Harry Hamilton of the city's Cultural Arts and Marketing Department says a different movie classic will be shown once a month from June 18 to Sept. 10. "On Friday we will be starting things off with live music at 5 p.m., followed by movie shorts beginning at 8 p.m., and then the feature presentation," he said.

Seating is limited and filmgoers are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets, he said. Free parking will be available at 8th and Washington, and popcorn, frozen yogurt and other treats will be sold. "The public is invited to arrive early and sample dishes from the historic district's dozen or so eateries that are planning to stay open for the evening's entertainment," he said.

Upcoming screenings include "Field of Dreams," "Tootsie" and that all-time favorite -- "Singin' in the Rain," starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds.

City film office director Ami Zins notes Oakland is a popular location for film shoots these days. "Production crews have recently wrapped up shooting for the major motion picture, 'Bee Season,' starring Richard Gere," says Zins. "The screen play was adapted to make Oakland the location for the story, which previously was set in Pittsburgh (in the book version). Naturally we were thrilled that they decided to do that."

According to library history room files, at least 100 feature films have used Oakland as a backdrop, dating back to the early 1900s. In fall 1908, say the files, an old car barn at 47th and (then) Grove streets served as the first movie studio in Northern California. A one-reeler called "The Roman" was shot inside the makeshift studio. The movie's principal actor was Hobart Bosworth, a widely known leading man in the early days of film.

Bosworth was a performer in a vaudeville troupe in nearby Idora Park, a popular amusement park, then located in North Oakland next to Telegraph Avenue. Other Idora Park veterans who went on to become screen players include Fatty Arbuckle and Lon Chaney, say the files.

Oakland author Jack London was among the first to recognize the coming boom in films. He chose Bosworth to play the lead in the 1908 production of his story "Seawolf," which was shot on the Oakland Estuary near the foot of Broadway.

The Oakland waterfront continued to be a popular locale. The 1934 version of "Treasure Island," starring Lionel Barrymore, was shot there.

The city really came into its own during the 1970s as a film location. One of George Lucas' first films, a 1970 cult classic called "THX 1138," used uncompleted portions of the BART tunnels and the Laney College campus. Charlton Heston and Yvette Mimieux hung out at the Oakland airport in the 1972 film "Skyjacked," and Donald Sutherland and Jane Fonda filmed "Steelyard Blues" here, also in 1972.

Dunsmuir House became (arguably) the all-time scariest haunted mansion in the 1976 film "Burnt Offerings," starring Bette Davis. It starred once again in the 1993 Mike Meyers comedy spoof "So I Married an Axe Murderer."

Several notable city landmarks served as backdrops to the 1987 Lucasfilm "Tucker," directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring Jeff Bridges as a car maker determined to "beat Detroit" with his own automobile designs.

Lake Merritt stole the show in the 1992 film "Made in America," starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson. Perched precariously aboard a rampaging elephant, Danson follows Goldberg "into the drink," as sunbathers and boaters scramble out of the way. Set designers scooped out a holding tank (barricaded from the actual lake) for the climatic scene, then carefully replaced everything when they were done.

The Robin Williams movie "What Dreams May Come" in 1998 also featured Lake Merritt in its ending, notes Zins. And the Tribune Tower was seen several times in "True Crime" (1998), in which Clint Eastwood plays a Tribune reporter.

For more information on the summer film series, call 238-4734 or visit www.filmoakland.com. The next walking tour of Washington Street and Old Oakland will be June 26, starting at 10 a.m. Call the Oakland Tours Program for a complete listing of all the downtown walking tours, 238-3234. Reservations are recommended.

The Oakland Tribune: Cityside
Leanne McLaughlin, Managing Editor
(510) 208-6447
(510) 208-6477 Fax
lmclaughlin@angnewspapers.com Email