Corporate
December 5, 2011
Grand Opening For Warner Bros. Theater Set For February 2012 At Smithsonian’s National Museum Of American History In Washington, D.C.
(December 5, 2011 – Burbank, CA) – The new Warner Bros. Theater at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will have its Grand Opening February 2012. The theater project, made possible by a grant from Warner Bros., marks a unique collaboration between two iconic institutions that will showcase the art and history of film in American culture.
Following a gala event, Warner Bros. and the museum will co-host film festivals and screenings in the theater throughout the year. In addition, one-of-a-kind displays of classic studio memorabilia on loan from the Warner Bros. Museum will be featured. The announcement of the four public film festivals slated for 2012 was made today by Barry Meyer, Warner’s Chairman & CEO.
Scheduled programs are as follows:
“Humphrey Bogart”:
This festival begins on February 3 with a tribute to Humphrey Bogart and a screening of “Casablanca,” which is celebrating its 70th anniversary. The film will be introduced by Stephen Bogart, the son of Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The Feb. 3 screening will be a special event ticketed through the Smithsonian Associates. Additional films that weekend include “The Maltese Falcon,” “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” and “The Big Sleep.” There will be an accompanying display highlighting costumes and artifacts related to these classic films and the history of Warner Bros. “Clint Eastwood”:
This series, running from June 22 to June 24, will highlight several major Eastwood films, including Academy Award-winning “Unforgiven," “Pale Rider,” “The Outlaw Josey Wales” and the documentary, “The Eastwood Factor.” “Sound in Early Film”:
The birth of motion picture sound will be the focus of the third festival, to be held July 13 to 15, with “Singin’ In The Rain” (celebrating its 60th anniversary), “The Jazz Singer,” “The Broadway Melody” and “Don Juan.” “Civil War Sesquicentennial”:
To mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War, the final series of 2012 will open on October 19 with “Gone With The Wind,” followed by “Glory,” “Gettysburg” and “Gods & Generals.” Series continues through October 21. Most film screenings will be free, with admission on a first come/first served basis. Tickets for the “Casablanca” screening can be reserved by contacting the Smithsonian Resident Associates at 202-633-3030 or online at http://residentassociates.org. Admission information for all the film screenings will be posted in January on the museum’s website at: http://americanhistory.si.edu. Warner Bros. Entertainment made a $5 million donation to the National Museum of American History in September, 2010 to transform the Museum’s 46-year-old auditorium into a modern facility, renamed the Warner Bros. Theater, with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, including 3-D capability. This gift from Warner Bros. allows the National Museum of American History to bring to both Washingtonians, as well as global visitors, new and exciting opportunities to celebrate the art of film. In addition to the screenings, Warner Bros. will open its archives to provide loans of artifacts and memorabilia that will be on display for museum visitors. The goals of the historic collaboration are to educate, entertain and enlighten audiences. Barry Meyer, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros., has long had an appreciation for the arts as well as for American history. Meyer visited the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2009, and began to forge a relationship with the Smithsonian and the then director of the National Museum of American History. “Warner Bros. has a rich legacy of entertaining audiences for almost 90 years and truly realizes the importance and value of that history,” said Meyer. “This partnership with the Smithsonian, whose very name signifies the gold standard for the preservation and presentation of all things with historical significance, is a great step towards reminding people that movies and television shows are an important part of our shared culture. The Warner Bros. Theater will be a state-of-the-art venue for highlighting filmed entertainment and programs that are important to people.” For more about the Museum of American History, visit: http://americanhistory.si.edu. About Warner Bros. Entertainment: Warner Bros. Entertainment was founded in 1923 by the four Warner brothers, Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack, from Pennsylvania. Today, the Studio stands at the forefront of every aspect of the industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD, Blu-ray, digital distribution, animation, comic books, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting. A Time Warner company, Warner Bros. maintains operations around the globe and its iconic WB shield logo is recognized everywhere as a symbol of world-class entertainment. The Studio will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2013.###
This festival begins on February 3 with a tribute to Humphrey Bogart and a screening of “Casablanca,” which is celebrating its 70th anniversary. The film will be introduced by Stephen Bogart, the son of Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The Feb. 3 screening will be a special event ticketed through the Smithsonian Associates. Additional films that weekend include “The Maltese Falcon,” “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” and “The Big Sleep.” There will be an accompanying display highlighting costumes and artifacts related to these classic films and the history of Warner Bros. “Clint Eastwood”:
This series, running from June 22 to June 24, will highlight several major Eastwood films, including Academy Award-winning “Unforgiven," “Pale Rider,” “The Outlaw Josey Wales” and the documentary, “The Eastwood Factor.” “Sound in Early Film”:
The birth of motion picture sound will be the focus of the third festival, to be held July 13 to 15, with “Singin’ In The Rain” (celebrating its 60th anniversary), “The Jazz Singer,” “The Broadway Melody” and “Don Juan.” “Civil War Sesquicentennial”:
To mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War, the final series of 2012 will open on October 19 with “Gone With The Wind,” followed by “Glory,” “Gettysburg” and “Gods & Generals.” Series continues through October 21. Most film screenings will be free, with admission on a first come/first served basis. Tickets for the “Casablanca” screening can be reserved by contacting the Smithsonian Resident Associates at 202-633-3030 or online at http://residentassociates.org. Admission information for all the film screenings will be posted in January on the museum’s website at: http://americanhistory.si.edu. Warner Bros. Entertainment made a $5 million donation to the National Museum of American History in September, 2010 to transform the Museum’s 46-year-old auditorium into a modern facility, renamed the Warner Bros. Theater, with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, including 3-D capability. This gift from Warner Bros. allows the National Museum of American History to bring to both Washingtonians, as well as global visitors, new and exciting opportunities to celebrate the art of film. In addition to the screenings, Warner Bros. will open its archives to provide loans of artifacts and memorabilia that will be on display for museum visitors. The goals of the historic collaboration are to educate, entertain and enlighten audiences. Barry Meyer, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros., has long had an appreciation for the arts as well as for American history. Meyer visited the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2009, and began to forge a relationship with the Smithsonian and the then director of the National Museum of American History. “Warner Bros. has a rich legacy of entertaining audiences for almost 90 years and truly realizes the importance and value of that history,” said Meyer. “This partnership with the Smithsonian, whose very name signifies the gold standard for the preservation and presentation of all things with historical significance, is a great step towards reminding people that movies and television shows are an important part of our shared culture. The Warner Bros. Theater will be a state-of-the-art venue for highlighting filmed entertainment and programs that are important to people.” For more about the Museum of American History, visit: http://americanhistory.si.edu. About Warner Bros. Entertainment: Warner Bros. Entertainment was founded in 1923 by the four Warner brothers, Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack, from Pennsylvania. Today, the Studio stands at the forefront of every aspect of the industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD, Blu-ray, digital distribution, animation, comic books, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting. A Time Warner company, Warner Bros. maintains operations around the globe and its iconic WB shield logo is recognized everywhere as a symbol of world-class entertainment. The Studio will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2013.