At The Movies
February 23, 2011|Events
Even Don Romano is never sure what sort of crowd will turn up for one of Elmhurst College’s Classic Film Society screenings. Romano, a senior psychology major, helped start the society two years ago, partly because he wanted to share his love of old movies. But he gets to share more love at some screenings than at others.
Earlier this year, seven people showed up to watch Citizen Kane, which is widely considered one of the greatest American films ever made. But nearly 70 came for a showing of The Ghost and Mister Chicken, which isn’t.
Spreading the gospel of classic cinema on a college campus is an unpredictable business. Romano belongs to a generation that knows more about Jack Black than Jimmy Stewart, so part of his mission is to give fellow students the chance to see great old films for the first time. When he wins a convert, he is thrilled.
“It’s not always easy to get college kids to come, because sometimes they have these preconceived ideas that the movies are going to be boring or irrelevant. But every once in a while, someone will come up to me after a film and say “That was great,” and want to know more.” Romano said. “That’s an awesome feeling.”
He is hoping for similarly awesome feelings in the weeks ahead. Romano’s group is showing High Society, the Frank Sinatra-Grace Kelly musical, on February 25, at 8 p.m. in Illinois Hall. Still to come, on dates to be announced, are the Beatles’ romp A Hard Day’s Night and His Girl Friday, the mother of all romantic comedies, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. All the movies are free and open to the public. See the society’s Facebook page or the College’s events page for details and future shows.
Romano grew up in Oak Brook in family of cinephiles, but it wasn’t until he took a film class at Elmhurst in 2008 with Hollywood veteran and visiting professor Hank Moonjean that he was inspired to start the film society. Moonjean helped create such Hollywood classics as Cool Hand Luke and The Odd Couple (as assistant director) and produced Dangerous Liaisons, a 1989 Academy Award nominee for best picture. In his class at Elmhurst, Moonjean would screen movies, then lead his students in a discussion. When the course ended, Romano and two other students, Amber Bergmann and Eileen Joyce, both since graduated, realized that they missed watching and talking about the old films. So they decided to organize their own shows.
Since then, the society has shown the romantic (Casablanca) and the suspenseful (Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca) and the obligatory holiday classics (It’s a Wonderful Life). But Romano’s personal preference leans toward comedies.
“There’s nothing like it when everyone in the room is laughing,” he said one recent afternoon outside Illinois Hall. He doesn’t have to think very long when asked to name his all-time favorite. It’s the indescribable 1933 Marx Brothers’ farce, Duck Soup. Romano’s willingness to proselytize for the Marx Brothers sometimes comes back to bite him. He’s been known to loan out his box collection of their greatest hits as part of his effort to spread the movie magic, only to never see his DVDs again.
“I love anything by the Marx Brothers,” Romano said. “I’ve seen a few new comedies this year and Duck Soup is funnier than all of them combined. You just don’t see that level of craft anymore.”
So has his love of old movies spoiled him for the usual, contemporary stuff shown at the megaplex at the local mall?
“I don’t think so, but my family would say otherwise. I guess I’m always saying that films don’t deliver like they used to,” he said. “Not to sound elitist, but once you’ve seen really great movies, it’s hard to sit through something less.”
