Technicolor Summer

Often described as a film that doesn’t just depict dance, but becomes it, The Red Shoes is returning to The Frida Cinema as part of of our Technicolor Summer series. Directed by Powell & Pressburger, every frame is lush and painterly. The film’s 17-minute central ballet sequence remains one of the greatest ever filmed. In this classic drama, Vicky Page is an aspiring ballerina torn between her dedication to dance and her desire to love. While her imperious instructor, Boris Lermontov, urges to her to forget anything but ballet, Vicky begins to fall for the charming young composer Julian Craster. Eventually Vicky, under great emotional stress, must choose to pursue either her art or her romance, a decision that carries serious consequences. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

Glitz and glamour has officially entered our Technicolor Summer series as we present a weekend of the 50s classic How To Marry A Millionaire!  Three ambitious New York models—Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall), Loco Dempsey (Betty Grable), and Pola Debevoise (Marilyn Monroe)—decide to pool their resources and rent a luxurious Manhattan penthouse, not for comfort, but as a strategic base of operations to catch rich husbands. Beneath the surface, the film gently satirizes postwar materialism and gender roles, while still delivering the charm of a traditional romantic comedy. Each of the three leads brings distinct comedic timing and personality, especially Marilyn Monroe, whose physical comedy as the glasses-averse Pola steals the show.

Our Technicolor Summer series continues with one of the most lavish and visually stunning musicals ever put to film: An American in Paris! This dazzling musical tells the story of Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly), a former American GI turned struggling painter who’s trying to make a name for himself in the City of Light. His art catches the eye of a wealthy benefactor, Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), but Jerry’s heart belongs to someone else—Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron), a spirited young dancer with a complicated past. With music by George and Ira Gershwin and direction by Vincente Minnelli, An American in Paris is a feast for the senses and a celebration of the intoxicating magic of post-war Paris. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

Our Technicolor Summer takes a darker turn with the lush and haunting Leave Her to Heaven—a psychological thriller cloaked in sun-drenched, beautiful colors. When novelist Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) meets the striking and enigmatic Ellen Berent (Gene Tierney), it seems like a whirlwind romance straight out of a dream. But their fairy-tale love story quickly curdles into obsession as Ellen’s possessiveness spirals into something far more dangerous. She doesn’t want to share Richard’s affection with anyone—not his family, not his work, not even his past. A noir dressed in Technicolor’s finest, Leave Her to Heaven is a masterclass in contrasts: light and shadow. It's a chilling reminder that darkness can lurk even in the brightest places—and a true gem of Hollywood’s golden era. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

Our Technicolor Summer series goes from surreal to scrumptious with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory—a candy-colored fantasy that has enchanted generations with just the right amount of weirdness and pitch-black humor!  When poor but kind-hearted Charlie Bucket finds a golden ticket inside a Wonka Bar, he wins the chance of a lifetime: a tour of the mysterious, magical chocolate factory run by the reclusive and eccentric Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder, in one of the greatest screen performances of all time). Charlie joins a group of wildly different children—each one a cautionary tale—on a journey through a world of edible delights, fizzy-lifting drinks, and Oompa Loompa morals. Whether you grew up with it or are discovering it anew, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a golden ticket to a world where imagination rules—and where the most dazzling sights often hide the strangest secrets. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

Our Technicolor Summer series gets delightfully macabre with Alfred Hitchcock’s offbeat charmer The Trouble with Harry—a murder mystery where the murder is beside the point, and the comedy is as dry as a New England autumn. When the body of Harry Worp is discovered in the woods outside a sleepy Vermont town, the locals react not with horror, but with a series of polite, peculiar inconveniences. Who killed Harry? Was it the eccentric spinster? The retired sea captain? The single mother with a past? As each character quietly confesses—or denies—involvement, the real puzzle becomes what to do with the body… and how many times it must be buried. Unexpected, off-kilter, and beautifully shot, it’s a reminder that Technicolor wasn’t just for musicals and melodramas—it could bring even the darkest jokes to life with a brilliant, irreverent glow. And plus, you didn't think we could do this series without a couple of Hitchcock flicks, right? In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

Our Technicolor Summer series slows down for a sun-drenched romantic escape with Summertime—a bittersweet story set against the breathtaking backdrop of Venice. Katharine Hepburn stars as Jane Hudson, a middle-aged American schoolteacher fulfilling a lifelong dream of visiting Italy. Independent, curious, and slightly adrift, Jane arrives in Venice with her camera and sensible shoes, eager to soak in the beauty but wholly unprepared for what she finds: a chance at unexpected romance with Renato (Rossano Brazzi), a charming Italian antiques dealer. Directed with warmth and restraint by David Lean, Summertime achingly romantic a perfect midsummer reverie in vivid, glowing color. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

Our Technicolor Summer series turns rich with mid-century emotion in All That Heaven Allows—a swooning melodrama from master filmmaker Douglas Sirk that’s as emotionally vivid as it is visually stunning. Jane Wyman stars as Cary Scott, a well-to-do widow in a quiet New England town whose world is upended when she falls for her much younger gardener, Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson). What begins as a tender connection soon draws the judgmental glare of her country club peers and disapproving adult children. As Cary wrestles with the pressures of conformity and the cost of personal happiness, the film paints her inner conflict in bold, breathtaking hues. Elegant, emotional, and quietly radical, All That Heaven Allows is a shining example of how Technicolor could elevate not just the world we see, but the feelings we carry. A true classic of color, style, and heart. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

Our Technicolor Summer series gets delightfully glamorous with Indiscreet—a sparkling romantic comedy that pairs the incomparable Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant in a dance of charm, wit, and stylish deception. Bergman plays Anna Kalman, a successful London stage actress who’s all but given up on love—until she meets Philip Adams (Grant), a suave economist with a roguish smile and a secret: he claims he’s married and can’t divorce. Anna, swept off her feet despite herself, embarks on a love affair with no strings...until the truth begins to unravel. Directed with breezy elegance by Stanley Donen, Indiscreet is a romantic farce where misunderstandings are played for sophistication, and every line sparkles with mid-century wit. But it’s the chemistry between Bergman and Grant—radiant in Technicolor—that makes this film truly irresistible. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

Our Technicolor Summer series heads to the rolling green hills of Ireland with The Quiet Man—a sweeping romantic classic brimming with fiery passions, heartfelt tradition, and postcard-perfect landscapes. John Wayne stars as Sean Thornton, a retired American boxer who returns to his Irish roots in the village of Innisfree, hoping to leave his past behind and live a quiet life. But peace proves elusive when he falls for the strong-willed Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara), whose pride and fiery spirit are matched only by the land itself. Their courtship is as tempestuous as the Irish weather, complicated by local customs, family pride, and a brother with a grudge. Directed by John Ford with deep affection and painterly vision, The Quiet Man is as much a love letter to Ireland as it is a love story between two unforgettable characters. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

The penultimate film in our Technicolor Summer series takes a thrilling detour into espionage and mistaken identity with Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest—a sleek, suspenseful, and wildly entertaining ride across some of America’s most iconic landscapes. Cary Grant stars as Roger Thornhill, a suave Manhattan ad executive who’s suddenly thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse after being mistaken for a government agent. Framed, pursued, and utterly bewildered, Thornhill races from New York to Chicago to Mount Rushmore, dodging enemy spies, government secrets, and one unforgettable crop duster along the way. Along for the ride is the enigmatic Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), whose loyalties—and affections—are anything but clear. Directed with Hitchcock’s signature style and razor-sharp wit, North by Northwest is a masterclass in cinematic storytelling. Cool, clever, and endlessly rewatchable, North by Northwest is a Technicolor thrill ride that proves Hitchcock didn’t just master fear—he mastered fun. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!

The final film in our Technicolor Summer series reaches the celestial with A Matter of Life and Death—a visionary romance that floats between worlds, from war-torn Earth to the halls of a fantastical afterlife, in one of the most inventive films ever made. David Niven stars as Peter Carter, a British RAF pilot who miraculously survives a doomed jump from his burning plane—only to fall in love with June (Kim Hunter), the American radio operator who heard his final words. But Peter was meant to die, and when the otherworldly authorities realize their clerical error, he must plead his case for life in a cosmic courtroom, where love itself becomes the ultimate argument. Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, this genre-defying masterpiece blends romance, fantasy, and philosophical inquiry with dazzling visual artistry. In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!