Barbara Stanwyck Film & Book Signing

Published 10:48 am Sunday, January 15, 2017

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – RiverRun International Film Festival’s RiverRun Retro presents a film screening of “Stella Dallas,” starring Barbara Stanwyck, and a discussion with Stanwyck’s biographer, Victoria Wilson, followed by a book signing of her biography, A Life of Barbara Stanwyck Steel – True: 1907 – 1940. The event will take place on Thursday, February 2, 2017, at 7:00 p.m., at Hanesbrands Theatre, located at 209 W. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem.

The 1937 version of “Stella Dallas” is the second of three screen versions of the story based on a novel by Olive Higgins Prouty. Stanwyck received her first Academy Award for Best Actress for playing the title role. At the time of its release, Variety magazine called it “A tear-jerker of ‘A’ ranking.” Stanwyck received numerous accolades for her performance, including from the New York Times, whose reviewer noted, “Miss Stanwyck’s portrayal is as courageous as it is fine.”

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the conversation with Victoria Wilson will begin at 7:00 p.m., followed by the screening of “Stella Dallas.” BookMarks will have copies of Wilson’s book available for purchase prior to the event and during the reception and book signing following the screening.

The reception will feature light hors d’oeuvres from Mooney’s Mediterranean Café, craft beer from Hoots Beer Co. and wine from McRitchie Winery.

General admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students with a valid student ID. Tickets will be available online at http://www.rhodesartscenter.org/

Victoria Wilson grew up on Martha’s Vineyard and in New York City. She is a vice president and senior editor at Alfred Knopf and was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the US Commission on Civil Rights. She lives in New York City and upstate New York.

In her book A Life of Barbara Stanwyck Steel True:  1907 – 1940, Wilson gives the first full-scale life account of Barbara Stanwyck, whose astonishing career in movies (88 in all) spanned four decades beginning with the coming of sound, and lasted in television from its infancy in the 1950’s through the 1980’s—a book that delves deeply into her rich, complex life and explores her extraordinary range of motion pictures, many of them iconic.

Written with the full cooperation of Stanwyck’s family and friends, and drawing on more than two-hundred interviews with actors, directors, cameramen, screenwriters, costume designers, et al., as well as making use of letters, journals, and private papers, Victoria Wilson has brought this complex artist brilliantly alive. Her book is a revelation of the actor’s life and work.

RiverRun Retro is a year-round initiative of RiverRun International Film Festival spotlighting individuals and films, which have contributed to the cultural and commercial fabric of motion pictures. By bringing in special guests to discuss their careers or film history topics, RiverRun Retro pays tribute to those who have influenced the medium, and audiences are exposed to the fascinating history and backstory of the art form as a supplement to RiverRun International Film Festival, which takes place annually in April.

SPONSORS & DONORS:  RiverRun Retro is made possible, in part, through the generosity of John and Susie Gates and Mike and Wendy Brenner. The sponsors of RiverRun Retro include: Hoots Beer Co., Graylyn Estate, McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks, and Mooney’s Mediterranean Café. BookMarks is also a partner of this event, arranging and coordinating the book sales and signing with Wilson. Sponsors of RiverRun International Film Festival help sustain the organization’s mission to foster a greater appreciation of cinema and a deeper understanding of the many people, cultures and perspectives of our world through regular interaction with great films and filmmakers.

ABOUT RIVERRUN: Now in its 19th year, RiverRun International Film Festival will run March 30 – April 9, 2017, in downtown Winston-Salem. The RiverRun International Film Festival is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the role of cinema as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Founded in 1998, RiverRun is a competitive event that annually showcases new films from both established and emerging filmmakers around the world. Each spring, RiverRun screens new narrative, documentary, short, student and animated films, offering both audience and jury prizes in competition categories. To become a member and view more information about the Festival, visit riverrunfilm.com.

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