SPECIAL PROGRAMS & PRESENTATIONS

SOUNDIES AND JUKEBOX SHORTS OF THE 1940’S

(60 MIN SESSION) TIME TBA

2023 has turned out to be the Year of the Soundie. More than seven decades after the last three-minute musical short was projected on the Panoram, quite literally a jukebox with a screen, these amazing films have seen an equally amazing revival.

Not only did Kino Lorber release a Blu-Ray set of 200 of these mini-musicals, curated by historian Susan Delson, but Mark Cantor, our presenter, published The Soundies: A History and Catalogue of Jukebox Film Shorts from the 1940s. A two volume set of close to 1,000 pages, The Soundies will be the definitive work on these films for years to come.

In our program, author and film historian Mark Cantor presents a full hour of these fascinating shorts, focusing on the amazing diversity found within more than 1,800 releases. From hot jazz, romantic dance music and Western swing; Cuban salsa and polka music; solo vocals and vocal harmony quartets; hillbilly music and plaintive ballads: indeed, Soundies featured all elements of American culture and its racial composition. Join us for a program that will include a great number of true rarities, including some films that have never been seen before in public.

THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTERS

(60 MIN SESSION) TIME TBA

Earlier this year Author Julian David Stone presented a special Evening @ The Barn program at Hollywood Heritage Museum on Junior Laemmle. The sold-out show was so popular that we invited him to present it at Cinecon this year so our attendees could see it as well.

THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTERS will celebrate the legacy of one of Hollywood’s most influential, yet forgotten, film producers: Carl Laemmle, Jr. Known to one and all as simply Junior, at the ripe old age of 21 he was put in charge of Universal Studios and during his reign from 1929 to 1936, he transformed the studio, and was personally responsible for launching one of the most recognizable and enduring cycles of films – The Universal Monsters. 

Julian David Stone, author of the new novel, “It’s Alive!,” which tells the story of Junior’s quest to get the original 1931 film classic “Frankenstein” made, will share a presentation on Junior’s career and life that will include rare photos, documents, film footage, and a few surprises. In addition, there will be copies of Julian’s novel, “It’s Alive!” on sale after the presentation that he will happily sign.

BORIS KARLOFF HOME MOVIES – A WORLD PREMIERE

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It’s always a treat to show home movies to family and friends. When the home movies are from the collection of famous notables, it’s even more exciting. Cinecon and Hollywood Heritage are honored to have played a part in helping film archivist Eric Grayson in the restoration and preservation of the Karloff Home Movies. Among the celebrities you will see are Frank McHugh, James Gleason, dear Boris and of course his family. As an added thrill, the films will be narrated by Sara Karloff who has recorded her memories especially for this Cinecon presentation.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO RARITIES

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Prepared by Ray Faiola, this collection of choice outtakes, newsreels, trailers and promotional films will be introduced by Richard S. Greene, author of the new book, “Advertising Anarchy! Selling Bud Abbott & Lou Costello To War-Torn America”. Mr. Greene will sign copies of his new book immediately after the screening.

THE GENIUS OF ERNIE KOVACS

TIME TBA

A brief look at Television’s Original Genius and his innovative work is introduced by Josh Mills, the Son of Edie Adams who will sign copies of his new book immediately after the screening.

FEATURES (SOUND)

FEATURES (SILENT)

SHORTS

KINECON

This year, our seventh edition of rare broadcast moments, preserved on Kinescope, features some of the greats from the early days of Live Television.

A TRIBUTE TO CBS AND TELEVISION CITY

Our latest installment of Kinecon focuses on the Tiffany Network, its inner workings in New York and California and of the stars that appeared there in the beginning.  Included are pieces from the opening of Television City in 1952, a rare tour of Television City from 1953 featuring Edward R. Murrow and a just found kinescope from 1958 that gives viewers a tour of CBS Broadcast Operations in New York.

Hosted by Sonny Fox, it is an extremely rare episode of “Let’s Take A Trip” of which only a very small reels of kinescopes survive. As we lament the loss of Television City as we knew it for seventy years, we offer tribute and a sad farewell.