“This tuneful, rosily nostalgic slice of Americana is greatly enhanced by Sirk’s sophisticated sensibility. Though Sirk more than delivers on the requisite charm, he also, as usual, emphasizes the story’s strong social critique: politicians are revealed to be corrupt charlatans, while it’s the professional con man who displays true character.” - FIlm at Lincoln Center
Saturday, August 8, 1:00 p.m. | Fresh off HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY GAL?, Douglas Sirk turned to another scrappy musical, this one about an orphan on the run who joins up with a traveling medicine show headed by the charming Doc (undersung song-and-dance man Dan Dailey) and his assistant (a scene-stealing Scatman Crothers, making his Hollywood debut). Local do-gooder Zerelda (Diana Lynn) has focused her zeal on improving conditions at the orphanage and doesn't think much of medicine shows, but that doesn't stop her from getting tangled up with this one anyway. A lively slice of Americana filtered through the eye of German émigré and melodrama master Sirk, MEET ME AT THE FAIR serves up romance, small town corruption, and showbiz hustle, with a Technicolor cherry on top. (Tavi Veraldi, Chicago Film Society)
Chicago Film Society Presents: Technicolor Weekend | August 7–9, 2026
The Chicago Film Society returns for its fourth iteration of Technicolor Weekend, a series which showcases prints made using the Technicolor printing process. All of the films in this series will be projected from prints that were at one point or another saved by private collectors. They were intended to last only through their initial runs, but instead have endured hundreds of screenings, studio mergers, film exchange closures, and multiple private owners. These unlikely survivors offer us a view of what these films looked like before digital color correction and other modern restoration techniques, and are stunning examples of an incredibly complex industrial process that delighted millions. Synopses courtesy of Chicago Film Society. Learn more at chicagofilmsociety.org.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu