Perry County Council of the Arts

Why are we showing films from 1939?
The Landis family purchased the house at 67 North Fourth St. in Newport in 1939. In that year the United States was finally crawling out of a decade-long depression, African-American singer Marion Anderson performed before 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial after having been denied the use of Constitution Hall, and Europe descended into war. Less momentous, but no less historic, Lou Gehrig ended his streak of 2130 consecutive games, Batman first appeared in the comics, and the American public went to the movies in droves.

Film buffs have frequently cited 1939 as the best movie year ever. They name Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, The Four Feathers, Ninotchka, Love Affair, Wuthering Heights, Of Mice and Men, Bachelor Mother, Beau Geste, Dark Victory, The Wizard of Oz, The Women, Hound of the Baskervilles, Stagecoach, Gunga Din, Destry Rides Again, The Young Mr. Lincoln, and Goodbye Mr. Chips as supurb, often ground-breaking works.

To call attention to this banner year and mark the 70th anniversary of the purchase of Landis House we have chosen 3 films from this list to become feature films in our Friday Night Flicks series.

Directions to Landis House
Landis House is located on the corner of 4th and Walnut Streets in Newport, PA. The exact address is 67 N. 4th Street. View Map The Courtyard is located on Walnut Street.

Admission
There will be no charge for the film, although we will happily accept free-will donations. Although some seating will be available, attendees are encouraged to bring a comfortable lawn chair.

In case of inclement weather
If rain threatens, we will move the viewing into the Landis House Ball Room.

The Thinking So Far…

Given the current level of technology, just about anyone has the ability to make a film. However, not everybody can make a good one. This assumption will be put to the test in the summer of 2010 with the debut of the 10-minute Film Festival. The Festival will accept entries from anyone in Central Pennsylvania; amateur or professional, adult or student. Entries must be submitted on a DVD and be 10 minutes or less in length.

With these few basics as a launching point, the potential for the 10-Minute Film Festival is only limited by our energy and creativity. We would love to have a core group of volunteers to start to help this project take shape, specifically:

Mission – Right now the Film Festival stems from the germ of an idea by Roger Smith and initially enthusiastic responses from a bunch of friends and associates. We want to establish an event that will create a positive buzz about Perry and surrounding counties. We want to have a positive economic impact by attracting people to the area for the day, and who knows, maybe overnight.
Players – We must bring in influential people to make sure the Film Festival becomes a genuine regional event and a financial success.
Marketing – We will have to get the word out – to colleges, high schools, arts-related organizations, community calendars. It would be amazing if some film teachers actually built this into their curriculum.
Venue – Our original thinking was to hold the Film Festival in the Courtyard of Landis House. Numerous people have commented that, done properly, this event would attract many more people than the Courtyard could hold. We like that kind of thinking.
Budget – This might be a great idea, but if it doesn’t break even, it won’t become an annual event. How can we assure that we have a positive cash flow?
Calendar – We need to establish due dates, logistics, timing.
Standards, eligibility, categories, awards – What counties do we hope to draw from? What categories will be recognized? Think animation, documentary, scripted pieces, etc.

Anyone interested in getting in on the ground floor of an exciting organization and a huge community builder should contact Roger Smith at rog@perrycountyarts.org or 717.567.7023. As the brief list above implies, we will need volunteers with a wide variety of skills and talents.