UCLA to Host An Evening with George Chakiris, 11/16

UCLA Film & Television Archive salutes the extraordinary career of actor, singer and dancer George Chakiris in this exciting screening and discussion. 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. This program assembles a selection of his 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), followed by a screening of Jacques Demy's The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), foregrounding Chakiris' command of song, dance...and our attention. Chakiris won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for the role of Bernardo in the film and in Nov 2012, Chakiris received what many refer to as the highest honor in Hollywood - His Hand & Foot Prints were placed in cement (with colleagues Rita Moreno and Russ Tamblyn and placed along side friend and co-star, Natalie Wood) for all history in connection with the 50th anniversary of classic film West Side Story which premiered at Grauman's 50 years ago.

The event will take place on November 16, 2013 - 7:30 pm.

FROM THE SILVER SCREEN TO STERLING SILVER - Academy Award winner George Chakiris, known internationally for his role as Bernardo in West Side Story, parlays his talent from the Silver Screen to Sterling Silver Jewelry, featuring necklaces, bracelets, earrings, dramatic belts and more. Many of his designs have been inspired by colleagues such as Marilyn Monroe and Rosemarie Clooney, whom he had the privelege of dancing with, in "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds" and "White Christmas" respectfully.

Living a life with passion for the creative arts drew George quite by chance to jewelry making as a hobby. What began as a diversion became a full time appreciation for design and construction and a new creative outlet, which became The George Chakiris Collections. Chakiris recently unveiled his latest collection in Japan. The George Chakiris collections are now on display at Tokyo's prestigious Mitsukoshi Department Store as well as in America online at http://www.georgechakiris.com. Among those artists recently seen on red carpets and national interviews such as The Today Show and CNN wearing George's accessory creations are Morgan Fairchild, Rita Moreno, Tippi Hedren, Loni Anderson, Carol Channing, Donna Mills, Romi Dames, Phyllis Diller, Alison Arngrim, Mary McDonough, Michael Learned and Judy Norton.

The Billy Wilder Theater, home of the UCLA Film & Television Archive's public programs, is among a select handful of venues nationwide able to exhibit an entire century's worth of moving images in their original formats. From the earliest silent films requiring variable speed projection to glorious classics printed on fragile nitrate stock all the way up to cutting-edge digital cinema-the Wilder can accommodate an astonishing array of screen technologies. The Theater's modern design by Michael Maltzan Architecture stylishly interprets cinema's play of light and movement in real space, and the 294-seat interior features comfortable leather seats with superb sightlines.