The winter 2021 term of The Masters Series, which embraces lifelong learning and is presented by the Pasadena Senior Center, will be virtual via Zoom for people 50 and older Tuesdays, Jan. 12 to Feb. 23, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will be titled “The History of American Movies.”
Since the earliest days of cinema, movies have captured hearts and imaginations all over the world. Dr. Jonathan Kuntz, a film historian and widely respected expert on Hollywood cinema and the development of the studio system, will cover the American film industry from the birth of Hollywood at the turn of the 20th century through the challenges facing filmmaking and distribution today.
• Jan. 12 – The Birth of Hollywood and the Silent Era
• Jan. 19 – From the Great Silent Comedians to the Advent of Sound Film
• Jan. 26 – Hollywood in the Great Depression
• Feb. 2 – Hollywood from World War II to the Blacklist
• Feb. 9 – The End of the Studio Era, and Hollywood in the 1960s
• Feb. 16 – The New Hollywood and the Rise of Cable TV
• Feb. 23 – The Reagan Era and the Entertainment Conglomerate to the Present
The cost for the seven sessions is only $90 for members of the Pasadena Senior Center and $105 for non-members.
To register, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on The Masters Series Lifelong Learning. Everyone who registers will receive email instructions for joining each of the seven Zoom sessions online. For more information about The Masters Series, email AnnieL@pasadenaseniorcenter.org.
Kuntz has welcomed several generations of students to the study of cinema with his popular undergraduate course on the history of the American motion picture, offered every quarter at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. He has appeared in several documentaries about American film history as an expert on film production and exhibition, and has contributed to The New York Times. Known for his encyclopedic knowledge, he has been quoted in the media on many topics from the careers of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe to the effects of the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm.
For more information about other Pasadena Senior Center programs and services, including online options for classes, events and activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org or call (626) 795-4331.
The center, at 85 E. Holly St., is an independent, donor-supported nonprofit organization that has been deemed an essential service provider for older adults, so its doors are open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for social services and other critical assistance to older adults in need.
