Rochester is a cinema-rich city. No other city this size has a five-screen art-house theater and a repertory theater, in addition to the commercial theaters, in the area. This is in part due to the generosity and legacy of George Eastman and the Eastman Kodak Co., but is also due to the long list of filmmakers who were born, worked, or studied in Rochester, in addition to those who visited often and called the city a second home. From director George Melford, actor Norman Kerry, and actress Louise Brooks in the silent period, to musician Cab Calloway, writers Garson and Michael Kanin in Hollywood’s golden years, to more recent actors such as John Lithgow and Taye Diggs, Rochester has produced an impressive list of artists who have contributed to the art of cinema. This year, the Dryden Theatre will bring films featuring many of these artists to the big screen, opening up chapters of this city you may never have known.
Dates and Titles: January 14: The Sheik (George Melford, 1921, 86 min., 35mm)
February 1 (2 p.m.): Dryden Roundtable: “From Rochester, With Love”
February 4: Sweet Alyssum (Colin Campbell, 1915, 59 min., 35mm)
February 15: Sabrina (Billy Wilder, 1954, 113 min., 35mm)
March 6: Woman of the Year (George Stevens, 1942, 114 min., DCP)
March 8: Gaslight (George Cukor, 1944, 114 min., DCP)
March 11: The Lone Wolf Returns (Ralph Ince, US 1926, 70 min., 35mm)
March 13: Intermezzo (Gregory Ratoff, US 1939, 70 min., 35mm)
March 14: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948, 126 min., 35mm)
March 15: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942, 102 min., 35mm)
March 20: Silk Stockings (Rouben Mamoulian, 1957, 117 min., DCP)
March 28: The Pride of the Yankees (Sam Wood, 1942, 128 min., 35mm)
March 29 (2 p.m.): The Pride of the Yankees (Sam Wood, 1942, 128 min., 35mm)
April 3: Pat and Mike (George Cukor, 1952, 95 min., DCP)
April 24: Stormy Weather (Andrew L. Stone, 1943, 78 min., DCP)
June 3: The Magnificent Yankee (John Sturges, US 1950, 89 min., 16mm)
Jun 10: Tortilla Flat (Victor Fleming, US 1942, 105 min., 35mm)
June 17: The Letter (William Wyler, US 1940, 95 min., 35mm)
June 20: The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, US 1940, 112 min., 35mm)
June 21 (2 p.m.): The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, US 1940, 112 min., 35mm)
June 26: National Velvet (Clarence Brown, US 1944, 123 min., 35mm)
June 28: (2 p.m.): The Letter (William Wyler, US 1940, 95 min., 35mm)
August 1: Along Came Polly (John Hamburg, US 2004, 90 min., DCP)
August 2 (2 p.m.): State and Main (David Mamet, US 2000, 105 min., 35mm)
August 2: The Big Lebowski (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, US 1998, 117 min., 35mm)
September 6: Chaplin (Richard Attenborough, US/Japan/France/Italy 1992, 143 min., 35mm)
September 27: Bridesmaids (Paul Feig, US 2011, 125 min., DCP)
October 4: Nine Days (Edson Oda, US 2021, 124 min., DCP)
October 23: The Dead Zone (David Cronenberg, US 1983, 103 min., DCP)
October 25: The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher, US 1987, 97 min., DCP)
October 30: The Phantom of the Opera (Rupert Julian, US 1925, 93 min., DCP)
November 1 (2 p.m.): The Phantom of the Opera (Rupert Julian, US 1925, 93 min., DCP)
November 1: The World According to Garp (George Roy Hill, US 1982, 136 min., 35mm)
November 18: It’s the Old Army Game (A. Edward Sutherland, US 1926, 77 min., 35mm)
November 26: Too Late (Dennis Hauck, US 2015, 107 min., 35mm)
December 18: A Christmas Carol (Edwin L. Marin, US 1938, 69 min., 35mm)
December 19: The Best Man (Malcolm D. Lee, US 1999, 120 min., 35mm)
December 20 (2 p.m.): A Christmas Carol (Edwin L. Marin, US 1938, 69 min., 35mm)
January 13: Medium Cool (Haskell Wexler, US 1969, 111 min., 35mm)
Events in this Series
Medium Cool (35mm)
Special Presentation | From Rochester, With Love Following up on two noted supporting performances in Reflections in a Golden Eye (John Huston, 1967) and The Stalking Moon (Robert Mulligan, 1968), Robert Forster’s screen presence sizzles in Medium Cool (1968). His inscrutable stare and volcanic intensity perfectly characterizes a man caught up in the turbulence of the late 1960s.
Matinee: A Christmas Carol
Holidays Hollywood’s first big-budget version of the Dickens classic features Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge in his most-remembered role.
The Best Man
From Rochester, With Love Rochester’s School of the Arts graduate Taye Diggs stars in this romantic dramedy about an emerging author trying to hide a secret from his past while acting as best man for his college friend. Harper’s (Diggs) first novel, Unfinished Business, has been selected for Oprah’s book club, ensuring a successful launch.
A Christmas Carol
Holidays Hollywood’s first big-budget version of the Dickens classic features Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge in his most-remembered role.
Too Late (35mm)
From Rochester, With Love A twisty, non-linear narrative into the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles. Private investigator Mel Samson (John Hawkes) agrees to protect Dorothy Mahler (Crystal Reed), a stripper fearful for her life.