Nathaniel BellFriday, July 27
Kino Lorber's recent Kickstarter-funded initiative to restore key works by pioneering female filmmakers has inspired a weekend series at the American Cinematheque. On opening night, host Illeana Douglas will introduce three silent shorts featuring Grace Cunard and Helen Holmes, each newly restored. The centerpiece of the evening is a stunning color-tinted restoration of The Red Kimona (courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive), a 1925 drama produced by Dorothy Davenport, based on a true case history about prostitution. The series, co-presented by Kino Lorber and the Library of Congress, runs through Sunday. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Fri., July 27, 7:30 p.m.; $12. (323) 466-3456, americancinemathequecalendar.com.
Counsellor at Law; Credit: Universal Pictures
UCLA will carefully project a 35mm nitrate print of a vintage John Barrymore vehicle, Counsellor at Law, as part of its ongoing Archive Treasures series. William Wyler directed the adaptation of Elmer Rice's stage play, and Barrymore (nicknamed “the Great Profile” for his handsome countenance) ignites the screen with his performance as a Manhattan lawyer forced to reckon with a moment from his past. The feature will be preceded by a Hearst Metronome newsreel and a Dave Fleischer cartoon. UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; Fri., July 27, 7:30 p.m.; $10. (310) 206-8013, cinema.ucla.edu.
Suspense; Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Saturday, July 28
For the second night of the American Cinematheque's Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers series, the Egyptian Theatre enlists Cari Beauchamp to host its salute to the great Lois Weber, one of the most successful of Hollywood's early directors. This generous tribute includes a color-tinted DCP of the social melodrama Where Are My Children?; an incomplete print of the partially lost feature What Do Men Want?; a 4K restoration of the 10-minute masterpiece Suspense; and a color-tinted restoration of the religious satire Hypocrites. Watching these explosive dramas, one can appreciate why Weber is often compared to D.W. Griffith in terms of innovative technique. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sat., July 28, 7:30 p.m.; $12. (323) 466-3456, americancinemathequecalendar.com.
The Curse of Quon Gwon; Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Sunday, July 29
For the third and final night of the Egyptian's salute to women in Hollywood, the American Cinematheque, Kino Lorber and the Library of Congress will co-present three short films by Alice Guy-Blaché, the first great female film director and early narrative experimentalist: Algie the Miner, A Fool and His Money (featuring the first all-black cast in a motion picture) and The Ocean Waif. The second hour of the evening will feature other archival rarities, including documentary footage shot by Zora Neale Hurston; a 4K restoration of The Curse of Quon Gwon, directed by Marion E. Wong, the first Asian-American filmmaker; and Lita Lawrence's Motherhood — one of the earliest features directed by an African-American woman. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sun., July 29, 7:30 p.m.; $12. (323) 466-3456 , americancinemathequecalendar.com.
The Color of Pomegranates; Credit: Armenfilm
The Color of Pomegranates is Sergei Parajanov's hypnotically beautiful tribute to the art of Qajar, the Iranian dynasty that ruled Persia for more than a century. The lavishly dressed figures that appear onscreen rarely speak; they are as carefully painted and decorated as wax figures. The casual viewer, while mesmerized, might feel lost in this sea of imagery. Thankfully, Martiros M. Vartanov of the Parajanov-Vartanov Institute will be on hand to provide historical context. LACMA screens the film in conjunction with the exhibition “In the Fields of Empty Days: The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art.” LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; Sun., July 29, 1 p.m.; free. (323) 857-6000, lacma.org.
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