Hollywood: Two Pathfinder Directors (Ford & Capra) NEW

Writers and film buffs Sid Goldstein and Lloyd Lim will lead students in a Zoom viewing of films by two American directors who set us on a path: John Ford and Frank Capra. They told distinctly American stories, and in doing so, helped define our cultural identity. This isn’t just a trip down memory lane. These films inform our current struggles with “Americanism.”

Sep 23: The Quiet Man (1952) with John Wayne & Maureen O’Hara.  Directed by John Ford. A spunky woman is wooed by an independent man. Filmed in Ireland.  (129 min).
Sep 30: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) with Gary Cooper & Jean Arthur.  Directed by Frank Capra. A small-town man comes to a new town and meets a street-wise reporter.  (116 min.)
Oct 7: My Darling Clementine (1946) with Henry Fonda, Victor Mature & Cathy Downs. Directed by John Ford.  Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday meet in Tombstone and get into a feud. (97 min.)
Oct 14: No Class
Oct 21: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) with Jimmy Stewart, Jean Arthur & Claude Rains. Directed by Frank Capra. An idealistic young man goes to D.C. and meets romance and political corruption. (130 min.)
Oct 28: Cheyenne Autumn (1964) with Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker & Karl Malden. Directed by John Ford. A Union cavalry officer oversees the process of sending Native Americans to a reservation. (154 min.)
Nov 4: Discussion class.  Duration should be less than one hour.
Nov 11: No Class (Veteran’s Day)
Nov 18: State of the Union (1948) with Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn & Angela Lansbury. Directed by Frank Capra.  An ambitious Washington D.C. couple plans an ascent to power. (123 min)