There is nothing I can possibly say about actor James Mason that the official Cinematheque bio on him doesn’t. Whether it’s Julius Caesar, North By Northwest or Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita — when the man is onscreen he owns the scene with style and class. I personally have huge admiration for him and make a point to seek out any film he’s in, and there has been lots, because he always amazes me.
TIFF Cinematheque is celebrating Mason’s work until July 5 in a programme entitled The Man Between: James Mason. Nicholas Ray’s Bigger Than Life, one of the most intriguing films Mason ever starred in, kicked off the series on June 3. The Seventh Veil, Lolita, Odd Man Out, The Man Between, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, The Deadly Affair, and A Star is Born all have upcoming screenings over the next few weeks and I urge you to get out and see as many as you can.
Other programmes on offer at the TIFF Cinematheque this summer include Akira Kurosawa: Centenary of a Sensei, Personal Views: A Tribute to Robin Wood, and Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales. Check out the schedule for the next three months here.
Top image: James Mason and Judy Garland in A Star is Born. Courtesy Warner Home Video.
