Summer Film Study

By now school is winding down in most places, and students and educators are getting ready for some summer fun. It just so happens that tomorrow is the 85th anniversary of an icon of summer entertainment: the drive-in movie theater. The first permanent drive-in was opened by Richard Hollingshead, Jr. in Pennsauken, New Jersey, on June 6, 1933. Although it didn't last long, it started a craze that peaked in the 1950s, when more than 4,000 theaters were operating. That number has dwindled to a few hundred, with the latest challenge being the movie industry's transition to expensive digital projection systems. Okay, so eLibrary doesn't have a Research Topic on drive-ins, but it does have a number of pages related to film history, genres and specific movies. If you are still in school and you need to fill some of the last days with something fun but meaningful, how about encouraging your students to watch some great movies over the summer. You could discuss film criticism, the relationship between films and their literary source materials or just let students scoop up some trivia. If you are already out of school and you are still reading this, you might as well check them out for yourself and use them to enhance your own movie enjoyment as you take a much-needed break from school. Motion Pictures Talking Films 2001: A Space Odyssey Gone with the Wind The Godfather Films Star Wars Casablanca Horror Apocalypse Now Lawrence of Arabia Singin' in the Rain Alfred Hitchcock This a limited list; we have plenty of pages on film directors, actors and movies. You can just search around or take advantage of one of the great improvements in eLibrary--the new graphical browse feature. It can be found on the lower part of the home page; look for the header "Need help choosing a topic?" Then just click to refine the gallery of thumbnails. It can also be accessed by clicking "Research Topics" at the top-left of any page. One more thing. If you find yourself at the beach and want to do some research, just pull out your tablet or phone--eLibrary looks great on them. (http://explore.proquest.com) Have a great summer!   Don’t have eLibrary? Request a free trial. Subscribe via email to Share This and never miss a post.