Film Appreciation
Kurt F. Stone, D.D., is in his 23rd year with Osher LLI. His passion for film is, he says, “genetic,” having been born in Hollywood, CA and raised both in and around the movie industry. A graduate of the University of California (B.A.), the Eagleton Institute of Politics and the Hebrew Union College (M.A.H.L. and D.D.), Professor Stone is the best-selling author of two books on the United States Congress and is currently continuing work on a massive history of Hollywood entitled “In the Land of Mink-Lined Pools.” A much sought-after lecturer, medical ethicist, occasional actor and ordained rabbi, his political op-ed column, “The K.F. Stone Weekly,” has, over the past 15 years, developed an international following. He now has a second blog called “Tales From Hollywood & Vine.”
Student Testimonials
- “Dr. Stone is very informative and knowledgeable about the movie industry and brings a great deal of personal and historical information forward and following the movie presentations.”
- “Dr. Stone has a wide breadth, depth and personal knowledge of movies and the film industry which makes his remarks about movies and the film industry interesting as well as educational.”
Cinematic Chemistry: That Inexplicable "Something"
Since the days when movies were called “flickers,” “moving
pictures” and “galloping ghost types,” the creation of that
indescribable something called “cinematic chemistry” has been
as profitable as it has been elusive. The first movie team to
display ideal “chemistry” was the corpulent John Bunny and
cadaverous Flora Finch. Despite the fact that in real life the two
cordially hated one another, they managed to turn out an
amazing 160+ films as a husband and wife team between
1910–1915.
In this eight-week course, we will view films which represent
some of the best “chemical pairings” in all Hollywood history.
Together, perhaps we will discover what makes some pairs
“click” and “sizzle,” while others are just going through the
motions.
Eight Lectures
- William Powell/ Myrna Loy — “Evelyn Prentice” (1934) - The neglected wife of a high profile attorney dallies with an
unscrupulous womanizer and finds herself involved in
blackmail and murder.
- Janet Gaynor/Charles Farrell — “Seventh Heaven” (1927) - In this iconic film, a street cleaner saves a young woman’s life
and the pair slowly fall in love until war intervenes. For her
efforts, Miss Gaynor won the first Academy Award for Best
Actress.
- Clark Gable/Joan Crawford — “Possessed” (1931) - Crawford is a factory worker who hopes to trade the assembly
line for a beautiful penthouse apartment. Gable, a wealthy and
influential lawyer can make her dreams come true, but there is
only one problem: he will give her everything except a marriage
proposal.
- James Cagney/Pat O’Brien — “Angels With Dirty Faces” (1938) - These two consummate Irish-American actors made nine movies
together. In this one, Cagney and O’Brien play boyhood friends
who take distinctly different paths: O’Brien becomes a priest,
Cagney a hood. The priest does everything in his power to keep
his friend the gangster from corrupting a group of
street kids.
- Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havallind — “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938) - The third of eight pairings, of which one can easily say, “They
just don’t make films like this anymore.” When Prince John and
the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King
Richard’s absence, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader
of a rebel guerrilla army.
- Red Macmurray/Claudette Colbert — “No Time for Love” (1943) - Colbert plays an upper-class female reporter who is, despite
herself, attracted to Fred MacMurray, a hulking laborer digging a
tunnel under the Hudson River. A screwball farce of a film.
- Clark Gable/Jean Harlow — “Red Dust” (1932) - Gable stars as the owner of an Indochinese rubber plantation.
During a dusty, dry monsoon, a boat brings an unwelcome
guest: Harlow, playing Vantine, a floozy from Saigon who
is attempting to evade the police. Erotic sparks fly in this
“pre-Code” film.
- Barbara Stanwyck/George Brent — “So Big” (1932) - Stanwyck plays Selena, a once well-to-do young lady who is
now a teacher in a small rural community. The picture depicts
Selena’s life throughout the years. Her greatest triumph is her
student Roelf Pool (Brent) who grows up to become a worldfamous
sculptor.
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| Course # W8M5 — Full 8 Weeks
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Mondays, January 14, 28; February 4, 11, 18, 25; March 4, 11 2019 |
| Time: | 7 - 9 PM |
| Fee: | $80 / member; $110 / non-member |
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Register Now
Back By Popular Demand: An Evening With Sholem Aleichem
Reprising a Much Loved Performance
“A wise word is not a substitute for a piece of herring
or a bag of oats...” So says Tevya — father, husband,
milkman and philosopher — the most famous
creation of Sholem Aleichem, the “Father of Yiddish
Literature.” Aleichem, the nom de plume of Sholem
Rabinowitz (1859–1916), was, and is, one of the
world’s most universally beloved authors. Often
called “The Jewish Mark Twain,” Aleichem wrote
hundreds of stories, plays, novels and essays that
portrayed the love, laughter, wiles and weltanschauung of a lost world. Professor Stone has
been performing his acclaimed one-man show of
Sholem Aleichem for more than 40 years, and the
hundreds of performances have drawn rave reviews
throughout America, Europe and even Australia.
Through the course of our “visit,” Stone/Aleichem
weaves the story of “his” life into tales of Tevya,
Golda, Menachem Mendel and the people of
Kasrilevke.
A performance not to be missed!
Register Early! There is a $5 charge for registering on the day of a one-time lecture or event.
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| Course # W1T8 — One Time Event
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Tuesday, February 19 2019 |
| Time: | 7 - 8:30 PM |
| Fee: | $25 / member; $35 / non-member |
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Register Now
