A fellow alum from Walkersville High School will make his way as a contestant onto another one of the nation’s most popular television game shows.
Bill Patschak, a familiar face to the trivia circuit in the Frederick area, will be one of three contestants on “Jeopardy!” His appearance on the Alex Trebek-hosted trivia game show was taped earlier in the year. This will be Patschak’s second national game show television appearance.
Patschak was one of many contestant hopefuls chosen by the producers of the show, by completing the scheduled “Jeopardy!” online contestant test.
Before “Jeopardy!”
Patschak is no stranger to television game shows. In Jan. 2013, he made his national television game show debut on the syndicated version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” with then-host Meredith Vieira. His fellow friends in the local trivia circuit have also appeared on the aforementioned game show, Chad Bartholomew in Aug. 2012 and David Gould in Nov. 2012.
Patschak was mentioned in an article on local trivia night tournaments in the Nov. 2015 edition of Frederick Magazine.
Watch “Jeopardy!” with contestant Bill Patschak
Be sure to watch Bill Patschak’s appearance on “Jeopardy!” It will air this Wed. at 7:30 p.m. on WJLA-TV 7 (in the Washington, D.C. /Frederick, Maryland area).
Sam Spade. Brigid O’Shaughnessy. Miles Archer. Joel Cairo. Kasper Gutman. Lieutenant Dundy and Detective Pullhouse. The “MacGuffin.” “The stuff that dreams are made of.”
The 75th anniversary revival screening of “The Maltese Falcon” (1941)
1941 Warner Bros. trade ad for "The Maltese Falcon," featuring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor.
Fans of classic cinema and film noir are in for a real treat, as this year will mark the 75th anniversary of John Huston’s 1941 screen adaptation of “The Maltese Falcon.”
Turner Classic Movies, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Pictures and NCM Fathom Events will showcase the film in select cinema venues from coast-to-coast for one day only on Sunday, Feb. 21 and Wednesday, Feb. 24. “The Maltese Falcon” will be shown at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (Eastern) on that day. A special pre-recorded introduction by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz will be shown before the film.
With an all-star cast, featuring Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond and Barton MacLane, John Huston’s film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s novel is one of the definitive classics of the silver screen.
Earlier adaptations of Hammett’s novel for the silver screen
Before Huston’s landmark film was released, Warners made two film adaptations of Dashiell Hammett’s novel. The first screen adaptation of “The Maltese Falcon” was released as a pre-code feature in 1931, featuring Ricardo Cortez and Bebe Daniels.
Five years later, the studio produced a lesser-known light comedic adaptation with Bette Davis and Warren William, under the title of “Satan Met a Lady.”
A comedic version of “The Maltese Falcon”
In addition to the three motion picture adaptations of Hammett’s novel, a comedic spoof of “The Maltese Falcon” was produced by George Segal and Ray Stark in 1975, under the title of “The Black Bird.” Directed by David Giler, the film featured Segal (who also played the lead role of Sam Spade Jr.), Stéphane Audran, Lionel Stander, Elisha Cook Jr. and Vic Tayback.
Why you should watch “The Maltese Falcon” (1941)
If you’re going to see it on the big screen on Feb. 21 (or the upcoming TCM broadcast on Feb. 19), “The Maltese Falcon” is one of the definitive film noir classics. You will not be disappointed by 100 minutes of suspense and intrigue. Highly recommended!
Matinee Alert: “The Maltese Falcon” will not be shown in the Frederick area
SIDEBAR: Yet once again, the Frederick area will miss out on the revival screening of “The Maltese Falcon” (according to the NCM Fathom list of cinema venues from coast-to-coast that will be showing the film).
Sunday, Feb. 21 and Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern in select theaters from coast-to-coast
List of cinema venues that are showing “The Maltese Falcon” from coast-to-coast (via NCM Fathom Events)
“The Maltese Falcon” will be shown two days before the 75th anniversary screening on Turner Classic Movies, beginning on Friday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. Eastern.
Osborne, a noted film critic and longtime TCM host (since the network’s launch in 1994), was originally slated to make a special guest appearance on stage at the Majestic, before the cinema’s screening of “Casablanca” (alongside Jeffrey W. Gabel, founding executive director of the theater). The cinema is honoring ticket refunds.
The writer of “At the Matinee” and “Silver Screen Reflections” wishes Robert Osborne a speedy recovery and is hopeful that he will reschedule his appearance at the Majestic in the near future.
1935 ad for the Tivoli Cinema, showcasing the
Marx Brothers film "A Night At The Opera."
(The Frederick News-Post/Randall Family LLC/
Newspaper Archive)
PROLOGUE:This was originally written as part of a group multimedia blog project in my Online Journalism class at Hood College (with two fellow “friends of the Matinee”). Enjoy!
Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo’s zany antics. Margaret Dumont’s deadpan reaction to Groucho’s wisecracks. “Hooray for Captain Spaulding.” “Hail, Hail Freedonia.”
Fans of slapstick and classic comedy in the Frederick area may start the New Year by treating themselves to an afternoon of iconic comedy classics at the Weinberg Center for the Arts.
The theater will showcase a double dose of films featuring the Marx Brothers on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m., as part of the Weinberg’s “Cinema Classic Series.”
The first film that will be shown in the Marx Brothers double feature event will be the 1935 film, “A Night at the Opera,” directed by Sam Wood. This was the brothers’ first film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, alongside Margaret Dumont and Kitty Carlisle.
Vintage Tivoli memorabilia booth, inside the lobby
of the Weinberg Center for the Arts. Photo: Chris Hamby.
Then, the Weinberg will showcase the 1933 motion picture, “Duck Soup,” directed by Leo McCarey. “Duck Soup” was the brothers’ last film for Paramount Pictures, featuring Dumont and the “fourth” Marx brother, Zeppo Marx.
This would be Zeppo’s last film with his brothers, as he later pursued a successful career as a talent agent. According to “A&E Biography,” he also worked as a successful inventor, notably helping the Allied effort during World War II on developing special clamping devices for secure transportation of atomic bombs on the “Enola Gay.”
Out of all the Marxes’ comedies, both “A Night at the Opera” and “Duck Soup” have been considered the best out of the Marxes’ film career, according to the movie guide, “VideoHound’s Golden Movie Retriever.”
The two films were shown at Frederick’s crown jewel theater, when it was known as the Tivoli cinema during their general release years. Both Marx Brothers films were made by two different studios, and the theater was owned by rival studio Warner Bros. Pictures, which owned the Tivoli from the late 1920s until 1948.
Interior of the Weinberg Center (former Tivoli) stage with
movie screen. Photo: Chris Hamby
John Healey, executive theater director of the Weinberg Center for the Arts, said that the upcoming Marx Brothers double-feature screening of “A Night at the Opera” and “Duck Soup” is important to the theater’s motion picture heritage.
“Film is a very large part of the history of the Weinberg Center,” Healey said.
Jef Cliber, box office manager of the Weinberg Center, said that he was delighted that the two Marx Brothers films would make their return to the big screen.
“It’s nice to see some of those older films make a return to us,” Cliber said. “There was enough of a demand for us to create another niche where there are different kinds of films.”
Katherine Orloff, an assistant professor of journalism at Hood College, said that the timeless humor of the Marx Brothers would be a great way to kick off the New Year.
“What better way to start 2016 with laughter and happiness,” Orloff said. “Laughter is the best medicine.”
The cost of admission for the Marx Brothers double feature screening at the Weinberg Center is $7 for adults and $5 for children, students, senior citizens, Frederick city employees and members of the military.
Marx Brothers Double Feature Screening: “A Night at the Opera” (1935)/”Duck Soup” (1933)
“Carnac the Magnificent.”
“Stump the Band.” The “Tea Time Movie”
with Art Fern. Floyd R. Turbo. “How Hot/Cold was it?” “And now, ladies and gentlemen… here’s
Johnny!”
23 years after Johnny Carson (1925-2005) bid farewell to
"The Tonight Show" on NBC, one of the major classic television
subchannels will showcase vintage episodes that were hosted by the original
"king of late night."
"The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" on Tribune's
Antenna TV
Tribune Media's Antenna TV network will showcase full-length
episodes of "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" beginning in
January. According to Cynthia Litton’s
article in “Variety,” Tribune made an agreement with Carson Entertainment Group
to broadcast full-length, classic episodes from 1972 to 1992.
What happened to the pre-1972 episodes?
According to Litton’s findings in “Variety,” a small
fraction of pre-1972 episodes exist of “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” (consisting
of both tapes and filmed kinescopes, since NBC was known for re-using videotape
at the time, thus destroying many tape masters ).
An alternative to the current state of Late Night television
Antenna TV’s showcase of “The Tonight Show with Johnny
Carson” will be great for those who have never watched Carson’s incarnation of
the “Tonight Show” and for those who want to re-live the “golden age” of late
night TV with Johnny, Doc Severinsen (with his NBC Orchestra) and sidekick Ed
McMahon.
For those who watched the “Mystery Science Theater 3000 Turkey Day ‘15” streaming marathon, there’s another “cheesy movie” serving presented by several familiar voices from the cult series.
It’s time for “RiffTrax Live: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny” (1972)
Fans of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” and “RiffTrax” will be in for a holiday treat, as Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett will riff the 1972 Z-budget kiddie holiday film, “Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny.”
The cast of RiffTrax, in conjunction with NCM Fathom Events, will present a live broadcast screening of this low-budget Christmas film in select theaters from coast-to-coast, on Dec. 3. A re-broadcast of that night’s screening will occur in select cinema venues on Dec. 15.
An advertisement for the RiffTrax screening of “Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny” was seen throughout Shout! Factory TV and their streaming broadcast of the “MST3K Turkey Day ‘15” event on YouTube (in-between each episode).
From a long line of cheesy, low-budget “kiddie” holiday films…
“Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny” is one of many cheesy holiday films that have been riffed by the cast of RiffTrax over the years, including “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” (1964) and K. Gordon Murray’s English-dubbed Mexican fantasy film, “Santa Claus“ (1959). Both aforementioned films have also been shown on MST3K.
Why you should see the RiffTrax version of this holiday “turkey” (for those that may have never watched MST3K or RiffTrax):
If you didn’t watch the “Mystery Science Theater” marathon, or have never experienced a “RiffTrax Live” screening, then this is the perfect opportunity to experience movie riffing at its finest on the big screen, through the courtesy of Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett.
Broadcast live in select theaters nationwide on Thurs., Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Closest cinema venue to the Frederick area (to see the live broadcast of "RiffTrax Live: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny"): R/C Gateway Gettysburg Theaters 8
20 Presidential Circle
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: (717) 334-5575
NOTE: A re-broadcast of the RiffTrax screening of “Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny” is scheduled for select theaters from coast-to-coast on Dec. 15. Yet according to the theater listings for the re-broadcast date (via NCM Fathom Events), R/C Gateway Gettysburg Theaters 8 will not be showing the Dec. 15 re-broadcast (the listing of theaters for the re-broadcast may be updated by then).
"Silver Screen Reflections" is finally here (for my online journalism class at Hood College).
Check out the first two posts, including "Top 10 Ways to enjoy Classic Film," and an article on the recent Turner Classic Movies airing of the once-lost 1929 Colleen Moore Vitaphone (non-talking) film, "Why Be Good?"
