The Grand Screens “The Grapes of Wrath!”

Ellsworth, Maine - The Grand presents a special screening of “The Grapes of Wrath” on Friday May 2nd at 7 pm, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the book’s publication. Tickets are $7 for Adults, $6 for Seniors/Students and $5 for Grand Members. The Grand also presents a special school screening at 10 am; please call the box office for more details and to reserve student tickets. This films screens in partnership with The Ellsworth Public Library.

The great filmmaker Steven Spielberg, upon receiving the Irving Thalberg award from Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, said in his acceptance speech “I think it's time to renew our romance with the word.”  And now The Grand, in partnership with The Ellsworth Public Library, offers everyone the opportunity to see a great film that celebrates both the art of filmmaking and the art of writing – films that are all ages-appropriate, adapted from some of the greatest works of literature ever written. And in the classic “The Grapes of Wrath,” the audience can see a story that engages and enriches from both page and screen, as we celebrate the simultaneous masterwork of both director John Ford and novelist John Steinbeck.

Both book and film tell the story of the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, economic hardship, agricultural industry changes, and bank foreclosures that forced tenant farmers out of work. Due to their nearly hopeless situation, and in part because they were trapped in the Dust Bowl, the Joads set out for California. Along with thousands of other "Okies" they search for jobs, land, dignity, and a future. In addition to stunning black and white cinematography from Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane), the film also features electrifying performances from Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell and John Carradine.

So bring the whole family and share the experience of seeing one of the great film classics the way it was meant to be seen- on the big screen – as The Grand presents “The Grapes of Wrath.”

“The Grapes of Wrath” is part of The Grand's film program that includes an encore of “The 2nd Annual Silent Film Event” where TEMPO plays an original score by orchestra leader Rebecca Edmondson as an accompaniment to a screening of Buster Keaton’s silent comedy classic “The General” on Sunday May 4th at 2 pm for $15 for Adults, $10 for Youth (12 and under) with all seats general admission.

For more information on these or other Grand events, please call the box office at 207-667-9500 or visit The Grand website at www.grandonline.org or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Grand-Auditorium/112755987339