Cinema Classics night to return to Gateway

Julianne Kerver
Wed, 29 Jan 2020 02:45:25 +0000
Arts & Life, Entertainment, Movies, News, audrey, audrey hepburn, breakfast at tiffany's, cinema, cinema classics, classic, film center, film series, gateway, gateway film center, hepburn, my fair lady, npr, public radio, radio, roman holiday, series, wcbe

The Gateway Film Center will host the Cinema Classics series starting Jan. 29. Credit: Courtesy of Media Archives

Audrey Hepburn is making her way back to the big screen this week for a three-part series at Gateway Film Center.

On the last Wednesday of every month starting this week, Gateway Film Center will host a screening of an Audrey Hepburn film as part of its Cinema Classics series, a collaboration between Gateway and the Cinema Classics radio show that airs at 8 p.m. Thursdays on WCBE.

The film series will begin with the 1954 “Roman Holiday,” directed by William Wyler, followed by the Feb. 26 showing of the 1964 “My Fair Lady,” directed by George Cukor, and the March 25 showing of the 1961 “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” directed by Blake Edwards.

In addition to the film screening, John DeSando and Johnny DiLoretto, radio hosts of Cinema Classics, will record a radio show and talk about the movie with the audience, DeSando said.

He added that he and DiLoretta will discuss the film for about 10 minutes before turning to the audience for discussion.

“This is the film center’s attempt to introduce new audiences to classic films and also older audiences who don’t get the chance to see those films on the big screen anymore,” DiLoretto said.

DiLorretto said he thinks audiences today often misunderstand older films. He cited older acting and writing styles, dated special effects and black-and-white film as some potential barriers for younger viewers.

“It takes a minute to adjust to the historical period, to the differences, but it all starts to just make sense, and it’s a lot of fun to see the differences and to not put them down,” DiLoretto said. “People weren’t stupider then. Things were just different, and sometimes when you look at it that way, older films can offer you so much more because they’re so different than what we’re used to.”

While this event may be new to students, it isn’t anything out of the ordinary for DeSando and DiLoretto, who said he and DeSando did the film series about six years ago and continued it for about a year.

DeSando said he hopes audience members not only enjoy the screenings, but gain new insights into the films.

“The film center and John and I are just really excited about getting people into the theater to see them again,” DiLoretto said.

The three-part Cinema Classics event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gateway Film Center with a happy hour, presentation, radio show recording and showing of “Roman Holiday,” according to Gateway’s website. Tickets cost $5.