To celebrate the centennial of Columbia Pictures, the 2024 Locarno Film Festival organized a revelatory retrospective curated by Ehsan Khoshbakht titled The Lady with the Torch, Columbia Pictures 1929-1959. The program offered a rich archeology of the studio’s production during the Hollywood studio era, showcasing both iconic films as well as lesser-known gems as a means of understanding the elusive question of whether Columbia had a discernible “house style.” The answer is a nuanced yes as made clear by the Locarno screenings and discussions and by the wonderful catalogue published on that occasion which opened up new perspectives on the studio and its most significant directors. As a follow-up to the Locarno retrospective as well as the numerous centenary programs that screened widely last year, the Harvard Film Archive presents a selection of rare and remarkable, edgy and innovative films made at the studio and the wonderful work accomplished by Sony/Columbia today to restore and make available this rich film heritage. – Haden Guest

Copies of The Lady with the Torch will be available for sale at our box office throughout the retrospective.