2026 Seminars
in the Cardinal Room
Thursday May 21
Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance explores the life and artistry of Eleanor Powell, the "Queen of Tap," whose extraordinary talent revolutionized dance on film during Hollywood's Golden Age. During her reign as MGM's premier dancing star in classics like Broadway Melody of 1936, Born to Dance, and Rosalie, Powell's precision, power, and grace established new standards for tap dance on film. Drawing from Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance (University Press of Kentucky, 2023, Lisa Royère and Paula Broussard), Royère examines Powell's groundbreaking career, her choreographic innovations, and her enduring influence on American dance and cinema.
1:15 p.m.
3:15 p.m.
Hitchcock and Herrman: The Friendship and Film Scores that Changed Cinema is Steven C. Smith's latest book. In addition to video and audio clips ofAlfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann, Steven will present famous scenes from Hitchcock films first without the music, then with Herrmann’s innovative scoring.
4:45 p.m.
Celebrated biographer Robert Matzen will discuss his historical novel Season of the Gods with Caroline Breder-Watts, a fictionalized account of the making of Casablanca.
Friday May 22
10:00 a.m.
Legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce is a true Forgotten Hollywood icon, who created the Universal monsters look for the 1930s and 1940s, including Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Bride of Frankenstein and the Wolfman. His early makeup work in The Man Who Laughs (inspired by the makeup created by Lon Chaney) also provided the blueprint on the creation of the Joker’s appearance in the Batman comic books and later, in television and cinema. Pierce’s favorite muse and lifelong friend was Boris Karloff. Author and broadcaster Manny Pacheco brings to life these monsters and the amazing makeup work of Jack Pierce.
11:45 a.m.
Scott Reisfield will discuss his great-aunt Greta Garbo with a personal perspective on the great star of the silent and sound screen.
Hitchcock and Herrman: The Friendship and Film Scores that Changed Cinema author Steven C. Smith will talk with Caroline Breder-Watts about the music that helped make Hitchcock's classics great.
2:45 p.m.
Jerry Lewis was born in 1926, making this 100 years since his birth. 100 Years of the Idiot: A Jerry Lewis Centenary Celebration will be a quick look with Rob Stone at his career, with extremely rare clips from his films and home movies. Some, for sure, never before seen footage will be screened. After the show “Jerry Lewis - Being A Person” a new book by Jerry’s son Christopher J. Lewis will be available for purchase (with all proceeds going to the American Wheelchair Mission).
4:45 p.m.
Saturday May 23
Tom Thacker will present on Hollywood celebrity photographer from Columbus, Ohio Nelson Evans in conversation with Caroline Breder-Watts.
Tom and his wife Margo donated portraits of various sizes, fan magazines, some sheet music, and several lobby cards from the film Mickey to the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library at The Ohio State University.
9:00 a.m.
11:45 a.m.
New York Times Best-Selling author Scott Eyman will discuss Joan Crawford with Caroline Breder-Watts in affiliation with his book Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face which he will sign following the seminar.
3:00 p.m.
Join frequent guest Richard Barrios after the screening of The Girl From 10th Avenue where he will discuss the career of iconic star of the Golden Age of Hollywood Bette Davis in association with his latest book On Bette Davis: An Opinionated Guide with Caroline Breder-Watts.
4:40 p.m.
Silent film actresses Laura La Plante and Marian Nixon both married their director, William Seiter, with La Plante in 1926 and Nixon in 1934. William Seiter aside, the two actresses’ careers paralleled one another throughout the years with an undeniable amount of similarities. For this seminar, The Movie Star Wives of William Seiter, we’ll dive into the careers of La Plante and Nixon, recalling their highs and lows in the industry and uncovering the secrets behind their best loved performances.
Laura Jerrolds, author of Laura La Plante: Silent Cinderella and Marian Nixon: The Nicest Girl in Hollywood, welcomes you to join afterward for a book signing.
