“The Universal Film Manufacturing Company incorporated in 1912, the result of a merger between a number of independent companies that had been battling Thomas Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Trust. Universal would go on to become the oldest continuously operating film producer and distributor in the United States. In an industry defined by change, Universal’s spinning globe logo has remained, along with its back lot and tour in Universal City, Calif.

From its beginning under Carl Laemmle, there existed a tension between Universal’s need to produce low-budget ‘programmers’ and the ‘major minor’s’ desire to compete alongside better-capitalized studios—with their national theater chains—on the level of big-budget A pictures. Ironically, while several of Universal’s early ‘prestige’ titles are beloved classics today, including ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930), it remains the B pictures, including its iconic 1930s horror cycle (FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA, THE MUMMY), that epitomize its contribution to film art and commerce.

This irony informs Universal’s post-war emergence as a global entertainment power. After anti-trust actions leveled the playing field in the 1940s, Universal moved into the A-list with superlative mass entertainment that ennobled populist genres, including westerns (WINCHESTER ’73), thrillers (THE BIRDS), and sex farces (PILLOW TALK). Universal also innovated new industry practices, pioneering the ‘percentage deal’ and embracing television production.

It changed the game again with JAWS (1975), which established the ‘blockbuster’ formula that still dominates the industry today. Throughout its history, Universal has translated economic necessity into a uniquely American challenge to the distinctions between prestigious and popular entertainment.”—UCLA Film and Television Archive

“Universal Pictures: Celebrating 100 Years,” featuring new 35mm prints and restorations, is organized by Universal Pictures and the UCLA Film and Television Archive and is presented by American Express.

One of the most iconic filmmakers in the world, Czech animator Jan Švankmajer has been working for almost 50 years, profoundly influencing other artists ranging from Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam to the Brothers Quay. Celebrated for his singular fusion of stop-motion, clay, and puppet animation with live action, Švankmajer’s extraordinary, macabre tales are both darkly humorous and surreally bizarre flights of fancy inspired by literary sources as diverse as Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allan Poe, Goëthe, Franz Kafka, the Marquis de Sade, and Czech folk tales. “In the old magicians’ books, they say that if we wish to exorcise a demon or a ghost, then we have to give them a name … and I think that is precisely the method I use to get rid of my anxieties and fears. I give them a name in my films.”—Jan Švankmajer

Special thanks to Irena Kovarova for organizing this touring retrospective and to additional support from the Czech Center New York. 

One of classic Hollywood’s greatest actresses, Barbara Stanwyck’s “job” (she never called it a career) spanned several decades and a myriad of genres. Unlike most stars, Stanwyck was never under contract with any one studio and her staunch independence allowed her to work on diverse films with some of Hollywood’s most lauded directors and most famous leading men. From westerns and romances to screwball comedies and film noirs, she stood out as an almost unstoppable force anytime she appeared onscreen. As director Billy Wilder said when presenting Stanwyck with the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award, “In this business, you aren’t supposed to say anyone was the best. She was the best.” Inspired by Dan Callahan’s recent biography surveying Stanwyck’s distinguished career, “Barbara Stanwyck: The Miracle Woman,” we present a selection of her best films—all in the glorious 35mm in which they were filmed.

Dan Callahan will be in attendance March 15 and 16 to introduce THE LADY EVE and FORTY GUNS.

Discounted series passes for Barbara Stanwyck: The Miracle Woman are available for $35 each.

The ongoing Northwest Tracking series focuses a spotlight on the work of independent filmmakers living across the Northwest—Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington—whose work reflects the vibrant cinematic culture of the region.

NW Tracking is sponsored by Bear Deluxe Magazine.