Holiday Classics 2021
Holiday Classics returns to Gateway Film Center this December
Now in its eleventh year.
‘Tis the season to see the classics as they were meant to be seen—on the big screen with friends and family. Reconnect with iconic stories from our curated collection of Hollywood’s Golden Age alongside modern favorites, many presented on 35mm film. Whether starting a new tradition or continuing an old favorite, we are happy to host you and your loved ones this holiday season.
“But the main thing is … that we’re all going to be together, just like we’ve always been.”
—Judy Garland as Esther Smith in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch Run Time: 99 min. Rating: NR Release Year: 1940
Starring: Frank Morgan, James Stewart, Joseph Schildkraut, Margaret Sullavan, Sara Haden
Country: United States
Language: English
Receive two (2) free tickets to any Holiday Classics screening with a toy donation!
Tickets can be reserved at our Ticket Center, stop by to plan your holiday season celebration with Gateway Film Center. General admission for those without a toy donation, screenings included with a myGFC Membership.
About the film:
By night Alfred and Klara are pen pals who have never met but who are deeply devoted to each other. By day, Alfred and Klara are co-workers who, just as deeply, dislike each other. Academy Award winner Jimmy Stewart stars with Margaret Sullivan as Alfred and Klara in this classic romance directed by the great Ernst Lubitsch. This day/night – hate/love relationship cannot continue … but will it be loving or loathing when Alfred and Klara discover the identities of their cherished pen pals?
Based on the 1937 Hungarian play “Parfumerie” by Miklós László that later inspired writer-director Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail (1998). In 1999, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
About the filmmaker:
Ernst Lubitsch was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. The pointed and patented “Lubitsch Touch”, his signature style of romantic comedy, was widely recognized by audiences and adored by critics. Some of Lubitsch’s best known works were Trouble in Paradise (1932), Ninotchka (1939), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), and Heaven Can Wait (1943). In 1946, he received an Honorary Academy Award for his distinguished contributions to the art of the motion picture. In 1958, renowned director Billy Wilder established the Ernst-Lubitsch-Prize, a German Comedy prize, in his friend’s honor.
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It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
Director: Roy Del Ruth Run Time: 116 min. Release Year: 1947
Starring: Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles, Don DeFore, Gale Storm, Victor Moore
Country: United States
Language: English, Spanish
About the film:
Each Christmas, an industrial tycoon and his family travel from New York City to Florida to spend the holiday season in the sun. While they are gone, a drifter and his friends take up residence in the millionaire’s Fifth Avenue mansion. When the tycoon’s daughter returns early and discovers the house has been taken over, she fakes a life of poverty to stay in the house.
Nominated for Best Original Story at the 1948 Academy Awards.
About the filmmaker:
Roy Del Ruth was an American filmmaker who worked with various stars, notably James Cagney, and directed a number of popular musicals in the 1930s including Kid Millions (1934), Folies Bergère de Paris (1935), and Born to Dance (1936).
Learn more about Holiday Classics See our upcoming filmsMAJOR SUPPORT
Ohio Arts Council
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Columbus Foundation
Campus Partners
WITH HELP FROM
G&J Pepsi
WOSU Public Media
Elf (2003) on 35mm
Director: Jon Favreau Run Time: 97 min. Rating: PG Release Year: 2003
Starring: Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Will Ferrell
Country: United States, Canada
Language: English
“a breezily entertaining, perfectly cast family treat”
About the film:
Starring Will Ferrell as the titular elf, this instant holiday classic tells the story of a human baby raised amongst the hard working elves of Santa’s workshop. Struggling to fit in (literally) with his adopted family, he sets out on a magical journey to the island of Manhattan in search of his birth father (James Caan), a naughty-list lifer in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.
About the filmmaker:
Jon Favreau has made his mark as one of the most exciting blockbuster directors working today. Initially working as a successful character actor, Favreau transitioned into directing with his feature film debut Made and went on to create some of the biggest films in the last two decades. With nine movies under his belt as a director, the self-taught filmmaker has explored small indie gems like Chef as well as some of the biggest blockbusters ever made. With a style that blends humor and warmth with technological innovation, Favreau found success helping to launch the Marvel Universe with Iron Man, as well as spearheading Disney live action classics like The Jungle Book and The Lion King.
Learn more about Holiday Classics See our upcoming films