Beat the summer heat from the comfort of a theater seat with the MFAH Summer Film Series at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
This summer, the Museum pays tribute to legendary actress Olivia de Havilland on the occasion of her 100th birthday this month with a film series to honor her work. De Havilland, whose breakout performance came as Melanie in Gone with the Wind, personally selected the films, including To Each His Own and The Heiress for which she won Academy Awards and another three that earned her nominations.
Enjoy classics from de Havilland’s 75+ years on film, take in the latest breakout flicks from Asia, explore California with modern classic film noirs set in California and more with our list of films in the MFAH Summer Film Series below. Click here for a full list of upcoming summer attractions.
Olivia de Havilland Centennial Tribute
- To Each His Own | Friday, July 29 – De Havilland won her first Academy Award for her role of Josephine Norris, a businesswoman who reflects on her past while serving as an air-raid observer in London during World War II. Flashbacks reveal that a young Josephine fell in love with a dashing pilot and became pregnant before her lover was killed in action. To avoid scandal, she allowed her son to be adopted. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. 7pm.
- The Dark Mirror | Saturday, July 30 – When witnesses claim to see a woman (de Havilland) leaving a murder victim’s apartment, authorities learn that she has a twin sister. A psychologist and a detective struggle to determine which sister committed the crime. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. 7pm.
- The Heiress | Saturday, August 6 – Based on Henry James’s novel Washington Square, this film follows Olivia de Havilland as Catherine, the plain, reclusive daughter of the wealthy and tyrannical Dr. Sloper. Montgomery Clift plays the handsome and cunning Morris Townsend who courts Catherine, although her father considers him a fortune-seeking scoundrel. Her powerful, nuanced performance earned de Havilland her second Academy Award. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. 7pm.
- The Snake Pit | Sunday, August 7 – Regarded as one of the first films to compassionately explore mental illness and its treatment, The Snake Pit follows the emotional collapse of Virginia Cunningham (Olivia de Havilland) as she is placed in a mental institution by her husband. A sympathetic doctor tries different treatments, including psychoanalysis, to encourage her recovery. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. 5pm.
- My Cousin Rachel | Friday, August 12 – In Daphne du Maurier’s gothic romance, Olivia de Havilland is Rachel, the beautiful, enigmatic young widow returning to her husband’s mansion in 19th-century Cornwall. Her husband’s cousin Philip suspects Rachel poisoned him. But Philip soon finds himself falling in love with her, and grants Rachel a handsome allowance when he is named heir to the estate. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. 7pm.
- Light in the Piazza | Saturday, August 13 – De Havilland plays Margaret Johnson, who is on an extended holiday in Italy with her beautiful daughter, Clara. As the result of a childhood head injury, Clara has not developed mentally, but she is charming and cheerful. A handsome Florentine falls in love with Clara and wants to marry her, introducing her to his warm and welcoming family. This romantic film, based on a story written for the New Yorker, was shot on location in Rome and Florence. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. 5pm.
- Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Saturday, August 13 – Charlotte, an aging, reclusive Southern belle, finally learns the truth about the murder of her lover when the case is reopened decades later by her cousin (Olivia de Havilland) in an elaborate scheme to drive Charlotte mad. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. 7pm.
New Films from Asia
- My Love, Don’t Cross That River | Friday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 23 – An unexpected box office sensation in South Korea, this intimate portrait of an elderly couple nearing the end of life is delicate and universal. Director Mo-young Jin’s camera captures a romance painted through simple gestures and partnering on life’s daily routines. Bring your tissues. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. Friday 7pm; Tuesday 2pm.
- Sweet Bean | Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21 – Sweet red bean paste is the central ingredient in the dorayaki pancakes that Sentaro sells from his little bakery to a small but loyal clientele. Absorbed in sad memories, Sentaro cooks without enthusiasm until the elderly Tokue responds to his ad for an assistant and offers to work for him. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. Saturday 7pm; Sunday 5pm.
L.A. Noir
- Private Property | Friday, August 26 and Sunday, August 28 – Drifters Boots and Duke, who are played to creepy perfection by Warren Oates and Corey Allen, wander into the pristine Beverly Hills home of unhappy housewife Ann. Oates delivers his first great screen performance before he emerged in The Wild Bunch and Two-Lane Blacktop as one of the finest character actors of his generation. A major rediscovery for noir and crime-film fans, Private Property was considered lost until recently. Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. Friday 7pm; Sunday 5pm.
- Too Late | Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27 – Shot on 35mm in five scenes, this feature debut reveals in nonlinear fashion the tangled relationship between a troubled private investigator (John Hawkes) and the missing woman (Crystal Reed) he’s hired to find. With this familiar setup, Too Late takes the spine of the classic private eye genre, tears it to pieces, and weaves it back together into a tapestry of Southern California and the lost souls who inhabit it. Each scene is an uninterrupted shot lasting the length of a reel of film (22 minutes). Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors. Friday 8:30pm; Saturday 7pm.
MFAH Summer Film Series at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Dates: Through Sunday, August 28, 2016
- Location: Brown Auditorium Theater, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005
- Parking: Free lot parking is available at the church adjacent to MFAH
- Admission: Tickets are $9, not including ticket fees; $7 for seniors for all films. Click the links above for ticket links.
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