Switzerland's Locarno Film Festival is gearing up to commemorate the centennial of Columbia Pictures with a special retrospective showcasing classic titles produced by the renowned Hollywood studio from the early days of sound to the late 1950s. The retrospective, titled 'The Lady With the Torch -- The Centenary of Columbia Pictures,' is curated by Ehsan Khoshbakht, co-director of Italy's Il Cinema Ritrovato festival, known for its dedication to cinematic treasures of the past. The event is organized in collaboration with Switzerland's Cinémathèque Suisse and will be officially unveiled at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles.
During its heyday, Columbia Pictures was responsible for creating some of the most iconic films in American cinema, spanning a wide range of styles and genres. Originally established in 1924 as Cohn-Brandt-Cohn, the studio rebranded itself as Columbia Pictures and eventually adopted the Lady With the Torch as its emblematic figure, symbolizing the spirit of American cinema.
