Academy to celebrate The Last Picture Show’s 40th

Oct 27, 2011 by Ian Evans

The Last Picture Show is celebrating its 40th anniversary and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a new digitally restored “Definitive Director’s Cut” of the film on Thursday, November 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The screening will feature an onstage cast and crew reunion with guests including director Peter Bogdanovich and actresses Cybill Shepherd and Cloris Leachman.

Set in the fading West Texas town of Anarene in the early 1950s, the film combines a poignant coming-of-age tale with a bittersweet appraisal of Anarene’s discontented adults. As the only movie theater in town goes out of business, Anarene’s high school seniors grapple with conflicting feelings about sex, friendship and responsibility, and the adults reflect on their unfulfilled lives.

The picture garnered eight Oscar® nominations, including Actor in a Supporting Role (Ben Johnson, Jeff Bridges), Actress in a Supporting Role (Cloris Leachman, Ellen Burstyn), Cinematography (Robert L. Surtees), Directing (Peter Bogdanovich), Best Picture (Stephen J. Friedman, producer), and Writing — Screenplay based on material from another medium (Larry McMurtry, Peter Bogdanovich), with Johnson and Leachman earning statuettes for their performances.

Tickets for The Last Picture Show are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID, and may be purchased online at www.oscars.org or by mail starting November 1. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.