Lots of people head out of town the weekend before a big holiday, so events are on the smaller scale this weekend, but vintage film fans, in particular, will still find a lot to love.
It’s books, though, that take center stage on Saturday morning, when Sisters in Crime present: Killing it in Style at 11 a.m. at Memorial Branch Library.  Art, fashion, and crime make perfectly good bedfellows at this event, where participants will learn about the individual expressions these elements bring to mysteries written by Diane Vallere (fashion), Sybil Johnson (folk art), Connie Archer (food/culinary arts), and Jill Amadio (the art of making mead). Moderated by Anne Louise Bannon.
Later, starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, the American Cinematheque gets its own fashion licks in as it kicks off a super-busy weekend at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood with “Fashion and Film: the 1950s.” First, join film and costume design historian Kimberly Truhler for an illustrated presentation, followed by a screening of the ultra-stylish “Gentlement Prefer Blondes,” starring icons Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe as two nightclub singers set loose onboard a Paris-bound luxury liner. It also features the famous “Diamonds are a Girls’ Best Friend” number. The illustrated talk is 90 minutes long, and the film starts following a short break after the talk.
If you’d rather be out exploring on Saturday afternoon, head south to Washington Boulevard, between 10th Ave. and Gramercy Pl., where the United Neighborhoods Neighborhood Council and the Arlington Heights Neighborhood Association have organized an Economic Development Day and Walk on Washington, to highlight 30 of the neighborhood’s unique small businesses. Grab your walking shoes and, from 3 to 6 p.m., sample restaurant specialties, browse art galleries and museums, explore rejuvenating yoga studios and adventurous escape rooms, and get to know the many other commercial gems this historic neighborhood has to offer. There will also be a scavenger hunt, free prizes, ice cream, special business promotions, live music and DJs along the route. Participating businesses include Surfas Culinary District, Eckhaus Latta fashions, EZ Music Center, Evil Genius Escape Rooms, the Underground Museum, and many more.
If the galleries on Washington whet you appetite for even more art, the LaunchLA gallery, 170 S. La Brea, will hold an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Saturday for its new show, Land-Scope, featuring the works of Katrin Assmann, Hung Viet Nguyen, and Elizabeth Saveri (the show itself will run through June 28). The event is free, but space is limited, so please RSVP to  [email protected].
If more movies are more appealing on Saturday evening, head back to the Egyptian for Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd: An Evening of Silent Comedies with “The Holy Trinity” of Comedy, starting at 7:30 p.m. This latest in the Cinematheque’s Retroformat series presents the three giants of silent comedy – Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd – in and out of their iconic roles. With live musical accompaniment by Cliff Retallick.
On Sunday, it’s back to art – this time for the kiddos – with a Frida Kahlo art party, focusing on self-portraits and starting at 11 a.m. at the Miracle Mile Toy Hall. Tickets are $20 (available at the event link above), and make sure participants wear something that can get messy.
Later on Sunday, there are two more fun vintage movies at the Egyptian. First, enjoy a 50th anniversary screening of “Planet of the Apes,” starting at 5:30 p.m. The classic sci-fi story stars Charlton Heston as an astronaut who lands on a planet where simians rule. And after the movie, production designer William J. Creber will talk about the making of the film and sell some signed items. The discussion will be moderated by production designer and ADG Film Society founder John Muto.
And finally, one of the biggest, and arguably best summer blockbusters of all time, “Jaws,” will screen at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Egyptian. If you haven’t seen Steven Spielberg’s iconic thriller the big screen, you’ll definitely enjoy Roy Scheider as a sheriff confronting crowds of sunbathers, self-serving local politicians and – most importantly – a monstrous great white shark over the July Fourth weekend on Amity Island. Also starring Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. Note that the Cinematheque says tickets for this one are selling rapidly, so best to snap some up soon at https://www.fandango.com/jaws-2333/movie-times.
Have a great Fourth of July weekend!
