Nothing Sacred

Attendees of the inaugural Nitrate Picture Show (held at George Eastman House this past May) will attest to the brilliance and colorful beauty produced by vintage nitrate prints projected on the big screen in the Dryden Theatre. One of the highlights of that weekend was the Technicolor comedy Nothing Sacred, directed by William A. Wellman and featuring rambunctious comedic performances by Fredric March and Carole Lombard. Banking on the sensationalist journalism of the 1930s, Ben Hecht’s script offers up the story of young Hazel Flagg, believed to be stricken with radium poisoning, who bemoans the fact that she has never been out of her small town to see or do anything. Disgraced reporter Wally Cook comes to her rescue in a last-ditch effort to save his career by giving her the chance to travel to New York City to see the sights and be feted by everyone from schoolchildren to the mayor. Save the date for the second Nitrate Picture Show, April 30–May 2, 2016.