Kitty Crawford Film Festival at the Gmeiner

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Kitty Crawford Film Festival at the Gmeiner

November 1, 2024 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

The Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center is thrilled to announce the Kitty Crawford Film Festival! This free series of film viewings will take place at the Gmeiner on four consecutive Friday nights at 7PM starting on October 11 th. The films will be a combination of Gale Largey’s two documentaries about Kitty as well as selections from her career in film. This series is presented by the Kelsey Academy of Tioga as part of their mission to provide lifelong learning by and for residents of Tioga County and the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center as part of its mission to provide unique artistic and cultural experiences to locals.

For the grand finale on Friday, November 1 st , guests will be treated to a showing of “Skyway,” a 1933 film about a cocky young pilot who, at the urging of his girlfriend, takes a nice, “safe” job at the bank where her father is president. Since this is a shorter film, there will also be some additional excerpts from other movies featuring Kitty Crawford.

Born in Wellsboro, Kathryn Crawford (née Moran) achieved fame as a film star and actress on Broadway and in touring companies. She was known for premiering the song “Love for Sale” in Cole Porter’s “The New Yorkers” (1930). Kitty’s early life was marked by her mother’s “impulsive insanity,” larceny, and substance abuse. Kitty began performing as a child, and by the time she started touring as a teenager she was a triple threat – singing, dancing, and acting in traveling revues. During the 1920s and early 1930s, Kitty starred in eighteen films, making the transition from silent movies to “talkies” easily. She played opposite Buddy Rogers, Hoot Gibson, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, and even the Three Stooges. Kitty married James Edgar, a Detroit-based heir to a sugar fortune, but was later granted a divorce due to his cruelty. Then James Edgar filed a sensational “Love Theft” lawsuit against another wealthy heir, Lewis Mallory, claiming that he had stolen Kitty’s affections. In later years Kitty became an acclaimed interior decorator for the famous, including Barron Hilton, Douglas MacArthur, Herbert Hoover, and Mary Pickford. Eventually, Kitty did find love with Ralph Parsons, a self-made man who founded the Parsons Design group. They are buried next to each other in graves with matching headstones that read, “Somewhere There’s a Place for Us.”

The Gmeiner is located at 134 Main Street in Wellsboro behind the Green Free Library.

Admission to the gallery is free.

Details

Date:
November 1, 2024
Time:
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Website:
https://gmeinerartculturalcenter.org/

Organizer

Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center
Phone
570-724-1917
Email
director@gmeinerartculturalcenter.org
View Organizer Website

Venue

Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center
134 Main St
Wellsboro, PA 16901 United States
+ Google Map
Phone
570-724-1917
View Venue Website