2/9/2010 10:22:00 AM Films keep the winter blues away Out of My Mind
By Melissa Vander Plas and Sonya Hemrich
My mother and I have been attending the classic movies being shown at the Jem Theater in Harmony over the past several weeks. "Gems at the Jem" is a movie series being presented by the Harmony Arts Board that features the Oscar-winning movies of the 1930s. Shown on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m., the movies have provided a fun activity for what could be boring winter afternoons.
We missed the first film, "All Quiet on the Western Front," but have enjoyed "Cimmaron," "The Grand Hotel" and "Calvacade." While the story lines may be a bit simple and the acting sometimes overly dramatic, these films represent the best of the technology of the time. They were the first "talkies," so the actors making the transition from silent films tend to be a bit overly animated. We find ourselves laughing, even though the story line may not warrant humor.
Despite the limited technology, these films provide an interesting look back in our history. Filled with prejudice and inequality, I am grateful our nation has moved forward from days where minorities were treated with disrespect and portrayed in a stereotypical manner.
Last weekend, I took in the movie "Avatar" on Friday night and the classic "Calvacade" on Sunday afternoon. It was an interesting contrast between the most advanced film technology of today where creatures can be animated to the point of looking realistic and that of the 1930s when war scenes were shot as small snippets and integrated in a loop that ran over and over.
In spite of their limited capabilities in the 1930s, filmmakers produced some treasures that are worth sharing even today. If you have a free Sunday afternoon, please consider taking in one of these "Gems at the Jem" in Harmony. I really do think you will enjoy them as much as I am.
Upcoming films include "Mutiny on the Bounty" on Feb. 14; "The Great Ziegfield" on Feb. 21; "The Life of Emile Zola" on Feb. 28; "You Can't Take it With You" on March 7; and the finale, "Gone With the Wind," on March 14.
Admission is $3 and concessions are available, including the Jem's mouth-watering popcorn with real butter!
I hope the Harmony Arts Board continues this series next year so we can continue taking a look back into our film history. If they do, the films of the 1940s will be featured and I know that decade will likely hold many "gems" as well.
Hope to see you at the movies! And don't forget the popcorn.
