Ticket Giveaway this Sunday for "Lawrence of Arabia 50th Anniversary Event" on October 4th

The 35^th Academy Awards ceremony, honoring the films of 1962, took place at Santa Monica's Civic Auditorium on April 8^th, 1963. Frank Sinatra, who nearly missed the event because he forgot his parking pass, hosted the festivities. The big winner that evening was David Lean’s epic production of Lawrence of Arabia, winner of seven golden
statuettes - for:

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Art Direction/color
• Cinematography/color
• Film Editing
• Music Score
• Sound

The film also garnered nominations for Peter O’Toole in the Best Actor category, Omar Sharif as Best Supporting Actor and for its screenplay.

1962 was not a mediocre movie year - among other notable films that season were The Birdman of Alcatraz, Cape Fear, Days of Wine and Roses, Dr. No (the first James Bond film), Gypsy, How the West Was Won (one of only two dramatic feature films made using the three-strip Cinerama process), Jules and Jim, To Kill a Mockingbird, Knife in the Water, Lolita, The Longest Day, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Manchurian Candidate, The Miracle Worker, The Music Man and Ride the High Country. Lean’s sweeping tale, filmed in Super Panavision 70 and based on the legendary experiences of British Army lieutenant T.E. Lawrence in Arabia during World War I, became a legend in its own right and is today listed as #7 on the AFI’s “100 Greatest Movies of All Time.”

Now, in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the film's release, Sony Pictures and Fathom Events presents Lawrence of Arabia 50^th Anniversary Event: Digitally Restored in theaters on Thursday, October 4. The 50^th anniversary restoration of the Director’s Cut was conducted with the latest digital imaging technology and went through a painstaking color grading and re-mastering process. This special event presentation features an introduction by Omar Sharif, newsreel footage of the film’s New York premiere as well as an interview with director and film preservation/restoration champion Martin Scorsese who talks about the film and its enduring influence.

Update: Congratulations to Lorraine in Illinois, winner of the ticket giveaway!

On Sunday, September 30, I’ll conduct a random drawing for a pair of tickets to the one-day-only screening. Please send your entry, including your name, mailing address (no P.O. boxes, please) and theater selection (for a list of participating theaters, click here) to ladyevesidwich@gmail.com. The winner will be notified immediately and tickets will be sent directly from Pure Brand Communications. This special presentation of Lawrence of Arabia screens at 7pm local time on October 4 in theaters nationwide.

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Five More Film Classics Coming to a Theater Near You

Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events are about to begin a film series in celebration of Universal's 100th anniversary with special movie theater presentations of four newly restored Universal classics.

On Wednesday, September 19, "The Birds is coming" - again - and Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 thriller will screen in select theaters around the country at 7pm local time. Oscar-nominated for special effects, the film is arguably Hitchcock's last great classic. TCM's Robert Osborne will provide an introduction and present an interview with the film's leading lady, Tippi Hedren, who shares her memories of working with Hitchcock and filming The Birds (1963). Archival TCM footage of Hedren's co-stars Rod Taylor and Suzanne Pleshette are also included.

Next up, in a spectacular lead-in to Halloween, is a double feature on Wednesday, October 24, of two James Whale horror classics, Frankenstein (1931) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Again, TCM's Robert Osborne will introduce the films and will also present interviews from the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival with Boris Karloff's daughter, Sara, Bela Lugosi's son, Bela, Jr., and Oscar-winning make-up artist Rick Baker. Show time is 7pm local time.

  
On Thursday, November 15, TCM, Fathom and Universal will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the heartwarming and thought-provoking To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), a powerful drama nominated for eight Academy Awards and winner of three. Directed by Robert Mulligan and based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, the film stars Gregory Peck in an iconic Oscar-winning performance and features future Oscar-winner Robert Duvall in his first credited screen role. Included in the presentation is an introduction by TCM's Ben Mankiewicz who will share archival interviews with many who took part in the production. Screening of To Kill a Mockingbird begins at 7pm local time.

 

In addition, Fathom Events is partnering with Sony Pictures Entertainment to bring Lawrence of Arabia 50th Anniversary Event: Digitally Restored to the big screen on Thursday, October 4. Nominated for ten Academy Awards and winner of seven including Best Picture, the film was directed by David Lean and stars Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif. Special features include introduction of the film by the Oscar-nominated Sharif, newsreel footage of the film's original New York premiere and a discussion of the film by Oscar-winning director and film restoration champion, Martin Scorsese. Show time is 7pm local time.

Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Tickets for all four events are on sale now. Click here for more information on each special screening and links to state-by-state listings of participating theaters.

And now, a word on The Birds from Alfred Hitchcock...

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