Elsa Maxwell

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

Carey Wilson, Janet Gaynor

This 1940 presentation features highlights of earlier (1928 onward) Oscar ceremonies including Shirley Temple and Walt Disney, plus acceptance speeches for films released in 1939 with recipients and presenters including Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland, Hattie McDaniel, Fay Bainter, Mickey Rooney, Thomas Mitchell, Sinclair Lewis, and more, with host Bob Hope.

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Stanley Sheff, Bruce Goldstein

Gig Young, Bud Abbott

Out-takes (mostly from Warner Bros.), promotional shorts, movie premieres, public service pleas, wardrobe tests, documentary material, and archival footage make up this star-studded voyeuristic look at the Golden age of Hollywood during the 30s, 40, and 50.

Callas Assoluta

Philippe Kohly

María Callas, Jean Cocteau

This revealing documentary from director Philippe Kohly examines the storied life of renowned soprano Maria Callas, from her troubled childhood in New York City to her scandal-laden but triumphant international career in opera. Featuring archival interviews with Callas herself and footage of contemporaries such as her lover Aristotle Onassis, this celebration of "La Divina" pays tribute to her enduring legacy some three decades after her death.

Rhapsody in Blue

Irving Rapper

Robert Alda, Joan Leslie

Fictionalized biography of George Gershwin and his fight to bring serious music to Broadway.

Hotel for Women

Gregory Ratoff

Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern

Guests at a women's residence club help a jilted small-town girl turn to modelling.

Public Deb No. 1

Gregory Ratoff

George Murphy, Brenda Joyce

When a waiter gives a society girl a public spanking for attending a Communist rally, her soup-tycoon uncle makes the waiter a vice-president of his company.

Hollywood Goes to Town

Herman Hoffman

Judy Garland, Spencer Tracy

This short shows how Hollywood gets ready for the world premiere of an "important" movie. The film celebrated here is Marie Antoinette (1938), which had its premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre. We see the street leading to the theatre transformed to suggest a garden that might be seen in a French palace. This includes the placement of trees and other foliage, as well as large statues along the route. Grandstands are set up so fans can see their favorite stars as they arrive for the premiere. Finally, the proverbial "galaxy of stars" arrives in their limousines. Fanny Brice and Pete Smith make remarks at the microphone set up on the carpet outside the theatre.

Stage Door Canteen

Frank Borzage

Judith Anderson, Kenny Baker

A young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen, where famous stars of the theater and films appear and host a recreational center for servicemen during the war. The soldier meets a pretty young hostess and they enjoy the many entertainers and a growing romance

Main Street to Broadway

Tay Garnett

Tallulah Bankhead, Agnes Moorehead

In New York, a surly, down-on-his-heels playwright meets a country girl who's giving up trying to act and returning home. He goes with her for inspiration when his agent convinces a stage star to take his next effort. When he returns to Broadway, his girl stays behind and starts seeing a local businessman.

The Lady and the Lug

William C. McGann

Elsa Maxwell, Maxie Rosenbloom

In this comedic short, a reporter wins a boxer's contract and decides to stage an exhibition fight for a society ladies' Milk Fund benefit bazaar.