6 pm - Introduction by Michael Hornblow
Michael Hornblow is the son of one of Hollywood’s best known and most successful producers, Arthur Hornblow Jr., a fixture at M-G-M studios for most of his career -- "Gaslight" "Witness for the Prosecution," "Asphalt Jungle," to name just a few of his films, and, after he left M-G-M, "Oklahoma!" So Michael Hornblow brings to both the film and the preceding "Conversation" a wealth of knowledge of Hollywood, its producers, directors, stars … and, in fact, knew David O. Selznick, who many think was the real-life producer in this reel-life story,

7 pm - Dinner and the Film
Americans have been going to the movies for more than one hundred years but few movies have been made about Hollywood -- the stars, producers, directors, and movie making. This Classic Movie Night selection is not only about movie making, it is considered by many the best movie ever made about Hollywood. The 1953 film stars Kirk Douglas, Lana Turner, Dick Powell, Walter Pidgeon, Barry Sullivan, Gloria Grahame, and Gilbert Roland, and follows the career of Douglas, the son of a Hollywood producer. We meet Douglas at his father’s funeral, standing in the rain, paying off those he’s hired to attend the funeral in an effort to enhance his father’s prominence. Douglas achieves what his father did not, but … stepping over friends and colleagues at will in his rise. They do not stay down or dead, however; instead, they go on to achieve a prominence and stature he needs as the film opens. Question: will they forgive and help?

Because of its Hollywood heraldry this is timely scheduling, coming shortly before Hollywood’s biggest night -- The Academy Awards, February 24.

[Run time: 118 minutes]