Written by Preston Sturges and directed by William K. Howard, this pre-code masterpiece depicts the rise and fall of the much-despised railroad magnate and ruthless industrialist Tom Garner, played by Spencer Tracy. The blockbuster silent film actress and incomparable comedienne Colleen Moore co-stars as Sally, his wife, in a dramatic performance the New York Times hailed as “splendid.” The innovative flashback structure served as the inspiration for the more renowned Citizen Kane, and provides one of an audience’s only chances to see Moore in a talking role. Author of the novel From Dust to Stardust, inspired by Moore’s life and work (including the famous Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry), Kathleen Rooney will introduce the film and do a Q&A and book signing afterwards. 

KATHLEEN ROONEY is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, as well as a founding member of Poems While You Wait, a collective of poets and their vintage typewriters who compose poetry on demand. Author of hte bestselling novel Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk her newest novel is From Dust to Stardust. She lives in Chicago with her spouse, the writer Martin Seay, and teaches English and creative writing at DePaul University.