Good References
Overture Center-Capitol Theater 201 State St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
press release: Overture Center continues its 2019/20 Duck Soup Cinema series, saluting the leading women of early 20th century filmmaking, with its third uproarious show in the four-part series—Good References, showing in Capitol Theater on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. with organist Clark Wilson.
This season, the Duck Soup Cinema series pays a special tribute to the incredible female pioneers of entertainment who produced, directed and owned production companies in the early days of silent film. These women played a significant role in developing a new money-making art form; however, as the industry grew, they found themselves working for a system that stunted their creative flexibility and access to leadership and ownership opportunities.
Good References is an American silent romantic comedy drama released in 1920. Actress Constance Talmadge plays Mary Wayne, who lives in New York City and must find a job in a hurry—but has no references. She assumes the identity of a friend she met at an employment agency and soon lands a plum job as a secretary for a socialite. In her new position, she meets some unusual folks, leading to some wonderful comedic opportunities. At the same time, the son of the socialite, Bill Marshall (Vincent Coleman), who has no interest in his mother’s parties, begins to fall in love with Mary. (Preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Preservation funded by The Packard Humanities Institute, Barbara Roisman Cooper and Martin M. Cooper.)
Learn more about female pioneers in film with displays from the Society of American Archivists – the Student Chapter and Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research in the lobby before the show.
The final film of the 2019/20 Duck Soup Cinema season’s tribute to female pioneers will be presented in April:
- “The Social Secretary” (1916) | Saturday, April 18, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Organist: Jelani Eddington
- Star Norma Talmadge plays an attractive woman who can’t keep a job because of unwanted advances from male clients. When she accepts a new job as social secretary to a wealthy family, she disguises herself as dowdy and ends up falling for the son of the house.
While restoration of the Capital Theater’s original 1927 Grand Barton Organ continues, we will use an excellent replacement from the Allen Organ Company, which has been providing organs for churches, theaters, schools, sports venues and more since 1937.
Overture’s Duck Soup Cinema silent film series is nationally known for providing an authentic and rare silent film experience in the historic Capitol Theater, which celebrates its 92nd anniversary in January 2020. As these films were released nearly a century ago, please be aware they may depict some of the theatric and social conventions of the time, including material that may be considered socially insensitive today.
Duck Soup Cinema is sponsored by Goodman Jewelers. Additional funding provided by Madison Stagehands and Projectionists Union, I.A.T.S.E. Local 251, contributions to Overture Center for the Arts and by members of the Duck Soup Cinema Club.
Overture Center for the Arts in Madison features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, 10 resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 700,000 educational and artistic experience each year. Overture.org