The 9 best movies to see in this weekend’s UCLA Festival of Preservation

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As a film fan, I get so excited when the UCLA Festival of Preservation rolls around! It happens every two years at the Billy Wilder Theater, and honestly, it’s always one of the best things happening in LA for movie lovers like me.

UCLA’s Film & Television Archive is hosting its 22nd annual film festival, and it’s a fantastic event! They’ve restored films to pristine condition and are showing a huge range of movies – everything from Hollywood blockbusters and international films to newsreels, cartoons, documentaries, and even TV shows. Best of all, admission is free and you don’t need to make reservations, so feel free to try something new – the festival curators always choose great films!

The festival kicks off Friday night at 7:30 p.m. with two films celebrating the Black experience. The first film, “Black Girl,” directed by Ossie Davis, will be shown, and screenwriter J.E. Franklin will be there to discuss it. The festival continues all day Saturday and Sunday.

Originally released in 1972 as a low-budget, sensational film, this movie actually offers a thoughtful look at women striving to define their lives. It stars Peggy Pettitt as a hopeful dancer, and also features Brock Peters and Leslie Uggams before she became famous for “Roots.”

If you can stay up late, you’re in for a treat! At 10:15 p.m., we’ll be showing “…& Beautiful,” a fun TV special from 1969 hosted by the iconic Redd Foxx. It even includes a surprise appearance by Wilt Chamberlain playing his son! The special features performances by music legends like Wilson Pickett, Della Reese, and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. To complete the retro experience, you’ll also see original commercials for Johnson’s haircare products from the time.

Movies

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UCLA is showing films all day, and they’ve used this freedom to schedule each movie at the best possible time. For example, the most entertaining films are being shown in the evenings, beginning with a Saturday screening of Budd Boetticher’s classic, “The Magnificent Matador,” at 7:30 p.m.

Bud Boetticher is mostly remembered by film buffs for directing a few excellent low-budget Westerns featuring Randolph Scott – known as the Ranown cycle. However, his true love was bullfighting. He made three films about it, and “Magnificent Matador” is the most visually stunning, largely due to the beautiful widescreen color photography by Lucien Ballard, who also worked on “The Wild Bunch.”

This movie, set in Mexico, features Anthony Quinn as a talented but older bullfighter struggling with personal problems. Maureen O’Hara plays a wealthy American woman who is attracted to him. The film is visually vibrant and full of spectacle, and while it includes many bullfighting scenes, it avoids showing any graphic violence to meet the standards of the time. These scenes highlight the beauty and bravery traditionally associated with bullfighting.

Thanks to the work of Eddie Muller and the Film Noir Foundation, UCLA has become a leader in restoring classic film noirs from Argentina made in the 1950s. The most famous of these, “The Bitter Stems,” can be purchased on DVD, and their newest restoration, the 1952 film “If I Should Die Before I Wake,” will be shown this Saturday night at 9:25 p.m.

Fans of classic noir will know the title comes from a short story by Cornell Woolrich, writing under the name William Irish. The film opens with the line, “Only a child can kill a monster,” and tells the story of a young boy searching for the man who kidnapped a classmate. With its shadowy streets and unsettling locations, this visually striking film creates a genuinely creepy atmosphere and isn’t for those easily scared.

This Sunday night, two prime-time television slots will showcase films directed by Andre de Toth, a Hungarian filmmaker. Film critic Andrew Sarris noted that de Toth’s work often explores the uncertain and deceitful nature of how people relate to each other.

Tonight’s classic movie kicks off at 7:30 with “Pitfall” from 1948. It’s a fantastic example of a ‘sunlight noir’ – think shadows and intrigue, but filmed in bright daylight! Dick Powell plays a really sharp, slightly cynical insurance guy who’s starting to feel restless in his marriage to Jane Wyatt. It’s funny to see her here, because most people remember her as the perfect mom from “Father Knows Best” – she’s playing a totally different type of housewife in this one!

The story takes on a dangerous, passionate energy reminiscent of “The Postman Always Rings Twice” when Powell meets a captivating model, brilliantly portrayed by Lizabeth Scott in one of her finest performances. Adding to the tension is Raymond Burr as a menacing private investigator – a role that launched him to stardom. If you enjoy classic, suspenseful noir films, this one won’t disappoint.

Don’t miss “The Other Love,” a 1947 film showing at 9:35 p.m. While it’s a classic melodrama, it’s surprisingly disturbing. Barbara Stanwyck stars as a famous pianist recovering from tuberculosis in a luxurious Swiss sanitarium. Both her doctor, played by David Niven, and a passionate race-car driver, portrayed by Richard Conte, fall in love with her. This screening features a restored ending that hasn’t been shown in decades.

UCLA’s film archive is offering a couple of classic morning movies. On Saturday at 10:30 a.m., they’ll be showing the 1948 film “Adventures of Casanova,” and before that, a special presentation of “The Mouse of Tomorrow,” which features the first color appearance of the Mighty Mouse cartoon character.

I recently watched “Adventures,” a really fun, old-fashioned adventure movie from Eagle-Lion Films. It’s set in 18th century Sicily, where people are fighting to break free from Austria. At first, you meet Casanova, played by Arturo de Cordova, and he’s definitely more interested in romance than fighting. But it turns out – and fair warning, it’s not much of a secret – he’s actually a surprisingly good military leader, a natural at guerilla warfare. I honestly didn’t expect that!

This Sunday at 11 a.m., there’s a showing of two silent films. It begins with a short film from 1911 called “Dr. Cupid,” offering a rare opportunity to see John Bunny, a very funny actor from the early days of cinema. Unfortunately, most of his films haven’t survived, making this a special viewing.

Movies

You’ll find all the big, exciting movies from top directors like Spielberg, Nolan, and Ridley Scott, plus some interesting independent films.

The highlight of the afternoon show is a charming 1921 silent film called “Trailin'” starring the legendary western actor Tom Mix. Adapted from a novel by Max Brand, the movie offers a twist: Mix plays an Eastern man, used to polo and wearing dress shirts, who travels west to resolve a family issue. However, anyone who underestimates him will quickly regret it. As one local put it, “I’ve seen him ride, and he’s no beginner.”

Fans of silent movies – and anyone interested in learning more about them – will enjoy a beautiful new restoration of the 1922 film “Lorna Doone.” This epic movie is based on the well-known 19th-century novel – and yes, that’s the same “Lorna Doone” that inspired the cookie! It will be shown on Saturday at 11:55 a.m.

Director Maurice Tourneur was known for creating visually stunning and realistic films. This movie tells the romantic story of Lorna (played by Madge Bellamy), who was kidnapped as a child by a dangerous gang called the “bloody Doones.” John Ridd (John Bowers), her childhood sweetheart, now a strong and capable man, also features prominently in the tale.

Don’t miss the classic screwball comedy “Merrily We Live” from 1938, showing on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. It will be preceded by a clever 1939 cartoon called “The Nutty Network,” which playfully pokes fun at Orson Welles’ famous 1938 “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast about a Martian invasion.

“Merrily” is a surprisingly funny comedy that feels similar to the classic film “My Man Godfrey.” It received five Academy Award nominations, including one for Billie Burke as the head of a rich and eccentric family. The story kicks off when everyone – including the beautiful Constance Bennett – mistakenly believes a visiting novelist (Brian Aherne) is actually a poor, homeless man, leading to a lot of hilarious situations.

You can find details about the full program, including newsreels and a short film collection called “Touring California,” at cinema.ucla.edu/events. Don’t miss this opportunity to see these uncommon films as they were meant to be seen – on the big screen!

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2026-05-29 00:02