A little bit of Tucson's cinematic history is coming alive this Thursday, Aug. 7 over at the Loft Cinema. The Loft is screening Howard Hawks' 1966 Western El Dorado, filmed at Old Tucson Studios, starring John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Ed Asner and a young 'n' wily James Caan. The Duke plays gunslinger Cole Thornton; Mitchum is a boozing sheriff; Asner is the villainous rancher Bart Jason; and Caan is an eager highwayman named Mississippi. Cindy Mitchum, Robert's niece, is presenting the film at 7 p.m. I'm assuming she'll have stories on top of stories. Head out early for a pre-film reception on the Loft's patio at 6:30 p.m. For ticket prices and other info, visit loftcinema.com.
Alright now, boppers, you're gonna want to head over to the Loft on Friday, Aug. 8 or Saturday, Aug. 9, for a screening of The Warriors, that real live bunch from Coney. Word on the street is The Baseball Furies, The Moonrunners, The Lizzies and The Electric Eliminators are combing the back-alleys and mean streets of the big NYC looking for these bad dudes. After shooting the main man Cyrus, the Warriors are gonna have to bop their way past every major player from The Bronx back to Coney. The Gramercy Riffs have sent the word: They want the Warriors, alive—or wasted. Both screenings are at 10 p.m. General admission is $6, $5 for Loft members. Behave yourselves in the theater, boppers.
Also on Saturday, the Loft presents "Loft Jr.," a new and free monthly series dedicated to current and classic family-friendly films. First up is Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill Jr., a delightful silent-film romp from 1928. The film starts at 10 a.m., and there are pre-film activities for the kiddies provided by the Mildred & Dildred Toy Store starting at 9:15 a.m.
Cinema La Placita is also starting a new series this month, "Comedy Teams." This will close out their 2014 season (their 15th year!). On Thursday, Aug. 7, catch the 1942 flick Woman of the Year, starring the lovable on-and-off screen duo, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Hepburn is an international affairs correspondent, and Tracy plays an affable sports journalist who falls in love with her. After the two get married, she refuses to settle down. This was the first film out of nine that Hepburn and Tracy made together, and quite a while before the two started a real-life romance. Woman of the Year starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are always $3, and also snags you a delicious bag of popcorn.
The Fox Theatre is presenting that sweaty Academy-Award winning classic A Streetcar Named Desire on Saturday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 10 at 2 p.m. Streetcar stars Marlon Brando as the savage Stanley Kowalski and Vivian Leigh as the fragile debutante Blanche Du Bois. The seedy side of New Orleans plays itself, naturally.
