Buskirk’s ‘Golden Age’ shows ‘Furies’

On Sunday afternoon, freshman Caitlin Bedwell sat in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater with an audience mostly twice her age to watch a film that is three times older than her.

She and other Bloomington residents attended “The Golden Age of Hollywood,” where the first movie of the fall series was a 1950 black-and-white western called “The Furies,” starring Barbara Stanwyck and Walter Huston.

Bedwell said the Turner Classic Movies channel isn’t available in her dorm, so “The Golden Age of Hollywood” makes up for that.

The series will run every second Sunday of the month until Dec. 13 and showtime is at 3 p.m. The next film will be the 1938 comedy “Holiday.” 

The Buskirk-Chumley has coordinated the event since 2005, and Julie Ramey, community relations manager for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said the $2 admission and the change to a Sunday matinee time was designed to make it easier for families.

“It’s super inexpensive,” Ramey said. “It’s just something to do on a Sunday afternoon. It doesn’t conflict with family plans.”

For some regulars, the change hasn’t been an issue.

“I like it anytime, even when it was on Tuesday,” resident Janie Harnett said. “It’s probably better for the little kids.” 

But what is missed by Harnett and fellow resident Barbara Dickson is Christopher Anderson, an IU professor, who would give an introduction to the movie.

“He always had interesting commentary,” Dickson said. “I learned things I never knew about the films before.”

However, newcomer Bedwell has been waiting for the event since she first heard about he film series after moving in to her dorm.

“I was really excited to hear about this film series,”  Bedwell said. “I just love nostalgic things.”

Though Bedwell may stick out in the crowd, she said she finds something interesting about watching a black and white film in a theater built 87 years ago.

“Even though they are old movies, they are new if you’ve never seen them before,” Bedwell said.