To commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Kino Lorber provides free viewing of the landmark 1970 documentary "King: A Filmed Record...Montgomery to Memphis".
Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, King: A Filmed Record...
Montgomery to Memphis is a monumental documentary that follows Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional
activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Rare
footage of King's speeches, protests, and arrests are interspersed with
scenes of other high-profile supporters and opponents of the cause,
punctuated by heartfelt testimonials by some of Hollywood's biggest
stars.
King was originally presented as a one-night-only special event on March
20, 1970, at an epic length of more than three hours (plus
intermission). Since that time, the film has occasionally been
circulated in a version shortened by more than an hour. Newly restored
by the Library of Congress, in association with Richard Kaplan, and
utilizing film elements provided by The Museum of Modern Art, the
original version of King can again be seen in its entirety, mastered in
HD from the 35mm preservation negative.
Admitted to the National Film Registry in 1999, King is a cinematic
national treasure that allows viewers to be first-hand witnesses to Dr.
King's crusade, and thereby gain a fuller appreciation of both the
personal challenges he endured and the vast cultural legacy he left
behind.
(To watch in full screen format, click on "Watch on YouTube".)
Gina Lollobrigida, the reluctant Italian superstar, has died in Rome at age 94. Like her arch-rival Sophia Loren, Lollobrigida was born into humble circumstances in Italy and survived the carnage that was wreaked on the country by Mussolini's ill-fated alliance with Nazi German and Japan. She intended to follow a nondescript life but when she entered a beauty contest, her stunning looks and voluptuous figure attracted the attention of Hollywood. She was sent to Hollywood where none other than Howard Hughes signed her to a film contract. Lollobrigida's career took off like a rocket and she was soon steaming up theater screens opposite the top male boxoffice attractions including Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Frank Sinatra and Sean Connery. Like Loren, she proved to more than a flash-in-the-pan bombshell because she was a fine actress. She was enamored of Rock Hudson, who she co-starred with in two comedies, but griped that she didn't like Sinatra because of his alleged habits of being late on the set. Ironically, Sean Connery complained that she exhibited diva-like behavior on the set of their film "Woman of Straw". She had a tumultuous love life and retired from feature films in the 1970s when the best roles were being offered to younger actresses. She concentrated on her interests in photography and politics.
Click here for more details about her remarkable life and career.