The Dryden will screen Cabin in the Sky (Vincente Minnelli, U.S. 1943, 98 min., 35mm) as part of the Reinventing Hollywood series.

Presented in a gorgeous sepia-toned print, this story follows Petunia Jackson (Ethel Waters) as she tries to convince her husband, Joe (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson), to stop gambling and lead a good life. He complies but a relapse endangers his life, and he feels the forces of good and evil battling for his soul. Minnelli's directorial debut, this wonderful MGM musical features some of the greatest jazz performers, including Louis Armstrong and Lena Horne. Minnelli's hypnotic direction and Busby Berkeley's choreography underscore the use of dreams and hallucinations popular in 1940s Hollywood productions.

[source: George Eastman Museum calendar, 2018-Sep-24]