KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — A bloodsucker, an Egyptian queen and one of the most conscientious men in moviedom -- all for free at the grandest movie palace in town.
The Tennessee Theatre announced it'll be showing three free movie classics this fall thanks to Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union, which is observing its 85th anniversary this year.
First up is Bela Lugosi in Tod Browning's 1931 black and white classic "Dracula". Several versions have been made of the Bram Stoker story but this is the definitive one. It'll be shown 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6.
Rotten Tomatoes says Lugosi gave the "performance of a lifetime" in the film. Once upon a time, before cable, you could watch this one as part of a "Creature Feature" on Saturday afternoons.
The Tennessee Theatre, built on Gay Street just a few years before this film debuted, is the perfect place to watch it.
You can also hear the organist play a mini-concert on the famous Wurlitzer before the movie is screened.
At 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 10, the credit union presents the 1934 version of "Cleopatra," starring Claudette Colbert. Cecile B. DeMille directed.
1934 was a great year for Colbert. She also appeared with Clark Gable in "It Happened One Night," for which she won the Academy Award for best actress.
The series wraps up with what's become a Knoxville holiday tradition: "It's A Wonderful Life," the Christmas movie about George Bailey, the small-town building and loan operator given a chance to see what the world would be like if he'd never been born.
The Frank Capra classic will play twice on Sunday, Dec. 15 -- at 2 p.m. and then at 6 p.m. Stars include James Stewart, Donna Reed and Thomas Mitchell. "Sesame Street" fans will know that the characters Bert and Ernie were named after the cop and cabdriver in the film.
