When a party gets rowdy, the Irish call it a “hooley!”
In 1941, Irish American screenwriter/director Preston Sturges won the Oscar for Best Screenplay of his film THE GREAT McGINTY. Fans of the 8th Annual Irish American Movie Hooley Film Festival, the only Irish American film festival in existence, will have the opportunity to see that Oscar as well as the classic comedy itself on Sunday, July 24th at 7PM at The Lake Theatre, 1022 Lake Street, in Oak Park, Illinois.
For the last eight years, the Houlihan family, founders and creators behind Hibernian Media, their public charity dedicated to Irish and Irish American culture, have been putting on this film festival telling folks, “We are out to discover the next John Ford, Ed Burns, Preston Sturges, John Huston, or John Patrick Shanley, i.e., Irish American filmmakers who epitomize Irish American pride, bravado, and legendary storytelling.”
This year they are moving the fest from the Gene Siskel Film Center, directly to their Irish American audiences in Oak Park and Wilmette.
Hooley founder Mike “Houli” Houlihan says, “We are moving our 8th Annual Irish American Movie Hooley film festival to Oak Park in September. That’s right, after seven great years at the Siskel Film Center honoring Irish and Irish American films to critical huzzahs, we’re taking our show on the road to the Lake Theatre Sept. 
16-17-18, right in our backyard where we raised our kids and taught them about Irish culture. We want to share that with the Oak Park-River Forest community. In celebration of this big move, we’re screening probably the quintessential Irish American film, written and directed by Preston Sturges, 1941 Academy Award Winner THE GREAT MCGINTY at the Lake on Sunday July 24th at 7PM. Please help us by attending this leap of faith back into our community.”
In this classic Chicago comedy, McGinty joins a crooked political boss and rises from extortionist to alderman. Urged by the boss to marry his secretary to give respectability to his run for mayor, McGinty agrees — only to fall in love with his wife and decide to do an honest thing for once in his life.
Suggested donation for the event is $100 and is tax-deductible. First Responders are eligible for half off tix as well. All are invited to a reception at Victory/Italian immediately following the screening Curtain time is 7PM Sunday July 24th at the Lake Theatre 1022 Lake Street, Oak Park. Victory Italian is right around the corner at 101 S. Marion St. in Oak Park.
To purchase tix for this very special event, go to Hiberniamedia.org or call 312-431-8700. Or show up on the night and buy your tix at the door, if there are any left!
Tom Sturges, son of Preston Sturges, will introduce the film and show everybody his dad’s Oscar.
See you at the movies!
