Four’s a Crowd (1938) ● Thursday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m.

First Thursdays with director Michael Curtiz: Features legendary screen duo Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in their only comedy pairing. Flynn plays a fast-talking public relations expert whose scheme to boost a failing newspaper leads to a madcap love quadrangle. With Rosalind Russell, Patric Knowles, Walter Connolly. Black & white, 93 min. (Digital)

Elf (2003) ● Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Will Ferrell plays Buddy, an orphan raised by elves in the North Pole who comes to realize that he doesn’t quite fit in. Determined to find a place where he belongs, Buddy travels to New York City to search for his father. With James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel. Color, 97 min. (Film)

Four’s a Crowd (1938) ● Thursday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m.

First Thursdays with director Michael Curtiz: Features legendary screen duo Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in their only comedy pairing. Flynn plays a fast-talking public relations expert whose scheme to boost a failing newspaper leads to a madcap love quadrangle. With Rosalind Russell, Patric Knowles, Walter Connolly. Black & white, 93 min. (Digital)

Elf (2003) ● Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Will Ferrell plays Buddy, an orphan raised by elves in the North Pole who comes to realize that he doesn’t quite fit in. Determined to find a place where he belongs, Buddy travels to New York City to search for his father. With James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel. Color, 97 min. (Film)

Sparrows (1926) ● Thursday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Mary Pickford plays the oldest of a group of orphan children working on a farm deep in the Louisiana bayous. Fed up with the horrible conditions, she leads the kids on a perilous journey in search of a better life. Silent, with live musical accompaniment by Ben Model. Black & white, 109 min. (Film)

Back to the Future (1985) ● Friday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m.

An eccentric scientist (Christopher Lloyd) builds a time machine, which accidentally transports a high-school student (Michael J. Fox) back to the 1950s, where the teen inadvertently interferes with the budding romance between his future parents (Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson). Color, 116 min. (Film)

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) ● Thursday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m. & Saturday, December 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Frank Capra’s holiday classic stars Oscar nominee James Stewart as George Bailey, a decent small-town banker who learns what life would have been like if he’d never been born. Black & white, 130 min. (Film)

White Christmas (1954) ● Friday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m. & Saturday, December 20 at 2:00 p.m.

Two song-and-dance war veterans (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye) help a retired general with his strapped New England inn by putting on a big musical show with the help of their former army buddies and a singing sister act (Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen). Color, 120 min. (Film)

PLEASE NOTE: 

Programs are free and the matinee show will be family friendly. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Seating at the screenings is on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted.

Patrons must go through an “airport style” security check upon entering and no large parcels, purses or backpacks are permitted.

Federal law (18 U.S.C. 930) prohibits the possession of any firearm or other dangerous weapons on this Federal facility. This includes in the parking lot, on all roads, trails, and grounds as well as inside the building. This also applies to off-duty law enforcement officers (LEO) and concealed-carry permit holders.

The Packard Campus is located at 19053 Mount Pony Road in Culpeper, Virginia. Access to the campus parking lot begins one hour before show time, entrance into the building begins 45 minutes before the show, and the theater opens for seating 30 minutes before the curtain. Please do not arrive early and queue at the Packard Campus gate.

The Library of Congress Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center oversees one of the largest collections of motion pictures in the world. Acquired primarily through copyright deposit, exchange, gift and purchase, the collection spans the entire history of the cinema. Since 2008, the art deco theater located at the Packard Campus has shown films each week and screened more than 2,500 titles. The programs highlight the best in cinema, including silent films, Hollywood classics, kids’ cartoons and foreign films.

For more information on LC screenings, see this link.

Titles and formats subject to change.

Please watch this space for updates!

The Matrimonial Bed (1930) ● Thursday, October 2 at 7:30 p.m.

First Thursdays with director Michael Curtiz: A man with amnesia who has unknowingly remarried finds his life thrown into chaos when he unexpectedly encounters his first wife and her new husband. Black & white, 69 min. (Film)

With: Two Heads on a Pillow (1934)

Neil Hamilton and Miriam Jordan star as once-married attorneys who face off during a heated divorce case. Black & white, 68 min. (Film)

Pride and Prejudice (2005) ● Friday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m.

When Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) meets the handsome Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), she believes he is the last man on earth she could ever marry. But as their lives become intertwined in unexpected adventure, she finds herself captivated by the very person she swore to loathe for all eternity. Adapted from Jane Austen’s beloved masterpiece. Color, 129 min. (Film)

NOTE:  Potential disruption of screenings and events due to anticipated shutdown.

It’s not too late to nominate!

Every year, the Librarian of Congress, in association with the National Recording Preservation Board, selects 25 recorded sound works—music, broadcast, field recordings, speeches, news reports—to add to the National Recording Registry.

But the Librarian also wants to hear from you on this topic!

The deadline for submitting suggestions for the NRR is fast approaching. What culturally, historically and/or aesthetically significant recordings do you think belong on this esteemed list?

For a complete list of works already on the Registry, click HERE.

For all the details about the Registry and how to submit nominations, visit www.loc.gov/recording. The deadline to nominate is October 1, 2025.

Let’s look back at the 2025 National Recording Registry announcement. Which recordings should be next?

A Special Day (1977) ● Thursday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Set in Rome on the historic day in 1938 when Benito Mussolini first rolled out the red carpet for Adolf Hitler, an unexpected friendship blossoms between a conservative housewife (Sophia Loren) tending to her domestic duties and a liberal radio broadcaster (Marcello Mastroianni) awaiting deportation. In Italian with English subtitles. Black & white, 107 min. (Digital)

Best in Show (2000) ● Friday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Christopher Guest directs and stars in this “mockumentary” that focuses on several eccentric dog owners as they gear up for the canine showdown of their lives—the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. The ensemble cast also includes Parker Posey, Michael McKean, Fred Willard, Jennifer Coolidge, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara. Color, 90 min. (Digital)

The Matrimonial Bed (1930) ● Thursday, October 2 at 7:30 p.m.

First Thursdays with director Michael Curtiz:  A man with amnesia who has unknowingly remarried finds his life thrown into chaos when he unexpectedly encounters his first wife and her new husband. Black & white, 69 min. (Film)

With: Two Heads on a Pillow (1934)

Neil Hamilton and Miriam Jordan star as once-married attorneys who face off during a heated divorce case. Black & white, 68 min. (Film)

Pride and Prejudice (2005) ● Friday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m.

When Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) meets the handsome Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), she believes he is the last man on earth she could ever marry. But as their lives become intertwined in unexpected adventure, she finds herself captivated by the very person she swore to loathe for all eternity. Adapted from Jane Austen’s beloved masterpiece. Color, 129 min. (Film)

42^nd Street (1933) ● Thursday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m.

When the leading lady of a Broadway show breaks her ankle on the eve of opening night, a wide-eyed chorus girl (Ruby Keeler) is thrust into the role. Featuring Busby Berkeley’s sensational Depression-lifting production numbers and timeless songs by Harry Warren and Al Dublin, this Warner Bros. classic launched the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals. Black & white, 89 min. (Film)

Toy Story (1995) ● Friday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Woody (Tom Hanks), an old-fashioned cowboy doll, is the favorite toy of six-year-old Andy. But his world is turned upside down with the arrival of Buzz Lightyear, a flashy new space hero who takes Andy’s room by storm. This family favorite is the first full-length computer animated feature film. Color, 81 min. (Film)

Beau Geste (1926) ● Thursday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Based on Percival Christopher Wren’s 1924 adventure novel, three brothers demonstrate sibling devotion while serving in the infamous French Foreign Legion in the North African desert. New restoration by Robert A. Harris and James Mockoski, supervised by the Library of Congress and collaborative partners. Silent, with music compiled and performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. Black & white, 130 min. (Digital)

West Side Story (1961) ● Friday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m.

This electrifying musical sets the ageless tragedy of Romeo and Juliet against a backdrop of gang warfare in the slums of 1950’s New York. Featuring unforgettable songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim including “Maria,” “America,” “Somewhere” and “Tonight.” Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, with acclaimed performances by Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris. Color, 153 min. (Digital)

Beauty and the Beast (1946) ● Thursday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Jean Cocteau’s sublime adaptation of Mme. Leprince de Beaumont’s enduring fairy-tale—in which the pure love of a beautiful girl melts the heart of a feral but gentle beast—is a landmark of motion picture fantasy, with unforgettably romantic performances by Jean Marais and Josette Day. In French with English subtitles. Black & white, 93 min. (Film)

The Secret of NIMH (1982) ● Friday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Based on the award-winning children’s novel by Robert C. O’Brien, a mild-mannered mother mouse must find a way to save her home and family from the farmer’s plow. Along the way, she gets help from a colorful menagerie of critters including a klutzy crow, a wise owl and some highly intelligent rats. Color, 82 min. (Film)

Monkey Business (1952) ● Thursday, October 30 at 7:30 p.m.

In this screwball comedy from director Howard Hawks, an absentminded scientist (Cary Grant) and his voluptuous secretary can’t stop themselves from engaging in a little monkey business after a chimpanzee concocts, then dumps, an anti-aging formula into the office water cooler. Black & white, 97 min. (Film)

I Married a Witch (1942) ● Friday, October 31 at 7:30 p.m.

Veronica Lake casts a seductive spell as a charmingly vengeful sorceress who wreaks havoc when she falls in love with a young politician (Fredric March). Restored by the Library of Congress and The Film Foundation. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. Black & white, 77 min. (Film)

PLEASE NOTE: 

Programs are free and the matinee show will be family friendly. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Seating at the screenings is on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted.

Patrons must go through an “airport style” security check upon entering and no large parcels, purses or backpacks are permitted.

Federal law (18 U.S.C. 930) prohibits the possession of any firearm or other dangerous weapons on this Federal facility. This includes in the parking lot, on all roads, trails, and grounds as well as inside the building. This also applies to off-duty law enforcement officers (LEO) and concealed-carry permit holders.

The Packard Campus is located at 19053 Mount Pony Road in Culpeper, Virginia. Access to the campus parking lot begins one hour before show time, entrance into the building begins 45 minutes before the show, and the theater opens for seating 30 minutes before the curtain. Please do not arrive early and queue at the Packard Campus gate.

The Library of Congress Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center oversees one of the largest collections of motion pictures in the world. Acquired primarily through copyright deposit, exchange, gift and purchase, the collection spans the entire history of the cinema. Since 2008, the art deco theater located at the Packard Campus has shown films each week and screened more than 2,500 titles. The programs highlight the best in cinema, including silent films, Hollywood classics, kids’ cartoons and foreign films.

For more information on LC screenings, see this link.

Titles and formats subject to change.

Two films from old-time Hollywood this week that will make you think, “No, they don’t make them like that anymore.”

Midnight (1939) ● Thursday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m.

A wily American showgirl (Claudette Colbert) masquerades as a Hungarian royal in Paris, where she’s hired by a French aristocrat (John Barrymore) to seduce his wife’s playboy suitor. But can she stop herself from falling in love with a handsome but poor Parisian cabbie (Don Ameche)? Black & white, 94 min. (Film)

“Midnight” was added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2013.  For more about the film, see this essay.

Underworld (1927) ● Friday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Boisterous gangster kingpin Bull Weed (George Bancroft) rehabilitates his former lawyer (Clive Brook) from his alcoholic haze, but complications arise when he falls for Weed’s girlfriend (Evelyn Brent). The film launched director Josef von Sternberg’s eight-year collaboration with Paramount Pictures. Silent, with live musical accompaniment by Ben Model. Black & white, 80 min. (Digital)

This year’s Library of Congress costume ball, themed the Golden Age of Hollywood, will include a screening of the film “All About Eve.” But if you can’t attend the costume ball on September 18th or just want to learn more about “All About Eve,” then this blog post is for you!

“All About Eve,” directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, was released in 1950. Here’s a brief summary for the Library’s upcoming event that captures the film’s enduring legacy:

This unforgettable tale of ambition and betrayal follows aging Broadway star Margo Channing, whose world is upended by the seemingly devoted young fan Eve Harrington. What begins as ambition soon spirals into manipulation, exposing the allure—and cost—of fame. Starring Betty Davis, Anne Baxter and Marilyn Monroe in a breakout role, the film was added to the Library’s National Film Registry in 1990. Widely considered one of the greatest films ever made, “All About Eve” earned a record-setting 14 Academy Award nominations and won six, including Best Picture. Its sharp, witty screenplay and ensemble cast exemplify the sophistication and craftsmanship that defined Hollywood’s Golden Age.

At the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC), not only do we preserve and provide access to “All About Eve,” but we also preserve and provide access to promotional material for the film, subsequent works inspired by or related to “All About Eve,” and even the NBC radio drama from which the film was partially adapted. NAVCC holds a unique and wide range of material related to “All About Eve” that allows researchers to discover more about this film in novel ways.

“All About Eve” in Moving Image Collections

NAVCC holds multiple copies on film of “All Above Eve.” NAVCC received its first 35mm copy through copyright deposit on September 18, 1951, a little less than a year after the film’s premiere on October 13, 1950. The deposit includes 14 reels of film and approximately 100 pages of paperwork of “Dialogue taken from the Screen.” Unlike a script or screenplay written in multiple drafts up to and sometimes during production, this “dialogue” was transcribed from the film after it was shot.

In addition to the initial copyright deposit, the Library holds another 35mm film print: a restored theatrical projection print that was given as a gift from the Twentieth Century-Fox Collection in 2000.

To top it off, the Library even has 16mm copies and DVDs of the film.

“The Wisdom of Eve” and “All About Eve” in Recorded Sound Collections

But before “All About Eve,” there was “The Wisdom of Eve.” On Monday, January 24, 1949, at 10:30pm EST, “The Wisdom of Eve” was broadcast on NBC’s “Radio City Playhouse” program. Written by Mary Orr and based on her short story, the plot is described in an NBC press release as follows:

When a well-known playwright keeps writing major roles for one particular leading lady, the playwright’s wife may have very strong reactions to the situation. (NBC Press Releases, Jan-Feb. 1949, Vol. 118, Image 457).

“The Wisdom of Eve” script, with annotations and crossed out lines, is included in the NBC Radio Master Books.

And then in May, 23, 1949, NBC announced that the script was bought by 20^th Century Fox and was being used as the basis for a “screen play now being prepared by Joe Mankiewicz” (N.B.C. Press Releases, May-June 1949, Vol. 120, Image 531).

Random Aside: Even More about NBC

The NBC Collection in NAVCC contains additional references to “All About Eve,” including Bette Davis’ appearance on “The Hedda Hopper Show” to promote the film. Another reference from the NBC Television Master Book is “Kraft Music Hall Salutes the Oscars” from March 31, 1971. The NBC Television Master Books contain the official written record of everything broadcast for the entire broadcast day from the WNBT/WNBC television station. The master book for this program includes additions and omissions to Miss Davis’ script reference to “All About Eve” shortly before she introduced material related to “Applause,” the musical based on “The Wisdom of Eve” and “All About Eve.” The script credits Bette Davis as the show’s hostess, Frank Gorshin and Stiller & Meara (Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara) as stars, and special guest Michele Lee (NBC TV Master Book, Tue., Mar. 30, 1971 – Sun., Apr. 4, 1971, REEL MT 2010, Image 1012).

“All About Eve” in NAVCC’s Paper-based Formats  

Finally, but no less important, are the paper materials in NAVCC’s collection which document the promotion of “All About Eve” both during and after its initial release:

• 17 stills, 1 pressbook, 1 poster, 8 lobby cards
• 1 duplicate lobby card
• DVD presskit

Also, a quick search for “all about eve” in The Historical Media Publications Collection includes “The Filming of ‘All About Eve’” in January 1951’s American Cinematographer, and  “’All About Eve’ Fashion Selections” in January 1951’s Screenland Plus TV-land.

The Historical Media Publications Collection is a digital collection of industry publications, fan magazines and standalone monographs on moving image, broadcasting (television and radio) industries from the early to mid-20th century. The project is a collaboration between the Library’s NAVCC and Digital Collections Management and Services Divisions. We welcome you to research this collection anywhere, anytime.

While many of the other “All About Eve” materials discussed in this post are only available onsite, the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Research Centers encourage you to contact us with your questions about the film or to ask us anything about other collection items in the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center.

For more information related to this blog or any Library of Congress holdings, please see Ask a Librarian, and if you plan to come in to view or listen to any collection items, please reach out to our reference staff in the Moving Image Research Center and the Recorded Sound Research Center.

Sources

Allen, Leigh. “The Filming of ‘All About Eve.'” American Cinematographer. [Jan. 1951]. Rouben Mamoulian Collection. Historical Media Publications Collection, Library of Congress.

Brunell, Kay. “‘All About Eve’ Fashion Selections.” Screenland Plus Tv-land. [Jan. 1951]. Historical Media Publications Collection, Library of Congress.

Evening Star, (Washington, D.C.), May 5, 1950. Chronicling America, Library of Congress.

Motion Picture Daily, [Jan-Mar 1951]. Historical Media Publications Collection, Library of Congress.

National Broadcasting Company Press Releases. Part I, 1924-1950. NBC Collection, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress.

National Broadcasting Company Television Master Books. 1936-1991. NBC Collection, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress.

Film Noir Double Feature ● Thursday, September 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)  A young reporter is haunted by the knowledge that he may have sent an innocent man to the electric chair for murder—which means the real killer is on the loose! Black & white, 64 min. (Film)

The Florentine Dagger (1935)  An Italian playwright obsessed with the fact that he is a descendant of the Borgias believes that he may have committed the murder of the father of his bride-to-be. Black & white, 69 min. (Film)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) ● Friday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) is always dreaming up new ways to get rich quick. His sidekick, Sundance (Robert Redford), is the frontier’s fastest gun. But the notorious outlaws begin to discover that banks and railroads are getting much harder to rob. William Goldman won an Oscar for his highly-acclaimed screenplay. Color, 110 min. (Film)

“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was added to the National Film Registry in 2003.