The events list is light this week, but that’s fine with us – easy to sort through, and leaves you plenty of time for other things, too.
First up on Saturday is one of several vintage movie opportunities, this one co-hosted by the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles and the American Cinematheque. Starting at 2 p.m. at the Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., the event starts with an illustrated presentation by author Allan Ellenberger (author of “Miram Hopkins: Life and Films of a Hollywood Rebel”)…and continues with a screening of the classic 1933 Ernst Lubitsch comedy classic, “Design for Living.” The film, based on a Noel Coward play, features Hopkins starring as an interior designer who shares an apartment with both lovestruck Fredric March and Gary Cooper, because she can’t decide which one she loves. Ellenberger, whose 40-year career began in the pre-Code era and included three films with director Lubitsch, will also sign copies of his book.
If you’d prefer something of greater interest to the kiddos, head over to the historic Wiltern Theater, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., for a 3 p.m.  screening of Walt Disney’s “The Lion King.” Doors open at 2:30, and there will be themed photo ops, face painting, and coloring stations, along with yummy food and drinks (both soft drinks as well as adult beverages) available for purchase. Kids under 3 get in free.
Later, for a lovely summer outdoor concert, return to Hancock Park, next to LACMA, for the museum’s weekly Latin Sounds performance at 5 p.m., this week featuring Inca. The group performs music with Incan, Spanish, African and jungle native heritages, from the Andean region of the central and northern coasts of Peru, and the Peruvian and Bolivian Amazon jungles. The concert is free and open to the public.
After the music, there’s another great vintage film, 1960’s “La Dolce Vita,” playing at the Egyptian at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. In this one, director Federico Fellini “feels his way from the neo-realist past to the illusory future in an incredible emotional travelogue of the soul of modern Rome.” It’s the movie that catapulted Marcello Mastroianni to superstar status as a sensitive tabloid reporter juggling the affections of several women (Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimee and Magali Noël) while making the rounds of the spirit-destroying nightlife of the Via Veneto.” Shown in Italian with English subtitles.
On Sunday morning, you can view some great cars at the Petersen Museum’s 5th Annual Japanese Car Cruise-In and Super Street Meet, starting at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the museum’s parking structure. This is billed a “one of the year’s largest and most inclusive gatherings of Japanese import cars in Southern California.” Last year, say the organizers, the event featured “nearly a thousand of SoCal’s finest street, show, and track cars, from Lancers to Silvias and everything in between,” and this year they anticipate even more. Visitors can also visit the exhibit of rare Japanese cars, “The Roots of Monozukuri: Creative Spirit in Japanese Automaking,” which provides a comprehensive overview of Japanese automobile history…as well as the “Fine Tuning: Japanese/American Customs” exhibit, which showcases “iconic tuner cars and the stylistic influences behind them.” Museum members will have early access to the museum from 9 to 10 a.m.
Finally on Sunday, the Knowles Karate Academy, 4378 W. 3rd St., will host an Introduction to Women’s Self Defense Workshop, which will also be a fundraiser for the Food Not Bombs organization. The event starts at 10:30 a.m., tickets are $30 ($10 of which goes to the charity), and participants will learn two standing and one ground technique, as well as two simple and effective strikes to help get free from an attacker who is bigger and stronger.
And last but not least, a heads-up about a local Purple Line subway-construction-related street closure on Wilshire Blvd. (haven’t had one of those for a while!): westbound Wilshire Blvd., from Western Ave. to Manhattan Place, will be closed to traffic starting at midnight tonight (Friday), and continuing through 6 a.m. Sunday. Eastbound Wilshire will remain open. For more information, see https://www.metro.net/projects/notices/notice_purpleline1_071618/ .
Have a great weekend!
