By Kathy Collins
If the summer heat is too much and you are looking for a fun indoor activity, then check out the Tampa Theatre’s 25th Annual Summer Classic Series. The movies for the month of August are true classics. Jill Witecki with the Tampa Theatre said, “With this being the 25th year of our Summer Classic Movie Series and the Tampa Theatre’s 90th birthday, we built this series with films also celebrating landmark anniversaries. This month, Fritz Lang’s M is the oldest at 85 and All The President’s Men is the baby at 40.”
On Sunday, August 7 you can see the “baby” Witecki referred to and enjoy the thriller, All The President’s Men, starring Dustin Hoffman as reporter Carl Bernstein and Robert Redford as reporter Bob Woodward. All The President’s Men strives to reinforce the importance of a free and independent national press, the fearsome peril of unchecked power, and how gravitationally charismatic Hoffman and Redford can be.
Next, on Sunday, August 14 come see the proto film noir M. This Fritz Lang film tells the story of blame and judgment and our own responsibility for the dark at the heart of human life. It is as relevant today as it was in 1931.
On Sunday, August 21, you can see the great Sydney Poitier in A Raisin In The Sun. The movie, which debuted in 1961, was adapted from an acclaimed play and is an unblinking, stark examination of the midcentury African-American experience.
Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of The Maltese Falcon on Sunday, August 28. This film was John Huston’s directorial debut and is thought to be the definitive film noir. From the cinematography, to the script, to the score, all the way down to the way Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart, dresses and holds his cigarette, The Maltese Falcon established rules for the genre that would hold true for decades.
All films begin at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for Tampa Theatre members. The tickets are available at the Box Office or online at tampatheatre.org. It is located at 711 N. Franklin St.
