100 Nights at the Movies:
The Films of “Sundown Cinema”

For ten years, beginning in the Spring of 2006, the Webmaster presented film-related courses through the Lifelong Learning program of Miami University. The first was a conventional lecture/discussion on the history of the Academy Awards and the remarkable films of 1939. It included discussion of and film clips from the ten nominees for Best Picture and the four nominees for Best Song in 1939.

Beginning in the Fall of 2006, the format changed and the courses became known as “Sundown Cinema” (so named because of the starting time of the classes). Each semester was keyed to a central theme and each session included a screening of one or more complete films with a discussion of the history and trivia about each film. Listed below are the films that were shown in each series.

TheOscar Nominated markersymbol appears next to each film nominated for an Academy Award. (While this was not a requirement for inclusion in a series, it, not surprisingly, reflects the obsession of the instructor.) Click on the name of one of those films to display more information about it. You can also click on the IMDb link to to open a new browser window showing information about the film from the Internet Movie Database.

Spring 2006: The Academy Awards and the Golden Year of 1939

03/20A Brief History of the Academy Awards
Why 1939 Was So Remarkable
03/27The Nominees – Part I:
Oscar Nominated markerSong: “Faithful Forever” from Gulliver’s Travels   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerDark Victory   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerGoodbye, Mr. Chips   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerLove Affair   IMDb
04/03The Nominees – Part II:
Oscar Nominated markerSong: “I Poured My Heart into a Song” from Second Fiddle   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerMr. Smith Goes to Washington   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerNinotchka   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerOf Mice and Men   IMDb
04/10The Nominees – Part III:
Oscar Nominated markerSong: “Wishing (Will Make It So)” from Love Affair   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerStagecoach   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerThe Wizard of Oz   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerWuthering Heights   IMDb
04/17The Winners:
Oscar Nominated markerSong: “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerGone with the Wind   IMDb

Fall 2006: The History of the Movies – Part I

10/18The 1900s:The Great Train Robbery (1904)   IMDb
Shadow Magic (Chinese, 2000)   IMDb
10/25The 1910s:The Birth of a Nation (1915)   IMDb
11/01The 1920s:Oscar Nominated markerSunrise—A Song of Two Humans (1927)   IMDb
11/08The 1930s:Oscar Nominated markerAll Quiet on the Western Front (1932)   IMDb
11/15The 1940s:Oscar Nominated markerCitizen Kane (1941)   IMDb

Spring 2007: The History of the Movies – Part II

03/20The 1950s:Oscar Nominated markerRebel Without a Cause (1955)   IMDb
03/27The 1960s:Oscar Nominated markerIn the Heat of the Night (1967)   IMDb
04/03The 1970s:Oscar Nominated markerThe Last Picture Show (1971)   IMDb
04/10The 1980s:Oscar Nominated markerThe Big Chill (1983)   IMDb
04/17The 1990s:Oscar Nominated markerJurassic Park (1993)   IMDb

Fall 2007: Movies Based on Novels

10/17Oscar Nominated markerTom Jones (1963)   IMDb
10/24Oscar Nominated marker20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)   IMDb
10/31Oscar Nominated markerThe Grapes of Wrath (1940)   IMDb
11/07Oscar Nominated markerTo Kill a Mockingbird (1962)   IMDb
11/14Oscar Nominated markerThe Devil Wears Prada (2006)   IMDb

Spring 2008: Movies Based on Short Stories – Part I

03/26Oscar Nominated markerStagecoach (1939)   IMDb
04/02Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)   IMDb
04/09Oscar Nominated markerRashomon (Japanese, 1950)   IMDb
04/16A Face in the Crowd (1957)   IMDb
04/23Oscar Nominated markerField of Dreams (1989)   IMDb

Fall 2008: Movies Based on Short Stories – Part II

10/14Oscar Nominated markerAll About Eve (1950)   IMDb
10/21Smoke Signals (1998)   IMDb
10/28Oscar Nominated markerMinority Report (2002)   IMDb
11/04Bringing Up Baby (1938)   IMDb
11/11Oscar Nominated markerRear Window (1954)   IMDb

Spring 2009: Movies Based on Movies (“Remakes”)

03/17Oscar Nominated markerThe Philadelphia Story (1940)   IMDb
03/19Oscar Nominated markerHigh Society (1956)   IMDb
03/24Oscar Nominated markerYojimbo (Japanese, 1961)   IMDb
03/26A Fistful of Dollars (1964)   IMDb
03/31Oscar Nominated markerCyrano de Bergerac (1950)   IMDb
04/02Roxanne (1987)   IMDb
04/07Oscar Nominated markerDouble Indemnity (1944)   IMDb
04/09Oscar Nominated markerThe Maltese Falcon (1941)   IMDb
[substitute for Body Heat (1981)   IMDb]
04/14Oscar Nominated markerRomeo and Juliet (1968)   IMDb
04/16Oscar Nominated markerWest Side Story (1961)   IMDb

Fall 2009: Movies Based on Stage Plays

10/13Oscar Nominated markerSame Time, Next Year (1978)   IMDb
10/20Oscar Nominated markerThe Rainmaker (1956)   IMDb
10/27Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
(1982)   IMDb
11/03Oscar Nominated markerMister Roberts (1955)   IMDb
11/10Oscar Nominated markerInherit the Wind (1960)   IMDb

Spring 2010: Movies Based on Original Screenplays

03/17Oscar Nominated markerSunset Boulevard (1950)   IMDb
03/24Oscar Nominated markerThe Red Balloon (French, 1956)   IMDb
[plus Academy Award-winning short subjects]
03/31Oscar Nominated markerThe Defiant Ones (1958)   IMDb
04/07Oscar Nominated markerNetwork (1976)   IMDb
04/21Oscar Nominated markerMoonstruck (1987)   IMDb
[rescheduled from 04/14]

Fall 2010: Movies About Time Travel

10/12Oscar Nominated markerThe Time Machine (1960)   IMDb
10/19Time After Time (1979)   IMDb
10/26Oscar Nominated markerPeggy Sue Got Married (1986)   IMDb
11/02Oscar Nominated markerBack to the Future (1985)   IMDb
11/09Oscar Nominated markerSomewhere in Time (1980)   IMDb

Spring 2011: The Films of Frank Capra

03/15The Strong Man (1926)   IMDb
The Matinee Idol (1928)   IMDb
03/22Oscar Nominated markerMr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)   IMDb
03/29Hemo the Magnificent (1957)   IMDb
Oscar Nominated markerPrelude to War (1943)   IMDb
04/05Oscar Nominated markerLost Horizon (1937)   IMDb
04/12Oscar Nominated markerMr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)   IMDb

Fall 2011: The Films of Sidney Lumet

10/11Oscar Nominated marker12 Angry Men (1957)   IMDb
10/18Oscar Nominated markerThe Pawnbroker (1965)   IMDb
10/25Fail-Safe (1964)   IMDb
11/01Oscar Nominated markerDog Day Afternoon (1975)   IMDb
11/08Oscar Nominated markerThe Verdict (1980)   IMDb

Spring 2012: Guilty Pleasures – Part I

03/13Oscar Nominated markerSingin’ in the Rain (1952)   IMDb
03/20Oscar Nominated markerAirport (1970)   IMDb
03/27The King of Masks (Chinese, 1997)   IMDb
04/03A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966)   IMDb
04/10Oscar Nominated markerBig (1988)   IMDb

Fall 2012: Guilty Pleasures – Part II

10/09Oscar Nominated markerThe China Syndrome (1979)   IMDb
10/16Oscar Nominated marker7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)   IMDb
10/23Oscar Nominated markerCinema Paradiso (Italian, 1989)   IMDb
10/30Oscar Nominated markerA Thousand Clowns (1965)   IMDb
11/06Oscar Nominated markerThat Thing You Do! (1996)   IMDb

Spring 2013: Those Great B-Movie Detectives

03/19Oscar Nominated markerThe Thin Man (1934)   IMDb
    plus Dick Tracy – Chapter 1: The Spider Strikes Back (1937)   IMDb
03/26Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936)   IMDb
    plus Dick Tracy – Chapter 2: The Bridge of Terror
04/02The Saint Strikes Back (1939)   IMDb
    plus Dick Tracy – Chapter 3: The Fur Pirates
04/09Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938)   IMDb
    plus Dick Tracy – Chapter 4: Death Rides the Sky
04/16The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)   IMDb
    plus Dick Tracy – Chapter 5: Brother Against Brother

Fall 2013: The Films of Alfred Hitchcock

10/09The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)   IMDb
10/16Oscar Nominated markerRebecca (1940)   IMDb
10/23Oscar Nominated markerVertigo (1958)   IMDb
10/30Oscar Nominated markerNorth by Northwest (1959)   IMDb
11/06Oscar Nominated markerPsycho (1960)   IMDb

Spring 2014: Movies Based on a True Story

04/02The General (1926)   IMDb
04/09Oscar Nominated markerMask (1985)   IMDb
04/16Bernie (2011)   IMDb
04/23Oscar Nominated markerFinding Neverland (2004)   IMDb
04/30Oscar Nominated markerApollo 13 (1995)   IMDb

Fall 2014: Quirky Characters

10/08Oscar Nominated markerHarvey (1950)   IMDb
10/15Blast from the Past (1999)   IMDb
10/22Oscar Nominated markerTootsie (1982)   IMDb
10/29Benny & Joon (1993)   IMDb
[substitute for A Fish Called Wanda (1988)   IMDb]
11/12Oscar Nominated markerSteel Magnolias (1989)   IMDb
[rescheduled from 11/5]

Spring 2015: Back to School

04/01Oscar Nominated markerGoodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)   IMDb
04/08Oscar Nominated markerStand and Deliver (1988)   IMDb
04/15Oscar Nominated markerGrease (1978)   IMDb
04/22The Breakfast Club (1985)   IMDb
04/29The Emperor’s Club (2002)   IMDb

Fall 2015: Something to Think About

10/07The Seventh Seal (1957)   IMDb
10/14Oscar Nominated markerUp (2009)   IMDb
10/21Koyaanisqatsi (1983)   IMDb
10/28Seven Pounds (2008)   IMDb
11/04Oscar Nominated markerPleasantville (1998)   IMDb

After ten years and “100 nights at the movies”, the Webmaster decided to step down from teaching. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the organization that sponsored his classes.