Classic Film Paradise

I recently had the great opportunity to view some of the greatest classic films on the big screen: Bringing up Baby and Singing in the Rain. These two films were played at a local classic film festival in downtown Charleston, WV. Walking into the grand, old theater that was hosting the festival is like taking a step back into the age of vaudeville and the Golden Age of Hollywood. Its beautifully detailed procenium and rich color palate gave the perfect setting for a night of reminiscing to an age where films were still made with the care and grace that is now rare. The theater was built in 1912, so it likely played the original releases of both of these films, making the experience ever more poignant.

As the lights dimmed and the and the buzzing of the speakers (speakers that have probably been in use since the 50s) filled the room with a nostalgic presence, the opening titles of Bringing up Baby rolled and I was transported to a classic film paradise. The music resonated throught the room, echoing off the walls that heard this film for the first time in 1938. From the first scence of Cary Grant trying desparately to reconstruct a dinosaur skeleton, I saw on the screen a film as fresh as the day it was made. Of course, this sense of freshness was not complete without the magnificent Katharine Hepburn. She seems to transcend time with her irresistible charm, wit, and her beguiling smile. The final thing that solidified this feeling was the laughter of the audience that filled the theater at the hilarious screenplay and visual comedy that is so abundant in this brilliant film. Even the children in the audience were roaring with laughter at the scenes of the leopard and the frightened Cary Grant. A black and white film has never felt and seemed more colorful than Bringing up Baby did on that night.

After the film ended and the credits rolled, the audience roared with applause--something that rarely happens upon film-going today. The next film that played, with a slightly larger crowd, was the great musical Singing in the Rain. As soon as the opening sequence of Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, and Gene Kelly dancing and singing in the rain played, the audience cheered. The highlight of the night was definitely Gene Kelly's "Singing in the Rain" sequence that has become one of the most recognized scenes in film history. It is one of the greatest moments I have ever experienced at the movies--it alone was worth the price of admission. It is an experience of pure joy! The audience applauded after every musical number--everyone was taken captive by the film's charm. The entire film with its technicolor wonders, loveable scratches on the film reel, and the great musical numbers that never seem to age, made a perfect end to my evening back in the Golden Age of Hollywood. The words of the song "Singing in the Rain" summarize perfectly the feeling of seeing these timeless classics how they were intended to be seen: "What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again!"

But apart from the joys of seeing these great classics, I found a new hope for the future of filmmaking in a great turn of retrospection at the reaction of the audience to the films and their enthusiasm. There were many more people attending than I had imagined, and they all seemed to be enjoying the films just as if they were going to a newly released film in a modern theater. I realized that maybe film isn't dead, and that some people still have exceptional taste in what they choose to view. While looking to the past for an evening, I became inspired and ready to see a new Golden Age of cinema that other generations can cherish just as today's audiences cherish the classics I had the pleasure of viewing.