Event—Adult Education

Spotlight on Biopics

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Promotional photograph for the 1943 film Madame Curie. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Class Description

Before “based on a true story” became a buzz phrase, Golden Age Hollywood was already perfecting the biopic. Join Film Historian Dr. Annette Bochenek for a presentation about classic biographical films, revealing how movie stars, studio storytelling, and Hollywood glamour turned real people into cinematic icons. The program will include a multimedia presentation consisting of photos, video clips, and captivating stories.

Annette Bochenek, PhD, is a film historian, professor, and avid scholar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She manages the “Hometowns to Hollywood” blog, in which she profiles her trips to the hometowns of classic Hollywood stars. She has also been featured on the popular classic film-oriented television network, Turner Classic Movies.

All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.

What to Expect

Format: Virtual 

Class Capacity: 30 

Class Style: Lecture or presentation; option for questions 

Materials List

No Required Materials

Cost and Registration

1 Session, $45 ($40.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($45), Community Supported ($40), and Sponsor ($50). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.

To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

Having trouble signing up? Take a look at our step-by-step guide to registration by clicking here.

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The views and opinions expressed in this class and/or by the instructor are not necessarily representative of the Newberry. We aim to ensure that in our classes, participants can have respectful disagreement to foster critical thinking. This is a space to challenge and expand our own worldviews to work towards better understanding and appreciating humanity.

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Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email at adulteducation@newberry.org.

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