Elizabeth Taylor Retrospective: THE MIRROR CRACK'D

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: Guy Hamilton

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, Angela Lansbury

At a glamorous English village fête, a Hollywood star’s return to the screen becomes the backdrop for M**der, and Miss Marple is on the case. Adapted from Agatha Christie, The Mirror Crack’d turns celebrity, memory, and carefully hidden wounds into a polished, old-fashioned mystery with both camp appeal and a sharp emotional hook.

Taylor’s casting within an all star ensemble is the film’s masterstroke. Playing a star on the wane, she brings both iconography and vulnerability, folding her own screen legend into the role. It’s a late-career performance that proves she could still command the frame, and bend a genre around her presence.

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