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Contact: Elizabeth Tucker, 510-232-5050 ext. 0
(Richmond, CA) –The National Park Service and the Richmond Museum Association announce the lineup for the 7th Annual Home Front Film Festival on Thursday evenings in June, July and August, 2015. The film festival will feature six popular, full-length movies that were shown on the American Home Front during WWII.
The film screenings will be presented aboard the SS Red Oak Victory, a beautifully restored cargo ship built in Richmond during World War II. The ship is located in historic Shipyard #3, where thousands of Americans labored to build 747 ships over the course of the war.
Today, the ship is owned and operated by the Richmond Museum Association and is also part of Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park. The ship’s address is 1337 Canal Blvd., Berth 6A, Richmond, CA 94804. For directions to the shipyard, call 510-237-2933 or visit http://richmondmuseum.org/ss-
Admission to the films is free, but there is a suggested donation of $10 to help preserve and maintain the ship.
Boarding is at 6:30 PM on each date, and the films begin at 7 PM. Please note: the ship is not ADA accessible. Visitors must be able to climb gangplank (40 feet of stairs with railings) and steep steps once aboard ship.
June 11: The Fighting 69th (1940) James Cagney
In 1940, as the United States prepared for the war that seemed inevitable, filmmakers looked for ways to prepare a reluctant population. The Fighting 69th is based upon the actual exploits of New York City's 69th Infantry Regiment during World War I, and centers on misfit Jerry Plunkett (James Cagney), who displays a mixture of bravado, cowardice, and eventually service to the greater good.
June 25: Invisible Agent (1942) Peter Lorre
The concept for the story was inspired by The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells. The film was a wartime propaganda production that was part of a Hollywood effort to boost morale at the home front. The screenplay was written by Curt Siodmak, a refugee from Nazi Germany.
July 9: Casablanca (1942) Humphry Bogart and Ingrid Bergman
Considered by the American Film Institute to be the greatest romance movie of all time, Casablanca became the most popular film of the Home Front Era and its popularity is still alive and well. Come join us for the film and fun, as we recreate Rick’s Café Américain aboard the ship. Feel free to dress for the evening (as your favorite Casablanca character.)
July 23: Northern Pursuit (1943) Errol Flynn
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Corporal Steve Wagner (Errol Flynn) tries to uncover a Nazi plot against the Allied war effort. The film was set in Canada during the early years of WWII. Remember, “The Mountie always gets his man.”
August 13: For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman
Based on the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, this film is about an American fighting in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Republicans, who finds romance during a desperate mission to blow up a strategically important bridge. Hemingway hand-picked Cooper and Bergman for their roles.
August 27: Dragon Seed (1944) Katherine Hepburn
Based on a best-selling book by Pearl S. Buck, the film portrays a peaceful village in China that has been invaded by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese war. The men in the village choose to adopt a peaceful attitude toward their conquerors, but Jade (Katherine Hepburn), a headstrong woman, stands up to the Japanese. This film is not without controversy, as almost the entire cast of Asian characters is played by Western actors.
Popcorn and refreshments will be available for purchase aboard the ship during each screening. A National Park Service ranger will provide an introduction to the films in the context of the WWII Home Front.
We also invite you to visit another park site, the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Education Center, which is open seven days a week from 10 AM to 5 PM and is located at 1414 Harbour Way South, suite 3000, Richmond, CA 94804. For more information and for directions to the Visitor Education Center, please call (510) 232-5050 x0, or visit https://www.nps.gov/rori/
Admission to the Visitor Center and all park sites and programs is free.
If you would like to receive information about upcoming park events, visit www.rosietheriveter.org and sign up for the email newsletter. The Rosie the Riveter Trust is the nonprofit association that is building a community of support for this national park.
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Last updated: June 2, 2015