2024 Topic
Title: Al Christie: Hollywood's Forgotten Film Pioneer
London, Ontario native Al Christie made more than a thousand short comedy films and features in a 30-year directing and producing career in Hollywood. In his heyday, his work was considered on a par with such comedy giants as Mack Sennett (another Canadian) and Hal Roach; but until now he’s been mostly a footnote in cinema history. Christie made the first silent comedy films in 1911 in the then-little known town of Hollywood and continued his movie making well into the 1930s as talking films took over.
Journalist, author and award-winning lecturer Mark Kearney will tell us all about the movie career of London's own Al Christie, and share part of one of his films with us too!
Speaker: Mark Kearney, author of Al Christie: Hollywood's Forgotten Film Pioneer, is an award-winning journalist who has co-authored 10 other books and contributed to a further three. He started his career as a reporter for The London Free Press and has freelanced for some 80 different publications in North America. He’s currently a lecturer at Western University in London, Ontario, teaching a range of writing and journalism courses. He has won several awards for his teaching. Mark lives in London, Ontario with his wife Catherine Blake.
List of discussions:
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Date |
Topic |
Discussion leader |
More Info |
| Sunday, Oct 20, 2024 | Al Christie: Hollywood's Forgotten Film Pioneer | Mark Kearney | |
| Sunday, Oct 22, 2023 | A conversation with Canadian Woman in Film | Anne Tait | |
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Sunday, Oct 23, 2022 |
Dangerous Dames: Celebrating the Women of Pre-Code Gangster Movies |
Heather Babcock |
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Sunday, Sept 26, 2021 |
The life of a "working actor" in movies today |
Camille Stopps |
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Sunday, Sept 30, 2019 |
Duos |
Chris Knight |
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Sunday, Oct 14, 2018 |
Love of Film |
Peter Howell |
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Sunday, Oct 15, 2017 |
Canadians in Hollywood |
Jeff Pevere |
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Sunday, Oct 16, 2016 |
Women in Hollywood |
Thom Ernst |
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Sunday, Oct 25, 2015 |
Director John Ford |
Prof. Graham Petrie |
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Sunday, Oct 26, 2014 |
Film Noir |
John Gilbert |
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Sunday, Oct 27, 2013 |
Alfred Hitchcock |
Thom Ernst |
The title of the Hitchcock book Thom referenced is: Alfred Hitchcock, A Life in Darkness and Light by Patrick McGilligan. |
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Sunday, Oct 28, 2012 |
The Academy® Awards |
Toronto Star Film Critic, Peter Howell. |
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Saturday, Oct 29, 2011 |
1930 Motion Picture Production Code (The Hays Office Code) |
Cathie Houston of Universal Pictures, Canada |
Discussion on the Hollywood Production Code - 1921 to 1960's |