Elizabeth Taylor Retrospective: NATIONAL VELVET

Elizabeth Taylor Retrospective

Violet eyes, volcanic talent, and a screen presence that could tilt the axis of Hollywood—Elizabeth Taylor wasn’t just a movie star, she was an era unto herself. From child prodigy to global icon, and from lavish studio epics to intimate, emotionally daring performances, Taylor’s career is a masterclass in range, risk, and reinvention. This year-long retrospective celebrates the full sweep of her work—the wit, the bruised vulnerability, and the unapologetic intelligence that make her one of cinema’s most enduring stars. Whether you’re revisiting beloved classics or discovering lesser known but worthy titles, these films reveal an artist always more daring—and more surprising—than her glamorous image.

Join us one Saturday each month at 6 PM for a big-screen celebration at the Historic Camelot Theatre at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Each screening is preceded by a 5 PM pre-show featuring vintage film ephemera from the year of the film’s release. 

The series is hosted and introduced by author and film historian Matthew Kennedy (On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide). Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the screenings, courtesy of Best Bookstore Palm Springs.

Rediscover Elizabeth Taylor as she was meant to be seen—on the big screen.

Director: Clarence Brown

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp, Anne Revere

A spirited young English girl dreams of entering—and winning—the Grand National steeplechase, even though the race is closed to female riders. When fate places a gifted horse and a washed-up jockey in her path, Velvet Brown sets out on a bold, secret campaign that turns grit, training, and belief into something like destiny. National Velvet is part sports movie, part coming-of-age fable, and pure classical Hollywood storytelling, full of wind-in-the-hair momentum and emotional cheer.

For Elizabeth Taylor, this was the film that didn’t simply announce a star—it made one. Just twelve years old, Taylor brings a rare combination of steel, charm, and natural screen authority that already hints at the force she would become. Seen on the big screen, National Velvet is more than a beloved classic—it’s the moment you can watch a legend begin, in full stride.

MATTHEW KENNEDY is a Film historian and author and the former curator and host of the film series at the Mechanics Institute Library in San Francisco. He is the author of Joan Blondell: A Life between Takes, Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s, and On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide, and has written for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Turner Classic Movies, and the National Film Registry.

CLASSIC COCKTAILS

Elevate your movie night and select one of our classic cocktails! We offer a full range of fine wines, craft beers, and premium well drinks. Pre-order on Eventbrite and save $4 on two drinks with our exclusive pre-show drink special. Sip, relax, and enhance your cinematic experience with a touch of sophistication.

Info: Come early for a special curated screening of vintage trailers, commercials, interviews from the year the film was made. Enjoy our signature Neapolitan Pizzas made fresh in house from our cafe. Vegetarian options available!

Info: Enjoy a rare screening of a cinema classic on the BIG SCREEN in our Historic Camelot Theatre with your host film historian and author Matthew Kennedy.

Info: Meet your host author Matthew Kennedy and pick up his latest book "On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide."

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Host or Publisher Palm Springs Cultural Center