“Crossed Swords” Sees Record Turn-Out for Library

Last month at the Park Ridge Public Library, an audience of nearly 100 people listened, rapt, while a small blond woman in her middle years spoke about her father.

“I think he would be thrilled that this is happening here today in the Library,” Taryn Greendeer said, mentioning that her father had been an avid reader and book collector. “I’m so glad that his art is appreciated still and that his memory is kept alive this way.”

Taryn Greendeer might not be recognizable to most people, although she was once a film actress.  But as the youngest daughter of movie legend Tyrone Power, she became the star attraction of the Library’s fifth annual classic film series, Crossed Swords, which showcased great Hollywood swashbucklers.

The Library had Greendeer as a surprise guest on May 16, prior to a screening of Power’s film The Black Swan. She spent an hour reminiscing about life as the daughter of a Hollywood icon, holding a conversation with series host Matthew C. Hoffman that was in turn amusing, eye-opening, and moving.

The Crossed Swords series, which ran from March through May, ended up being the Library’s most successful classic film program to date. More than 1,600 people showed up for 13 films, which starred such legendary actors as Errol Flynn, Douglas Fairbanks, and Ronald Colman, in addition to Power.

“The 1930s and ‘40s were golden years for the swashbuckler film,” says Hoffman, who says he’d wanted to do the series for a long time. “It’s easy to enjoy these movies today because they have all the elements that an audience craves: great storylines, action, charismatic heroes, and a sense of honor that still appeals – maybe now more than ever.”

The series opened in a spectacular way on March 10 at the Pickwick Theatre with The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn. Over 300 people attended the show, including several viewers who’d grown up with the film on Family Classics With Frazier Thomas and were eager to introduce it to their own children.

The following weeks saw both familiar classics like Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk, as well as lesser-known films such as 1938’s The Buccaneer. A showing of the silent classic The Black Pirate, also screened at the Pickwick Theatre, proved hugely popular, especially with organist Jay Warren of the Silent Film Society of Chicago providing musical accompaniment.

“I had a feeling it would be a successful series,” Hoffman said, “but I was surprised by the consistency of the positive responses. I wasn’t sure how some of the lesser-known films might play, but their impact on audiences was just as strong.”

Hoffman began every evening with a brief lecture on the film’s background and history. A professional film historian as well as an Assistant Manager of Circulation at the Library, Hoffman is especially good at finding quirky or unknown facts that give his audiences something to think about when they leave. He also maintains a wide range of connections with people in the industry, including Greendeer, whom he considers a friend.

Hoffman’s particular approach to film studies has earned him a loyal audience: most viewers came for the entire Crossed Swords series, and many have come every year.

“I do have a kind of fan club,” Hoffman laughs. “But that’s why these series are so great for me. How many people get to share their passion and know that others enjoy it just as much?”

D’Artagnan’s musketeers have now passed on, and Zorro’s caballeros have ridden off, but Hoffman is already busy researching next year’s theme. When pressed to reveal it, he was a little evasive.

“At the moment I’m focusing on the new Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series, which I will be helming beginning this fall,” he said. The monthly series will open with a screening of Walt Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on September 26.

“I’m hoping people in Park Ridge will come out to see this gorgeous film in the old theatre,” he added. “The Pickwick series will complement our Library program by offering classic films that are better suited for the big screen experience.”

Hoffman notes that the public is starting to rediscover its love of classic film, and that’s good for them, as far as he’s concerned.

“Watching a classic film is a great way for families to spend quality time together,” he says, “because you really get quality – and it’s just a lot of fun.”

For more information on Hoffman’s classic films series, including an in-depth look at the conversation with Taryn Greendeer, we encourage you to visit Hoffman’s new website devoted to classic film exploration in Park Ridge: http://parkridgeclassicfilm.com/.