Gregory La Cava Series at UCLA

Last November and December I was fortunate to attend several screenings which were part of a UCLA series celebrating the career of director Mitchell Leisen.

This year UCLA has another terrific director series lined up for the final two months of the year. Our Man Gregory La Cava opens at UCLA this Friday, November 8th, and runs through December 18th.

14 films directed by Gregory La Cava will be screened in UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood. The majority of the films will screen in 35mm, with five titles to be shown in 16mm.

The series kicks off on Friday with one of the greatest of all screwball comedies, MY MAN GODFREY (1936), starring Carole Lombard and William Powell. It's screening with THE HALF NAKED TRUTH (1932) starring Lupe Velez and Lee Tracy.

I hope to be there Saturday evening for a screening of STAGE DOOR (1937), with a remarkable cast of actresses including Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, and Ann Miller.

I love STAGE DOOR but have been fortunate to see it on a big screen in the past, as well as many times on DVD, so I'm especially excited to see the other film on the double bill, Ginger Rogers in 5TH AVENUE GIRL (1939). I've only seen 5TH AVENUE GIRL once and enjoyed it very much. It also stars Walter Connolly, Verree Teasdale, James Ellison, and Tim Holt.

I'm also hoping to attend the November 23rd screening of Robert Montgomery, Irene Dunne, and Preston Foster in UNFINISHED BUSINESS (1941), which I've only seen once in a terrible DVD print. What a rare opportunity to see this film with three great favorites in 35mm!

UNFINISHED BUSINESS is playing with LADY IN A JAM (1942), starring Dunne and Patric Knowles. When I saw it on DVD I wasn't impressed, but it's a short film and I'll probably sit through it again to see if I like it any better the second time.

Another favorite film showing in the series is Claudette Colbert and Melvyn Douglas in SHE MARRIED HER BOSS (1935) on Monday, December 8th.

Other titles being shown in the coming weeks include Ann Harding in GALLANT LADY (1933) and Constance Bennett and Joel McCrea in BED OF ROSES (1933). Check the schedule for a complete list of titles and dates.

Also happening soon at UCLA: An Evening With George Chakiris on Saturday, November 16th, features a screening of THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1967), and the series Archive Treasure: Remembering Charles Hopkins concludes on November 24th with a screening of NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947).