From the basement of PBS Fort Wayne, Subterranean Cinema is the place to enjoy classic Hollywood movies. This weekly film series is hand-picked to be enjoyed by film fans of every generation. They are broadcast on:
Once they premiere on-air, these movies are also available through the PBS app on your smartphone, tablet or smart TV, at pbs.org, and on the PBS Fort Wayne YouTube channel.
Weekend of june 28-29
Young auto mechanic Dan Brady (Mickey Rooney) takes $20 from a cash register at work to go on a date with blonde femme fatale Vera Novak (Jeanne Cagney). Brady intends to put the money back before it is missed, but the garage’s bookkeeper shows up earlier than scheduled. As Brady scrambles to cover evidence of his petty theft, he fast finds himself drawn into an ever worsening “quicksand” of crime.
Weekend of July 5-6
When romance writer Owen Waterbury (Kirk Douglas) meets Stephanie "Steve" Gaylord (Laraine Day), he offers her a job as his secretary. Steve, a would-be writer herself, accepts the position but is quickly dismayed by Owen's shabby work ethic and distracting visitors, including Ronnie (Keenan Wynn), his rowdy, mischievous neighbor.
Weekend of July 12-13
"St. Martin’s Lane" is a captivating drama that provides a glimpse into the lives of street performers and artists in London's famous St. Martin's Lane. The film centers around a talented and charismatic busker named Charles, played by Charles Laughton, and his evolving relationship with a young and ambitious performer named Libby. The movie beautifully captures the struggles and aspirations of artists and the dynamics of their close-knit community.
Weekend of July 19-20
During the early days of World War II in the Pacific Theater, Marine Col. Thorwald (Randolph Scott) puts together a special strike force to capture Makin Island, a strategic territory held by Japan. He goes out of his way to select soldiers who are rugged or labeled as misfits, such as former boxer "Pig-Iron" Matthews (Bob Mitchum) and yokel Rube Tedrow (Rod Cameron). As their raid draws closer, Thorwald dispatches with all ranks and titles, and trains his group using unconventional methods.
Weekend of July 27-28
This film broke new ground with its realistic look at the life of a heroin addict. When illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra) gets out of prison, he decides to straighten up. Armed with nothing but an old drum set, Frankie tries to get honest work as a drummer. But when his former employer, small-time con man Schwiefka (Robert Strauss), and Frankie's old drug dealer, Louis (Darren McGavin), re-enter his life, Frankie finds it hard to stay clean and eventually finds himself succumbing to his old habits. Based on the novel by Nelson Algren.
Now Streaming
World War I is raging, but Swedish store clerk Madeleine Goddard (Vivien Leigh) has not aligned herself with either side. When she meets German soldier Karl Von Marwitz (Conrad Veidt), she falls in love. Karl, who presents as a footman of low rank, is in fact a high-ranking official in the German army. Madeleine has secrets of her own -- she is a spy, working for the Allies. As Madeleine and Karl are pulled deeper into the war, their love may be the thing that saves their lives.
Now Streaming
By the late 1920's aircraft designer R.J. Mitchell feels he has achieved all he wants with his revolutionary monoplanes winning trophy after trophy. But a holiday in Germany shortly after Hitler assumes power convinces him that it is vital to design a completely new type of fighter plane and that sooner or later Britain's very survival may depend on what he comes to call the Spitfire. Directed by and starring Leslie Howard as Mitchell with David Niven as a test pilot.
Now Streaming
When a wounded gunfighter (John Wayne) is found by a pacifist frontier family, the good Samaritans soon realize that they have let trouble into their home. While the gunfighter grows attached to the family, he is soon visited by his past - both by outlaws and the law.