Press Release: August 28, 2009
National Archives at Kansas City
National Archives Partners with National World War One Museum for Gary Cooper Film Series
For More Information Contact:
Lori Cox-Paul
(816) 268-8072
The National Archives and National World War One Museum will present the “Gary Cooper Goes to War” Film Series this fall.
Kansas City, (MO)…The National Archives and National World War One Museum will present the “Gary Cooper Goes to War” Film Series this fall. All films are free and will be shown in the J.C. Nichols Auditorium at the National World War One Museum.
During his lifetime, Cooper received five Academy Award® nominations for Best Actor, winning again for “High Noon.” His career spanned from 1925 until shortly before his death in 1961, and included more than 100 films. Cooper acted in several additional movies about the Great War. In 1927 he played a supporting role in “Wings,” the only silent film ever to win an Oscar® for Best Picture. In “A Farewell to Arms” (1932) he starred opposite Helen Hayes.
Dates and times: Saturdays: September 19, October 3, October 17, and Wednesday November 11. All films will be shown at 1:00 p.m.
Location: National World War One Museum at Liberty Memorial, J.C. Nichols Auditorium, 100 West 26th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, telephone number: 816-784-1918
Cost: Free
Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.
Sergeant York (1941) This film features Cooper as the pacifist turned patriot Alvin York who won the Congressional Medal of Honor and also stars Walter Brennan; himself a veteran of World War I. Directed by Howard Hawks, the film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards®. Cooper won an Oscar® for Best Actor and the film also won for Best Film Editing.
Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.
They Came to Cordura (1959) Gary Cooper portrays U.S. Army officer Tom Thorn in this picture. After a cavalry charge during the 1916 U.S. expedition in Mexico to capture Pancho Villa, Thorn recommends five soldiers for the Medal of Honor. While returning to Cordura their journey becomes difficult and Thorn reevaluates the heroes and himself. The movie also stars Rita Hayworth.
Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955) Cooper stars as Billy Mitchell; who is court-martialed for disobeying orders while at the same time proving the importance of aircraft as bombers and fighter planes. This movie, also starring Rod Steiger, was directed by Otto Preminger and was the film debut for later TV stars Elizabeth Montgomery and Jack Lord.
Wednesday, November 11, at 1:00 p.m.
Gary Cooper: American Life, American Legend (1989), narrated by Clint Eastwood, this documentary traces Cooper’s career from his first starring role in a silent Western to his Oscar® winning performances in Sergeant York and High Noon. In addition, the Oscar® that Cooper won for “Sergeant York” will be on exhibit at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial from September 1 – November 29, 2009.
Maria Cooper Janis, the daughter of Gary Cooper, loaned the National World War I Museum her father’s Oscar® for the special exhibit. “It is very meaningful to me to have the story of Sgt. York as an American hero be honored at this wonderful Museum dedicated to all the heroes of World War I. To be able to share the symbol of excellence embodied in the Oscar® awarded to my father Gary Cooper for his screen portrayal of Alvin York, makes me very proud indeed. I hope visitors leave the Museum inspired by the memories of heroism and courage – and by the lives lived, on and off the battlefield."
The Oscar® will be presented in the main gallery of the National World War I Museum. Regular admission to the Museum ($8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $4 for children) will allow guests to experience the permanent exhibits, special exhibitions and the Oscar®. The Museum is free for active duty military and children under six years of age.
The National Archives at Kansas City is one of 13 facilities nationwide where the public has access to Federal archival records. It is home to more than 50,000 cubic feet of historical records dating from the 1820s to the 1990s created or received by nearly 100 Federal agencies. Serving the Central Plains Region, the archives holds records from the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The facility is located at 400 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO 64108. The National Archives at Kansas City is open Tuesday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. for exhibits viewing and Tuesday–Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. for research.
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