Name: Fade In: Screening w/Elena Gorfinkel Starring Burt Reynolds, Barbara Loden
Start: 2026-01-16T18:00:00-08:00
End: 2026-01-16T20:30:00-08:00
Location: Blak Box Theater in Joshua Tree

$Fade In: Screening w\/Elena Gorfinkel Starring Burt Reynolds, Barbara Loden$

Fade-In, a 1968 American romantic drama, stars Burt Reynolds and Barbara Loden. Q&A with scholar Elena Gorfinkel, British Film Institute.
About this Event

This is the first film as part of the WANDA AND BEYOND weekend of film and lectures exploring the works of BARBARA LODEN and lectures by scholar Elena Gorfinke, presented in partnership with the BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE.

Join us for a screening of FADE IN (1968), directed by Jud Taylor, and starring Barbara Loden, Burt Reynolds, and Patricia Casey.

The narrative of Loden’s career beyond WANDA was mythically full of almosts, in which promising opportunities dangled before her and disappeared, among them her axed role in THE SWIMMER, inwhich she was replaced by Janice Rule. FADE IN was perhaps the most unusual: a low-budget production which piggy-backed on the set of a more profligate feature, the Terrence Stamp western BLUE. Set in the red-rock landscape of Moab, FADE IN concerns a budding and improbable city-country romance between a Los Angeles film editor (which would have represented Loden’s first stint as leading lady) and a brawny Utah rancher (a young Burt Reynolds). After editorial meddling by producers at Paramount, the film became the first pseudonymous “Allen Smithee” vehicle and was shelved until its relegation to TV broadcast in 1973. This is a rare screening of a film which, thanks to its unusual production history, is rarely shown theatrically.

After Burt Reynolds finished production, he proclaimed, "It's the best thing I've ever done...An American version of ."

Elena Gorfinkel is a film scholar and critic based in London. Her research concerns marginal and independent cinemas, including adult, experimental, & underground film, particularly from the 1960s to the present. She is Reader in Film Studies at King's College London. Prior to King's, she was Associate Professor of Art History & Film Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She earned a PhD in Cinema Studies from New York University. Born in Soviet Ukraine, she emigrated and grew up in New York City.

As part of our immersive film series, this screening is designed to promote a deeper cultural reflection of cinema. We invite filmmakers to participate in our screenings, enabling the audience to better understand their creative perspective. By encouraging thoughtful, collaborative participation crossing both sides of the screen, this series is dedicated to studying and preserving the art of film.

ADVISORY DISCLAIMER

With some exception, The Joshua Tree Cultural Center's Film Institute does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email [email protected].

CONTENT DISCLAIMER

The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Joshua Tree Cultural Center (JTCC), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with JTCC. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes.