The Girl Rush in 4K

“It isn’t fair! Here we are, three desperate criminals who will stop at nothing to escape from Devil’s Island, and we have to fall in with nice people!” So laments Jules (Peter Ustinov), one of a trio of convicts stuck on the French-controlled isle on Christmas Eve, 1895, where they fall in with the lovely proprietors of a local supply shop. Crime, romance, and dark comedy collide in an entertaining tale of unexpected guardian angels from director and star of Casablanca (1942) Michael Curtiz and Humphrey Bogart, with the actor in a rare comedic role. The material was rich enough for director Neil Jordan to revisit in 1989, this time with Oscar-winning stars Robert De Niro and Sean Penn.

Hitchcock plays with the concept of the wrong man, a frequent theme in his narratives, in one of the most admired and entertaining of his mid-career films. North by Northwest stars four-time collaborator Grant as Roger O. Thornhill, a suave ad executive whose identity is mistaken for a government agent. Ruthless spy Philip Vandamm (James Mason) is after Thornhill; on a separate mission is a group of secret agents who follows Thornhill across the country. On the run, Thornhill meets Eve Kendall, a mesmerizing, peculiar woman whose mysterious identity amplifies the level of danger he is in. The film’s ironically ecstatic tone parallels the enchanting aspect of Grant’s portrayal of Thornhill—elegantly sarcastic with a witty sense of humor. Processed in Technicolor, this spectacular thriller showcases now-iconic action sequences such as the crop duster plane chase and climax at Mount Rushmore.

The second film from Dena Enterprises, the production company founded by actor Danny Kaye (White Christmas, 1954) and his songwriter wife, Sylvia Fine, The Court Jester is a delightful vehicle for the comedic icon to showcase his unparalleled timing, physical humor, and witty wordplay. Kaye is Hubert Hawkins, a retired carnival performer who disguises himself as a jester to help overturn an evil plot against a rightful British king. This ridiculous romp, with undeniable star Kaye at its center, is buttressed by a sincere Glynis Johns (Mary Poppins, 1964) as Maid Jean and an arch Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes,1939–1946) as Lord Ravenhurst. The most expensive comedy ever made at the time, primarily for its lavish sets, The Court Jester earned Kaye a Golden Globe nomination, and in 2004, the National Film Registry added the film to its list of titles considered “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

This gritty biopic dives into the smoky, dangerous glamor of Prohibition-era Chicago for the true story of nightclub performer Joe E. Lewis, famous for being one of the few people who could make gangster Al Capone laugh. Crooner Frank Sinatra, lauded by the film's marketing as “the most electric personality of our time,” follows Lewis’s highs and lows with the same realism and range he brought to The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). Ol’ Blue Eyes also adds musical dimension to the character — the real Lewis was more comedian than singer—with director Charles Vidor (no relation to fellow director King) compounding his experience with musicals and comedies into a story with dramatic nuance.

This zany romantic comedy was the fourteenth film to pair iconic comic duo Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, released a year before their professional breakup. Martin plays Rick, a struggling painter, and Lewis is his roommate, Eugene, who is obsessed with a comic book character called Bat Lady. They become entangled with Bat Lady’s creator (Dorothy Malone) and her roommate/model (Shirley MacLaine) in a farcical plot that manages to incorporate government secrets and enemy spies. Frank Tashlin’s background in animation made him the perfect choice to direct this cartoon-infused romp, and he would collaborate often with Lewis after the split with Martin.

In person: director Paul Thomas Anderson, cinematographer Michael Bauman, and producer Sara Murphy

In person: actor Peter Weller