Film Class, Cameo Cinema
Film Class
Film Class was created to provide a forum for nurturing a deeper understanding of film culture and to keep the tradition of the film-going experience alive here in the Napa Valley. This series was created by Ian McIver. Ian will rotate Film Class with David Garden through the summer.
FILM CLASS 2023
Tuesdays at 1:00 pm / Tickets at door/$10
Film Class is made possible by your continued financial support through the Cameo Cinema Foundation.
FILM CLASS WILL BE ON HIATUS AFTER THE DECEMBER 5 SCREENING
November 2023 Film Class with David Garden
The Flms of Barbara Stanwyck
Stanwyck is the ultimate embodiment of the iconic stand-up dame. Barbara Stanwyck, along with Golden Age actresses like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, helped to redefine the typical role of women in film. Unlike the damsels in distress and happy housewives often shown in films during this era, Stanwyck portrayed a wide range of women, all having their own set of motives and ideals.
November 7
MEET JOHN DOE (1941)
Frank Capra's comedy-drama Meet John Doe stars Stanwyck opposite Gary Cooper. The film follows Ann, a young columnist who writes an angry letter, posing as a man named John Doe, claiming he'll kill himself on Christmas Eve out of despair for humanity's state. It’s political satire at its finest, with earnest commentary by characters throughout. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for its screenplay, and ranked #49 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Years.
November 14
THE LADY EVE (1941)
A classic of 1940s cinema,The Lady Eve is a masterclass in physical comedy. Stanwyck shines brightly as the mercurial and self-serving Jean, with Fonda acting as her perfect foil. A near-seamless mix of biting satire and hysterical slapstick, The Lady Eve is among the most famous and revered efforts of classic Hollywood.
November 21
BABY FACE (1933)
The quintessential pre-code movie, with Stanwyck as Lily Powers, a much-pawed waitress in her father’s grimy steel-town speakeasy, who vows to use men, not be used by them. With the help of a Nietzsche-quoting old cobbler and a black maid who is more of a friend than we are used to seeing in movies from the thirties and forties, she succeeds, spectacularly. Stanwyck’s Lily Powers is crass, shameless, and full of life.
November 28
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
Without a doubt, Double Indemnity is Babara Stanwyck's best and most instantly recognizable film. Billy Wilder's classic noir masterpiece stars Stanwyck as Phyllis Dietrichson, a manipulative housewife who convinces a hapless insurance salesman to kill her husband so they can charge the policy. Stanwyck remains the seminal femme fatale of noir cinema thanks to her now-legendary portrayal of Phyllis. Cold, provocative, and always in control, Phyllis is a monster of the big screen, and Stanwyck delivers a career-best performance in the role. Double Indemnity is a triumph of film noir, thanks mostly to Stanwyck's spectacular tour de force.
December 5 NEW
CHRISTMAS IN CONNETICUT (1945)
Journalist Elizabeth Lane is one of the country's most famous food writers. In her columns, she describes herself as a hard working farm woman, taking care of her children and being an excellent cook. But this is all lies. In reality she is an unmarried New Yorker who can't even boil an egg. The recipes come from her good friend Felix. The owner of the magazine she works for has decided that a heroic sailor will spend his Christmas on *her* farm. Miss Lane knows that her career is over if the truth comes out, but what can she do?