El Cap Theatre Offers 3 Day, 3 Film Salute to David O Selznick

El Capitan Theatre Salutes Filmmaking Pioneer David O. Selznick's 100th Anniversary With Three Film Salute, Birthday Party & Special Guests

Hollywood's legendary movie palace, The El Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood Blvd.), salutes the centenary of Hollywood's greatest showman/filmmaking pioneer David O. Selznick with a three-picture festival beginning tomorrow, Thursday May 9th.

The festival kicks off this week with a special screening of a newly restored print of Selznick's 1946 epic drama (photographed in Technicolor(R)) "Duel in the Sun," starring Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton and Lionel Barrymore. Noted Selznick biographer David Thomson (author of Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick) will introduce the film and host a special 100th birthday salute to the famous producer (whose actual birthday is on May 10th). The El Capitan's Centenary Salute to Selznick continues on May 16th with a newly restored print of the 1948 classic, "Portrait of Jennie," starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten. Selznick historian Rudy Behlmer (author of Memo From David O. Selznick) will be on hand to host the evening. The series concludes on May 23rd with the premiere screening of the newly restored 1938 favorite (photographed in Technicolor(R)), "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." Several cast members from the film and a film historian host will attend. Each of the films will screen one time only on Thursdays at 7:00 pm.

Tickets are available at the box office, on-line at www.elcapitantickets.com , or by calling 1-800-DISNEY-6

"Duel in the Sun" was Selznick's ambitious follow-up to his masterpiece, "Gone With the Wind," and was reportedly the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release in 1946. The film follows the tale of "bad girl" Pearl Chavez (played by Jennifer Jones) who is taken into the home of a wealthy rancher and his greedy wife (Lionel Barrymore and Lillian Gish). Caught in an emotional tug of war between the rancher's two sons -- the virtuous Jesse (Joseph Cotten), and his wicked half-brother, Lewt (Gregory Peck) -- Pearl has to decide between her lust and her heart. The brothers' jealousy leads to a violent conclusion.

In "Portrait of Jennie," Cotten returns as Eben Adams, a failed New York artist during the Great Depression, and Jennifer Jones returns as Jennie, an ethereal young girl he encounters in Central Park. Each time they meet, Jennie seems mysteriously older, less a child and more of a young woman. Inspired to paint her portrait, Adams embarks on a wondrous and dangerous journey to unravel Jennie's mystery. An enigmatic and stylish supernatural thriller, the film's climax during a hurricane set new marks for visual and sound effects, taking home the Oscar(R) in 1949 for its achievement.

Selznick's 1938 production of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" brilliantly recreates Mark Twain's beloved novel, featuring many of Twain's classic sequences, including the whitewashing of the fence, Tom and Huck's "death and resurrection," the murder trial of Muff Potter, the unmasking of Injun Joe as the real killer, and the thrilling climax in the cave, as Tom protects Becky from Injun Joe. Photographed in Technicolor(R) by James Wong Howe and designed by William Cameron Menzies, with music by an uncredited Max Steiner, this definitive version features a standout juvenile performances by Tommy Kelly as Tom Sawyer, Jackie Moran as Huck Finn, and Ann Gillis as Becky Thatcher, plus a host of great character actors including Walter Brennan as Muff, Victor Jory as Injun Joe and, unforgettably, May Robson as Aunt Polly.

--Posted May 8, 2002

Source: Buena Vista Pictures Marketing
Formatted: LaughingPlace.com

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