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Valley Art celebrates UA Anniversary
TEMPE, AZ — The Harkins gem, the Valley Art Theatre will mark 90 years of United Artists with a film series.
Conceived by movie stars, killed by “Heaven’s Gate” and resurrected by Tom Cruise, United Artists has arguably the most bizarre, turbulent history of any American movie studio.
By the same token, the brainchild of silent era legends Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith also boasts one of the most impressive archives in Hollywood — James Bond, The Pink Panther and Sergio Leone’s “spaghetti” Westerns all sprang into America’s pop culture consciousness because of UA stewardship.
Starting today , the Harkins Valley Art Theatre in Tempe will host a weeklong series honoring the 90th anniversary of the on-again, off-again studio. And the saga isn’t over yet. Cruise and his producing partner, Paula Wagner, recently acquired a minority stake in the company and will use it as an audience-friendly brand for their film projects.
Get the full story in the East Valley Tribune.
Comments (2)
This UA 90th Anniversary tribute is actually touring the nation. It hits LA’s Nuart Theatre on May 2nd and is showing classics such as “The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly,” “The Great Escape,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “Dr. No,” “Annie Hall,” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.” I hear that this tribute will also hit Arclight Hollywood in June.
The tribute is also currently playing at the Film Forum at West Houston Street in New York City. I am (tentatively) planning to see a double feature of “City Light” and “Modern Times” there next week. Believe it or not, I’ve NEVER seen a silent film on screen! Shame on me!