SMC Hosts Kanin Family Film Series

Santa Monica College is pleased to host a Kanin Family Film Series May 15-17. SMC Film Studies professor Josh Kanin will introduce the films, and will join SMC Political Science professor Alan Buckley for an audience discussion after each screening, offering unique insights into the life and works of the Kanin Family.

The classic film series is sponsored by the SMC Associates (www.smc.edu/associates). All screenings are FREE and are held in Room 165 of the SMC Humanities & Social Science building, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Seating is on a first-arrival basis.

The series will screen four films that focus on work by the Kanin family’s husband-and-wife collaborative teams – Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, and Fay and Michael Kanin – who began their professional careers in the late 1930s, and worked continuously in Hollywood and on Broadway for the next 50 years. The Kanins won numerous Oscar and Emmy Awards for their writing on feature films and TV dramas, and the themes of their works are as relevant today as they were when they were released.

The lineup of films is:

May 15 at 1:30 p.m. – “Adam’s Rib,” the 1949 film written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, takes a look at marriage and the legal system. Directed by George Cukor and starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, and Judy Holliday, the exquisite comedy depicts the problems of a husband and wife who are opposing lawyers in a case involving a wife who shot her husband.

May 15 at 6 p.m. – “Teacher’s Pet,” the 1958 romantic comedy written by Fay and Michael Kanin, delves into ethics in journalism. Directed by George Seaton and starring Clark Gable, Doris Day, and Gig Young, the film is about a school-of-hard-knocks newspaperman who scorns journalism schools, but after seeing one of the teachers, signs up for a journalism class.

May 16 at 6 p.m. – “Harold and Maude,” the quirky 1971 film about the relationship between a young man and a much older and wiser woman, focuses on living life to the fullest. Directed by Hal Ashby and starring Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, and Vivian Pickles, the dark, provocative comedy explores ageism and social nonconformity.

May 17 at 5:30 p.m. – “Friendly Fire,” the 1979 award-winning made-for-TV movie written by Fay Kanin, takes a look at government corruption and war. Directed by David Greene and starring Carol Burnett, Ned Beatty, and Sam Waterston, the film tells the story of a couple and the lies they encounter when they try to find out how their son died in Vietnam.

For additional information, please call (310) 434-4588 or (310) 434-4510.