Film enthusiasts are invited to a special screening of the John Ford classic, “Sergeant Rutledge,” at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library on Saturday, August 3 at 1 p.m. After the movie, film historian Foster Hirsch will lead a discussion with the star of the film, Constance Towers and Christopher Hunter, son of the film's co-star, Jeffrey Hunter.
“Sergeant Rutledge” (1960) is notable for its frank treatment of racism and for being the first major studio western to cast a Black actor in the lead. Set on a US Army fort in the late 1800s, it tells the story of Braxton Rutledge, a Black sergeant being court martialed for murder and rape.
Constance Towers is a renowned actress whose film roles include “A Perfect Murder” with Gwyneth Paltrow, “Shock Corridor,” and most recently, “The Storyteller.” She starred opposite Yul Brynner in an acclaimed national tour of “The King and I” for three years. She has appeared on many television programs, including “Frazier,” “Deep Space 9,” “LA Law,” and “Murder, She Wrote,” and soap opera fans may recognize her as the longtime villainess Helena Cassadine on ABC’s “General Hospital.”
Foster Hirsch is a professor of film at Brooklyn College and authored 16 books on film and theater. Mr. Hirsch is a graduate of Mark Keppel High School and attended the opening day of the current Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library.
The screening is presented in partnership with the Monterey Park Historical Society and is free to the public. It is dedicated to the memories of Larry Sullivan and Johnny Thompson, who supported the classic film screenings for many years.
For more information, please call Adult Reference Services at 626-307-1368.
The Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library is the city’s public library located at 318 South Ramona Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754. For more information about library events and services, please visit www.montereypark.ca.gov/library.
Media Contact
Leonie Jordan, Senior Librarian
ljordan@montereypark.ca.gov
626-307-1368
www.montereypark.ca.gov
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