2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90049
About the Program
Check out two classic films by Blacklisted screenwriter and director Abraham Polonsky! Born in New York City to Russian Jewish immigrants, Polonsky was a committed Marxist, union supporter, and proud member of the Communist Party. Like many Blacklisted screenwriters, Polonsky continued to write under pseudonyms and fronts. While it is now known Polonsky wrote Odds Against Tomorrow, many of his scripts remain uncredited to this day.
In between films, hear film historian Alan Rode speak with Hank Polonsky about Abraham Polonsky’s experience with the Hollywood Red Scare and its impact on their family.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
11:00 am— Odds Against Tomorrow
This multi-layered film stars Hollywood legends Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, and Ed Begley as three desperate men who band together for a dangerous heist. Beyond its gripping plot, Odds Against Tomorrow issues a strong statement about the endemic racism at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Directed by Robert Wise. (1959, 96 min. No MPAA rating.)
12:45 pm—Conversation and Q&A with Hank Polonsky
Moderated by film historian, author, and cinema host Alan Rode.
2:00 pm— Force of Evil
Force of Evil stars John Garfield as a lawyer embroiled in a scheme to control “the numbers racket” in New York City, leading to a series of events that test his morality and loyalty. Polonsky’s directorial debut is a poetic urban saga underscoring how unbridled capitalistic greed creates personal debasement and tragedy. (1948, 78 min. No MPAA rating.)
More info and tickets: Skirball Cultural Center
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