Turner Classic Movies to Celebrate the American Cinematheque’s 40th Anniversary

In 1984, filmmaker Sydney Pollack returned to Los Angeles from an inspiring trip to the Cinémathèque Française in Paris determined to create an American corollary, a place where film lovers could watch movies, talk about them, and meet the artists who made them. He founded the American Cinematheque with Filmex programmers Gary Abrahams and Gary Essert, and 40 years later, the organization is flourishing, with nearly a thousand screenings a year spread across three L.A. venues (the Egyptian, Aero, and Los Feliz theaters).

Tonight, Turner Classic Movies will celebrate the Cinematheque’s anniversary with a trio of films programmed by the organization’s artistic director Grant Moninger, senior Film programmer Chris LeMaire, film programmer Imani Davis, and chief projectionist Benjamin Tucker. Moninger will also appear in conversation with TCM host Eddie Muller to discuss the films and the Cinematheque’s legacy and history.

In keeping with the Cinematheque’s eclectic programming, the three films are as different from one another as they are essential viewing for anyone looking for a great night of movies. The Cinematheque staff has selected Carol Reed’s absorbing drama of innocence lost, “The Fallen Idol,” founder Pollack’s 1969 classic “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?,” and Michael Schultz’s 1976 comedy “Car Wash.”

The program begins at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET with “Idol”; it’s an unmissable triple bill that brings the American Cinematheque and its “never-ending film festival” into the comfort of your own home for one night.