May 29 – June 1, 2026
The Film Society of Screwball Comedy and the historic Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs are proud to present MARILYN 100: A Centennial Film Celebration.
This curated weekend of four iconic films transforms the Plaza into a destination for classic film lovers, pairing timeless storytelling with the communal magic of the big screen. The celebration is generously sponsored by the City of Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation.
Each screening will also feature a pre-show cocktail hour in the Plaza lobby, creating a festive and immersive experience worthy of Monroe’s legendary star power.
Individual Tickets:
Our celebration kicks off with
The Seven Year Itch: Friday 7:00 p.m., May 29, 2026, at the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, where the Film Society of Screwball Comedy will introduce this sparkling comedy classic.
Starring Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, The Seven Year Itch explores the hilarious temptations and fantasies of a middle-aged Manhattan man left alone for the summer, whose life is suddenly turned upside down by his glamorous upstairs neighbor. This witty, stylish film is famous for Monroe’s unforgettable performance and iconic moments that have captivated audiences for generations. Don’t miss the start of our celebration honoring Hollywood’s most luminous legend!
Step into a world of dazzling diamonds and hilarious hijinks at our second screening:
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 7:30 pm at the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, where the Film Society of Screwball Comedy will introduce this legendary musical comedy.
The evening kicks off with an inspired performance by the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus, setting the stage for a night of glamour and laughter.
Starring Marilyn Monroe as the irresistible Lorelei Lee and Jane Russell as her witty best friend Dorothy Shaw, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes follows the two showgirls as they embark on a whirlwind adventure across the Atlantic. Their quest for love, fortune, and fun is filled with sparkling musical numbers and clever twists, making this film a showcase for Monroe’s iconic charm and comedic brilliance. Don’t miss the chance to experience this classic on the big screen with a lively audience, musical performance, and expert introduction!
Get ready for a riotous afternoon at the Marilyn Monroe Centennial Celebration’s third screening:
Some Like It Hot: Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 2:00 pm at the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, where the Film Society of Screwball Comedy will introduce this legendary musical comedy.
Before the film, enjoy an uplifting musical performance by the Modern Men Chorus, setting the mood for an unforgettable event.
Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, Some Like It Hot follows two musicians who, after witnessing a crime, disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band. Their hilarious antics and quick-thinking lead to a series of comedic misadventures, with Monroe shining as the irresistible Sugar Kane. Experience the sparkling wit, clever twists, and dazzling performances that have made this film a timeless favorite—perfect for celebrating Hollywood’s most radiant star!
Close out the Marilyn Monroe Centennial Celebration with a moving tribute—on her 100th birthday—for a special screening of:
The Misfits: Monday June 1, 2026 at 7:30 pm at the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, where the Film Society of Screwball Comedy will introduce this unforgettable drama, capping off an extraordinary weekend honoring Monroe’s legacy.
Starring Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Montgomery Clift, The Misfits brings together three Hollywood legends in a story of lost souls seeking connection on the sun baked plains of Nevada. Monroe plays Roslyn, a gentle and disillusioned woman who finds herself drawn to a group of outsiders—an aging cowboy (Gable), a wounded rodeo rider (Clift), and a rugged mechanic (Eli Wallach). As their bonds deepen, the film reveals their shared longing for love and freedom.
The Misfits was written as a love letter to Marilyn Monroe by her husband, the acclaimed playwright Arthur Miller, and remains an emotionally resonant portrait of vulnerability and hope. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience Monroe’s final, most poignant performance on the big screen and celebrate the timeless artistry that continues to inspire generations.
New York Times bestselling author and historian SCOTT EYMAN spoke and signed books at the Camelot Theater’s screening of My Favorite Wife starring Cary Grant, Irene Dunn, Gail Patrick and Randolph Scott. on May 4, 2025.
Scott Eyman is the author of 18 books, including Joan Crawford, A Woman’s Face (2025), has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and has received the National Board of Review William K. Everson Award for Film History for film and literary criticism. Mr. Eyman has served as adjunct professor of film history at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL.
He has contributed audio commentaries for DVDs, participated in the TCM Film Festival and TCM Classic Cruises, and co-hosted with Robert Osborne on TCM.
Mr. Eyman has written for The Wall Street Journal, Film Comment, The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and many film magazines. And he is the former literary and art critic for The Palm Beach Post.
Legendary film critic, historian and author MOLLY HASKELL spoke at the Camelot Theater’s screening of Ninotchka starring Greta Garbo on March 16, 2025, The Palm Beach Story starring Claudette Colbert on April 27, 2024, and Design for Living starring Gary Cooper on April 28, 2024.
Ms. Haskell is the author of six books. From Reverence To Rape, the Treatment of Women in the Movies is cited as one of the most influential books in film history. She has written for The New York Times, The Guardian UK, Esquire, The Nation, Town and Country, The New York Observer, The New York Review of Books, The Village Voice, New York Magazine, and Vogue. She has served as associate Professor of Film at Barnard, and as Adjunct Professor of Film at Columbia University.
Her next publication will be her memoirs, out later this year.
Renowned film historian GARY GIDDINS introduced and gave a commentary on HIGH SOCIETY (1956) starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and Frank Sinatra—delivering sharp wit, sparkling romance, unforgettable music and iconic midcentury style! Presented at the newly renovated Plaza Theatre in downtown Palm Springs,.
Mr. Giddins is the author of numerous books, including Natural Selection: Gary Giddins on Comedy, Film, Music, and Books (2006), Warning Shadows: Home Alone with Classic Cinema (2010), Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, Vol 1 and Bing Crosby: Swinging on a Star, (2018). Giddins was featured in American Masters’ Bing Crosby Rediscovered (2014) for PBS. And he has contributed many audio commentaries for DVDs
Gary Giddins has taught at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Rutgers University, and is presently at CUNY Graduate Center.
MARK A. VIEIRA spoke and signed books on June 1, 2025, at the Camelot Theater’s screening of Bombshell, starring Jean Harlow.
Mark Vieira is the author of 19 books on Hollywood history, including George Hurrell’s Hollywood, Glamour Portraits 1925-1992, and Warner Bros: 100 Years of Storytelling.
Mr. Vieira is a filmmaker and creator of the documentary series DeMille is Hollywood. He has appeared in documentaries for TCM and the BBC and has lectured extensively on film history and glamour photography. Mr. Vieira is a career portrait photographer and a protégé of iconic photographer George Hurrell, which informs his understanding of the visual medium of classic Hollywood films.
OLYMPIA KIRIAKOU spoke at the May 18, 2025, at the Camelot Theater’s screening of Nothing Sacred starring Carole Lombard and Fredric March, and May 19, 2024 screening of Twentieth Century starring Carole Lombard and John Barrymore.
Olympia Kiriakou is the author of Becoming Carole Lombard: Stardom, Comedy and Legacy (2020). She teaches film history and theory at Florida Atlantic University, hosts the podcast The Screwball Story, and created the website TheScrewballGirl.com. Dr. Kiriakou earned her PhD in Film Studies from King’s College London. Her next book, to be released later this year, is Virginia Grey: Good Luck Charm.
Ms. Kiriakou serves as an advisory board member for the Film Society of Screwball Comedy.
STEVEN C. SMITH, film historian, national speaker and author of Hitchcock & Herrmann, The Friendship & Film Scores That Changed Cinema (2025), spoke and signed books on March 2, 2025 at our screening of The More The Merrier starring Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea and Charles Coburn, and Arsenic and Old Lace starring Cary Grant.
Mr. Smith’s books also include Music by Max Steiner, The Epic Life of Hollywood’s Most Influential Composer, and The Life And Music of Bernard Herrmann. He is a four-time Emmy nominated producer of 200 documentaries.
Film historian and author DAVID KALAT spoke and signed books on April 6, 2025 at the Camelot Theater’s screening of Easy Living starring Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold and Ray Milland.
Mr. Kalat is the author of three books, including Too Funny for Words, A Contrarian History of American Screen Comedy from Silent Slapstick to Screwball. He has contributed audio commentaries to numerous classic movies and written extensively for TCM and other publications. Mr. Kalat is the founder of All Day Entertainment, an independent DVD label whose mission is to rescue and promote forgotten motion pictures with artistic and entertainment value and historic importance that merit reappraisal. He has partnered with media companies Masters of Cinema, Kino-Lorber, the Criterion Collection, and Classic Media to bring attention to movies that “fell between the cracks”.
KIMBERLY TRUHLER spoke and signed her book on film costume history, Film Noir Style, The Killer 1940s, on May 5, 2024 at the Camelot Theater’s screening of Holiday, starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.
Ms. Truhler is the founder of GlamAmor.com. She has contributed to TCM, The National Film Registry, the BBC, Elle, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, CNN’s series American Style, the Encyclopedia of Film and Television Costume Design and American Cinematheque. Ms. Truhler has taught History of Fashion in Film at Woodbury University.
ROB KOZLOWSKI spoke and signed his book Becoming Nick & Nora, The Thin Man and the Films of William Powell and Myrna Loy on April 14, 2024 at the Camelot Theater’s screening of After The Thin Man, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy.
Mr. Kozlowski is a film historian, journalist, and author. He has taught comedy writing at Second City Chicago and at the Cinema and Television Arts Department at Columbia College Chicago. Mr. Kozlowski has authored two other books on the entertainment industry, The Art of Chicago Improv: Short Cuts to Long-Form Improvisation, and The Actor’s Guide to the Internet.
KRISTEN LOPEZ spoke and signed her TCM book, But Have You Read The Book? on April 7, 2024 at the Camelot Theater’s screening of Sullivan’s Travels, starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake.
Ms. Lopez is an entertainment journalist and the Film Editor for TheWrap. She is a regular contributor to TCM, has written for Variety, Roger Ebert and MTV, and was the TV editor for IndieWire. Ms. Lopez is the creator of the classic film podcast, Ticklish Business, now running for eight years.
ALIECE PICKETT speaks at each film and interviews the Film Society’s guest speakers. She discusses the genre’s origins during its classic period from the Great Depression through World War II, plot elements, character archetypes, and distinguishing dialogue.
Ms. Pickett is co-founder of the Film Society of Screwball Comedy, and has created a comprehensive catalog and database of Screwball Comedy films to be used for film research and restoration, and for use by film enthusiasts.
Grant Recipient:
2022, 2023, 2024, 2025