With the possible exception of constructing a medieval cathedral, there is no more collaborative art form than a studio-made motion picture. Besides all the actors on the screen, there are hundreds – even thousands – of artists and artisans behind the scenes writing, composing, painting, sculpting, decorating, orchestrating, editing, coaching, cooking, dubbing, sewing, lighting…you name it.

In this 4-lecture series, Kurt Stone, a “Hollywood Brat” with an encyclopedic knowledge of his hometown’s greatest industry, takes us behind the screen for a fascinating look at its early history and deconstructing several of its most famous collaborations.

1. Did the Jews Really Invent Hollywood? A Fascinating History
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 | 3-4pm2. Descending From Mt. Sinai Not Once, But Twice: DeMille’s 1923 and 1956 Versions of The Ten Commandments
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 | 3-4pm3. Starting at the Very Top: Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 | 3-4pm4. Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Brilliance of Casablanca
Wednesday, November 2, 2022 | 3-4pm

Kurt Stone’s passion for film is, he says “genetic,” having been born in Hollywood, CA, and raised both in and around the movie industry. Stone is a multi-disciplinary man who has also written well-received books on Congress, published nearly 900 essays, is an ordained rabbi, and earns his living as a medical ethicist.