Admission is free, but attendees must RSVP for tickets, which are limited to the first 200 respondents. Tickets are available from springfieldstatetheater.com.
As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, Ohio came up with OGTTM as one of the signature events of this celebration, showcasing Ohioans in front of and behind the cameras.
All 88 Ohio counties will participate over 250 days and Springfield is one of the first.
When the invitation went out to the various counties, several group discussions and proposals were put out here and the natural place to do this was one of the county’s grand cinemas, one that will celebrate its own centennial in a year – The State.
“This is great fun for us,” said Rod Hatfield, one of the owners of the State Theater, which has been undergoing renovations and currently hosts movie screenings, concerts and other events. “This was Springfield’s first true cinema that generations have watched movies at.”
The State is partnering with other local organizations for the program, including the Heritage Center of Clark County, which is contributing an exhibit about cinema in Springfield over the years, and the Springfield Arts Council.
The program will also include a short film from the 1910s with Lillian Gish, one of the first silent film stars whose career lasted into her 90s, earning an Academy Award nomination at age 94 after receiving an Academy Honorary Award in 1971.
Dorothy Gish, five years younger than Lillian, had a 50-year acting career, mostly in the silent era.
Winters was born in Dayton, but raised in Springfield, where he attended Springfield High, and one of his early jobs was at local radio station WIZE. His comedic skills landed him spots on several television shows and movies including the comedy classic “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” but occasionally did memorable dramatic turns on shows such as “The Twilight Zone” and worked right up until his death at age 87 in 2013.
Winters footage will include an appearance on “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson” and a tribute from Robin Williams, who counted Winters as one of his idols.
Legend honed his talent on various Springfield stages and North High School as John Stephens. He rose to music superstardom but also found his talents in demand in film, television and stage, for which he earned the rare EGOT designation, an acronym for winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards.
Legend co-wrote the Oscar-winning Best Original Song “Glory” from the film “Selma” in 2014. He followed that with the third-billed role in the musical romantic comedy-drama “La La Land” that was one of the most honored movies of 2016, with his Get Lifted Film Co. involved in the production.
An artist’s painting of Legend has hung on the side of the State Theater for several years, which Hatfield said was fitting.
“‘La La Land’ is such a beautiful, feel-good love story we knew this would be the perfect film to show. It will nicely fill a post Valentine’s Day niche, and this is an auspicious start for America’s 250th birthday,” Hatfield said.
He added there may be a few special surprises for attendees to look out for.
The State Theater is located at 19 S. Fountain Ave. For more information about OGTTM, visit ohiogoestothemovies.org.
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