF SHEILA with Dyan Cannon in person screens at 7pm on Wednesday, November 28th at the Royal Theater in West Los Angeles. Click here to purchase tickets.

Format: DVD

Angela Lansbury In Person at 40th Anniversary of DEATH ON THE NILE on November 9 in Beverly Hills

November 1, 2018 by Lamb Laemmle 12 Comments

Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present a special evening with Angela Lansbury to celebrate the 40th anniversary of DEATH ON THE NILE, which features one of her most captivating performances. The film is adapted from Agatha Christie’s 1937 novel, which boasted one of the author’s most diabolically clever mystery plots, along with sumptuous atmosphere and a compelling cast of characters.

Producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin had scored a box office success in 1974 with a lush version of Dame Agatha’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express,’ featuring an all-star cast. In 1978 they decided to make a follow-up picture, with a new Hercule Poirot, played by two-time Oscar winner Peter Ustinov. Referring to its predecessor, Variety called DEATH ON THE NILE “a sequel that’s even better than the original” and praised the new picture as “a clever, witty, well-plotted, beautifully produced and splendidly acted screen version of Agatha Christie’s mystery.”

The producers recruited another dazzling cast, full of Oscar nominees and winners—in addition to Lansbury, the roster of suspects included Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, David Niven, Jack Warden, George Kennedy, along with younger actors Mia Farrow, Jon Finch, and Olivia Hussey. This time the filmmakers went all out on production values, filming on location in Egypt at many ancient historic sites. Award-winning cinematographer Jack Cardiff (‘Black Narcissus,’ ‘The Red Shoes,’ ‘The African Queen’) captured the locales in all their splendor. Anthony Powell won an Oscar for his elegant costumes, and Nino Rota (‘8 1/2,’ ‘The Godfather’) composed the score. John Guillermin directed.

Anthony Shaffer, the writer of ‘Sleuth,’ penned the screenplay, and as Pauline Kael wrote, “The script by Anthony Shaffer has wit and edge and structure…Shaffer has an ear for high-style romp, and the details are knobby and funny.” The mystery that Poirot has to solve concerns the murder of an arrogant, fabulously wealthy heiress (Lois Chiles) who finds herself with a boatload of enemies when she embarks on a honeymoon cruise down the Nile.

Lansbury has the juicy role of Salome Otterbourne, a flamboyant author of sexy romance novels. As Charles Champlin wrote in the Los Angeles Times, “Angela Lansbury very nearly commandeers the boat… Rolling her eyes and her vowels as if on the high seas, playing a vamp in some need of revamping, Lansbury is a model of pure and amusing camp.” Kael concurred: “Angela Lansbury does a superlative caricature of a wreck of a vamp… It’s a glorious piece of eccentric excess.”

DEATH ON THE NILE marked Lansbury’s return to the screen after a seven-year absence, during which she conquered Broadway. Lansbury was nominated for an Oscar for her very first film, ‘Gaslight,’ in 1944. She earned a second nomination the following year for ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray.’

Her early screen appearances encompassed a dazzling range, from Frank Capra’s ‘State of the Union’ to the Judy Garland musical ‘The Harvey Girls,’ and Cecil B. DeMille’s ‘Samson and Delilah.’ Other films included ‘The Court Jester,’ ‘The Long Hot Summer,’ ‘The Dark at the Top of the Stairs,’ and ‘All Fall Down.’ But she made perhaps her most memorable screen appearance as the villainess in John Frankenheimer’s classic 1962 thriller, ‘The Manchurian Candidate,’ earning a third Oscar nomination.

Later in the 60s Lansbury turned to the musical theater and won her first Tony Award for originating the title role in Jerry Herman’s ‘Mame.’ She won four more Tonys over the next few decades. In the 80s she changed gears again, starring in the popular TV detective series, ‘Murder She Wrote.’ In 2013 she earned an honorary Oscar for her sterling body of work.

DEATH ON THE NILE with Angela Lansbury in person screens at 7:30pm on Friday, November 9th at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills. Click here to purchase tickets.

Format: Blu-ray