Stage 33 Live and WOOL.fm to screen 1930s films

On Thursdays in February at 6:00 PM at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Stage 33 Live and WOOL.fm will screen a series of films from 1930 newly entered into the public domain. $5 suggested donation at the door, but nobody will be turned away for lack of money.

February 5: King of Jazz + Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shorts.
A pair of cartoons starring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, precursor to Mickey Mouse… then King of Jazz, a lavish series of musical numbers, comedy sketches, and visual set pieces showcasing the possibilities of sound cinema and color filmmaking at the dawn of the 1930s. The film revels in Art Deco-inspired design and the use of two-color Technicolor, and celebrates popular music of the era. Highlights include performances by Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, appearances by the Rhythm Boys (including a young Bing Crosby), and a striking “Rhapsody in Blue” sequence. Runtime 1 hour 57 minutes, includes brief intermission.

February 12: All Quiet on the Western Front.
A German youth eagerly enters World War I, but his enthusiasm wanes as he gets a firsthand view of the horror. Considered a realistic and harrowing account of warfare in World War I, the film opened to wide acclaim in the United States. In 1990, it was selected and preserved by the United States Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. The film was the first to win the Academy Awards for both Outstanding Production and Best Director, and it is the first Best Picture-winner based on a finished novel. Runtime 2 hours 14 minutes, includes brief intermission.

February 19: Hell’s Angels.
A feat of adventure filmmaking and a testament to the audacious, spare-no-expense vision of Howard Hughes, this landmark aviation epic remains exhilarating. With the onset of World War I, two British brothers recruited into the Royal Flying Corps find their bond tested by their differing attitudes toward the war and their love for the same woman (Jean Harlow in her bombshell breakthrough). The product of a notoriously long and dangerous production that resulted in the deaths of multiple crew members, Hell’s Angels broke new technical ground, making use of early sound and color technologies, and capturing some of the most thrilling dogfight scenes ever filmed. Runtime 2 hours 13 minutes, includes brief intermission.

February 26: Animal Crackers + Soup to Nuts DOUBLE FEATURE.
· Based on the Marx Brothers’ 1928 stage musical, Animal Crackers is set at a Long Island society party honoring eccentric African explorer Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding (Groucho), the film serves as a vehicle for the Marx Brothers’ comedy and absurdist routines, with a minimal plot loosely structured around the theft of a valuable painting. The film’s humor and surrealist elements influenced comedy filmmaking and earned recognition from avant-garde critics and filmmakers.
· In Soup to Nuts, Mr. Schmidt’s costume store is bankrupt because he spends his time on Rube Goldberg-style inventions. The creditors send a young manager who falls for Schmidt’s niece Louise, but she’ll have none of him. Schmidt’s friends and some goofy firemen try to help out, and things come to a slapstick head when Louise needs rescuing from a fire. It was the film debut of the original four members who would later go on to become known as The Three Stooges. Runtime 2 hours 50 minutes, includes brief intermission.

WOOL.fm is a volunteer-run community radio station celebrating its 20th year of broadcasting music and talk from its studio at 33 Bridge Street. The station is entirely supported by memberships, contributions, and underwriting — 100% propelled by the good will of the community it serves. Find them at 91.5 FM in the broadcast footprint, or streaming everywhere from the www.wool.fm website.

Stage 33 Live is a casual and intimate industrial-rustic listening room in a former factory. No bar or kitchen; coffee / soda / juice / water and weird snacks available. Stage 33 Live gratefully acknowledges the help of so many individuals without whom none of this would be able to happen, and institutional support this season from The Island Corporation, WOOL-FM, Guilford Sound, and the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project to help fund improvements and maintenance, and generally smooth out a lot of the rough edges. Stage 33 Live is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and all donations are deductible to the fullest extent. Volunteers run the thing from stem to stern. More information about the nonprofit, all-volunteer project, and this and other upcoming events, online at stage33live.com