Film Series

2026 film series

You can enjoy two series a year, one in the fall and one in the winter. Each series has its own theme. Programmer, film critic, and writer Joan Nicks introduces the films and engages audiences in conversation following each screening.

Cost: $5 or free for museum members
Register: You can register for any movie online or at the door

Hitchcock: Britain to Hollywood/silent to sound

“Suspense comes out of giving audiences information, then making them wait.”
- Hitchcock, interview with Tom Snyder, 1973

October 1

6:45 pm to 9:00 pm

The Farmer's Wife (1928)

Running time: 1 hour/40 minutes
Rating: PG
Comedy: A widower decides to remarry and is pursued by eager women.
Starring: Jameson Thomas, Lillian Hall-Davis, Gordon Harker

October 15

6:45 pm to 9:00 pm

Champagne (1928)

Running time: 1 hour/26 minutes
Rating: PG
Comedy: A spoiled heiress has the time of her life defying her father’s wishes.
Starring: Betty Balfour, Jean Braden

October 29

6:45 pm to 9:00 pm

The Manxman (1929)

Running time: 1 hour/50 minutes
Rating: PG
Drama: A woman loved by two men is spurned by neighbours.
Starring: Annie Ondra, Carl Brisson, Malcolm Keen

November 12

6:45 pm to 9:00 pm

The 39 Steps (1935)

Running time: 1 hour/26 minutes
Rating: PG
Drama: Based on John Buchan’s novel. A Londoner accused of murder becomes embroiled in counter-espionage.
Starring: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll

November 26

6:45 pm to 9:00 pm

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Running time: 1 hour/36 minutes
Rating: PG
Drama: A passenger on a train seems to disappear, and nobody notices.
Starring: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lucas

December 1

6:00 pm to 8:45 pm

North by Northwest (1959)

Running time: 2 hours/16 minutes
Rating: PG
Drama: A man suspected of being a government agent is on the run. Several awards.
Starring: Cary Grant, Eve Marie Saint, James Mason

About the programmer

Joan Nicks

Joan Nicks, film critic and writer, programs film series for the Niagara Falls History Museum and advises on film programming for the Niagara Artists Centre (NAC). She collaborates with the Gallery Players of Niagara on special silent film events. She curated image projections for the “Flutes en Route” concert (2017) featuring flutist Doug Miller, and concerts by Chorus Niagara and Toronto Orpheus Choir. She is a recipient of the Laura Sabia Award (2003) for women’s contributions to the arts in Niagara.

Joan Nicks