“It’s a Mad Men’s World” Film Series at BMFI: Five-film Series Celebrates AMC's Mad Men
June 28, 2012
Bryn Mawr, PA—Can’t wait for the next season of AMC’s Mad Men? Mad Men aficionados and movie lovers alike are invited to come enjoy the “It’s a Mad Men’s World” film series at Bryn Mawr Film Institute this summer. Discover the Mad Men connections in five vintage films on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm beginning with The Apartment on July 11, and continuing with How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on July 18, Masculin Féminin on July 25, a Bye Bye Birdie Sing-along on August 1, and All That Heaven Allows on August 8. Patrons who would like to learn more about The Apartment and All That Heaven Allows may also register for the one-night Summer Classics Seminars about these two classic films.
The Apartment—July 11 @ 7:00 pm
Billy Wilder won Oscars for Best Director and Best Screenplay for his bittersweet 1960 comedy, The Apartment. Jack Lemmon stars as an aspiring New York insurance man who lends his apartment to his bosses for their extramarital affairs in the hopes of receiving a much desired promotion, though he can’t catch a break when it comes to his own crush on a comely elevator operator (Shirley MacLaine). Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner has cited The Apartment as a major influence. Bryn Mawr Film Institute will show The Apartment on Wednesday, July 11 at 7:00 pm on 35 mm.
For those interested in learning more about The Apartment, Bryn Mawr Film Institute will offer a Summer Classics Seminar in conjunction with the in-theater screening. Summer Classics Seminars are one-session, stand-alone classes that include a lecture, discussion, and reading about a classic film along with admission to the in-theater screening, popcorn, and a drink. This seminar on The Apartment will be taught by Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D.
Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s Director of Education and one of its most popular instructors, Dr. Douglas earned his Ph.D. from Northwestern University’s Department of Radio/Television/Film. In addition to teaching this seminar and moderating the Film History Discussion Series, Dr. Douglas will also teach a four-week course on Alfred Hitchcock: The Early Years in July as well as Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s four-week introduction to film, The Language of Film, in September. He has previously taught classes on diverse subjects including Orson Welles, Sidney Lumet, Jews in American Cinema, melodrama, 1950s political films, movie musicals, and film noir at Bryn Mawr Film Institute.
Since 2008, in addition to his full-time duties at Bryn Mawr Film Institute, Dr. Douglas has been a Professional Lecturer in the English Department of Cabrini College, where he designs and teaches their film studies courses. Dr. Douglas has presented papers at the annual conferences of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies and the International Association of Media and History and has written for The Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television and The Business History Review, published by Harvard Business School.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying—July 18 @ 7:00 pm
Robert Morse reprises his Broadway role in 1967’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, a hit musical about J. Pierpont Finch, an ambitious window washer who transforms into a New York executive with the help of his “How To…” guidebook. Fans of AMC’s Mad Men will recognize Morse as agency partner Bert Cooper and note a resemblance between Don Draper’s and Finch’s rises up the corporate ladder. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying will be shown on Wednesday, July 18 at 7:00 pm on 35 mm.
Masculin Féminin—July 25 @ 7:00 pm
Masculin Féminin stars Jean-Pierre Léaud (The 400 Blows) as a young French Marxist who approaches the future with both fear and uncertainty after being discharged from the French army. As his girlfriend’s singing career flourishes, the young man begins to isolate himself more and more from his family and fellow “children of Marx and Coca-Cola”. To get inspiration for his innovative campaigns, Don Draper’s been known to take in a matinee, once skipping work to see a French New Wave film like this one. Masculin Féminin will be shown on Wednesday, July 25 at 7:00 pm on 35 mm.
Bye Bye Birdie Sing-along—August 1 @ 7:00 pm
Featuring an all-star cast including Dick Van Dyke, Ann Margret, and Janet Leigh, Bye Bye Birdie is a classic musical about the chaos that ensues when rock-and-roll star Conrad Birdie visits a small Ohio town for his final concert before heading off to war. Inspired by Elvis Presley’s induction into the army in 1958, Bye Bye Birdie remains one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals. In Season 3 of Mad Men, Bye Bye Birdie served as the inspiration for an important ad campaign for Patio diet cola. This sing-along screening of Bye Bye Birdie on Wednesday, August 1 at 7:00 pm is also part of Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s Singin’ in the Summer series. The Bye Bye Birdie sing-along will begin with a live performance from the actors in the Footlighters Theater production of Bye Bye Birdie, on stage now. Guests who wear a costume receive a free small popcorn!
All That Heaven Allows—August 8 @ 7:00 pm
The series concludes with All That Heaven Allows, the story of the budding love between a lonely New England widow (Jane Wyman) and her gardener (Rock Hudson). This unlikely pair faces the evils of small-town gossip as they fight to make their romance last. This 1955 film, a classic Douglas Sirk melodrama, was chosen in honor of Mad Men’s Betty Draper Francis and the societal pressures she faces. All That Heaven Allows will be shown at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, August 8 on 35 mm.
For those who want to learn more about All That Heaven Allows, Bryn Mawr Film Institute is offering a Summer Classics Seminar about the film. A one-session, stand-alone class that includes a lecture, discussion, and readings about All That Heaven Allows as well as admission to the in-theater screening and popcorn and a drink, this seminar will be taught by Alice Bullitt, M.A.
Alice Bullitt received her M.A. in English Literature and Film Studies from Claremont Graduate University in Southern California. She joined Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s staff in 2005 and, as Programming Manager, curated the theater’s Cinematheque series. Now a member of Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s faculty and Board, she has taught classes on topics including literary adaptation, melodrama, and portrayals of vampires onscreen. Most recently, she led a Summer Classics Seminar on All About Eve.
Tickets
Tickets for the screenings of The Apartment, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Masculin Féminin, the Bye Bye Birdie Sing-along, and All That Heaven Allows are $10.00 general admission, $7.00 for seniors and students with ID, and $5.00 for Bryn Mawr Film Institute members. Advance tickets are available in person at the Box Office and online at BrynMawrFilm.org and MovieTickets.com. For a full schedule of upcoming events and classes, visit www.BrynMawrFilm.org.
Summer Classic Seminars include a lecture, a discussion, and an in-theater screening, as well as popcorn and a drink. Each seminar begins at 6:30 pm in Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s second floor Multimedia Room; the films will screen in the theater at 7:00 pm. Each seminar is $30 for general admission and $25 for Bryn Mawr Film Institute members. Register online at www.BrynMawrFilm.org or call 610-527-4008 x106.
About Bryn Mawr Film Institute
Bryn Mawr Film Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to restoring the historic Bryn Mawr Theater and transforming it into the region’s preeminent film entertainment and education center. Founded in 2002 by Main Line academic, business, and civic leaders, Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents a daily program of first-run and repertory art and independent films and provides a comprehensive film studies curriculum, including courses, workshops, discussions, guest lecturers, visual literacy programs, and student screening opportunities. To learn about upcoming events or find news about the theater’s restoration project, visit www.BrynMawrFilm.org, or write to Info@BrynMawrFilm.org.
###
News RSS Feed
