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TCM host event canceled


Update:

Robert Osborne's event at the Majestic Theater has been canceled because he has fallen ill with penumonia, according to an announcement on the theater's website. Those who purchased tickets for the event will be contacted by the theater with refund details.

Previously reported:

If you've ever watched Turner Classic Movies, you've seen Robert Osborne.

The host of the American movie channel will share his vast knowledge of the film industry Feb. 13 at the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, followed by a presentation of the timeless classic, "Casablanca," starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

The show is already sold-out, and it will mark the town's second celebrity appearance this month. In mid-January, actors Richard Gere and Steve Coogan came to Gettysburg to film scenes for the upcoming movie "The Dinner."

Osborne will be joined by Jeffrey Gable, the theater's founding executive director.

Osborne's appearance at the Majestic Theater, which dubs itself "the grandest small town theater in America," is part of the celebration of the theater's 90th anniversary. He will discuss the important role movie theaters have played in the life of small town America, according to a news release from the theater.

The Majestic Theater has played a significant role as Gettysburg's small town theater. In an article titled "A Majestic Presence: A Study of the Development of the Majestic Theater In Gettysburg" in The Gettysburg Historic Journal, authors Jay Gallagher, Kelly Burnham and Nancy Moll discuss the Majestic, and Gettysburg's other theater, the Strand Theater.

Theaters were hubs for social activity and built ties in the community by employing residents, both adults and teenagers, according to the article.

"This helped to build the sense of community and helped the town feel some level of ownership in the theater," the article states.

Osborne himself hails from a small town with a population of about 2,700. Born in Colfax, Washington, Osborne graduated from the University of Washington's School of Journalism, later heading to Hollywood where he signed a contract as an actor with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz at their Desilu Studios, according to the news release. Ball encouraged Osborne to follow a career in writing "especially after she saw me act," he said. He views the suggestion as the best career advice he ever received. He and Ball remained friends until her death in 1989.

Osborne started writing for The Hollywood Reporter in 1977, writing their lead column "Rambling Reporter" beginning in 1983. He is known as the official biographer of "Oscar," due to the series of books he has penned about the Academy Awards.

For more information about the Majestic Theater, visit gettysburgmajestic.org.

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