Sep
28
Pictured: Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in a scene from SWING TIME, 1936.
September 28, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Beverly Hills, CA – “Swing Time” (1936), one of the silver screen’s most amusing and romantic musicals, will be presented as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ George Stevens Lecture on Directing series at on Tuesday, October 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The film will be introduced by director, producer, actor and comedian David Steinberg, who considers the film his favorite.
Pictured: Hermes Pan, Fred Astaire, and George Stevens during the production of SWING TIME, 1936.
Directed by Stevens, “Swing Time” stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and features songs composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The songs include “A Fine Romance,” Pick Yourself Up,” “Waltz in Swing Time” and the Oscar®-winning “The Way You Look Tonight.” Choreographer Hermes Pan received an Academy Award® nomination for Dance Direction for the “Bojangles of Harlem” number, Astaire’s tribute to Bill Robinson.
A pristine black-and-white print from the Academy Film Archive will be screened. The feature will be preceded by rare interview footage with Ginger Rogers and Hermes Pan recalling their work on the film.
The event is the latest installment of a lecture series named for the prolific producer-director who enjoyed the autonomy, respect and creative freedom that few did during Hollywood’s studio era. While his films as a whole defy easy description, they all reflect a definitive filmmaking style as well as a unique and nuanced view of American life and values. His many other notable films include the Best Picture nominees “The Talk of the Town” (1942), “A Place in the Sun” (1951), “Shane” (1953) and “Giant” (1956), two of which (“A Place in the Sun” and “Giant”) earned him Directing Oscars®. In 1953 Stevens received the Academy’s Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, which honors a producer’s body of work.
Tickets for “Swing Time” will go on sale October 1. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. They may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the program when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information visit www.oscars.org.
Pictured: Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in a scene from SWING TIME, 1936.
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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.
