Search Museum of the Moving Image

Loading Events

SCREENING, SCREENING + LECTURE

The Wrong Man + “Queens on Screens” with Cosmo Bjorkenheim

Saturday, Apr 30, 2022 at 6:00 pm

Location: Redstone Theater

6:00 P.M. Cosmo Bjorkenheim presents “Queens on Screens”

7:30 P.M. The Wrong Man

Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. U.S. 1956, 105 mins. 35mm. With Henry Fonda, Vera Miles. Inspired by the true story of Queens jazz musician Manny Balestrero, wrongly arrested for theft, Hitchcock created one of his greatest films, and his most openly spiritual. Making nightmarish use of real New York City locations in Elmhurst, Ridgewood—most prominently the Balestrero family’s own neighborhood of Jackson Heights—this stark masterpiece is a compelling study of identity, guilt, and psychosis, featuring an unforgettable performance by a haunted Henry Fonda.

Preceded by Cosmo Bjorkenheim presents “Queens on Screens”

Queens is the World’s Borough. Not only has it hosted two historic World’s Fairs, it also has such a culturally diverse population—the most diverse of any urban area in the world—that the 7 train is nicknamed the International Express. Queens was also the East Coast center of the nation’s film industry until its many studios, including Paramount (which once owned the legendary facility that is now MoMI’s neighbor Kaufman Astoria Studios), closed up shop in New York. But what role does Queens itself play in our cinematic imagination? It has been cast as a tranquil suburb, as a haven for immigrants, and as a school of hard knocks. Informants have gone into witness protection, extraterrestrials have started small businesses, and Marvel superheroes have been born and raised there. From Kiss of Death to Ransom it has been a hideout for hardened criminals; from The French Connection to Good Time it has been the setting for breathless chase scenes. In this lively visual presentation, amateur New York City historian Cosmo Bjorkenheim will explore the various silver screen representations of Queens and its many neighborhoods while also discussing the history of the borough: its evolution from an agglomeration of small towns and semi-rural villages to an integral part of the United States’ most populous metropolis, its development by real estate tycoons and industrialists, and its preservation of a defiantly provincial yet unmistakably global character.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / Free or discounted ($11) for MoMI members. Order online. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.