'Legend' film series at the Getty April 28-May 6

THE GETTY PRESENTS THE GIANTS OF CINEMA IN "WHAT BECOMES A LEGEND" FILM SERIES



Films complement recently-opened exhibitions Herb Ritts: L.A. Style and Portraits of Renown: Photography and the Cult of Celebrity



April 28-May 6, 2012

at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Center

Harold M. Williams Auditorium







Many of Herb Ritts's photographs recall the glamour of Hollywood's golden age, a time when celebrities were larger than life: flawless and impeccable. Ritts's relationship with his subjects echoes that of the film director who discovers the remarkable qualities of an actor in his or her star-making role. When it comes to defining a legend, audiences know it when they see it.



The films in the Getty's "What Becomes A Legend" series comment on notions of gender and sexuality, and, like Ritts's iconic photographs, offer haunting and sensual images that reflect our time. From Rita Hayworth's slinky femme fatale Gilda, to Marlon Brando's brooding Stanley, each film offers monumental performances that continue to live on in film and in memory.



Film screenings are free; reservations required. To reserve tickets, visit www.getty.edu



"What Becomes A Legend" Film Schedule



The Sheik
Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Directed by George Melford. Featuring Rudolph Valentino

Rudolph Valentino was an original in a line on screen sex objects: an icon for lovelorn women and men. (DVD, USA, 1921)


Pandora's Box

Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Directed by G.W. Pabst. Featuring Louise Brooks


With director Pabst, Louise Brooks created a character to whom she would always be linked: Lulu, a woman who blatantly flaunts accepted sexual and societal roles, seducing both men and women along the way. Silent with live piano accompaniment by Michael Mortilla. (Germany, 1929)



Morocco

Date: Sunday, April 29, 2012
Time: Noon

Directed by Joseph von Sternberg. Featuring Marlene Dietrich

With perhaps the most legendary star-director pairing, this film was made shortly after Von Sternberg, with Paramount, brought Dietrich to Hollywood. Here we see the director begin to create the indelible Dietrich image, both etheral and sexy. (USA, 1930)



Gilda

Date: Sunday, April 29, 2012
Time: 3:00 p.m.

Directed by Charles Vidor. Featuring Rita Hayworth

In her legendary black satin gown Hayworth, performed the one-glove striptease that turned her into a cultural icon and helped create the idea of the femme fatale. (USA, 1946)




A Streetcar Named Desire

Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012
Time: 3:00 p.m.

Directed by Elia Kazan. Featuring Marlon Brando

Brando wrote the book on brutal male beauty, displayed first on stage and then in Kazan's filmed version of this iconic story. (USA, 1951)



And God Created Woman

Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Directed by Roger Vadim. Featuring Brigitte Bardot

Bardot displayed a sexuality that hadn't been seen before: beauty that was freedom loving, fiery, and as first seen, half nude. (France, 1956)

This screening is co-presented by the Los Angeles Film & TV Office, French Embassy.


Rebel without a Cause

Date: Sunday, May 6, 2012
Time: Noon

Directed by Nicholas Ray. Featuring James Dean

Dean created a new type of sex symbol: the brooding teenager, a figure that caught on like lightening with the postwar American public. (USA, 1955)




Jailhouse Rock

Date: Sunday, May 6, 2012
Time: 3:00 p.m.

Directed by Richard Thorpe. Featuring Elvis Presley

Jailhouse Rock is nothing but pure entertainment. Witness the phenomenon of Presley in the greatest (and often copied) dance sequence of his film career. (USA, 1957)