Showing on Friday, Oct. 6, will be Zulu (Endfield) at 6:15 p.m., followed by Point of Order” (de Antonio) at 9:10 p.m. Zulu is a rousing recreation of a momentous battle between 4,000 Zulu warriors and a small British garrison in 1879. Point of Order is a compelling account of the Army-McCarthy hearings employing only filmed footage of the event.

On Saturday, Oct. 7, Mysterious Island (Endfield) will show at 7 p.m., followed by In the Year of the Pig (de Antonio) at 8:55 p.m. Mysterious Island is a lively version of a Jules Verne tale in which a balloon lands on an unchartered island inhabited by fantastic creatures. It features the work of special-effects maestro Ray Harryhausen. In the Year of the Pig is a provocative look at the then-raging war in Vietnam and its historic background.

An introduction will be given prior to each film by Dr. Philip Mosley, Professor of English, Communications and Comparative Literature at Penn State Worthington-Scranton and a well-known authority on films. He is also the editor of “Anthracite! An Anthology of Pennsylvania Coal Region Plays,” just published by the University of Scranton Press, which brings together six plays that portray the world of 19th and early 20th century Pennsylvania coal miners and their families.

Documentary filmmaker Emile de Antonio, born in Scranton in 1920, created a great deal of controversy during his nearly 20 years as a filmmaker. His pictures were personal statements that often sharply criticized the United States at the time when the Cold War and the anti-war movement were national obsessions. As a filmmaker, he preferred to intricately edit old footage into something new, often without using narration. His criticism of American institutions and government officials angered many and led to FBI surveillance. Among his films are Point of Order (1964), The Plot to Kill JFK: Rush to Judgment (1965), In the Year of the Pig (1968), Milhouse - A White Comedy (1971) and Mr. Hoover and I (1989).

Cy Endfield, born in Scranton in 1914, came to Hollywood as a writer before World War II and moved on to direct on MGM's Our Gang short subjects series. Later, he helmed one- and two-reel entries in the studio's Passing Parade and Crime Does Not Pay series. His first feature-length directorial effort was Monogram's Gentleman Joe Palooka (1946). He also wrote or directed other entries in the Palooka series. After making several modest but well-received pictures, he was blacklisted in the early 1950’s as were many others. Thereafter, he worked in England, often pseudonymously, directing TV episodes and small films.  Mr. Endfield's re-entry into mainstream filmmaking came about when he formed a partnership with actor Stanley Baker. The best of Endfield's later works include Mysterious Island (1961), Zulu (1964) and Sands of the Kalahari (1965).

Though the film showings are free of charge, however tickets are suggested. Each ticket is good for both Friday and Saturday. There is a limit of four tickets per person or per request. Tickets are available through the mail by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Film Event, Lackawanna College, 501 Vine Street, Scranton, PA 18509. All mail order ticket requests must be received by October 2. Tickets may also be picked up in person at Lackawanna College from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Seating will be available on the night of the performances on a space available basis. 

The Greater Scranton Film Office, a project of Scranton Tomorrow, whose principal mission is to foster film making in Northeast Pennsylvania, also works to increase the understanding and appreciation of film as an art form. Lackawanna College’s participation in the gala is part of its continuing role in the region’s artistic life. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Film Office has also provided support for this event.

For more information, call the Greater Scranton Film Office at 963-5901.

###