LOCAL “WINGS” SCREENINGS TO KICK OFF LAX 75TH ANNIVERSARY
(Los Angeles, CA -- January 31, 2003) A yearlong celebration of Los Angeles International Airport's (LAX's) 75th anniversary will kick off March 13 with two local screenings of "Wings," the first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is presenting this event, in partnership with the El Segundo, Inglewood/Airport Area and Westchester/LAX-Marina del Rey chambers of commerce. The event will benefit the Flight Path Learning Center (FPLC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of aviation and now developing an aviation museum and community center in the former Imperial Terminal at LAX.
Two screenings are scheduled Thursday, March 13 in the Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond Street, El Segundo. There will be a 1 p.m. matinee for a $10 donation, and a 6 p.m. reception followed by a 7 p.m. screening for a $25 donation. The silent film will feature accompaniment from an impressive Wurlitzer pipe organ. Light refreshments will be served at the reception.
"We begin our anniversary celebration in the neighborhood where LAX began 75 years ago," said Lydia H. Kennard, executive director LAWA, the City agency that operates a system of four airports including LAX, Ontario International, Van Nuys and Palmdale Regional. "We want to recognize the contributions of Westchester, El Segundo, Inglewood and other local communities to our aviation heritage and provide an opportunity to help preserve this heritage in our new LAX museum and community center."
The showing of "Wings" is especially appropriate, noted Kennard, because this year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Academy Awards and the film's production by Paramount Pictures, which has made it available for the LAWA event. Directed by legendary William Wellman, "Wings" is the story of two aviators who go to war and the girl they leave behind. Stars include Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers and Richard Arlen, with Gary Cooper in a cameo appearance at the dawn of his career.
The new LAX museum and community center, scheduled to open in late April on the airport's south perimeter, will be a focal point of exhibits, lectures, special programs and other activities marking the 75th anniversary of LAX, of the City of Los Angeles Department of Airports (now LAWA), and the 100th anniversary of the first manned flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright.
Plans call for exhibits of authentic aviation artifacts, photographs and other memorabilia, as well as tours and educational programs. The exhibits and programs will be geared to travelers, area residents and the business community. The Flight Path organization, which will operate the facility, also plans to provide guidance to students and others interested in the history and development of the aviation/aerospace industry and careers in the field.
Additional events scheduled to commemorate the 75th anniversary include the hosting of the American Association of Airport Executives 75th annual convention in April, an Aviation Expo in June at Van Nuys Airport (which also will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year), and a planned opening of a "Visions of Flight" exhibit at the new learning center this summer.
For reservations or additional information on the "Wings" screenings, or other 75th anniversary activities, contact LAX Community Relations Office at (310) 646-5742 or visit LAWA's Internet website at www.lawa.org. Tickets will be held at the door.
