Downtown Bozeman’s Ellen Theatre will present a number of upcoming film screenings of the classic and family favorite variety this month. Gather friends and loved ones for some popcorn and the following titles.
Saddle up for Mark Rydell’s The Cowboys on August 6th. A grizzled veteran rancher, Wil Andersen (John Wayne) is almost ready to embark on a big cattle drive when his crew abruptly quits to join in a gold rush. Left with no alternative, Andersen enlists the help of a group of local schoolboys. Training the youngsters to be cowboys, he manages to get the drive underway, but their long journey is placed in jeopardy when the devious bandit Long Hair (Bruce Dern) sets his sights on stealing the herd.
The Man Who Knew Too Much from auteur Alfred Hitchcock follows on Aug. 9th. Dr. Ben McKenna (James Stewart) is on vacation with his wife (Doris Day) and son in Morocco when a chance encounter with a stranger sets their trip, and their lives, on a drastically different course. The stranger, killed in front of the family in the marketplace, reveals an assassination plot to the Americans. The couple’s son is abducted in order to ensure the plot is kept secret, and suddenly the mother and father, with no help from the police, must figure out a way to get their child back.
Western classic Shane lights up the screen on Aug. 13th. Enigmatic gunslinger Shane (Alan Ladd) rides into a small Wyoming town with hopes of quietly settling down as a farmhand. Taking a job on homesteader Joe Starrett’s (Van Heflin) farm, Shane is drawn into a battle between the townsfolk and ruthless cattle baron Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer). Shane’s growing attraction to Starrett’s wife, Marian (Jean Arthur), and his fondness for their son Joey (Brandon de Wilde), who idolizes Shane, force him to realize that he must thwart Ryker’s plan.
On Aug. 15th, grab an umbrella for Singin’ in the Rain. Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds star in this all-singing, all-dancing masterpiece, considered by many to be the greatest musical of all time. Tap those toes to fantastic numbers including “Fit as a Fiddle,” “Moses Supposes” and the title track, “Singin’ in the Rain.”
The locomotive rolls in with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on Aug. 21st. The true story of fast-draws and wild rides, battles with posses, train and bank robberies, a torrid love affair and a new lease on outlaw life in far away Bolivia. It is also a character study of a remarkable friendship between Butch – possibly the most likeable outlaw in frontier history – and his closest associate, the fabled, ever-dangerous Sundance Kid.
Cast a line for A River Runs Through It on Aug. 22nd. The Maclean brothers, Paul (Brad Pitt) and Norman (Craig Sheffer), live a relatively idyllic life in rural Montana, spending much of their time fly fishing. The sons of a minister (Tom Skerritt), the boys eventually part company when Norman moves east to attend college, leaving his rebellious brother to find trouble back home. When Norman finally returns, the siblings resume their fishing outings, and assess both where they’ve been and where they’re going.
All beginning at 7:30pm, seats for these films are $9. Wine, beer and concessions will be sold in the lobby one hour before each event. Ticketing and further information about these and other upcoming happenings is available at www.theellentheatre.org. For additional inquiries, call the box office at (406) 585-5885. •
