Harbor Theater
185 Townsend AvenueTHOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD, Friday, May 9, 12:00 Noon – Harbor Theater, Boothbay Harbor
Dir. Britt Allcroft, Gullane Pictures, 2000
Presented by Harbor Theater and Railway Village Museum
Thomas the Tank Engine emerged as the most popular character from The Railway Series by Wilbert Awdry, first published 80 years ago. Although Thomas has appeared in many television episodes, this is his only feature film, a whimsical and nostalgic mix of live-action and stop-motion animation in which he teams with a young girl (Mara Wilson) and mysterious Mr. Conductor (Alec Baldwin) to find the lost source of the railway’s magic and save the island of Sodor from the sinister locomotive, Diesel 10.
THE TRAIN, Saturday, May 10, 2:00 PM – Harbor Theater, Boothbay Harbor
Dir. John Frankenheimer, United Artists, 1964
Presented by Harbor Theater and Railway Village Museum
Based loosely on the non-fiction book by Rose Valland (Suzanne Flon) documenting the daring rescue of priceless French art looted by the Nazis. This gripping World War II action-thriller pits French Resistance fighters (led by Burt Lancaster) attempting to stop a German officer (Paul Scofield) from transporting a trainload of stolen art to Berlin. Wartime suspense and moral complexity combine in a battle of resourcefulness and sabotage along the railway. The film delivers intense action with a gritty, almost documentary authenticity.
UNION PACIFIC, Sunday, May 11, 6:00 PM – Harbor Theater, Boothbay Harbor
Dir. Cecil B. DeMille, Paramount Pictures, 1939
Presented by Harbor Theater and Railway Village Museum
A sprawling Western epic about railroad troubleshooter Jeff Butler (Joel McCrea) battling sabotage, greed, and corruption while pushing to complete the eastern leg of the first Transcontinental Railroad (four were eventually constructed). His loyalty to the railroad and a growing love for a locomotive engineer’s daughter (Barbara Stanwyck) brings Butler into intense conflict with a rival in both business and romance (Robert Preston) who has teamed with criminals in trying to derail the project. The film’s grand scale and historical sweep make it a prime example of Hollywood’s Golden Age – and particularly the brand of cinematic spectacle for which DeMille was famous.
Though not presented until 2002, Union Pacific is officially the first recipient of Cannes International Film Festival’s major award, the Palm d’Or (Golden Palm). The first Cannes festival, scheduled for 1939, was cancelled due to the onset of World War II so no award was presented. In 2002, the Cannes jury considered the qualifying 1939 films (including The Wizard of Oz) and gave the top prize to Union Pacific.
May 9 - 11, 2025
Harbor Theater
185 Townsend Avenue
Harbor Theater, located in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, is a non-profit movie house showing first-run releases, art and independent films, festival winners and classic revivals, plus "Meet the Director/Filmmaker Q & A sessions. ADA-mandated Audio Descriptive (AD) and Closed Caption (CC) devices available for the visually and hearing-impaired. Inquire at the concession stand.
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