Beverly Hills, CA (RPRN) 7/16/2009—The 1939 Best Picture nominee “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington†will be screened as the next feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ series “Hollywood’s Greatest Year: The Best Picture Nominees of 1939†on Monday, July 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.  A newly restored print will be screened.
Pre-show elements, which begin at 7 p.m., include the tenth chapter of the 1939 serial “Buck Rogers,†starring Buster Crabbe and Constance Moore, and the Columbia animated short “Scrappy’s Added Attraction.â€
Director Frank Capra sent “Senator†James Stewart to the nation’s capital to teach his fellow lawmakers a lesson about American ideals in this political comedy-drama. “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington†won the Oscar® for Writing – Original Story (Lewis R. Foster). The film also received an additional ten Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture (Columbia), Actor (Stewart), Actor in a Supporting Role (Harry Carey, as President of the Senate), Actor in a Supporting Role (Claude Rains, as Senator Joseph Paine), Art Direction (Lionel Banks), Directing (Capra), Film Editing (Gene Havlick, Al Clark), Music – Scoring (Dimitri Tiomkin), Sound Recording (Columbia Studio Sound Department, John Livadary, sound director) and Writing – Screenplay (Sidney Buchman).
Tickets for “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington†and other individual films in the series are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Curtain time for all features is 7:30 p.m., and pre-show elements will begin at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600. For the latest updates on guests, cartoons, and other films in the series, visit www.oscars.org.
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About the Academy
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world”s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.
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Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972
(310) 247-3000 | www.oscars.org | publicity@oscars.org