Movie lovers and lovers in general can wake up on the sartorial side of the bed thanks to Mornings with Marlene. Music Box Theatre’s weekend matinee series (Sep. 5 – Oct. 3) showcases the films of legendary actress, fashion icon and anti-fascist Marlene Dietrich on 35mm. The lineup includes classics such as: George Marshall’s “Destry Rides Again” (1939) starring James Stewart; Josef von Sternberg’s “Morocco” (1930) with Gary Cooper, and “Shanghai Express” (1932) with Anna May Wong; as well as Fritz Lang’s “Rancho Notorious” (1952); and Billy Wilder’s “A Foreign Affair” (1948) featuring Jean Arthur and John Lund.
Due to both capacity expansion and continued social distancing, Music Box’s primary theater now seats 350 and its secondary theater seats 20 patrons per screening. Click here for tickets to select Mornings with Marlene matinees.
Music Box will also show the 2001 musical “Josie and the Pussycats” (Sep. 8) as part of the Pitchfork Music Film Series. Loosely based on the Archie Comics series and the Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the same name, the live-action romp features Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, Rosario Dawson, Alan Cumming, and Parker Posey. In honor of the movie’s 20th anniversary, the screening includes a post-film Q&A with directors Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. Pitchfork staff writer Quinn Moreland will be on hand to discuss the movie’s music, legacy and impact on culture.
Patrons aged 12 and older attending the 7 p.m. screening must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have proof of a negative PCR test within 24 hours of the screening. In accordance with CDC and CDPH guidelines, mask-wearing is expected except while actively eating or drinking. Click here for tickets.
This month, the Gene Siskel Film Center hosts Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 7, an annual event featuring the work of boundary-pushing emerging filmmakers such as Briana Clearly (“In Loving Memories”), E. Hendo, Ryonn Gloster and Evelio Zavala (“Whole”), Eseoghene Obrimah and Maggie Zhu (“35”), Hannah Schierbeek (“An Alternative Method”), Isabella Ostos Campo (“tres cuartos y un techo”), and Tasnim Hindeyeh (“Valeria”).
The female filmmakers take control of their own narratives by exploring the resilience of women through themes of identity, memory, inter-generational trauma, social justice, fear, and love via various genres. The 80-minute collection of shorts can be seen with a filmmaker Q&A (Sep. 3, 5), and without (Sep. 6, 8). Tickets are available on the Gene Siskel Film Center’s website.
The HistoryMakers invites booming and budding business owners to stream “An Evening With Sheila Johnson” (2015) for free on YouTube. The one-on-one interview with entrepreneur and philanthropist Sheila C. Johnson was conducted by the late PBS-TV journalist Gwen Ifill. Their conversation covers Johnson’s personal and professional transformation, spotlighting her accomplishments in music, media, sports, and hospitality. Taped at The Art Institute of Chicago, the program includes performances by Susan Starrett and Joan Collaso. To learn more about Sheila Johnson, click here.
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First image: Movie still from “Morocco” (1930), the American pre-Code romantic drama which received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction.
Second image: Mariana Castro plays a ballet teacher in the short film “An Alternative Method” (2021) directed by Hannah Schierbeek.
