Perhaps mindful that many families may not be able to afford a beach vacation that would allow them to see the ocean for themselves — or maybe because 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic — the library’s film coordinator Sam Shapiro has elected to showcase a nautical theme: Ships Ahoy!! 8 Classic Seafaring Films.
The series doesn’t begin until Saturday, June 16, but to give readers time to plan their entire summer around the programming, here are the eight films being shown. All movies will be screened at 2 p.m. Saturdays in the Wells Fargo Playhouse at ImaginOn. As always, admission is free.
June 16: A Night to Remember (1958). Long before Leo and Kate locked eyes, the tragic tale of the Titanic was brought to the screen in this British production based on Sir Walter Lord’s novel.
June 23: Lifeboat (1944). Alfred Hitchcock’s minor classic is set entirely aboard the title vessel, as the survivors of a downed ship during World War II try to keep their heads above water.
June 30: The Black Pirate (1926). Douglas Fairbanks plays the title swashbuckler in this silent film (Ethan Uslan will provide the live piano accompaniment).
July 7: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). An Oscar nominee for Best Picture, this casts Russell Crowe as a heroic naval officer and Paul Bettany as his confidante.
July 14: The Crimson Pirate (1952). Burt Lancaster mixes action and humor in this high-seas romp that also finds Christopher Lee essaying a small role.
July 21: Billy Budd (1962). This adaptation of the Herman Melville work casts Terence Stamp as the title character; a naive and gentle crew member toiling aboard an 18th-century British ship, he’s beloved by everyone except the cruel master-at-arms (Robert Ryan).
July 28: The Sea Hawk (1940). Errol Flynn’s second nautical gem (the first was 1935’s Captain Blood) finds him cast as a British seafarer fighting against France for queen and country.
Aug. 4: Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). An Oscar winner for Best Picture, this finds seaman Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable, above left) leading a rebellion against the sadistic Captain Bligh (Charles Laughton, above right).
This article appears in Jun 13-19, 2012.
What? Where’s “The Boatniks”?
But seriously, other movies that could have fit the theme as well:
Run Silent, Run Deep
Operation Petticoat
The Enemy Below
Moby Dick
The Old Man and the Sea
The Caine Mutiny
Mister Rogers
Mister Rogers? The grinning kids’ TV host? I don’t think so.
Of course, there’s Mister Roberts, with Henry Fonda, James Cagney and Jack Lemmon. That one’s set on a boat.
LOL, Pokeinthenose’s film knowledge is about as shallow as his political knowledge.