Film series: Cornellians in Hollywood — Willard Straight Hall at 100
Established in 1925, the historic Willard Straight Theatre — which has been the home of Cornell Cinema since the 1990s — celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
According to an excerpt from the 1990 book The Straight Story: An Informal History of Willard Straight Hall 1925-1990 by Rebecca H. Cofer, showing films in Willard Straight Theatre was part of the plan from the start. The Ithaca Journal reported in 1925 that the newly opened theatre “included…a motion picture machine of the latest improved model” and the first movie showing in Willard Straight Theatre reportedly took place two years later in 1927. When Dr. Walter Stainton launched the first film studies course at Cornell in 1936, screening films for both educational enrichment and public engagement became an important tradition in Willard Straight Theatre, one that continues today through the work of Cornell Cinema.
To celebrate this milestone, Cornell Cinema will highlight a few of the many Cornellians who have made substantial contributions to the film industry, working in creative roles both on screen and behind the scenes throughout the course of Hollywood history.
Alumni spotlights include director Howard Hawks (Class of 1918), screenwriter Arthur Laurents (Class of 1937), film editor Thelma Schoonmaker (Class of 1961), and the Wizard of Oz himself Frank Morgan (Class of 1912).
Additional events will be added throughout the semester and into the spring semester!
About Willard Straight Hall 100
Willard Straight Hall has stood at the heart of Cornell’s campus for a century — not just as a building, but as a space where something deeper takes root.
More than stone and structure, Willard Straight Hall is where community is formed, voices are amplified, and futures begin to take shape. It is a place where students grow not only in knowledge, but in identity and purpose. Where conversations lead to action, friendships grow into lifelong networks, and campus becomes home.
Visit scl.cornell.edu/WSH100 for more information about upcoming events.
Special thanks to Corey Ryan Earle.
