Re-release of We the Living
An announcement from movie producer Duncan Scott, who also recently provided a wonderful interview on this topic at the Atlasphere:
AYN RAND MOVIE RETURNS TO THEATERS
Los Angeles, CA - Oct 21, 2003. Moviegoers as well as fans of novelist/philosopher Ayn Rand will soon have a rare opportunity to see the film classic WE THE LIVING on the big screen. The film�s distributor, Duncan Scott, announced today that the film will be released to theaters across North America throughout the winter of 2003 and the spring of 2004. This is the first theatrical reissue of the film in 15 years.
WE THE LIVING’s re-release kicks off in style with the American Cinematheque hosting the premiere screening at the 600 seat Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 3, 2003. “We�re really thrilled,” said Scott. “The American Cinematheque is one of the country�s most renowned venues for classic films.” Scott will introduce the film and participate in a Q & A session with the audience following the screening. He will talk about the creative sessions with Ayn Rand during the movie�s restoration.
Following the Los Angeles event, WE THE LIVING will be shown in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago and as many as forty other U.S. and Canadian cities. Dates for future screenings will be announced in November and will be available at the distributor�s web site: www.duncanscott.com.
WE THE LIVING features a luminous performance by Italian screen legend Alida Valli (THE THIRD MAN, SENSO) and an important early-career dramatic role for Rossano Brazzi (SOUTH PACIFIC, THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN, THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA). The film was directed by Goffredo Alessandrini, based on the novel by Ayn Rand, one of America�s most well-known and controversial novelists. Rand, author of THE FOUNTAINHEAD and ATLAS SHRUGGED, founded the philosophy of Objectivism.
Film buffs have long been fascinated by the contentious production history of WE THE LIVING. Produced in Italy during World War II, the story was considered a political hot potato and, ironically, was only approved for filming through the personal intervention of the son of dictator Benito Mussolini, a film executive who was attracted to the love triangle aspect of the story. Rand was never notified and never authorized the filming of her novel. As the film was being shot, the studio executives hid controversial scenes from the fascist authorities who were closely monitoring the production.
When WE THE LIVING opened in Rome in 1942, the film�s story of three young people (a communist, an aristocrat, and a headstrong young woman) defying the authority of the state galvanized audiences in fascist-controlled Italy. Also, the portrayal of an independent, intelligent, sexually unchaste heroine was extraordinary for its time. In an interview many years later, Rossano Brazzi described the impact of the movie on Italian audiences as comparable to that of GONE WITH THE WIND in the U.S.A.
Italian moviegoers, seeing the parallels between the plight of the film’s characters and their own oppressed and impoverished existence, interpreted the film as a clever indictment of the Mussolini regime. In short order, the Italian government banned WE THE LIVING and ordered the film destroyed. But the original negatives were secretly preserved and, almost three decades later, were rediscovered by Henry Mark Holzer and Erika Holzer and brought to the U.S. Rand, working with Scott and the Holzers, supervised the restoration and re-editing of the film, but she died in 1982, never having seen the final version of WE THE LIVING.
The restored film opened to rave reviews in 1987. New York Newsday said, “WE THE LIVING qualifies in every respect as film treasure.” Film critic Michael Medved called it “An amazing piece of cinema. I loved every minute of it.” The New York Times called it “An ambitious and ingenious film.”
Interest in Ayn Rand is now at an all-time high. In the past two years, Rand has made the front cover of USA Today, and has been featured in The NY Times, Newsweek, and US News and World Report. Rand�s books, which have already sold over 30 million copies, continue to be bestsellers to new generations. Her life story was recently the subject of both an Oscar-nominated documentary and an Emmy-nominated TV movie. In 1999 she was honored on a commemorative U.S. postage stamp. Most remarkably, a Library of Congress survey found that Rand�s novel ATLAS SHRUGGED is the book that had most influenced U.S. readers, second only to The Bible.
“Thousands of people have discovered Ayn Rand in the years since we last released the WE THE LIVING,” said Scott. “They won�t want to miss an opportunity to see this unforgettable film on the big screen.” The Egyptian Theater is located at 6712 Hollywood Blvd. (East of Highland Ave.). Tickets are $9.00 each and available at the box office.
Contact: Duncan Scott at 310-454-9460 or email: dscott -at- duncanscott.com.
Duncan Scott Productions, Inc.
17010 Sunset Blvd.
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
dscott -at- duncanscott.com.
