“Telling the truth can be dangerous business; / Honest and popular don't go hand in hand. / If you admit that you play the accordion, / No one will hire you in a rock 'n' roll band. / But we can sing our hearts out. / And if we're lucky, then no neighbors complain. / Because life is the way we audition for God; / Let us pray that we all get the job.”  – ISHTAR

After years of success in the entertainment world, primarily as half of the pioneering comedy duo, Nichols and May, Elaine May made her film writing and directing debut in 1971. From then to 1987, her directing career saw some of the highest highs and the lowest lows across four features and found May roving the sands of Morocco and Miami and the pavements of Manhattan and Philadelphia. Her films have received critical praise, survived box office catastrophe and studio interference, and are now regarded by many as some of the most honest, cherished, and influential films of this era. A skilled actor herself, May’s collaborations with other Hollywood staples like Walter Matthau, Peter Falk, Dustin Hoffman, Charles Grodin, Cybill Shepherd, John Cassavetes, Warren Beatty, and her daughter, Jeannie Berlin, made evident her ability to encourage chemistry between stars and prompt performances that would remain unscathed by time. This November, the Music Box invites you to spend your mornings sharing in the deserved adoration for four of Elaine May’s directorial works, A NEW LEAF, THE HEARTBREAK KID (rare 35mm screening), MIKEY AND NICKY, and ISHTAR.