~courtesy of The Scranton Journal
Movie fans are in for a treat when the Sierra Theatre in Jefferson hosts Classics Week, a free event running Friday, Jan. 20, to Thursday, Jan. 26. All shows begin at 7 pm.
The event kicks off on Friday and Saturday, with “North by Northwest,” a 1959 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It was well respected, earning eight Oscars. It stars Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason.
“It’s a typical Hitchcock film,” said Mike Piepel, member of the non-profit Sierra Community Theatre board. The movie features a New York City advertising executive who is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies. He takes off and falls for a woman and eventually questions her motives.
Sunday is a first for the Sierra – a tasting combined with a documentary with a local twist. The documentary, “Whiskey Cookers: The Amazing True Story of the Templeton Rye Bootleggers,” tells the story of how Templeton became the bootlegging capital of America’s heartland during prohibition.
This 2014 film was awarded the best documentary prize at multiple film festivals, sharing the bootlegging information 100 years after prohibition.
Keith Kerkhoff, grandson of one of the original Templeton Rye bootleggers, will be in attendance to share stories and answer questions.
The staff from Templeton Rye is bringing samples of their “hooch” for a tasting at the Sierra, starting at 6 pm, with the show rolling at 7.
The theatre is closed Monday and Tuesday, but on Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 25 and 26, the movie “Some Like It Hot” is the feature. This 1959 comedy features Marilyn Monroe with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. It was directed by Billy Wilder.
Two male musicians, disguised as women, go on the run with an all-female band. Of course, there are hilarious complications.
“These are two of the best films you’ll find,” added Piepel. “You just can’t get much better. These movies had highly successful actors.”
Piepel stressed that Classics Week is an opportunity for the theatre to give back to the community and to thank them for their support.
“For our town to have a theater, it’s extremely important,” concluded Piepel. “It’s just another avenue of entertainment for people to remember. We want to stay here. The theater is so important to us.”
