UCLA Film & Television Archive salutes the extraordinary career of actor, singer and dancer in “An Evening with George Chakiris,” an exciting screening and discussion on Saturday, November 16, 2013.
Trained in Los Angeles, Chakiris first distinguished himself as a dancer in Hollywood films, displaying an athleticism and grace that helped bring renown to West Coast dance styles.
Best known for his Academy Award-winning performance in West Side Story (1961), Chakiris has enjoyed a multi-faceted, international career on stage, screen and television.
The November 16 program assembles a selection of Chakiris’s sparkling television appearances drawn from the Archive’s holdings, including excerpts from “The Garry Moore Show” (1961), “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show” (1962) and “The Andy Williams Show” (1967).
The main event of the evening is a screening of Jacques Demy’s The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), foregrounding Chakiris’ command of song, dance…and our attention.
An Evening with George Chakiris | Billy Wilder Theater, Hammer Museum | Saturday November 16, 7:30 pm |tickets
photo: Oscar®-winning actor George Chakiris prior to a screening of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” presented at Oscars® Outdoors by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Saturday, August 3, 2013. Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.
This certainly promises to be a wonderful, joyous, informative and entertaining event for all to enjoy! George Chakiris’ extraordinary accomplishments in the motion picture, television, theatrical and recording industries are highly admirable and inspiring for seasoned professionals and newcomers alike. I truly hope that the evening is a sell-out and I wholeheartedly urge young people in particular to meet the man who followed his dreams and who achieved so much in his professional career.