A Night at the Opera.
The fourth annual Masters of Jewish Cinema series, presented by the Miami Jewish Film Festival and Miami Beach Cinematheque, celebrates classic Hollywood musicals most iconic films. The series will also honor the three pioneering studio heads, each of whom were European Jewish immigrants, who shaped the dominant narrative and visual styles of classical Hollywood, including Jack Warner of Warner Bros. Studio, Joseph Schenck of 20th Century Fox, and Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg of MGM.
From November 3 through 17, the three classic musicals will be shown in newly restored digital presentations for one-night-only at the Miami Beach Cinematheque and hosted by several special guests.
On Thursday, Nov. 17, the final showing in the series, miamiartzine.com editor Michelle F. Solomon will introduce and speak about the 1941 Technicolor classic "Moon Over Miami."
LEFT: Moon over Miami, RIGHT: Footlight Parade.
Moon Over Miami (20th Century Fox, 1941, 91 min.)
Irresistible girl-next-door Betty Grable stars as Kay Latimer, who, along with her sister Susan (Carole Landis), heads to Florida in search of a rich husband in this spirited musical comedy. Screens on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.
Hosted by Michelle F. Solomon, member of the Florida Film Critics Circle
Bio: Editor of miamiartzine.com and a syndicated movie reviewer for Local10.com. Michelle has also served as Executive Arts Editor of the Albany Times Union and Assistant Features editor/entertainment at The Detroit Free Press. She is a member of the American Theater Critics Association and the Florida Film Critics Circle. She is also a writer for Lifestyle Media Group and ExKlusive Group, publishers of the Leading Hotels of the World magazine.
Moon over Miami.
A Night at the Opera.
The series kicked-off with Footlight Parade (1933), one of the all-time best of legendary choreographer Busby Berkeley’s Warner Bros. films that displays some of his most stunning, kaleidoscopic dance routines. The retrospective continues with A Night at the Opera (1935), one of the most hilarious movies ever made featuring the outrageous genius of the Marx Brothers in a story of high society, matchmaking, and chaos. Closing the series will be a rare, newly restored screening celebrating the 75th anniversary of Moon Over Miami (1941), a gleeful film that helped shape the musical genre with its gorgeous sets, dreamy nightclub settings, colorful costumes, glamorous early footage of Miami, and snappy dances that gave new meaning to the word “pizzazz!”
“We are proud of our continued partnership with the Miami Beach Cinematheque as we present the fourth annual Masters of Jewish Cinema series,” said Festival Director Igor Shteyrenberg. “This extraordinary retrospective serves to remind us that movies are magical and have the power to illuminate the magic in the world around us. These are timeless classics that will have your eyes glued, feet tapping, and hearts pounding with anticipation of just what wonder they’ll produce next.”
Footlight Parade.
“Hollywood Golden Age history was shaped by the distinct styles and trajectories of the major studios, led in many cases by Jewish immigrants who made each organization flourish in its own way. Jack Warner at Warner Brothers, Joseph Schenck at 20th Century Fox, and Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg at MGM were four such people who made invaluable contributions to the industry. This retrospective celebrates those contributions with examples of some of their best productions,” adds Miami Beach Cinematheque Director Dana Keith.
Footlight Parade.
Film Lineup
Footlight Parade (Warner Bros., 1933, 104 min.)
James Cagney channels Busby Berkeley as a Broadway director who comes up with a scheme to break into movies through stunning, kaleidoscopic dance routines. Screens on Thursday, November 3 at 7pm.
Hosted by Andrew Strycharski
Bio: Director of the Film Studies program at Florida International University. Andrew teaches an eclectic range of courses in Film, New Media, Gender Studies and Renaissance Literature. He holds his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. His publications have appeared in such scholarly journals as Criticism and Studies in English Literature, and he is known for his dislike of semi-colons.
Bio: Director of the Film Studies program at Florida International University. Andrew teaches an eclectic range of courses in Film, New Media, Gender Studies and Renaissance Literature. He holds his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. His publications have appeared in such scholarly journals as Criticism and Studies in English Literature, and he is known for his dislike of semi-colons.
Footlight Parade.
A Night at the Opera (MGM, 1935, 92 min.)
A sly business manager and two wacky friends of two opera singers help them achieve success while humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemies. Screens on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
Hosted by Kai Sacco
Bio: Member of the Florida Film Critics Circle and author of the forthcoming film magazine “The Covington Addendum.” He has been writing for 10 years and has an avid interest in film production.
Moon Over Miami (20th Century Fox, 1941, 91 min.)
Irresistible girl-next-door Betty Grable stars as Kay Latimer, who, along with her sister Susan (Carole Landis), heads to Florida in search of a rich husband in this spirited musical comedy. Screens on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.
Hosted by Michelle F. Solomon
Bio: Editor of miamiartzine.com and a syndicated movie reviewer for Local10.com. Michelle has also served as Executive Arts Editor of the Albany Times Union and Assistant Features editor/entertainment at The Detroit Free Press. She is a member of the American Theater Critics Association and the Florida Film Critics Circle. She is also a writer for Lifestyle Media Group and ExKlusive Group, publishers of the Leading Hotels of the World magazine.
More Info
Tickets will be available through the Miami Beach Cinematheque (mbcinema.com) at the following prices: General Admission $10, Seniors/Students $9, Members $7
For more information, visit miamijewishfilmfestival.org or call 305-573-7304.
