Cult classic ‘Day of the Locust’ marks 50th anniversary with screening to benefit Palm Springs Cultural Center

Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs is set to host a special screening of “Day of the Locust,” a dark historical drama set in 1930s Hollywood based on Nathaniel West’s novel. The event, which marks the 50th anniversary of the film’s release, will take place on Saturday, May 25, and includes a special session before the screening.

A question-and-answer panel will feature celebrity photographer Michael Childers, director John Schlesinger’s long-time partner, actors William Atherton and Pepe Serna, and Paramount VP Peter Bart. Dave Karger, host of Turner Classic Movies, entertainment commentator on NBC’s Today Show, and author of “50 Oscar Nights,” will moderate the discussion.

The Q&A will start at 6:30 p.m., followed by the film screening at 7 p.m., with proceeds benefiting the Palm Springs Cultural Center, of which the theater is a part. A VIP meet and greet session is planned for 5:30 p.m. 

Karger has high praise for the film, stating, “It’s one of the best films on Hollywood that was ever made.” 

“The entertainment industry will always have a chew-you-up-and-spit-you-out reputation attached to it,” Karger says. “That persists from the 1930s when the novel was written, to the 1970s, when the movie was made, to today. So this film really is timeless in that regard.”

However, he adds, “Today, there are more checks and balances in the industry, so it’s not as debaucherous as it’s portrayed in the film.”

“It captures the tension of the time that was on the cusp of World War II,” Childers says about the film. “It’s John’s darkest film that radiates human darkness. 

“We saw Hollywood as a candy factory where everything ends up happy. But this film shows the enduring truth of how people go there to make it, but most don’t make it. They came with hope, desires for fame, money, but the city can also be a place of broken dreams.”

Atherton, who was a 25-year-old stage actor at the time, recalls his role as an art director in the film as an “extraordinary history lesson” on the movie-making process of the 1930s. He describes the experience as akin to being in a documentary, providing a window into a bygone era.

Atherton also speaks to the film’s lasting impact: “The film is very evocative on so many levels. Some people don’t like it, some people adore it, it brings up so much for people. It’s a movie that stays with you long after it’s over.”

The authenticity of the sets and props, including two stages forming the most significant Hollywood indoor set to date, depicting Hollywood Boulevard, was legendary.

In 1978, when interviewed about the film, Schlesinger said, “I knew it was going to be controversial, but I was very proud of it — and still am, incidentally. I felt that we had … [an] extraordinary film which by no means was going to be popular.”

Indeed, the movie failed at the box office, as audiences were not prepared for the stark reality depicting the industry where supposedly everything had a happy ending. However, it became a cult classic, and today’s audiences embrace it, finding it exhilarating.

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Details: A special meet and greet session will take place prior to the event at 5:30 p.m. For complete information about the event and tickets, which range from $15 to $30) visit this page.

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