‘Orient Express’ leads Sebastiani’s Vintage Film Series

The Sebastiani Theatre Foundation presents Vintage Film Series #11 with classic movies showing one Monday each month, July through December 2015.

A fundraising effort by the Sebastiani Theatre Foundation, the Vintage Film Series brings some of the most memorable classic films back to the historic Sebastiani Theatre, 476 First St. E., Sonoma.

Vintage Film Series #11 will feature the following films:

• Monday, July 20, 7 p.m. – “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974). Directed by Sidney Lumet, written by Paul Dehn (screenplay), and starring Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, and Ingrid Bergman, “Murder on the Orient Express” is the 1935 story about detective Hercule Poirot who, when his train is stopped by deep snow, is called on to solve a murder that occurred in his car the night before. Rated PG (128 minutes).

• Monday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m. – “Blazing Saddles” (1974). Directed by Mel Brooks and written by him as well with Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor and Alan Uger. “Blazing Saddles” stars Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens and Harvey Korman. This comedy-western is about a corrupt political boss hoping to ruin a western town by appointing a black sheriff who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary. Rated R (93 minutes).

• Monday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m. – “Oklahoma!” (1955). “Oklahoma!” is directed by Fred Zinnemann and written by Sonya Levien (screen play), William Ludwig (screen play), Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (adapted from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical play) and Lynn Riggs (dramatic play). “Oklahoma!” stars Gordon MacRae, Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson and Charlotte Greenwood. This is the tale of two young cowboys in the Oklahoma Territory at the turn of the 20th century who vie with an evil ranch hand and a traveling peddler for the hearts of the women they love. (145 minutes).

• Monday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m. – “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978). Directed by Philip Kaufman and written by Jack Finney (novel) and W. D. Richter (screen play), “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” stars Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, and Veronica Cartwright. This sci-fi film takes place in San Francisco and is about a group of people who discover that the human race is being replaced, one by one, with clones devoid of emotion. Rated PG (115 minutes).

• Monday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. – “Bicycle Thieves” (1948). Vittorio De Sica directed and co-wrote the screen play. Other writers of “Bicycle Thieves” were Luigi Bartolini (novel) and Cesare Zavattini (story and screen play). In addition, Oreste Biancoli, Suso Cecchi D’Amico, Adolfo Franci, Gherardo Gherardi, and Gerardo Guerrieri also were writers of the screen play. “Bicycle Thieves” is the story of a man and his son who search for a stolen bicycle vital for his job. Not Rated (93 minutes).

• Sunday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. – “Santa Claus” (1985). Directed by Jeannot Szwarc and written by David Newman (story and screen play) and Leslie Newman (story), this film is about a peasant woodcutter who becomes Santa Claus and later foils an evil toy manufacturer’s scheme to take over Christmas. Starring in “Santa Claus” are Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, David Huddleston, and Burgess Meredith. Rated PG (107 minutes).

• Monday, Dec. 21, 7 p.m. – “White Christmas” (1954). Directed by Michael Curtiz and written for the screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank, this classic holiday film stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney. “White Christmas” is about a successful song-and-dance team who become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general. Not Rated (120 minutes).

Vintage Film Series tickets can be purchased for $9 per individual movie. Tickets are available in advance or at the door. Ticket “packets,” which include one ticket each of all six films, are now available for $45 for the entire upcoming series, a savings of $9. Wine by the glass is offered. All proceeds benefit the Sebastiani Theatre Foundation. Patrons are invited to “dress in the era” for each film. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with show time at 7 p.m. unless noted. To purchase tickets or ticket packets in advance or as gifts, call 996-9756.

For more information about the Sebastiani Theatre Foundation or to donate, call 540-6119 or visit the website at sebastianitheatrefoundation.org.

For additional program information, visit sebastianitheatre.com.