Some of Hollywood's all-time favorite courtroom classics will be screened at the McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC) as part of its inaugural McKinney Classic Film Festival. Experience the glamour of old Hollywood in the unique Courtroom Theater of MPAC, located at the former Collin County Courthouse in the center of historic downtown at the festival Sept. 11-13.
The festival’s featured guest is Mary Badham who portrayed Scout in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. Badham will walk the red carpet and attend a special meet and greet event for VIP ticket holders, followed by an onstage interview and screening of the film. All ticket holders will have the opportunity to walk the red carpet and are encouraged to dress in their finest Hollywood attire. Patrons can bring their own cameras or purchase a photo at the event.
All ticket holders are invited to a closing party for the Classic Film Festival at 4 p.m. Sept. 13 with the Big Band music of the McKinney Community Band.
“We are thrilled to be bringing this Classic Film Festival to the McKinney Performing Arts Center,” said Dena Hill, Founder and Director of the McKinney Classic Film Festival. “We hope to introduce these classic courtroom films to a whole new generation of movie buffs and look forward to seeing this festival become an annual tradition.”
McKinney Classic Film Festival schedule:
Friday, Sept. 11
7:30 p.m.
Introduction and Film Screening: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Frank Capra produced and directed this film, with a star-making performance by Jimmy Stewart as regular guy, Jefferson Smith. Appointed to the U.S. Senate as a pliable puppet, Mr. Smith must battle for his good name and for justice as political machinery turns against him.
The cast also includes Claude Rains and Jean Arthur.
The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and received one for the original story by Lewis R. Foster.
Saturday, Sept. 12
11 a.m.
Introduction and Film Screening: Inherit the Wind (1960)
Set in 1925, Inherit the Wind tells the story of the Scopes Monkey Trial that put a Dayton, Tennessee high school teacher into the public spotlight for teaching about Darwin’s theory of evolution. Sparks fly when Spencer Tracy and Frederic March match wits as the famous opposing attorneys in the trail.
In this film version, directed by Stanley Kramer, the cast includes Dick York of Bewitched fame as the teacher, and Gene Kelly as a newspaper reporter based on H.L. Mencken.
The film was nominated for four Academy Awards.
3 p.m.
Introduction and Film Screening: 12 Angry Men (1957)
A 12-man jury must decide the fate of a young man in a capital murder trial. One dissenting voter in the jury, played by Henry Fonda, slowly turns the tide of the jury verdict as the summer temperature rises and tempers flare.
The film was directed by Sidney Lumet, and also includes the talents of cast members Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, E. G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, and Jack Warden.
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards.
6 p.m.
Red carpet ceremony
Ticket holders are encouraged to dress in their Hollywood finery on Saturday evening and can bring their own cameras for photos on the red carpet or purchase photos onsite.
6:15 p.m.
Meet and greet VIP reception with Mary Badham
7:30 p.m.
Pre-film interview with Mary Badham, and Film Screening: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
A young girl called “Scout” takes her town, her neighbors, and her father, Atticus, a lawyer, all for granted, until she sees the bigotry and prejudice that permeate her society. Through a racially charged trial and its surrounding events, she comes to understand her father’s integrity and shows the personal strength that gives her hope for the future.
This critically acclaimed 1962 film was based on Harper Lee’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel, adapted for the screen by Horton Foote, and directed by Robert Mulligan.
The film, whose cast also includes Robert Duvall and Brock Peters, was nominated for eight Academy Awards, receiving three, including Best Actor for Gregory Peck’s portrayal of Atticus Finch. Mary Badham was nominated for an Academy Award (for Best Supporting Actress) for her portrayal of “Scout.”
McKinney Classic Film Festival is proud to welcome special guest Mary Badham at the festival’s gala events on Sept. 12.
MARY BADHAM
McKinney Classic Film Festival proudly welcomes special guest Mary Badham, who portrayed "Scout" in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird.
Ms. Badham is scheduled to be the festival's inaugural guest of honor on Sept. 12, 2015, for the gala events and evening screening of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Sunday, Sept. 13
2 p.m.
Introduction and Film Screening: Adam’s Rib (1949)
Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn duke it out in this battle-of-the-sexes comedy as married attorneys who end up on opposing sides in a trial about a woman who shoots her unfaithful husband.
This courtroom romp, directed by George Cukor, also features Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, David Wayne, and Jean Hagen.
The film was nominated for one Academy Award
4 p.m.
The closing party will feature the Big Band sounds of the McKinney Community Band.
General admission tickets are $10 per film. Film Buff tickets that include admittance to all five films can be purchased for $45. VIP tickets include all five films and a meet and greet with Mary Badham can be purchased for $75. All tickets include entrance to the closing party on Sept. 13. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.mckinneyperformingartscenter.org, at MPAC, 111 N. Tennessee St. or by calling MPAC’s Emerson Ticket Office at 214-544-4630. The Classic Film Festival is presented with support from Rosenthal & Wadas, PLLC.
