The highlight of this year’s series is Gunner Palace, a new documentary about the war in Iraq.

All events are free and open to the public.

Jean Harlow

• May 30 Hell’s Angels (1930): This World War I film about British pilots has received renewed attention recently because of Martin Scorcese’s film The Aviator, which documents the tumultuous process Hughes went through while making the film. The most expensive movie of its time, Hell’s Angels began as a silent film, but the advent of sound technology caused Hughes to re-shoot much of it. The aerial battle sequences are still impressive today, seventy-five years after its release. The film is also notable as the debut of Jean Harlow.
  
  
  
  
• June 1 Battleground (1949): The tagline for this Academy Award-winning film reads “The guts! The girls! The glory!” Many critics choose this as one of the best World War II films. The movie follows a group of American soldiers at the Battle of Bastogne in December 1944. The film manages to strike a balance between the patriotic celebration of American soldiers’ efforts during the war while also providing a realistic depiction of the fears, dangers, and hardships those soldiers faced. This film won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay and was nominated for four others, including Best Picture and Best Director.
  
  
  
  
• June 8 The Four Feathers (1939): Director Zoltan Korda created the most memorable version of this classic tale of redemption, shot in color on location in the Sudan. The film depicts the British victory in the 1898 battle of Omdurman, following the adventures of Lt. Harry Faversham as he tries to redeem himself after receiving the mark of cowardice from his fellow soldiers. This film will be presented by Eric Reisenauer, associate professor of history at USC Sumter.
  
  
  
  

  Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove

• June 15 Dr. Strange-love, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1963): Stanley Kubrick’s Cold War satire makes most scholars’ and film critics’ lists of the top war movies of all time. Peter Sellers’ performance in three separate roles earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. This film will be presented by Hayes Hampton, assistant professor of English at USC Sumter.
  
  
  
  
• June 22 The Battle of Algiers (1966): Gillo
  Pontecorvo’s ground-breaking and influential political film portrays the Algerian struggle for independence against the French in the late 1950s. The film was shot in a realistic documentary style depicting the world of modern warfare and terrorist attacks. In this sense, the film is remarkably relevant today.
  
  
  
  
• June 29 Gunner Palace (2004): The series concludes with this screening of a new documen-tary about American soldiers living in one of Uday Hussein’s palaces during the early months of the Iraq war. Critics have noted that this film presents a realistic depiction of these soldiers’ lives while remaining politically neutral about the war itself. Gunner Palace reveals the story behind the headlines of the war in Iraq. This movie is rated PG-13 and contains strong language.

For more information, contact series organizer Andrew Kunka, English, USC Sumter, by phone at 938-3718 or email at ajkunka@uscsumter.edu.

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